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Thursday, November 9, 2017
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ADMINISTRATION
Students hail beginning of construction on Trotter DANYEL THARAKAN/Daily
Groundbreaking fulfills thirty years of demands from community for new space
E. Royster Harper, Vice President for Student Life, speaks to a group of students at the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Summit at the League Wednesday.
At DEI summit, questions linger on action to improve strategic plan
Students and administrators weigh measures on free speech & accountability gathered Wednesday evening to ABBY MURO, ABBY TASKAS, evaluate the plan’s effectiveness. SAYALI AMIN, GRACE KAY Most students in attendance For the Daily at the summit — about 50 total — were members of Central Student Government or student One year after the introduction advisory boards related to the of the five-year strategic plan for DEI or the Office of Student Life. diversity, equity and inclusion, The evening kicked off with students, faculty and staff an introduction from Central
Student Government President Anushka Sarkar, an LSA senior, followed by Robert Sellers, vice provost for Equity and Inclusion. Both speakers stressed the idea of creating a safe campus community for all students. E. Royster Harper, vice president for Student Life, called on values-based problem
solving. “When times are tough and you’re up against a wall, that’s when you have to live and act your values or else they’re meaningless,” Harper said.
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SAM SMALL For the Daily
After three decades of minority student activism and ultimately, organizing for a more centrally located multicultural center and more emphasis on students of color at the University, the University of Michigan broke ground Wednesday morning at the William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center’s new location on State Street. Alumni and students representing the Black Action Movement, #BBUM and current members of the Black Student Union gathered along with administrators at the
construction site with shovels in hand at the spot north of the Michigan Union and between the Kelsey Museum and Betsy Barbour Residence. The groundbreaking comes four years after #BBUM movement demands revitalized student requests for a more centrally located Trotter Center. Recent alum Logan Pratt, Trotter Student Advisory Committee member and former historian and academic concerns chair of the Black Student Union, recalled his time advocating for the building.
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Trump tax credits are 10x more costly ‘U’ groups SAPAC will attend than eliminated education benefits speakout
CAMPUS LIFE
CAMPUS LIFE
conference on refugees
Proponents argue new programs cancel out credits, students worry about affordability
Campus organizers look to host talks on solutions for displaced Syrians
With United States House Republicans introducing a sweeping plan for tax reform last Thursday that outlined a set of tax cuts for businesses and a restructuring of the income tax system, students became concerned — especially because the bill contains a number of changes to the current tax code, some of which may directly impact college affordability. The bill would eliminate two of three existing tax credits for students: the Lifetime Learning Credit and the Hope Scholarship Credit. The Lifetime Learning Credit offsets 20 percent of the first $10,000 of education expenses for individuals making $65,000 or less annually. The Hope Scholarship Credit offers a $2,500 credit for individuals making $80,000 or less annually. Cutting these two programs is estimated to save the government $17.3 billion in the next decade. The American Opportunity Tax Credit — the third student credit — is expanded in the new bill. This offers a $2,500 credit every year for four years to people who spend $4,000 or more on tuition and fees annually. With the new bill, the program would be available to students for a fifth year with a reduced $1,250 credit. This program cost the government nearly $18 billion in 2016, making it roughly ten times as costly as the other two
JENNIFER MEER Daily Staff Reporter
Approximately 17 University of Michigan students, representing various student organizations, will be attending the first national conference hosted by Students Organize for Syria this weekend at Loyola University Chicago to discuss solutions and raise awareness for the thousands of people who have died and millions who have been displaced as a result of violent oppression and civil war in Syria. SOS, a national student-led movement that aims to spread awareness, assist and stand in solidarity with the Syrian people, focuses on fundraising, human rights advocacy and education. It has chapters at several colleges and universities, including the University of Michigan, the University of Southern California and the University of Florida, among others; most of which will be represented at the conference.
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RILEY LANGEFELD Daily Staff Reporter
combined. Advocates of the bill argue new federal programs negate the need for these credits, which were created before any significant federal student loan repayment plan was available. The Obamaera student loan repayment program would stay in place under the proposed plan. This program allows students to apply for federal loan aid, which is doled out depending on income. In general, the program caps the amount paid by students at 10 percent of their
discretionary income. Individual plans offer loan forgiveness after 25 years. More than five million people are currently paying back their loans with this program. The Obama-era program, however, does not cover loans from private lenders, which make up 9 percent of all student loans for the current school year. The GOP plan also eliminates the tax-exempt status of tuition reimbursements up to $5,250 a year, meaning that they would be taxed as income. Students whose
Lifetime Learning Credit Offsets
of the first of education expenses
for individuals making
or less annually
education is funded by employers will be affected by this change. In the view of LSA senior Grant Strobl—chairman of conservative Young Americans for Freedom— the economic benefits of an education negate the need for the tax credits and deductions changed in the bill. He said the return on investment of a college degree is far greater than its cost.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Hope Scholarship Credit Offers a
credit for
individuals making or less annually
Cutting the Lifetime Learning Credit and Hope Scholarship Credit is estimated to save the government $17.3 billion in the next decade.
American Opportunity Tax Credit Offers a
credit every year for four years to people who spend
or more on tuition and fees annually
Available to students for a fifth year with a reduced Eliminates the tax-exempt status of tuition reimbursements up to $5,250 a year
For more stories and coverage, visit
Cost the government nearly
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credit in 2016
sees record attendance
32nd annual event for survivors emphasizes safety, empowerment LIZZY LAWRENCE Daily Staff Reporter
Attendees of the Sexual Assault and Prevention Awareness Center’s 32nd annual Speak Out were greeted by an atmosphere full of fairy lights, candles and the soft chords of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” this Wednesday night in the Michigan Union Ballroom. The organizers of the event said they created this ambience to make a safe space for survivors of sexual assault to share their stories. LSA senior Nora Akcasu, a SAPAC volunteer and one of the main organizers of the event, said making the ballroom feel more inviting was something new SAPAC focused on this year. “This year we really tried to emphasize making the space feel more comfortable,” she said. “The ballroom is such a big space, and we don’t want people to feel more intimidated than they already are to go up there and share this deeply personal story.”
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INDEX
Vol. CXXVII, No. 27 ©2017 The Michigan Daily
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS.....................1B
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SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6 SPORTS....................5
News
2A — Thursday, November 9, 2017
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ON THE DAILY: FORMER ‘U’ STUDENT GIFTS LSA
Former JetBlue CEO Dave Barger, who previously attended the University of Michigan, gave a $10 million gift to the University’s Barger Leadership Institute, an initiative to promote research opportunities for LSA students. This gift comes 10 years after the foundational donation he made to create the institute. This 10th-anniversary gift is intended to expand and sustain the opportunities the institute gives to student leaders. “It’s a great honor to be able to continue to support the (Barger Leadership Institute) and to help expand experiential opportunities for the next generation of leaders,” Barger said in a news release. “Michigan excels at preparing undergraduate students to contribute as well-rounded, forward-thinking leaders, and it’s a privilege to be able to support this important work.” The $4.5 million gift Barger gave in 2007 to begin the institute has gone toward forming new clubs, developing startup companies,
seeking global and domestic internships, partnering with onand off-campus organizations, and learning professional skills that can be applied post-graduation. Public Policy junior Zoha Qureshi, a BLI program coordinator, said the institute has been crucial to her development as a leader, and she has benefited immensely from Barger’s commitment and resources. “With this generous gift, BLI will be able to provide even more resources to support students in their passions and interests. This gift will help us include more access opportunities to visit places all around the globe, more networking events to gain valuable, professional connections, and more workshops to promote individual growth,” Qureshi said. “BLI stresses that leadership is something that can be learned by anyone. With this ability to expand, we can make that vision a reality for all University of Michigan students.” Barger has given more than $18 million to LSA,
Athletics, University Libraries, Michigan Medicine and the Alumni Association since 1987. His donations have gone on to create programs like the Barger Family Professorship and the JetBlue Airways London School of Economics Summer Program. This gift also creates the
Richard. H. Price Founders Fund, named after the institute’s founding director, which provides the director with funds to start programs for students.
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Women who served in the military speak on overcoming sexist stereotypes and sexual harassment at the Union Wednesday.
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES Skype Call with UN Delegates
LGBTQ+ in the Military Panel
DEI Town Hall Meeting
Dutch Lunch
Bryxter @BryxterNavalta
WHAT: Students attending the UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany will partake in a skype call to answer questions and discuss experiences. WHO: Climate Blue WHEN: 11 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. WHERE: 3038 Dana Building
WHAT: Veterans will share their experiences with discrimination and service and discuss the climate for LGBTQ+ military members. WHO: Veteran and Military Services WHEN: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Union Kuenzel Room
WHAT: Taubman College’s new DEI staff will discuss theur plans over lunch. WHO: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion WHEN: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. WHERE: Taubman College Room 1360
WHAT: Dutch immigrants and people interested in Dutch culture can enjoy Dutch treats and discuss the language. WHO: Germanic Languages & Literatures WHEN: 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: MLB 3308
Fond of Fondue Buffet
Free Chinese Cooking Class
Veteran of Color Symposium
Bridging the Divide
Shivani @skozarekar
WHAT: The documentary “Latino Americans: War and Peace Episode 3” will be screened to showcase thte experience of veterans. WHO: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion WHEN: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. WHERE: Hatcher Graduate Library - Room 100
WHAT: “Powerful tools to improve your next conversation” will be discussed by the CEO of Intuitive Intelligence, Dr. Sangwan, WHO: Office for Health, Equity & Inclusion WHEN: 9: 00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m WHERE: Kahn Auditorium
I thought I’d seen it all but today a man in my matsci class was wearing athletic shorts with duck boots
WHAT: Students with a Martha Cook meal plan can enjoy a fondue dinner. WHO: Michigan Dining WHEN: 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. WHERE: Martha Cook Residence
WHAT: Students will be able to learn about Chinese cooking and culture right in their dining hall kitchen. WHO: Confucious Institute WHEN: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. WHERE: South Quad Demo Kitchen
East Quad commuunity lobbies for improved access to dining hall Residence hall council drafting new proposal to extend student meal hours RACHEL LEVY
Daily Staff Reporter
Five years ago, East Quad Residence Hallunderwent comprehensive renovations, sporting new study spaces, improved restrooms and a new 430-person dining hall. Since that renovation, the East Quad dining hall has been a quick stop for meals for students around campus due to its convenient location and sustainable meals, as well as a huge improvement for students in the University of Michigan’s Residential College, a living-learning community housed in East Quad. Sudoku Syndication Recently, however, concerns have been raised to East Quad
Hall Council regarding the size of the dorm. With nearly 900 students, LSA freshman Jaylen Bradley, president of the Quad council, says the expansiveness of East Quad has led to some issues the council hopes to address, especially with regard to the dining hall. The council, made up of 15 students and two faculty advisers, has been drafting a petition for the past month to submit to MDining about the hours. “I was approached by several of our residents saying how the hours were inconvenient,” Bradley said. East Quad’s dining hall is open for breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.; for dinner from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.; and on
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Why is it that every time I consider skipping a class in college the price of tuition pops in my head
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the weekends, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for breakfast and lunch, and again 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for dinner. The council is petitioning for NEWS TIPS ARTS SECTION PHOTOGRAPHY SECTION longer lunches, longer dinners news@michigandaily.com arts@michigandaily.com photo@michigandaily.com and earlier breakfast on the LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SPORTS SECTION NEWSROOM weekends to accommodate the tothedaily@michigandaily.com sports@michigandaily.com 734-418-4115 opt. 3 growing demands from residents. EDITORIAL PAGE ADVERTISING CORRECTIONS “I need everyone to understand opinion@michigandaily.com dailydisplay@gmail.com corrections@michigandaily.com that this is an ongoing process. It takes time to make sure everything is aligned,” Bradley said. “Although our residents feel like we’re not doing anything, AMELIA CACCHIONE and EMMA RICHTER we are and it’s just behind the Managing Photo Editors photo@michigandaily.com Senior Photo Editors: Zoey Holmstrom, Evan Aaron, Alexis Rankin, scenes.” REBECCA LERNER Zach Moore LSA sophomore Sage Managing Editor rebler@michigandaily.com Assistant Photo Editors: Claire Meingast, Katelyn Mulcahy, Aaron Renstrom-Richards has lived in Baker, Sam Mousigian, Kevin Zheng East Quad for the past two years. ALEXA ST.JOHN LARA MOEHLMAN Managing News Editor alexastj@michigandaily.com “I go to the dining hall at least Statement Editor statement@michigandaily.com Senior News Editors: Riyah Basha, Tim Cohn, Lydia Murray, three times a day,” RenstromDeputy Statement Editor: Brian Kuang, Yoshiko Iwai http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ Nisa Khan, Sophie Sherry Richards said. “I usually get Assistant News Editors: Jordyn Baker, Colin Beresford, Rhea second dinner because I know Cheeti, Maya Goldman, Matt Harmon, Andrew Hiyama, Jen ELIZABETH DOKAS and TAYLOR GRANDINETTI Meer, Ishi Mori, Carly Ryan, Kaela Theut that they have a very limited Managing Copy Editors copydesk@michigandaily.com window to get dinner.” ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY and REBECCA TARNOPOL Senior Copy Editors: Marisa Frey, Ibrahim Rasheed Editorial Page Editors tothedaily@michigandaily.com Like many students, late nights are often a part of the DYLAN LAWTON and BOB LESSER Senior Opinion Editors: Anu Roy-Chaudhury, Ashley Zhang, collegiate experience, and Managing Online Editor lesserrc@michigandaily.com Max Lubell, Madeline Nowicki, Stephanie Trierweiler Senior Web Developers: Erik Forkin, Jordan Wolff with late nights comes the BETELHEM ASHAME and KEVIN SANTO desire for late-night snacks. ABE LOFY Managing Sports Editors sportseditors@michigandaily.com “At MSU, they have ‘lateManaging Video Editor video@michigandaily.com Senior Sports Editors: Laney Byler, Mike Persak, Orion Sang, Senior Video Editors: Gilly Yerrington, Matt Nolan, Aarthi night something,’ where Max Marcovich, Ethan Wolfe, Chris Crowder Janakiraman, Emily Wolfe the dining hall is open and Assistant Sports Editors: Rob Hefter, Avi Sholkoff, Matthew Kennedy, Paige Voeffray, Mark Calcagno, Jacob Shames only has limited options. It’s JASON ROWLAND and ASHLEY TJHUNG Michigan in Color Editors michiganincolor@michigandaily.com good because it recognizes ANAY KATYAL and NATALIE ZAK Senior Michigan in Color Editors: Christian Paneda, the fact that you don’t stop Managing Arts Editors arts@michigandaily.com Adam Brodnax, Halimat Olaniyan, Tanya Madhani, Sivanthy getting hungry after 8 p.m.” Senior Arts Editors: Dayton Hare, Nabeel Chollanpat, Vasanthan Renstrom-Richards said. Madeline Gaudin, Carly Snider Arts Beat Editors: Danielle Yacobson, Danny Hensel, Erika The late opening times ELLIE HOMANT Shevchek, Matt Gallatin, Naresh Iyengar Managing Social Media Editor for the dining halls on Senior Social Media Editors: Kayla Waterman and Anna Haritos the weekends can also be MICHELLE PHILLIPS and AVA WEINER inconvenient for students, she Managing Design Editors design@michigandaily.com said. “I also work on weekends CAYLIN WATERS and a lot of my work starts Brand Manager EMILY RICHNER at 10, so I literally cannot CLAIRE BUTZ Sales Manager eat breakfast,” RenstromBusiness Development Manager JUEUI HONG Richards said. “It really JULIA SELSKY Special Projects Manager Local Accounts Manager disadvantages people who CAROLINE GOLD need to work, which is a SANJANA PANDIT Media Consulting Manager Production Manager problem.”
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Michigan in Color
Thursday, November 9, 2017 — 3A
Filipino American, enough Reflections on being a halfie ISABELLE ROSALES MiC Columnist
“That baby is so white,” a stranger said aloud at the grocery store, alarmed at the sight of a dark Southeast Asian man carrying a pale baby girl. It was 1998, potentially 1999. I wish I had my own recollection of that day, but the “white baby” was me. This day was nevertheless interesting. It was the day I became known as “the white girl” in my family, something that oddly stuck with me throughout the years, growing up as a Filipino-American kid. It was my alternate identity, like my own weird version of Hannah Montana to Miley Stewart. Both of my parents are Filipino and came to the United States shortly before I was born. I grew up hearing them speak Bisaya (a Filipino dialect), but I was almost exclusively spoken and read to in English. From very early on, I identified as Filipino American. But as the years passed, this identity of mine became confusing, and at times it diverged into two separate entities that clashed. Flash forward to 2003. “Bye, my palangga,” my mom said as I took my first step onto the school bus for my first day of kindergarten. At the time, I didn’t know what “palangga” meant (later on, I learned that it meant “beloved”). I was reading and speaking English at a second-grade level, but my Bisaya vocabulary was limited to common household words, pet names and frustrated exclamations. Occasionally, my parents would put on “Mga Awit Bulilit,” a DVD of Filipino children’s music videos. I sang along to “Bahay Kubo” and “Pen Pen de Sarapen” religiously by reading the Tagalog subtitles. I never learned the English lyrics. Nor did I ever learn the difference between Bisaya and Tagalog, the most commonly spoken language in the Philippines. In fourth grade, I sat down at the sticky cafeteria table and excitedly opened
my lunch, ginaling with white rice. “That looks like dog food,” my best friend muttered. “Is that Chinese? Aren’t you Chinese?” a boy asked. “I’m Filipino,” I said for the 100th time, not sure why I even bothered to explain it again. I knew I would be met with “What’s that?” and “Can you teach me words in your language?” “I can’t really speak it,” I would say, followed by expressions of disappointment. “My language” was English. How could I teach my friends a language that was practically foreign to me? At school, I was the stereotypical Asian kid who usually did well in school, had strict parents, took off my shoes upon entering the house and ate “weird” food with a fork and spoon instead of a knife and fork. But at family gatherings, I was the whitewashed, Americanized girl who couldn’t understand Tagalog or Bisaya and was unaware of what life was like in the Philippines. My aunts, uncles and cousins would speak drawn-out sentences in Bisaya and tell me to respond. “I can’t really speak it,” I would say, followed by the same disappointed looks I would get from my classmates. Only these stabbed harder. They came from people who knew what they were talking about, while I didn’t know a thing. Even if I slightly understood what they said, I always hesitated to respond, fearful of butchering the pronunciations. I already had enough criticisms constantly hanging over my head: “You need to get a tan,” “Why didn’t you ever learn Bisaya?” “Your hair is so thick, it looks so unkempt.” I didn’t care to be reminded of my other perceived f laws that made me “less Filipino.” From a young age, my fair skin, unruly brown hair and language inabilities made me feel like an outsider in my own family. To my peers unaware of Filipinos and Filipino culture, I felt like an imposter. I confused myself with the ideas of not being Filipino
enough, not being American enough or being too much or too little of either. It was only recently that I finally became completely comfortable with the identity I had assumed in the very beginning: Filipino American. My advice to anyone else who has felt like an outsider in your family, an imposter to your friends or both: You aren’t. I know, it’s really frustrating to hear your mom gossiping about you over the phone to your aunt in a language you can’t even understand. Yes, it’s irritating when people ask you to speak words “in your language” or ask, “Where are you really from?” I could go on and on about the annoyances (and there are many more I haven’t experienced and therefore can’t speak on). In spite of them, your identity is yours, and it can’t be altered by other people’s perceived notions of “less.” You are not “less” of a person because of the languages you can or can’t speak, the color of your skin, the texture of your hair, the food you eat or the way you eat it. You are your own complete person, and while you may not always be able to speak for other people who share your identities, you also shouldn’t always let other people speak for you. I am Filipino American. I eat my ginaling, sinigang, adobo and rice with a fork and spoon. I know every song on the “Hannah Montana” soundtrack, the words to “The Star-Spangled Banner” and the tune of the Philippine national anthem, among other great music pieces. When I graduate from this American university, I hope to one day visit the Philippines and contribute to the place my parents once called home. One day, I will be able to hold a conversation in Filipino — not only to respond to my relatives’ gossips about me but also to reach another population of people and connect more closely with my culture. I am still growing and learning, but I am enough.
LYDIA MURRAY Daily News Editor
When people learn that I am half-Chinese the reaction is like watching someone figure out that math problem they had been stuck on: some mixture of a new revelation and old knowledge that they finally combined. It’s as if my race is some ambiguous thing to be discovered. I’m exotic looking, vaguely ethnic, somehow different — I’m not quite white. With this, in the years I spent in majority white institutions I got the full spectrum of Asian jokes and stereotypes. “Well, of course you got an A.” “But your mom made you take SAT prep courses didn’t she?” “You’re a woman and Asian? You must be the worst driver on the road.” “You know, I’ve never been with an Asian girl before.” When I was younger this was strange to me. I lived my first nine years in America, how was I not fully American? Everyone around me was white, my dad was white, my grandparents were: I didn’t quite understand what it meant to be Chinese. *** At age 6 I visited China for the first time. My mom’s family lived in a small town called Kangbao, where my laolao and laoye lived in a small mud-brick house. There was one large bed that we all shared and the pillows were hard and filled with beans. My laoye was a traditional Chinese doctor, though he was forced to stop practicing during the Cultural Revolution. My uncle raised sheep, which he let us chase around with the dogs. My grandparents didn’t have internet, so my sisters and I passed time watching “Mei Hou Wang” or Chinese “Tom and Jerry.” In that small town, I was a celebrity. One day my sister and I attempted to sit in on a day of classes at the local school, but eventually were asked to leave, as we were a novelty deemed too distracting to the students, who refused to do class work in lieu of staring at us. Later, some of the students would track us down and ask for pieces of our hair to keep to remember us. Walking down the street people would stare and shout: Wai guo ren! Foreigner. *** By the time I was a teenager,
I had grown used to my Chinese identity, and understood what that meant in the mostly-white suburbs of Michigan. I was not white. Here I was the Chinese girl, and that was fine. At age 15, my move to China should have felt like a move home — it was anything but. Suddenly I was surrounded by people who were more Chinese than me. Despite being at an international school, I had many American-born Chinese, Taiwanese and Hong Kongese peers. To them I was one of the “white kids” and with that there was an ingrained social hierarchy. The white kids were the popular ones. They went to bars and clubs on the weekends (foreigners are never asked for ID, even if they look 15). They didn’t try very hard in school. They took fewer AP classes. They went to less prestigious universities. The Asian kids were the intellectually superior ones. They took SAT prep courses on the weekends. They participated in a variety of clubs and did charity work on the side. They aimed for the Ivy leagues. I hovered in the middle. Not white, not Asian. Among my white friends I was one of the “smartest” in the friend group. I went out with them less often in order to prepare for exams or the SATs. With my Asian friends, I was more of a slacker. I applied to Michigan with the intent to attend, not as a dreaded safety school. In both groups, I existed on the margins. Drifting in between, with friends on both sides, but never really feeling at home in either. *** At home, my family jokes that I am the “whitest” daughter. My Mandarin is the worst (I am functionally illiterate and scarcely conversational), I don’t eat meat, excluding me from a variety of traditional foods, and most of all I “act white” — something hard to define, but easily recognizable when you understand it. Ironically, I am also the most “Asian” looking of my sisters. When alone or with just my mother, people often assume that I am simply Chinese. In Shanghai, people would always immediately speak to me in Mandarin and consequently look disappointed in my grammatically horrific response. My family often remarks at how similar I look to my mother when she was this age.
*** At the University of Michigan and across the country, racial tensions are high. Hatred and bigotry walk the streets unafraid of consequences. People of color need support now more than ever. In the Ford School of Public Policy, there is a group specifically for students of color, but I’m not sure if I should join. Despite knowing my own identity as an Asian woman, I and others don’t always see me as a person of color. In discussions of diversity, I’m often overlooked. Last week, when someone I work with was criticizing low diversity numbers in leadership in our organization, she counted out two women of color — notably excluding me. However, at other times, I have been told that I am obviously a person of color. I had a friend who told me that I would always be identified first as Chinese before anything else because my minority identification would always hinder me. My face is ambiguous — vaguely ethnic, somehow different. People are unsure where to categorize me — hell, sometimes neither do I. Most forms only allow you to choose one option when it comes to race, so every time I must choose between those two boxes I must choose how I want to identity myself: white or Asian? At times, I also cannot relate to the same experiences as some other people of color. I generally do not face discrimination based on my appearance or encounter racism on a daily basis. Because of this, I feel like I cannot always fully identify with other students of color, and it causes me to fear that they do not fully accept me as a person of color. With every discussion of diversity and every group for students of color, I face anxiety and uncertainty over whether or not others will see me as a person of color. Despite knowing my own experiences and interacting with my Chinese culture everyday, this fear of not being respected as a person of color is something I still struggle with. My identity as half-Chinese (or halfie or Wasain) is something I am incredibly grateful for, as my family life and cultural experiences have been so much richer because of it. Despite the challenges I enumerated, China and my heritage are incredibly important parts of my life that I would not change for the world.
Sidelined conversations The annoying burden STEFFI CAO MiC Columnist
This is for the Asian/Pacific Islander American social justice community at the University of Michigan — the people who have become my family. Dear Family, The time I’ve spent with Asian-American men who claim to be so “intersectional feminist” has proven we’re clearly standing at the wrong intersections. Because for boys who call themselves “involved in the community” of A/PIA activists, who hold high positions in A/PIA social justice and cultural organizations, they seem to have forgotten that you can be A/PIA and be a woman at the same time. I’ve spent so many late nights with other women in this community, whispering about a comment made on their sexuality by a boy who brands himself as “trying to be cognizant of his privilege.” And yet, that’s the whole point: we whisper. Because any attempt to open this conversation has been brushed over with performative nods of agreement and assuring us they’re trying their best. But I don’t fuck with the Social Justice Warrior label being used as a point of pride and a defense; this conversation does not belong on the sidelines between women in hushed voices anymore. Dear Family, These microaggressions that manifest into jokes and side comments matter. Laughing at a girl for telling you that she abstained from sex will impact her self-esteem and might
drive her to make decisions she doesn’t completely want to make. Calling girls “trashy” for being in a sorority is not only condescending, it’s objectively wrong. If your friend tells you she doesn’t want to be felt up at a party, saying “what’s the big deal?” is incredibly disrespectful to her personal autonomy. And it seems so ridiculous to say these things to people who are supposed to know this already, yet it is somehow still necessary. Because these comments evolve into reputations, and reputations create impacts, whether being denied leadership positions, not being taken seriously in academic settings or losing confidence in your own work and general self-esteem. Dear Family, In a community where women care just as much, work just as hard and sometimes know twice as much as their male counterparts, they put up with receiving half the credit, especially in large A/ PIA organizations. Women in these spaces are constantly treated as if we’re just working on a fun social justice project, rather than doing the same work that the men are doing. We’re told our visibility “isn’t a problem like it used to be,” and that plenty of places are run by women now, so obviously the problem has been solved. Men leading organizations expect to be applauded every time they mention supporting women of color, but constantly ignore, diminish and push aside the work women in their own organizations do. They claim to be allies while talking over us, repeating points we have already made,
belittling the efforts we put in and conveniently forgetting to give credit where credit is due. They think they’ve worked for everything they have while completely forgetting the support they’ve received from women of color along the way. And social justice is not an area you have to know the most about at all times, but in terms of leadership, some women are more qualified than some men to answer questions and explain concepts, yet don’t earn the same respect men do in this community. Dear Family, I am worried this will be brushed off as just another one of those feminist things. I especially don’t want the applause from white pussy hat-wearing feminists, because this is pertaining to a community that has been hurt by white privilege as well. But I’m worried the conversation among ourselves will conclude, yes, of course we should respect women, but then die out when it comes to making concrete action. Dear Family, I have so much love for this group of people, and I am proud of what we are trying to achieve. But it is not acceptable for these women to put in the work without receiving the recognition. It’s not acceptable that so many of them feel badly about their own choices or sexualities because some boy told them they should be ashamed. So it’s definitely not acceptable for men in this community to read through this article and not make strides for concrete change. Dear Family, I love you, but we have some work to do.
of being your teacher AAREL CALHOUN MiC Columnist
Being Black in a white world is exhausting. While other people get to live their lives, oblivious to instances of racial injustice, Black people are not afforded that same privilege. Several non-Black students did not know about any of the racist things on campus — the spraypainted praise of Dylann Roof, the N-word written on various spaces and several racist posters — that occurred on campus before I mentioned them. While I lived my days in increasing fear and growing discomfort, they were unaware that anything was even going on. While I remain slightly on edge because I don’t know who among my peers would love for me to not be at this school, or who would casually call me a n-----, I also have the burden of having to teach people about what is and what isn’t racism, on the daily. Frankly, I’m annoyed constantly teaching people about what racism actually is. Do you know how frustrating it is to teach person after person about history that they could easily just look up? On one hand, I am happy to help shed light on issues that people may otherwise not have thought about, but on the other hand, it gets tiring. I’m tired of having to explain to you why the Confederate flag is a symbol of the heritage and history of hate. I’m tired of having to explain to you why me calling you a racist is not nearly as bad as you actually doing something racist. I’m tired of having to explain to you that racism lies much deeper than
skin. You having one Black friend does not mean that you’re not racist. Just because you smiled at a Black person one time when you were 5, doesn’t excuse the fact that you yell n---- at frat parties when rap songs come on. Calling yourself an ally yet continuing to let racist friends and family be racist does not help anyone, and acting as if you’re colorblind certainly does not help me. But I don’t have the time to tell you this. Not when your president doesn’t value Black lives. I don’t have time to explain to you why your tendency to read anger into anything I say is supporting a negative stereotype when I have to go to a march to let people know that I will never let them forget, pretend or ignore the fact that my life matters. I can’t assuage your white guilt when I have to follow the news day in and day out because yet another unarmed Black person was shot by a police officer, and I want to know if they’ll finally get justice this time, though I know that is often not the case. When you’re trying to pretend that your Confederate-flag-owning relatives aren’t supporting a history of hate, I’m trying my hardest to not be upset by white friends who I know mean well, but still can’t really see white privilege. Bottom line: I don’t always have time to be your teacher. It’s difficult, stifling and annoying to always have to sugarcoat what I need to tell you about your varying degrees of racist actions. Instead of flat out telling you that the #AllLivesMatter movement is racist because it exists to overshadow the point of #BlackLivesMatter, I must
coddle you by saying, “I know you mean well, and I’m glad you want to be an ally, but all lives already matter, yet according to the cops...” I must be the politest, and the gentlest in my wording, or else you won’t even hear my point because you hear “racist” and think, “You called me racist — how dare you?” As a result of the systemic racism that has infected this country, each day I have some form of injustice to be upset by, but when I want to convey this to you, my words must be gentle as a lamb, even though you weren’t so gentle when you said Colin Kaepernick was dumb for kneeling and “protesting the flag” (fun fact: That isn’t what he was protesting). My words must be soft, and carefully chosen, so as not to upset the white person who is struggling to admit to their own racism, which is maddening because it quiets what I would prefer to yell from the rooftops: Yes, you may not believe me but this is indeed racist! I’m tired of policing my words to help to you realize what is and isn’t racist. My world, in terms of racial injustice, is difficult, jarring and sometimes scary, and yet the world has to be insulated for you. I do not want to be your teacher, but despite this, I know that I must continue to be it. I can’t let people go on not being aware of their own racism, even if it drains me to repeatedly teach them. Despite loving the empowered feeling that I get from being Black and socially aware, I’m tired of the burden being placed on me to teach people who don’t want to be educated.
Opinion
4A — Thursday, November 9, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
BRETT GRAHAM | COLUMN
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com
ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY
EMMA KINERY
and REBECCA TARNOPOL Editorial Page Editors
Editor in Chief
REBECCA LERNER Managing Editor
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Carolyn Ayaub Megan Burns Samantha Goldstein Emily Huhman Jeremy Kaplan Sarah Khan
Max Lubell Lucas Maiman Madeline Nowicki Anna Polumbo-Levy Jason Rowland Anu Roy-Chaudhury
Ali Safawi Sarah Salman Kevin Sweitzer Rebecca Tarnopol Stephanie Trierweiler Ashley Zhang
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
Keep Spencer off campus
H
istorically and contemporarily, universities have been the center of social change and political discourse. Consequently, the nature of free speech on university campuses is a deeply important issue. Recently, Richard Spencer, a white supremacist and an “alt-right” leader, has asked to speak at the University of Michigan. His request prompts a much-needed discussion on free speech and how the University will respond to it. The Michigan Daily Editorial Board believes that the University should fight Richard Spencer’s request to speak on campus for the purposes of campus safety. By allowing Richard Spencer to speak on campus, the Editorial Board believes the University would offer a platform for Spencer to spread legitimate hate speech. Spencer advocates for the establishment of a “white ‘ethno-state,’” “peaceful ethnic cleansing ” and has adopted Nazi terminolog y for the press. Though hate speech is hard to define, we believe Spencer’s speech poses a reasonable threat to public safety. Spencer’s speech has incited rampant violence in the past, most notably in Charlottesville, Va., last August, when Heather Heyer died protesting at a Unite the Right rally which Spencer organized. Furthermore, Florida Gov. Rick Scott called a state of emergency when Spencer spoke on the campus of the University of Florida in October. Allowing Spencer to speak would also be contradictory to the University’s diversity, equity and inclusion ideals. We cannot condone the immorality (and irresponsibility) of providing a platform for white supremacist views at our University. Due to the protections of free speech under the First Amendment, simply denying Spencer an opportunity to speak will likely spark a legal battle. Other prominent public universities, such as
Michigan State University and Penn State University, currently find themselves in lawsuits initiated by Spencer after denying his request to speak. His behavior can be categorized as attentionseeking, and until firm legal precedent is established, his tactics will continue from university to university.
Therefore, not only is this an opportunity to take direct action against hate speech, but to fight alongside other universities in developing a legal weapon to prevail against these reactive lawsuits. The University can work to set new legal precedents that would likely help protect smaller universities that may not be able to afford hefty legal fees. We acknowledge that even if the University were to forcefully fight to keep Spencer off campus, he may still prevail. The lawsuit is
risky, as the University could relinquish all control they may have over scheduling Spencer’s visit. Measures like scheduling Spencer’s potential speech during a restrictive time — such as over a school break — and in a less central venue on campus may not be possible in the case of a lost lawsuit. However, as the Editorial Board has written about in the past, the string of racist actions on campus has harmed the perception of campus safety and inclusivity, and the University should show unrelenting solidarity with minority students in the current political climate. The University needs to match its rhetoric of student solidarit y and inclusiveness with its actions. Accepting Spencer’s speaking request will only add f uel to the f ire of a troublingly hostile climate. Regardless, the Universit y needs to be proactive, whet her by leg a l mea s u re s or s e c u r it y, i n prot e c t i ng ou r c a mpu s a nd ou r s t udent s f rom i nt ent ion a l a nd deg rad i ng h at e sp e e ch a nd a n i n f lu x of d a ng erou s wh ite suprem ac i s t s or g a n i z i ng on c a mpu s .
EMILY WOLFE | CONTACT EMILY AT ELWOLFE@UMICH.EDU
It adds character
Illustration by Joe Iovino.
A
Pick doing, not consulting
s a senior, sometimes their knowledge. Trial and it seems like talking error, not apprenticeships. about plans has become Some of the country’s as mundane as talking best and brightest about the weather. choose, oddly The question enough, not to set “Remind me, what themselves up to are you thinking start a business or of doing after run a campaign of graduation?” with their own, but to all its monumentally help someone else stressful make change in the implications, seems world. And why not? to weasel its way It’s not as though BRETT into conversations of them lacks GRAHAM each on a near-daily basis. a potential millionTo this point, one response has dollar venture they toss made me furrow my brow every around in the back of their time: “Consulting.” minds as they fall asleep, a Based purely on specs, its cause they’d like to champion appeal is understandable. or lend their voice to. According to best estimates, Instead, it can be ascribed the industry’s profits totaled to the sense of security that over $71 billion in 2016, with accompanies continued projections promising even achievement. Success is much more growth this year. In easier to process when it is terms of experience gained, measured by “U.S. News and salaries for recent graduates, World Report,” or when you job security and esteem, few know that McKinsey, Bain, other industries can compete. BCG and Deloitte will look But work of this sort in one’s phenomenal on a résumé and 20s or 30s is the ultimate that your tenure there will case of putting the cart be the envy of friends and before the horse. In the end, relatives. Some have said these its rise is taking some of the groups, nearly all of which most talented young minds began their consulting in the graduating from this university 1970s and have experienced and others away from making a meteoric rise from there, actual change in the world. have succeeded in branding First and foremost, the idea “themselves as a kind of Ivy that the thousands of young League of adulthood.” people who enter this industry What no one has been able each year are all experts to explain to me to this point is in business, politics, public what is all that exciting about health, finance, strategy or consulting. Granted, there’s management is far-fetched, the opportunity to learn from verging on absurd. Platitudes an array of clients, and there aside, the difference in is value in variety. But when educational value between the thousands of companies are classroom and the real world all going to the same five or 10 is substantial. Of course, they firms to inform their decisions, have something to contribute that must eventually preclude after four years of learning, variety. Not long ago, the chief but why would a client pay executives of Boeing, General for advice from someone Electric, Hewlett-Packard, with absolutely no practical Morgan Stanley and PepsiCo experience? Where do newly were all alumni of the same minted graduates fit into a three firms. It is a structure that field centered on connecting seems reminiscent of the type of experts with companies and home improvement shows one campaigns in need? The senior might see on HGTV: a cookiemembers of these firms did cutter formula for change, but not become experts from years instead of open floor plans, wood as junior researchers — they finishes and rustic accents, it did so by doing first and then has to do with networking, finding a platform to share PowerPoints and social media
strategies. Ultimately, the final products look decently similar to one another. So why not come up with a product that’s entirely your own while you’re young and have the chance to make mistakes? My guess is that in five, 10, 20 years, as these minds are moving into nicer offices and starting families, these bright, young professionals will be significantly less likely to leave their world and take risks. Furthermore, if you are the type of person who honestly sees themselves with a career in consulting and nothing else, isn’t the more beneficial experience out there in the world? You might not settle down at McKinsey before you’re 30, but by the time you do, you won’t be starting at entry level. Meanwhile, the true innovators, the names that people will remember as the titans of their industries in the 21st century — Jobs, Gates, Buffett, Zuckerberg — have no experience in, and often distaste for, the world of consulting. In fact, Warren Buffett, the second-wealthiest man in the world, railed against the profession just a few months ago. At a shareholders’ meeting, the 84-year-old made a joke about the fact that “If the board hires a compensation consultant after I (die), I will come back — mad.” Make no mistake. Consulting work is an excellent career choice by almost every metric. Taking one of those jobs is not mutually exclusive with doing good in the world. But it’s not a job for a recent graduate — it’s a job for an old veteran. We should think about whether some of our best minds are being lured away from the real high-risk, high-reward work of truly changing the world around us by steadier salaries and the guarantee of prestige. Doing will never be as easy a path as consulting, and students who have huge potential should take this as a welcome challenge rather than something to shy away from. Brett Graham can be reached at btgraham@umich.edu.
EMILY HUHMAN | COLUMN
I
From invisible to visible
suffer from Raynaud’s disease, an autoimmune disease in which blood vessels in my hands and feet spasm due to cold temperatures, causing a temporary decrease in blood supply. With Raynaud’s, sensitivity to temperature varies from person to person. Typically, I can experience symptoms at temperatures 65 degrees or lower if I am not bundled up. There is no cure for Raynaud’s disease, but if I wear appropriate clothing and am careful about touching cold objects, I can live a fairly normal life. In my early teens, I began to lose my hearing. Being hard of hearing is difficult, but because I don’t need an American Sign Language translator and my hearing aids are not very visible, most people don’t realize that I’m hard of hearing. Once I was diagnosed with these two ailments, I did not have much of an idea as to what to do since I had not learned about these issues in a health class or at home. Raynaud’s disease and being hard of hearing are examples of a larger spectrum of illnesses called “invisible disabilities.” An invisible disability can be described as primarily neurological but encompasses all disabilities that are not seen by others. They are often incurable. In addition to autoimmune diseases and visual and auditory impairments, an invisible disability can include mental health problems, sleeping disorders or chronic pain. Among college students, invisible disabilities are more common than one would think. Seventy-five percent mental health disorders begin before the age of 24, making college a trying time for some.
Additionally, mental illness is prevalent among college students. Twelve percent of freshman students said they were frequently depressed in 2016. For these reasons, increasing awareness of invisible disabilities, especially among teens and young adults, is exceptionally important. Invisible disability narratives are not represented enough in current conversations. Taboo surrounds invisible disabilities, especially in regard to mental illness. This stigma prevents personal narratives from being displayed. Unfortunately, this leads to those with invisible disabilities not getting the care and treatment necessary to maintain good health. This significantly decreases quality of life for those individuals. A 2017 USA Today article found that students who knew about mental health resources on their campus chose not to use them because of the negative stigma associated with mental health problems. With studies showing that the risk for suicide decreases substantially once one begins counseling, this stigma creates a deadly problem for those struggling with mental health. Those with an invisible disability, like mental health disorders or hearing limitations, deserve the resources and care necessary to improve their health so they can participate in society to their fullest capacity. A lack of awareness surrounding invisible disabilities makes the disability itself seem fake. Because my disabilities are not apparent, I feel as if I constantly have to justify the struggles I face because of them. There is a common misconception that I am making up the pain from Raynaud’s or that I can actually
hear fine but am just bad at paying attention. Neither of these are true. Other comments I have received regarding my disabilities are usually along the lines of how I should be grateful, because “I could have it worse.” I have always found this type of rhetoric extremely offensive. These comments are a thinly veiled attempt at invalidating the pain that those with invisible disabilities face. While it is true the majority of invisible disabilities are not terminal, these limitations can severely affect one’s daily life. To combat these misconceptions, I feel the need to educate others on my invisible disabilities. While I am happy to answer questions, it is not my job to combat people’s ignorance. With information at everyone’s fingertips, the burden should not be on those with invisible disabilities to educate the general population. Increasing awareness through conversation is an important step in decreasing these types of offensive comments. Education is key in creating positive change in the world of invisible disabilities in particular and disabilities in general. Invisible disabilities and the struggles they entail are real. I want to remind those on campus who struggle with an invisible disability to remember they are not alone and they deserve respect and the resources they need to succeed. As a university, we can support our peers with invisible disabilities by including them in our discussions about disability. I would encourage those without an invisible disability to educate themselves to be a good ally to those suffering. Emily Huhman can be reached at huhmanem@umich.edu.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
TV NOTEBOOK HBO Larry, oh Larry, oh Larry
Oy Gevalt: How modern TV secularizes Judaism
to such a wide, diverse young audience, these moments help shift misperceptions of Jews in the entertainment industry, portraying them as vibrant and care-free as every other young adult. As a much more explicitly Jewish alternative to “Broad City,” “Transparent” also finds a way to show Jews as ordinary members of society while recognizing the religious aspects of their identities. In each of its four seasons, “Transparent” explored the rich, complicated history behind the rich, complicated Pfefferman family. The show’s beginning skimmed the surface of modern Jewish family life. It introduced a rabbi character (Kathryn Hahn, “I Love Dick”) and depicted scenes of a Shabbat dinner and an unsuccessful preparation for youngest child Ali’s (Cleo Fraser, “Chronic”) Bat Mitzvah. The second season expanded on the first season’s religious themes,
Thursday, November 9, 2017 — 5B
tracing Maura’s transgender identity all the way back to her aunt Gittel (Hari Nef, “Let Me Die a Nun”) in Nazi-controlled Europe. The third and fourth seasons took on more current issues in the Jewish community, covering topics ranging from the Israeli/Palestinian conflict to synagogue bureaucracy. Though the show occasionally drifts into problematic territory — the Pfefferman matriarch Shelly (Judith Light, “Ugly Betty”) plays into the Jewish mother stereotype almost to a fault — “Transparent” is a standard example of how modern day Jews navigate the everyday world, confronting the traumas of their own history in order to come to terms with their present. In contrast to the relatively accurate representations of Jews in “Broad City” and “Transparent,” other Jewishthemed shows like HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and Hulu’s
“Difficult People” — both of which are also starring, written and created by Jews — have a tendency to make Jews seem unlikable. “Curb” creator and star Larry David is no stranger to causing controversy among the Jewish community, given his sardonic, neurotic humor and pointed, sometimes offensive observations on Jewish culture. While his most popular work, “Seinfeld,” was a huge success and a primary catalyst for Jewish representation on TV, David reinforces the worst possible tropes of Jews on “Curb.” He yells at crying widows at funerals to shut up, chastising unruly children and their overbearing parents during Passover seders and doodling Swastikas in textbooks. Then again, David makes fun of himself throughout the show — a character calls him a “self-hating Jew,” and David responds, “I do hate myself, but it has nothing to do with being Jewish.”
A look at the problematic portrayal of Judaism on television SAM ROSENBERG Daily Arts Writer
The first time I really felt like I saw myself — or rather, my Jewish identity — on TV was in the 2003 Disney Channel Original movie, “Full Court Miracle.” The story centered on Alex Schlotsky (Alex D. Linz, “Max Keeble’s Big Move”), the young, precocious leader of an inept Jewish basketball team, who recruits an ex-college basketball star to be their coach. At the time of its release, everything about this movie screamed modern day Jewish culture to me. Alex’s reticence to learn Hebrew spoke to my own struggle with understanding the intricacies of the language. The predominantly Jewish city of Philadelphia, my dad’s hometown, felt like a perfect backdrop for the story. Jewish lingo and rituals were exchanged
among characters, and above everything, the Eight Days of Hanukkah made for a clever storytelling framework. And in typical Disney fashion, the climax of the film saw the mighty young Jewish defeating their much more imposing opponents, mirroring the victory of Judah and the Maccabees against the Hellenists from the actual Hanukkah origin story. Even though I had seen these themes and images explored before in other TV movies like the “Rugrats” Passover and Hanukkah specials, there was something different about “Full Court Miracle.” Unlike “Rugrats,” “Full Court Miracle” wasn’t a simple retelling of Jewish oppression in the Bible. It captured the spirit of Jewish culture by interweaving it into a regular, underdog story. Through normalizing Judaism, TV helped validate my identity. Since “Full Court Miracle,”
television has continued to broaden and unfold the complexity of the Jewish community beyond religious holidays like Hanukkah. Current shows like Comedy Central’s “Broad City” and Amazon’s “Transparent,” both starring, written and created by Jews, each have their distinctive depiction of Jewish life and culture, but they both encapsulate the essence of modern day Judaism through the mannerisms of their characters. On “Broad City,” best friends Abbi Abrams (Abbi Jacobson, “BoJack Horseman”) and Ilana Wexler (Ilana Glazer, “The Night Before”) engage in their Jewish identity in a way that, more or less, reflects the current state of non-practicing, more culturally attuned Jews in America. They have difficulty fasting on Yom Kippur, attempt to go on a Birthright-like trip to Israel and face distractions while sitting Shiva. Since the show caters
FILM NOTEBOOK
AMAZON STUDIOS
Muslims on-screen: An honest reflection on my love for ‘The Big Sick’
The lasting effect of a romantic comedy that gets it (somewhat) right NABEEL CHOLLAMPAT Senior Arts Editor
It feels weird to say, but the movie that challenged me the most this past year was “The Big Sick.” Yes, that one. The charming indie romantic comedy starring Kumail Nanjiani (“Silicon Valley”) and Zoe Kazan (“The Deuce”). Here, for once, was a positive portrayal of Muslims, right? They’re not terrorists, at least — the lowest possible bar to clear for representation for our
people — and the guy is…dating a white woman? That seems kind of progressive. I watched it and loved it. It was funny in the right spots, tender in the others, a warm and intimate study of a relationship that requires more nuance in practice than in its idealized conception. And that’s not even getting into how good Ray Romano (“Get Shorty”) is here. But in my post-film discussions with the other fellows of my ilk — “brown people,” as one might like to call them — I was disheartened.
I rushed to extoll the film’s virtues to two of my friends (both Muslim, South Asian women) only to find them disenchanted at best, disgusted at worst. I texted my sister immediately after, expecting wholehearted enthusiasm but instead receiving a reply full of accusatory disappointment. And on a quick phone call with my mother, I found that while my appreciation for Kumail Nanjiani had bloomed, Mrs. Chollampat’s greatest fear had been actualized on the silver screen: That her son (me, for
COMEDY CENTRAL I love female friendship
Hulu’s “Difficult People,” too, satirizes some absurd facets of Jewish culture. Billy Eichner (“American Horror Story: Cult”) and Julie Klausner (“Bob’s Burgers”) play two struggling writers who constantly make fun of other people, as well as their own Jewish heritage. The two venture to Friday night services as an excuse to network with Jews in the entertainment industry, make Adolf Hitler a character in their TV pitch to NBC and attempt to avoid
those of you keeping score) would eventually marry a white girl. This is the worst feeling. I hate liking something, and then finding out it’s “problematic.” It sucks. You feel like an asshole. But, determined to continue liking this movie, I engaged in what the kids these days call “civil discourse.” My friends’ and family’s main issues with “The Big Sick,” it turned out, are ones of representation. The South Asian women — particularly the mother — are portrayed as incorrigible, shrew-like, alien; Nanjiani’s self-titled character, however, is the paragon of the assimilated immigrant. Kumail is afforded the agency that the women of the story, save for one brief exchange of dialogue with a potential suitor, are not. I’d like to counter that this is an autobiographical story and it’s simply the tale of his life that he’s telling, but I can’t. That’s too shallow. It’s a valid critique and one that I failed to acknowledge. What struck me most, however, and what challenged me to my core (I know, this is just a Sundance romantic comedy, can you believe it?), was “The Big Sick”’s portrayal of Muslims. It’s funny, now that I think about it. Remember just, like 10 or so years ago, when the only work an Arab guy could get in Hollywood was some dude named Abdul bin-[insert “extremely al-Qaeda operative” surname here] on “24”? Or this classic: We cut to a Middle Eastern country (which we know is Middle Eastern because, duh, the Muslim call to prayer is playing in the background!) where a guy finishes up on his prayer rug before proceeding to strap a bomb on his chest and blow up a bustling market? Contrast that with the notable prayer-rug scene in “The Big Sick.” Kumail’s mother tells him to pray before dinner, so he grabs the prayer
their stereotypically insufferable Jewish families. Similar to “Broad City,” “Difficult People” tackles various trends in Jewish life and the increasing disillusionment toward religious practice among Jews today, though arguably to a much more provocative and exaggerated degree. Despite how these four shows differ in their views toward Judaism, they each incorporate an honest depiction of Jewish life. In some ways, the stereotypes
in “Difficult People” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” do illuminate some truths about the attitudes and beliefs of Jews today, but they don’t always get at the root of what makes Judaism so complex and compelling like in “Broad City” and “Transparent.” Part of what makes TV so entertaining as a medium is being able to not only see ourselves portrayed on-screen, but also to see the subtle nuances of our identities in those portrayals.
rug, heads downstairs, throws on a timer for five minutes and sits and watches videos on his phone. I’m sorry, Umma, but I have literally gone through this exact process before. Where’s the happy medium, though? If the two possibilities for Muslims onscreen toggle between deranged terrorist and guy who fakes prayer and drinks at comedy clubs, what does that mean for the comfortably religious Muslim American family? It’s clear “The Big Sick” was sanitized, in some way, to appeal to the Sundance crowd. Kumail abandons any and all semblance of Islam in
David’s “self-deprecating Jew” filmographies. We can’t afford to show ourselves to the American audience at this nebulous space between devout fundamentalism — which is inevitably positioned as antithetical to the entire American experiment — and a complete lack of adherence to religion. For the average moviegoer, Muslims, as they are in so many other facets of contemporary life, are held to a different standard than everyone else: they must occupy a binary while everyone else is afforded the range of spiritual possibility. It all, of course, boils down to that tiresome cliché of assimilation vs. acculturation. Perhaps there’s no better recent example of this abstract conflict than, ironically enough, last year’s Democratic National Convention. Khizr and Ghazala Khan stood on the stage in Philadelphia, home of the Liberty Bell and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, frantically waving the Constitution as they lamented the loss of their soldier son, killed in Iraq and posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star, who was finally laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, draped in an American flag. And yet, their patriotism was questioned. I still love “The Big Sick.” I laugh at Kumail’s snarky but loving relationship with his mother; I’m moved by Zoe Kazan’s understated performance. It’s a romantic comedy about comedians starring a brown Muslim guy that features an incredible 9/11 joke — a film seemingly tailormade for me. It’s not perfect, I know, but for the Aziz Ansari’s and the Hasan Minhaj’s and the Kumail Nanjiani’s and [insert plural characterization of a female Muslim comedian who will hopefully be just as famous very soon] of the world, it’s a step in the right direction. I’m fine with it.
For the average moviegoer, Muslims are held to a different standard than everyone else
his quest to court (and then care for) Emily. His culture of arranged marriages and stilted family dinners and overbearing Muslim mothers and the dreaded prospect of a wife with an Indian accent is, for the most part, portrayed as wholly undesirable. There’s room to grow, then. I don’t mean to defame Kumail Nanjiani’s relationship with his religion; God (I should probably say Allah here) only knows I’m not a perfect Muslim. But it’s clear that Islam isn’t at the same level of widespread understanding in film as other cultures; there’s less room for error. The “lapsed Catholic” is a genre unto itself. So, too, are Woody Allen’s and Larry
Sports
6A — Thursday, November 9, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Now the starter, Peters not short of confidence Notebook: Michigan’s goaltenders working as unit at year’s outset KEVIN SANTO
Managing Sports Editor
Ask Brandon Peters about the bruising hit, and he’ll laugh. It was one he had already experienced. As Peters pointed out, he once “got folded in half” by someone in high school that plays at Notre Dame now. But last Saturday, he got another dose of it. With just under 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter against Minnesota, Merrick Jackson darted into the backfield and found himself one on one with Michigan’s young quarterback. What happened next may have given Wolverine fans some pause. Merrick turned Peters into a tackling dummy, leaving him on the turf, where he was slow to get up. According to Peters, he only had the wind knocked out of him. But the hit was one of the less enviable firsts that the redshirt freshman has experienced thus far in his short tenure. “It’s probably the first time I’ve been hit since high school,” Peters said. “Welcome to college football.” Welcome to college football, indeed. And the hit aside, it has been a peachy start for Peters. He entered the game against Rutgers midway through the second quarter, receiving his first meaningful college snaps. He finished having completed 10 of his 14 attempts for 124 yards with his first collegiate touchdown pass. A week later, he recorded his first start against Minnesota, completing 8-of-13 passes for 56 yards and another touchdown. He said Tuesday that the Wolverines probably could have thrown more, but admitted there wasn’t much of a need to with Michigan’s ground attack making his job “10 times easier” by rushing for 371 yards and four touchdowns. So instead, as Peters said, he simply made sure everyone knew
what they were doing, knew the checks and managed the game. And at the end of the day, he found solace in his minimalist role. “Obviously we didn’t need the pass game much that game,” he said. “That’s fine by me, as long as we get the win.” The Wolverines did get the win, and a convincing one at that. They did so with Peters under center against Rutgers, too. And the level of competition aside, that’s a long way away from where he was at the beginning of the year. At Big Ten Media Days in late July, Jim Harbaugh said Peters was caught in a “dead heat” with redshirt junior Wilton Speight and fifth-year senior John O’Korn, as each vied for the starting quarterback position. But as Michigan moved on from spring ball, Peters fell out of that competition. When the season opener rolled around, he was third on the depth chart. This drop, Peters admits, was the product of mental errors. As the playbook opened up, the issues arose. There were turnovers, fumbled snaps and missed reads, and he wouldn’t call the play right in the huddle. Through all of it, though, Peters didn’t waver in confidence. “You can’t get down yourself,” he said. “You always got to keep the same confidence because when you start getting down on yourself, it’s gonna snowball.” But nothing snowballed, and now Peters is — based on Jim Harbaugh’s press conference Monday — unquestionably Michigan’s starting quarterback. And if you ask Peters if he expected this moment to come this season, even he isn’t entirely sure. “At the beginning of the year, third string, obviously not many third strings get the chance to get in the game unless it’s like a blowout,” Peters said. “I saw the opportunity when Wilton went down.
ANNA MARCUS Daily Sports Writer
EMMA RICHTER/Daily
Redshirt freshman quarterback Brandon Peters has control of the offense.
“You never want to wish that against your teammate for someone to go down, but it happens, so you’ve just gotta be ready. When that happened, I saw an opportunity — second string, anything can happen, it’s one play away.” That play — or series of plays — finally came in the second quarter against the Scarlet Knights, when O’Korn went three and out with just over 10 minutes remaining. On the next drive, Peters’ two-week path to officially being named the starter began. According to Peters, Speight has played a large role along that path. “He’s been basically like a coach,” Peters said. “He’s helped me a lot, keeping me confident, keeping me calm, giving me tips, reminders, that kind of stuff.” And ironically enough, Speight may be the only one left to challenge for Peters’ job. After fracturing three vertebrae
against Purdue and undergoing a recovery process, Harbaugh said Monday that Speight has finally been cleared for noncontact activity and has resumed throwing. Peters knows that when Speight does finally return, the competition is open again. And he admitted that for this to remain his job, he needs to make plays, control the offense and avoid turnovers. So far, he has done just that. And when asked to grade his own understanding of the offense, but more specifically, if he could do everything Speight could do, Peters showed no hesitation. “Yes sir,” he said. “I got a pretty good grasp on the offense. There wasn’t much change from last year’s offense, a lot of it carried over. I’ve been kind of in this process for two and a half years now when I came early. “I’ve got a pretty good grasp on it. I can do pretty much anything the coaches ask me.”
After unique commitment, Solomon enjoying strong freshman campaign TED JANES
Daily Sports Writer
Aubrey Solomon may have accidentally said “University of Miami” while picking up a Michigan cap in his commitment announcement, but nine months later, he has become a mainstay in the Wolverines’ defensive line. Solomon, a true freshman, has appeared in every game this season and started the last two against Rutgers and Minnesota. He has 12 tackles so far, and is making his presence known. Michigan defensive line coach Greg Mattison got to know Solomon very well as a recruit, and ever since the Georgia native arrived in Ann Arbor last June, Mattison has seen him steadily improve. The Wolverines’ veterans have played a big part in Solomon’s progression. “The older guys really
mentor him,” Mattison said. “You can see it every day. You get (redshirt junior guard) Bryan Mone coaching him on what he should be doing, and you’ve got (fifth-year senior) Maurice Hurst. The guys will be watching the film, and you’ll hear them say, ‘That’s really good, or, step this way.’ ” Mattison complimented Solomon on his work ethic and ability to take advice from both older players and coaches. Mattison, who has coached all around the country, made sure to involve himself heavily in Solomon’s recruitment. After all, Solomon was one of the nation’s top five players at his position. Solomon, who visited other schools like Alabama, Auburn and Southern California, decided on Michigan after a recruiting saga that lasted for half a year. Solomon originally
committed to Michigan in June of 2016, but then decommited a few months later after receiving a thank-you note from the team for a barbecue he never went to. Upset by the lack of attention, Solomon reopened his recruiting, but didn’t eliminate the Wolverines from contention. After saying the Crimson Tide had a “huge lead” over other schools at the Army AllAmerican game in January of 2017, Solomon eventually recommitted back to Michigan — even though he said the wrong school in his announcement. It took a hectic recruiting effort to land Solomon at Michigan, and though the defensive lineman may have
changed his mind once or twice, Mattison is confident that the now-Wolverine made the right choice. “When I recruit, it’s a no-brainer for a guy to come here,” Mattison said. “ … You’re going to have a great head football coach, you’re going to have a great football program and you’re going to have an opportunity to play because we play the best players.” Now that Solomon is here, Mattison believes he has taken full advantage of the opportunity, and when he has gone into the games, he’s played exceptionally well. Hurst echoed all the same qualities. “He’s done a really amazing job,” Hurst said. “He’s someone that works really hard and puts in a lot of good work and listens to his coaching. … He’s a naturally strong, big kid and he’s able to do a lot on the field.” Solomon’s role on the defensive line was supplementary up until the last few games, but now that he’s starting, he has put himself among an elite class. Hurst, sophomore defensive end Rashan Gary and redshirt junior defensive end Chase Winovich have all been key to giving the Wolverines the No. 3 defense in the nation, and now Solomon is right up there with them. For Hurst, though, it hasn’t been odd to have a true freshman starting alongside him. He wasn’t surprised at all by Solomon’s progress. “He’s just a really gifted young talent,” Hurst said. “I think he’s going to continue to get a lot better as time goes on.”
When I recruit, it’s a no-brainer for a guy to come here
EMMA RICHTER/Daily
Freshman defensive lineman Aubrey Solomon has become a starter on the Wolverines’ third-ranked defense.
A year ago, Jack LaFontaine and Hayden Lavigne had just begun their collegiate careers as goaltenders for the Michigan hockey team. For the sophomores, a lot has changed in one year. Now, after the Ferris State series, the two have each started four games, have guarded the net during an overtime performance and have taken on leadership as the sixth man despite still being underclassmen. This new experience and increased playing time has given the netminders an opportunity to reflect on their performances early on in the season. “On a personal note, I am so far happy, but not overly satisfied with my performance,” LaFontaine said. “I think there’s some tweaks I need to work out right now, but I’m working towards that on and off the ice. I think I haven’t reached my max potential, and I’m hoping with a little hard work I can meet that.” Lavigne reiterated this sentiment of a desire to improve, naming that he wanted to hone in on cadence behind the net. “These games where we are only giving up 25 or (around) 20 shots, I kind of tend to doze off,” Lavigne said. “And that’s one area where I need to work on — being able to dial it in and eliminate those bad timing goals.” The goaltenders have combined for five wins, and a solid goals-against average of 2.365. Though their amplified roles this season add more pressure, the two have realized the benefits of having a two-man rotation, as opposed to three. “With a two-man rotation, you really get to stay in the game,” Lavigne said. “You know what it feels like from week to week, you know what you want to improve on from week to week, which actually makes it a lot easier.” Added LaFontaine: “Having a two-man rotation is a little bit easier. You can catch more of a groove physically.” Eight games in, Michigan coach Mel Pearson is looking to have a go-to man set in goal. This starter may even emerge in the Wolverines’ upcoming series, which would result in a change to this rotation. “We’ve had a pretty good sample size of where they are at,” Pearson said. “They’ve both played well, so at this point you’re not going to bury one guy. At the same time, if one guy gets hot, then he’s going to have the opportunity to play consecutive games.” With this in mind, LaFontaine and Lavigne still view themselves as a unit that works in cohesion. “I wouldn’t say it’s much of a competition, as much as we are a team,” LaFontaine said. Hughes Shows Skills on Both Ends The youngest player in NCAA Division I hockey has already
started making his mark on the Michigan team. Freshman defenseman Quinn Hughes had a breakout performance in Thursday night’s Ferris State rout, which Pearson deemed the blueliner’s best performance thus far this season. “He doesn’t surprise me anymore. That was his best game,” Pearson said after the game. “When he’s on the ice, I tell people you’d pay to watch him. You really would. He’s a special player.” In the game, Hughes got off a shot in the first period and three in the second — the most launched by a defenseman in the outing. In addition to his offensive contributions, Hughes stood his ground in the defensive zone. “He didn’t have any blatant turnovers (Thursday),” Pearson said. “He seemed to be on the right side of the puck, he picked his places where he could jump in and try some things offensively. “I thought he was real good. I thought in both games (of the series) he was pretty good, but Thursday stood out to me.” The expertise of balancing offensive playmaking with staying back on defense did not come automatically for Hughes. In earlier games, Pearson noted that the freshman struggled more with turning the puck over and getting trapped when attempting to shine offensively. But following the weekend, Pearson believes that these kinks have been ironed out, and that Hughes now knows how to choose his offensive spots wisely. “He was trying to do a few too many things offensively, and put himself in sort of a bad position defensively,” Pearson said. “And I think he’s really grown and learned from that over the course of the last few weeks.” Injury Update Michigan’s already relatively small array of defensemen will continue to be a man down — at least for another week. Senior Cutler Martin, one of the Wolverines’ most veteran defensemen, will likely be out of the lineup until after the Wisconsin series due to injury. “He’s got an upper body injury, it’s sort of week to week right now,” Pearson said. Martin got hurt during his first shift against Penn State on Oct. 28 while he was playing forward, and has been out ever since. “He went to hit a guy and fell awkward into the boards,” Pearson said. “… Obviously he likes to play the physical game, and he doesn’t mind getting involved physically.” As a multifaceted player, Martin adds depth to Michigan’s roster on both sides of the ice. But when he returns to full health in a few weeks, he is expected to come back on defense due to the shortage of defensemen available on the Wolverines’ line. Added Pearson: “It will be good to get him back.”
KATELYNN MULCAHY/Daily
Sophomore goaltender Jack LaFontaine has split time with his classmate.
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take time to develop. Both art and religion can be used as forms of self-expression. Music, Theatre, and Dance senior Grace Bydalek has always considered musical theatre a large part of her life. “I was probably six or seven when I started,” she said. “I started with A Christmas Carol. And then I kinda got bit by that bug and never went back.” Paralleling her art is her religion — an aspect of her life that has been as long-lasting as the musical theatre component. “I was raised in the church,” she said. “so I was raised Presbyterian and Protestant. So I went to church all growing up with my family, it was a big family thing. We would go on Sundays and Wednesdays and do the whole conformation thing and do the whole Sunday
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school and bible school and
Paralleling her art is her religion — an aspect of her life that has been as longlasting as the musical theatre component
vacation bible school and the whole thing.”
Music, Theatre, and Dance student Vincent Ford shared a similar story. “I’ve been working in the industry professionally since I was like six or seven,” he said. “I started off doing vocal work and a little modeling work and then, as I got older, I went over to the world of film and then I became heavy in theatre.” Like Bydalek, Ford was raised in a religious household, spending time in church with his family as well as under the spotlight on stage or in front of the camera. “I’m a very southern man, so I was raised up extremely, strictly Christian,” For said. “I grew up in a Baptist religion. I come from a family of ministers and clergymen so I know what it is to be caught in religion.” The commonality across
COURTESY OF KYLE PRUE Intersections of art and religion can be seen across campus and students
‘I was raised in the church’ reconciling faith and craft Profiling devout students and their reflections on faith and art SHIMA SADAGHIYANI Daily Arts Writer
“I find the best places that I can focus, and that I can worship, are places that have art or have artistic qualities. I don’t pray well in a little white box in a reflection room because it’s not really soothing.” For Public Health student Nuha Mahmood, art and religion are intertwined. The addition of art in places of worship amplifies her prayer. “I’ll be really focused and really into it if I’m at the mosque that has calligraphy or art on the walls,” she said. It’s a sentiment that spans across continents; the interior of oldest mosque in the world, the Masjid al-Haram (or the Great Mosque of Mecca), has a forest of white pillars, gleaming marble arms that stretch up endlessly, crowned by stretches of calligraphy. The lines are graceful and exact, and their curves match the curved backs
of the people as they bend down to pray. Their worship and the detail of the surrounding art reveal similar narratives: a story of dedication and devoted care. Across all faiths, religion and art have the potential to be easily connected. There already exists a sprawling history behind the portrayal of religion in art: paintings
More expressive than written text, art makes religion more personable hung in the Vatican serving as the visual icons to religious stories and verses of the Qur’an turning melodic in recitation; on Lantau Island in Hong Kong, Tian Tan Buddha blots out parts of the sky; in Rio de
Janeiro, Christ the Redeemer’s outstretched arms take flight 30 meters above Brazil. Throughout the years, people have consistently turned to art as a platform for displaying religion. More expressive than written text, art makes religion more personable. It is, at times, a window into the interpretation of the artist — an invitation that is accessible to all. The method in which Diego Velázquez chose to paint Christ Crucified, a solemn figure with head lowered and eyes closed, induces a state of quiet contemplation no matter the religious affiliation (or lack thereof ) of the viewer. The relationship between faith and art, however, is not solely limited to oil paintings and frescoes. Even more contemporary aspects of artistic performance that seem to stand completely independent of religion can share common themes. Both art and religion can
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these distinct identities of art and religion is community — a concept Mahmood discussed when detailing her experience as a member of her high school’s Indian Students Association. Every year, Mahmood and the rest of the organization would put on a multicultural show, and, during her last two years of high school, Mahmood found herself filling the role of choreographer. However, more valuable than the actual dances themselves was the resulting interconnectedness throughout the group as a whole. “Just the skill of building community and building a pseudo-family for a lot of these kids that wouldn’t have found comfort anywhere else,” she said. “So, you get a lot of the people who tend to be loners, I felt like. They came and they would find people to support them there.” A home built out of shared interests and countless rehearsals — the unity that Mahmood discovered within her cultural association is a concept holds true for Bydalek
ARYA NAIDU
Daily Arts Writer
The Michigan Gospel Chorale is a student-led organization
COURTESY OF MICHIGAN GOSPEL CHORALE
Faith by singing: religious a cappella at the University Organizations like the Michigan Gospel Chorale on campus are dedicated to musical, religious and spiritual growth
I keep promising myself I’m never going to start another piece with “Senior year of high school …” again, but, alas, here we are. What can I say? It was formative. Senior year of high school, during my wild, wild Spring Break, I got a nasal septoplasty — not a nose job, but basically a nose job. I broke my nose in 2012, and for various reasons (mostly my fear of pain and, ironically, painkillers), I decided to be a mouth-breather for four years before getting it fixed. The week following the surgery, my doctor put me on a lot of Vicodin. I mean, a lot. I ended up spending my days with milkshakes, watching “Sing it On” (a docuseries on collegiate a cappella) and carefully blotting the tragedy that was my face. The experience birthed this random, niche love for a cappella in me, and when I was presented with the opportunity to speak with two of the University of Michigan’s groups, I couldn’t help but be reminded of how charming the art form is. Engrained within their respective faiths (Christianity
and Ford, as well. However, within religion and art, alongside cohesion, there can also exist conflict. “This past year,” Ford explained, “I was in show called “Insurrection Holding History…” and my character was a slave who had a homosexual love interest… I remember telling my parents about it… [my father] wouldn’t come to the show because it’s just that far removed from our religious beliefs.” Contrasting his father’s actions, Ford approached this role with an open mind. “The most important part about most religions is that we just are our best selves as human beings and that we love everyone equally,” Ford said. “I told the whole cast and the director as well that I grew as a person because of this production, because I was able to see the light of God through everyone.” Bydalek reconciles the occasional tension between her religion and her passion in a slightly different way.
and Judaism), the Michigan Gospel Chorale and Kol HaKavod work as spaces through which their members can f lourish in their beliefs and musicianship. “The Michigan Gospel Chorale is a student-led organization with the mission of aiding in guaranteeing the recruitment, retention and spiritual growth of its members,” wrote President Ja’naysha Hamilton, Engineering senior, in an email interview with The Daily. “Our goal is for the organization to act as a vehicle to promote unity through programs that encourage musical excellence, spiritual growth, and humanitarian development.” Kol HaKavod, literally meaning “all the honor” and colloquially used to say, “Good job,” is rooted in Judaism. The coed unit of 11 undergraduates was founded in 1993 and rehearses weekly at Hillel. “Being in KHK is one of my most important and meaningful college experiences,” wrote LSA senior Hannah Bruder, music director for KHK in an email interview with The Daily. “It has given me a community of friends who are extremely diverse but are similarly passionate about music and singing.”
“I think of all the characters I’ve played as having important stories,” she explained. “Stories that were written for a reason. Stories that need to be told for a reason… it’s not necessarily about me, it’s more about telling a story.” And the stories that Bydalek, Ford and Mahmood share as they continue to balance art and religion have the capacity to inspire others; the interactions between art and religion prompt understanding: Ford’s dad might have purposefully skipped “Insurrection Holding History,” but Ford’s mom came, watched and had a life-changing experience. In religion, there is always a capacity for growth. There is also always a capacity for art. Mahmood’s roommate is currently a member of the organization, “Redefine.” She pushes to re-introduce the component of art in religion; the significance it places on the synergy between art and religion is far-reaching.
While KHK is a smaller operation, MGC has four auxiliary groups in addition to the Chorale, which began in 1972. Hands Anointed ‘N’ Divine Signs is a sign language ministry, Images of Praise is a praise dance ministry, The Prophetic Interpreters a mime ministry and Taking Refuge Uttering Spoken Truths is a spoken-word ministry. These offshoots help maintain MGC’s goal of being inclusive of various identities while remaining a Christian organization. Performing through gospel songs and holding weekly Bible studies (which are open to anyone and everyone), MGC members deeply integrate their faith into every aspect of what they do. “My favorite part of performing together is when that one person comes up to us at the end (of a show) and says that we really touched them, or that they feel so much more relieved and free after hearing or seeing us perform,” Hamilton wrote. “We do our performances to spread God’s Love, and when people come up to us and say we did exactly
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ASTHMATIC KITTY Sufjan Stevens is a srange, beautiful man
The compelling faith of musician Sufjan Stevens
Thursday, November 9, 2017 — 3B
crap. This would summarize the Christian publishing world or the Christian music industry.” Another point of curiosity in Sufjan’s music is the relationship between his Christian beliefs and his slightly-less-than-ambiguous sexuality, with songs such as “Futile Devices,” “The Owl and the Tanager” and “All for Myself” all depicting a love interest of Sufjan’s as male. In both “To Be Alone With You” and “John My Beloved,” the narrator addresses a “you” in an intimate manner who can be interpreted as either Jesus or a male lover. While many Christians would view these two identities as conf licting, Sufjan seems to be asserting that they can coexist. The only hint he gives of conf lict between his faith and the homosexual undertones in his music can be found in the song “The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!” in which Sufjan narrates an experience he had at a Methodist summer camp: The lyrics imply an intimate love between Sufjan
How the artist managed to deliver religion to those who reject it JONAH MENDELSON Daily Arts Writer
Sufjan Stevens has never hid his faith. Throughout his work, he borrows extensively from Christian imagery. I always had viewed his frequent religious allusions as just another one of his characteristic oddities, akin to his absurd song titles and state-themed albums. It’s not as though Christianity is universally present in his works: Sure, if you only listened to Seven Swans, you might assume Sufjan to be an aspiring member of the clergy, but if you had only heard The Age of Adz you would never know he was religious at all. However, my views changed when I read his blog post that compared artistic creation to the Christian concept of the Eucharist — Sufjan views the artist as transforming their spirit into a tangible creation as an act of generosity. His blog made me realize that Sufjan’s views on religion were much more complex and idiosyncratic than I had initially viewed them. I, being irreligious, have never had a positive impression of “Christian music,” always viewing it as exclusive or pandering. Stevens inverts those stereotypes. His religious inclinations feel wholly genuine and inclusive, a ref lection of his personal experience without artifice. It is what separates him from the music labelled as “Christian,” that he himself described in a 2006 interview with Delucions of Adequacy as existing “exclusively within the few insulated f loors (cubicles and computers included) of some corporate construction in Nashville, Tenn.” Rather than being stiff and preachy, Sufjan’s faith is malleable and subjective; it is open for interpretation. The way that Sufjan incorporates
Christianity into his work proves that artists don’t have to label themselves as “Christian music” or beat the listener over the head with a neon bible to do so. His hymns are not agents of proselytization or ecclesiastical drones, but the earnest products of an attempt to create beauty through expression. Sufjan’s most overtly religious work is Seven Swans, an acoustic-folk album he released in 2005. The album is littered with Christian allusions and spiritual overtones, including two songs (“Abraham” and “The Transfiguration”) that are actual Biblical tales. Yet, Sufjan made his position clear
I, being irreligious, have never had a positive impression of “Christian music”
with DOA: “I don’t make faithbased music,” he said. This is a confusing statement at first — this guy just made a song consisting of the story of the Transfiguration of Christ with a banjo playing in the background, and now he’s saying that he doesn’t make faith-based music? The key word here is “based”: while Sufjan often infuses faith into his music, his religion is never the basis of his creation. In that same interview, he provides further clarification: “It’s not so much that faith inf luences us as it lives in us.
In every circumstance (giving a speech or tying my shoes), I am living and moving and being. This absolves me from ever making the embarrassing effort to gratify God (and the church) by imposing religious content on anything I do,” he said. To view certain songs as “Christian music” implies that there is some distinction between the religion of the artist and the rest of their existence. Part of what makes Sufjan’s faith compelling is that he isn’t afraid to publicly wrestle with it — in the elegiac “Casimir Pulaski Day,” Sufjan tells the story of a female friend who was diagnosed with bone cancer. “Tuesday night at the Bible study, we lift our hands and pray over your body but nothing ever happens,” he sings. The creeping doubt, the “nothing ever happens,” is the subtle thread that runs through the narrative of the track. In the final line, after Sufjan’s friend passes away, the religious conf lict comes to the forefront: “All the glory when He took our place, but He took my shoulders and He shook my face, and He takes and He takes and He takes.” Sufjan offers questions but no answers — his doubt is not assuaged, and he is just left with his confusion: he doesn’t understand why the glorious God who sacrificed his son in the place of humanity continues to take with no recompense. There is no answer. The song is over. Sufjan isn’t the type to conclude with a moralizing statement, or some life lesson. He tells his story, and he tells it as well as he can. This lack of an ulterior motive, be it piety or proselytization, is what sets Sufjan apart from other Christian musicians. In the DOA interview, he concurs: “On an aesthetic level, faith and art are a dangerous match. Today, they can quickly lead to devotional artifice or didactic
GOSPEL From Page 2B that, I feel overjoyed and accomplished.” Citing Peggy James’s “Bring in Your Glory,” as her favorite song to perform, Hamilton spoke to the value of tradition within the Chorale: “This is a song that has been sung each year, and every MGC member, past and present, has known or will know this song. It
and his male friend, with an ominous wasp hovering overhead as Sufjan’s feelings progress. This ominous wasp can be interpreted as Sufjan’s reservations about this samesex attraction brought on
by his religious upbringing, a disquieting presence threatening its harsh sting. Also worth mentioning are the two Christmas albums. A seamless mixture of the sacred and the secular; the 52-track long Silver & Gold contains both a faithful rendition of “Break Forth O Beauteous
Heavenly Light” and a twelve minute long original work entitled “Christmas Unicorn” that itself includes a lengthy interpolation of Joy Division. Somehow, these two songs feel as though they belong together, united by Sufjan’s earnest nature and vision of beauty in spite of their ostensibly different tones. Sufjan’s Christianity, in its honesty and unashamed doubt, succeeds in doing what the best efforts of the neon Biblethumpers in Nashville could not — providing a wholesome form of music that discusses faith while still appealing to non-believers. Of course, Sufjan was only able to achieve this because he is not trying to. “Christian music,” as a genre, will always feel duplicitous to nonbelievers — they know that they are trying to be convinced of something; the whole genre is a tool of conversion (a clumsy one, at that) rather than art. Sufjan, in total contrast, only includes faith when it adds to the final artistic product; it is never the goal, only the means. Sufjan is not a Christian artist. He is an artist who is Christian.
is one that brings us all together as one big family.” Exuding nothing but warmth, MGC is effervescent and inspired and filled to the brim with pure, unfettered joy. A loving bunch, its members are bound together by their shared convictions and a collective goal. KHK, albeit stemming from another religion, is no different in this regard. “No matter the level of observance, Judaism is another aspect of our group, in addition to us all loving music and
singing, that we all have in common,” Bruder wrote. “Of course, UofM has a prevalent Jewish population, and KHK is one niche-group that can make Michigan’s Jewish community even smaller for people who want to become involved but don’t know where to start.” Integrating its members own personalities into its collective range, KHK sings American pop songs, in addition to Hebrew and Jewish pop songs. “Right now, our repertoire includes some Idan Raichel (a
Of course, Sufjan was only able to achieve this because he is not trying to
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This is where we put a humorous cutline of our own devising.
popular Israeli artist) songs, as well as ‘Drop the Game’ by Flume and Chet Faker, ‘Sunday Candy’ by Chance the Rapper, and ‘Electric Love’ by Børns,” Bruder wrote. “I love that each semester is different in terms of songs we learn, and the positive messages in all of them reflect who we are as a group.” KHK is a multifaceted team, including students in engineering; pre-law; the School of Music, Theatre & Dance; premed; and pre-social work. “Each semester brings in new members with completely different backgrounds, and I have enjoyed becoming best friends with a group of people who have various passions but can come together to make good music,” Bruder wrote. “I have always loved a cappella,
even before ‘Pitch Perfect,’ and knowing I have a space on campus for a performance outlet has made my Michigan experience so much better.” Both groups have regular shows, the next one being in December for KHK. It will also be performing this February at the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Portland Trailblazers. MGC regularly holds a benefit concert, a fall concert and a spring concert, all free of charge. Its chief event each year is a Spring Break tour, during which its members minister at various churches and colleges across the nation. I think a lot of what I found charming about collegiate a cappella — back in those illfated, Vicodin-hazed days of senior year — was that everyone
involved had an incredible trust in one another. Grounded by their principles, MGC and KHK comprise individuals who have faith — faith in their religions, faith in their talents and faith in one another. It’s nice to believe in something, whatever or whoever that “something” may be. These religiously driven a cappella groups on campus are such a beautiful example of the overwhelming bliss that comes from simply believing in something. Using their principles to inform their art, the Michigan Gospel Chorale and Kol HaKavod are two — of many — University outlets through which students can stand firm in their convictions while furthering their artistry and deepening their friendships.
IF THE MET BALL CAN TAKE ON CATHOLICISM, WE CAN TAKE ON ANYTHING. EVEN YOU. E-mail arts@michigandaily.com for information on applying.
So strange, so beautiful he even has wings
ASTHMATIC KITTY
Arts
4B —Thursday, November 9, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
baked.buzzed.bored.
FILM NOTEBOOK
in this series, three daily arts writers in varying states of mind visit the same place and write about their experiences. this week’s destination:
Cruising for Christianity The first song I learned on the piano was “Schindler’s Theme”
UNIVERSAL PICTURES
Mourning and Judaism: Loss softened by family
Cinematic portrayals of mourning and the themes that prevail BECKY PORTMAN Daily Arts Writer
Last week I lit a yahrzeit (remembrance) candle, exactly two years after my grandmother’s death. In Jewish tradition, one lights a candle every year on the anniversary of a loved one’s passing. The candle is supposed to symbolize life’s f leeting nature and represent the soul’s journey upwards. It got me thinking about the other mourning rituals in Judaism; Ranging from the preciseness with which the body is cleaned to the strange tradition of covering the mirrors while sitting Shiva. These rituals, while they may seem odd, are essential in the process of grieving. In search of a deeper understanding of my religion’s view of death, I turned to film. I uncovered several films that explicitly depict Jewish mourning rituals, from sitting Shiva in “This is Where I Leave You,” to Jewish burial in “Son of Saul,” to the mourner’s Kaddish in films like “The Jazz Singer,” “Schindler’s List” and even “Rocky.” Based on the book of the same name, “This is Where I Leave You,” follows the Altman family, four siblings who have grown apart through adulthood and encountering real-life struggles of their own. Following their father’s death, their mother (Jane Fonda, “Grace and Frankie”) forces them to live under the same roof of their childhood home
It’s Jason Bateman ... with a beard
for the week of Shiva. Starring the likes of Jason Bateman (“Horrible Bosses”), Tina Fey (“Whiskey Tango Foxtrot”), Adam Driver (“Paterson”) and Corey Stoll (“Ant-Man”) as the Altman siblings, this dramedy is centered on the Jewish ritual of sitting Shiva. Sitting Shiva is a tradition following the death of a close relative in which the family sits, literally, on low stools or chairs for a week. In this week, the family remains in one location, accepts condolence calls and casseroles and tell stories and memories about the dearly departed. “This is Where I Leave You” teeters a fine line between comedy and drama, basically mirroring the complex feelings of togetherness and loss that Shiva accomplishes. The Hungarian Holocaust film “Son of Saul” (László Nemes) won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2016. The film follows Saul (Géza Röhrig), a prisoner in Auschwitz whose job is to strip and burn the bodies of the murdered Jewish prisoners. Saul discovers the body of a boy he calls his son and swears to give him a proper Jewish burial from a Rabbi. The terrifying and beautiful film paints a harrowing portrait of the human capacity for tragedy and a father’s love. In the concentration camps, life was an everyday battle and death was all around. Death was imminent and unavoidable, yet for the sonderkommandos like Saul, death was a day job. The
act of purifying the darkness of death is a core belief in Judaism, that the dead remain dignified, cleaned and clothed before they are buried. For the Jews in the Holocaust, there was as little humanity in life as there was in death. The mourner’s Kaddish is a special prayer recited by the family members of the deceased for the year following their death. The prayer is supposed to assist the mourner in the mourning process, a mode of reflection and a public pronouncement of one’s grief. Its somber notes are a universal sign of loss. For example, Rocky Balboa recites the Kaddish for Mickey in “Rocky III.” Cantor Rabinovitch (Laurence Olivier) in “The Jazz Singer” says the Kaddish as he disowns his son, evoking a dramatic sense of loss. In the last scene at the factory in Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List,” Schindler declares three minutes of silence for the fallen. As he crosses his chest, a voice screams from the crowd the mourner’s Kaddish. Jewish mourning rituals are unique in the fact that they are built on togetherness. One cannot sit Shiva without family or friends, the body before burial must be watched by a group of individuals and the mourner’s Kaddish cannot be said without the presence of a minyan (quorum). Grieving a loved one is a wound that never truly heals, therefore, we should support one another in times of suffering. No one should go through the pain of loss alone.
WARNER BROS
Holy fuck why is this so bad, caricature motherfucking Jesus. Tradition and the Halloween costume famous guy sailor is so ficking Dumb, I think there’s a vagina in the wall. It’s so far dipping into advertisement right now, oh my,? Oh my god this is so beyond anything ever so indreibly badAHES TALKING TO HEFXELF this isnfucking campy, this is an out of body experience. Do love marryiahe? Do you love finding cheesy white guts on a coffee sh. Yo we gotta talk about how this show is bad, dude this is wcaryvof fucking YO REAL QUICK LEMME DEVOTE 5 minutes TO THAT JOKE!!!!! NO HOMO let’s bring that back it’s funky Yo shout out normies and they suburban asses. Mass drunk would’ve rucking tense oh my god. Editing flops’ carrot to chocolate? Why is there steak and cake? Are they at steak and shake what fucking kind of shit eyes shut dude Gretchen wieners is in this fucking movement Cher tweet What’s going on with my career? Holy fuck thattweet is an out of Body experience k cannot believe that this entire shit is real. God has left us and all that is left is a guy missions and a sad Gretchen Weiners. This is so beyond anything what’s better than this guys being dudes???? Miss Weiners needs to fuck all the way off and I hate her so much she needs to pick up this character yo this is getting so racist I’m beyond. Everything lmfao Taylor Swift this is the worst EVER Reputation will be a commercial success, critical and artistic failure, and will show a weaker side of country’s inability to show any sort of range in theme. Yo god really is not here. She’s in Mexico right now but it’s actually Hollywood basements and it’s.o fucking crazy and mid if dad and it’s ficking scary how easily we can be swayed. Television cultivates your world and that is why you must analyze it in an arts column like the michigan daily. Imagine understanding the principles behind art. You will control ya mind. This is full on nonsense CHECK OUT THIS CHUNKY PASTEL PURPLE HELMET LOOKS MAMA this is so like sad and poorly paced like oops I forgot to spread My character development enough across the movie so I pack it into an unrealistic conversation that waits on people Yo the synth of this music is mad sexy and sleek. The movie watching has deteriorated and the balance of power has shifted away from the movie. I am tranquil on the couch! Moses says let my people go! I am in search of the Holy Spirit and a warm place to sleep and experience what it means to be on heroin and holy fuck that movie was so awful. —DAILY ARTS WRITER
We started with “Heaven’s Door” and ended with “Christian Mingle The Movie.” Daily Arts presents: Cruising for Christianity. “Death is life’s way of saying you’re fired,” “Heaven’s Door” Bold, brash and undeniably edgy. Now onto the good stuff — “Christian Mingle (sometimes promoted as Christian Mingle The Movie) is a 2014 faith-based romantic comedy film written and directed by Corbin Bernsen and starring Lacey Chabert as a woman who uses the website ChristianMingle to meet a man. The film was released in the United States on October 10, 2014 to VOD.” - Christian Mingle The Movie’s wikipedia page The dude who directed this is the dad in Psych and the boss in it is Jack Barker from SIlicon Valley and this girl’s internal monologue is straight out of Sex in the City but not good because she’s dressed like a ten year old Hollister model (think stitched t-shirt w a jean skirt and a rope and a CHUNKY HEADBAND) This movie is glaring with plot holes including: the main character is not Christian, the male love interest strongly resembles a Neo-Nazi, the Christian family dines over chocolate chip cookies and lemonade, the female lead chose a picture of herself in a CHUNKY HEADBAND as her profile picture for her I have to say though they did a great job incorporating multi-cultural themes including: a white woman explaining to a white man different kinds of sushi, a team of white missionaries going to an indeterminate town in Mexico to presumably do service work but no one else is there besides the white people. “I’m just more of a chili cheese dog sort of guy” I took an hour off to play with a kitten. There’s zero resolution to this because I didn’t get resolution from this movie. —DAILY ARTS WRITER
Buzzed barges in at the strike of 9 o’clock and demands we see “The Passion of the Christ.” I, unfortunately, can’t adequately communicate how I’m not exactly in the mood to watch a bleeding Jim Caviezel for three hours. Alas. Baked walks in and Buzzed emphatically implores Baked to watch “The Passion of the Christ.” “Fuck yeah” Baked slowly utters. I mention it’s three hours long. Baked no longer seems amused. Alas. After spending some time searching for notably terrible spiritual dramas on Netflix (and watching twenty minutes of other drivel in the process), it’s as if some unexplainable divine force intervened in our lives as Netf lix suggested we watch “Christian Mingle The Movie.” Masochism is alive and well in my social circle. Alas. Save for the absurd plot holes (why a nonChristian would immediately choose Christian Mingle to find love over the fucking obvious choice of any other dating site that exists is beyond me), the crippling stupidity that plagues the film’s entire cast and dialogue stale enough to belong in suburban Panera Bread dumpster, the experience could’ve been worse. At least I didn’t spend three hours watching my friends validate Mel Gibson’s work. —ANAY KATYAL
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
TV NOTEBOOK HBO Larry, oh Larry, oh Larry
Oy Gevalt: How modern TV secularizes Judaism
to such a wide, diverse young audience, these moments help shift misperceptions of Jews in the entertainment industry, portraying them as vibrant and care-free as every other young adult. As a much more explicitly Jewish alternative to “Broad City,” “Transparent” also finds a way to show Jews as ordinary members of society while recognizing the religious aspects of their identities. In each of its four seasons, “Transparent” explored the rich, complicated history behind the rich, complicated Pfefferman family. The show’s beginning skimmed the surface of modern Jewish family life. It introduced a rabbi character (Kathryn Hahn, “I Love Dick”) and depicted scenes of a Shabbat dinner and an unsuccessful preparation for youngest child Ali’s (Cleo Fraser, “Chronic”) Bat Mitzvah. The second season expanded on the first season’s religious themes,
Thursday, November 9, 2017 — 5B
tracing Maura’s transgender identity all the way back to her aunt Gittel (Hari Nef, “Let Me Die a Nun”) in Nazi-controlled Europe. The third and fourth seasons took on more current issues in the Jewish community, covering topics ranging from the Israeli/Palestinian conflict to synagogue bureaucracy. Though the show occasionally drifts into problematic territory — the Pfefferman matriarch Shelly (Judith Light, “Ugly Betty”) plays into the Jewish mother stereotype almost to a fault — “Transparent” is a standard example of how modern day Jews navigate the everyday world, confronting the traumas of their own history in order to come to terms with their present. In contrast to the relatively accurate representations of Jews in “Broad City” and “Transparent,” other Jewishthemed shows like HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and Hulu’s
“Difficult People” — both of which are also starring, written and created by Jews — have a tendency to make Jews seem unlikable. “Curb” creator and star Larry David is no stranger to causing controversy among the Jewish community, given his sardonic, neurotic humor and pointed, sometimes offensive observations on Jewish culture. While his most popular work, “Seinfeld,” was a huge success and a primary catalyst for Jewish representation on TV, David reinforces the worst possible tropes of Jews on “Curb.” He yells at crying widows at funerals to shut up, chastising unruly children and their overbearing parents during Passover seders and doodling Swastikas in textbooks. Then again, David makes fun of himself throughout the show — a character calls him a “self-hating Jew,” and David responds, “I do hate myself, but it has nothing to do with being Jewish.”
A look at the problematic portrayal of Judaism on television SAM ROSENBERG Daily Arts Writer
The first time I really felt like I saw myself — or rather, my Jewish identity — on TV was in the 2003 Disney Channel Original movie, “Full Court Miracle.” The story centered on Alex Schlotsky (Alex D. Linz, “Max Keeble’s Big Move”), the young, precocious leader of an inept Jewish basketball team, who recruits an ex-college basketball star to be their coach. At the time of its release, everything about this movie screamed modern day Jewish culture to me. Alex’s reticence to learn Hebrew spoke to my own struggle with understanding the intricacies of the language. The predominantly Jewish city of Philadelphia, my dad’s hometown, felt like a perfect backdrop for the story. Jewish lingo and rituals were exchanged
among characters, and above everything, the Eight Days of Hanukkah made for a clever storytelling framework. And in typical Disney fashion, the climax of the film saw the mighty young Jewish defeating their much more imposing opponents, mirroring the victory of Judah and the Maccabees against the Hellenists from the actual Hanukkah origin story. Even though I had seen these themes and images explored before in other TV movies like the “Rugrats” Passover and Hanukkah specials, there was something different about “Full Court Miracle.” Unlike “Rugrats,” “Full Court Miracle” wasn’t a simple retelling of Jewish oppression in the Bible. It captured the spirit of Jewish culture by interweaving it into a regular, underdog story. Through normalizing Judaism, TV helped validate my identity. Since “Full Court Miracle,”
television has continued to broaden and unfold the complexity of the Jewish community beyond religious holidays like Hanukkah. Current shows like Comedy Central’s “Broad City” and Amazon’s “Transparent,” both starring, written and created by Jews, each have their distinctive depiction of Jewish life and culture, but they both encapsulate the essence of modern day Judaism through the mannerisms of their characters. On “Broad City,” best friends Abbi Abrams (Abbi Jacobson, “BoJack Horseman”) and Ilana Wexler (Ilana Glazer, “The Night Before”) engage in their Jewish identity in a way that, more or less, reflects the current state of non-practicing, more culturally attuned Jews in America. They have difficulty fasting on Yom Kippur, attempt to go on a Birthright-like trip to Israel and face distractions while sitting Shiva. Since the show caters
FILM NOTEBOOK
AMAZON STUDIOS
Muslims on-screen: An honest reflection on my love for ‘The Big Sick’
The lasting effect of a romantic comedy that gets it (somewhat) right NABEEL CHOLLAMPAT Senior Arts Editor
It feels weird to say, but the movie that challenged me the most this past year was “The Big Sick.” Yes, that one. The charming indie romantic comedy starring Kumail Nanjiani (“Silicon Valley”) and Zoe Kazan (“The Deuce”). Here, for once, was a positive portrayal of Muslims, right? They’re not terrorists, at least — the lowest possible bar to clear for representation for our
people — and the guy is…dating a white woman? That seems kind of progressive. I watched it and loved it. It was funny in the right spots, tender in the others, a warm and intimate study of a relationship that requires more nuance in practice than in its idealized conception. And that’s not even getting into how good Ray Romano (“Get Shorty”) is here. But in my post-film discussions with the other fellows of my ilk — “brown people,” as one might like to call them — I was disheartened.
I rushed to extoll the film’s virtues to two of my friends (both Muslim, South Asian women) only to find them disenchanted at best, disgusted at worst. I texted my sister immediately after, expecting wholehearted enthusiasm but instead receiving a reply full of accusatory disappointment. And on a quick phone call with my mother, I found that while my appreciation for Kumail Nanjiani had bloomed, Mrs. Chollampat’s greatest fear had been actualized on the silver screen: That her son (me, for
COMEDY CENTRAL I love female friendship
Hulu’s “Difficult People,” too, satirizes some absurd facets of Jewish culture. Billy Eichner (“American Horror Story: Cult”) and Julie Klausner (“Bob’s Burgers”) play two struggling writers who constantly make fun of other people, as well as their own Jewish heritage. The two venture to Friday night services as an excuse to network with Jews in the entertainment industry, make Adolf Hitler a character in their TV pitch to NBC and attempt to avoid
those of you keeping score) would eventually marry a white girl. This is the worst feeling. I hate liking something, and then finding out it’s “problematic.” It sucks. You feel like an asshole. But, determined to continue liking this movie, I engaged in what the kids these days call “civil discourse.” My friends’ and family’s main issues with “The Big Sick,” it turned out, are ones of representation. The South Asian women — particularly the mother — are portrayed as incorrigible, shrew-like, alien; Nanjiani’s self-titled character, however, is the paragon of the assimilated immigrant. Kumail is afforded the agency that the women of the story, save for one brief exchange of dialogue with a potential suitor, are not. I’d like to counter that this is an autobiographical story and it’s simply the tale of his life that he’s telling, but I can’t. That’s too shallow. It’s a valid critique and one that I failed to acknowledge. What struck me most, however, and what challenged me to my core (I know, this is just a Sundance romantic comedy, can you believe it?), was “The Big Sick”’s portrayal of Muslims. It’s funny, now that I think about it. Remember just, like 10 or so years ago, when the only work an Arab guy could get in Hollywood was some dude named Abdul bin-[insert “extremely al-Qaeda operative” surname here] on “24”? Or this classic: We cut to a Middle Eastern country (which we know is Middle Eastern because, duh, the Muslim call to prayer is playing in the background!) where a guy finishes up on his prayer rug before proceeding to strap a bomb on his chest and blow up a bustling market? Contrast that with the notable prayer-rug scene in “The Big Sick.” Kumail’s mother tells him to pray before dinner, so he grabs the prayer
their stereotypically insufferable Jewish families. Similar to “Broad City,” “Difficult People” tackles various trends in Jewish life and the increasing disillusionment toward religious practice among Jews today, though arguably to a much more provocative and exaggerated degree. Despite how these four shows differ in their views toward Judaism, they each incorporate an honest depiction of Jewish life. In some ways, the stereotypes
in “Difficult People” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” do illuminate some truths about the attitudes and beliefs of Jews today, but they don’t always get at the root of what makes Judaism so complex and compelling like in “Broad City” and “Transparent.” Part of what makes TV so entertaining as a medium is being able to not only see ourselves portrayed on-screen, but also to see the subtle nuances of our identities in those portrayals.
rug, heads downstairs, throws on a timer for five minutes and sits and watches videos on his phone. I’m sorry, Umma, but I have literally gone through this exact process before. Where’s the happy medium, though? If the two possibilities for Muslims onscreen toggle between deranged terrorist and guy who fakes prayer and drinks at comedy clubs, what does that mean for the comfortably religious Muslim American family? It’s clear “The Big Sick” was sanitized, in some way, to appeal to the Sundance crowd. Kumail abandons any and all semblance of Islam in
David’s “self-deprecating Jew” filmographies. We can’t afford to show ourselves to the American audience at this nebulous space between devout fundamentalism — which is inevitably positioned as antithetical to the entire American experiment — and a complete lack of adherence to religion. For the average moviegoer, Muslims, as they are in so many other facets of contemporary life, are held to a different standard than everyone else: they must occupy a binary while everyone else is afforded the range of spiritual possibility. It all, of course, boils down to that tiresome cliché of assimilation vs. acculturation. Perhaps there’s no better recent example of this abstract conflict than, ironically enough, last year’s Democratic National Convention. Khizr and Ghazala Khan stood on the stage in Philadelphia, home of the Liberty Bell and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, frantically waving the Constitution as they lamented the loss of their soldier son, killed in Iraq and posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star, who was finally laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, draped in an American flag. And yet, their patriotism was questioned. I still love “The Big Sick.” I laugh at Kumail’s snarky but loving relationship with his mother; I’m moved by Zoe Kazan’s understated performance. It’s a romantic comedy about comedians starring a brown Muslim guy that features an incredible 9/11 joke — a film seemingly tailormade for me. It’s not perfect, I know, but for the Aziz Ansari’s and the Hasan Minhaj’s and the Kumail Nanjiani’s and [insert plural characterization of a female Muslim comedian who will hopefully be just as famous very soon] of the world, it’s a step in the right direction. I’m fine with it.
For the average moviegoer, Muslims are held to a different standard than everyone else
his quest to court (and then care for) Emily. His culture of arranged marriages and stilted family dinners and overbearing Muslim mothers and the dreaded prospect of a wife with an Indian accent is, for the most part, portrayed as wholly undesirable. There’s room to grow, then. I don’t mean to defame Kumail Nanjiani’s relationship with his religion; God (I should probably say Allah here) only knows I’m not a perfect Muslim. But it’s clear that Islam isn’t at the same level of widespread understanding in film as other cultures; there’s less room for error. The “lapsed Catholic” is a genre unto itself. So, too, are Woody Allen’s and Larry
Arts
6B — Thursday, November 9, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW
They’re coming back!
BAD MASCOT
Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers to play 2 nights The Michigan natives return to the Blind Pig for a weekend stay ARYA NAIDU
Daily Arts Writer
“You can have these really crazy, intense shows there. That kind of grungy environment just propagates intimacy; it’s a special kind of intimacy. Some of my favorite shows of all time have been at the Blind Pig,” said Joe Hertler in an interview with The Daily. Fresh, funky and a little farout, the pop band Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers is set for a two-night return to the Pig this weekend. I’m dancing already. “We probably met, I want to say, five, six years ago. We were all in college. Half the band went to Central Michigan and half went to Michigan State,” Hertler said. “We were kind of just jamming in college and playing co-ops and stuff like that, and it slowly developed into something that was a little more involving.” The group consists of Hertler
VI er
J
Leo X
(vocals, guitar and lyrics), Micah age 16 to their mid-20s. You know, Bracken (keyboard), Jason those formative years where the Combs (bass), music you listen to Aaron Stinson is what you tend (saxophone), Rick to identify with,” Joe Hertler & Hale (drums), Ryan Hertler said. “I Hoger (guitar) and guess that’s where The Rainbow Kevin Pritchard the love affairs Seekers (producer, bass). really started.” Despite echoes Never having The Blind Pig of Edward Sharpe’s skyrocketed in soul and Vulfpeck’s popularity, the Friday, funk, Hertler’s Rainbow Seekers November 10th have been gradually songs often blossom & Saturday the from alt-rock. He’ll expanding their write a demo, then fervent fan base 11th @ 9 p.m. give it to the band, over the years. at which point the Each show is bigger 18+ groovier elements than the last, and $15 in advance start to bubble up the group is driven as they work their by pure passion. / $20 day of / Rainbow Seeker “It’s just really $30 two-day magic on it. fun,” Hertler said. “Growing up “All of us do other pass + poster in the ’90s, that things, but so much was the music I of it is just part of connected to. It was the music your identity.” that I first engaged with, which is On the band’s off-months, he kind of how it is for everyone from works for the American Cancer
Society and teaches English. To keep their experiences colorful, the Rainbow Seekers try to revamp a couple tracks each year. “I’ve never been more excited to play ‘Jetski,’ of all songs,” Hertler said. “I’m always thankful that people like certain songs and respond well to them, but to redo them — while the core of the song is still the same — to have some things that have been changed is a fun challenge,” Hertler said. Michigan-bred and Michiganbased, JH+TRS love, love, love their Michiganders. They’ve built a rainbow-seeking family through the band, and they carry pieces of home with them wherever they go. “We’ve had opportunities to leave the state, and we’ve thought about it, as every band does … but this is our home. A couple years ago, we decided to stick it out here. If it doesn’t work out, that’s alright,” Hertler said. “One of the nice things about Michigan is that a lot of people leave and go to other places. When we go to Denver or LA or NY — just a lot of big cities — there’s always a couple hundred Michiganders.” JH+TRS radiate a certain warmth that lets them exist in a lane of their own within the funkpop landscape. They don’t take themselves too seriously, and every inch of their success is welcomed with nothing but gratitude. I met Hertler at the Espresso Royale on State, and it felt more like catching up with a friend than an interview. They’re a groovy bunch, and everything from their earnest lyrics to their smooth rhythms to their name itself is just one massive bear-hug. The Rainbow Seekers’s most recent album, Pluto, is stunning in its existence as both heartbreaking and dance-inducing. I’m not a fan of using the word “real” to describe music, much less people, but this album — this band — is real in every sense of the word. They’re genuine in their joy and human in their heartache, and they’re all about connecting with people through unsullied authenticity. “I think the focus of the music has always been the live show,” Hertler said. “Music is this form of communication, and when that communication is locked in, there’s a buzz you get. It’s in those tender moments where the magic is. I hate to be like, ‘It’s magical! It’s spiritual!’ But it is, in a way.” Welcoming Ann Arbor like a second home, Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers will play the Blind Pig this Friday and Saturday.
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