2018-09-06

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

Monday, September 6, 2018

Ann Arbor, Michigan

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ADMINISTRATION

$10M from Weisers to open unit for diplomacy Regent’s family founds new center at Ford School to focus on int’l relations MAEVE O’BRIEN Daily Staff Reporter

CASEY TIN/Daily

‘U’ sexual misconduct report shows claim increase, fewer investigations OIE received 277 cases of student misconduct, up from 218 reports last year MATT HARMON Daily News Editor

In the first year of the #MeToo movement and along with an increase in survivors stepping forward to publicly speak out against instances of sexual assault, the University of Michigan has seen a similar increase in reports of sexual misconduct compared to last year. The recent publication of the Office for Institutional Equity’s yearly Sexual Misconduct

Report presents a rise of reported sexual misconduct instances coupled with a decrease in University investigations.

The publication aggregated all reports received by OIE between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018 and the office’s responses within the University’s Student Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct Policy.

Compared to last year’s report, OIE saw a 27 percent increase of reported cases, rising from 218 to 277.

Within the same time period,

the number of investigations launched from reports to OIE decreased from 28 to 20. The number of reports have steadily risen since University president Mark Schlissel commissioned campus climate surveys on sexual misconduct in 2015. The findings reported 11 percent of students experienced sexual assault during their time on campus.

University Title IX Coordinator Pamela Heatlie said the increase in reported

cases may be indicative of the effectiveness of the University’s recent reporting channel updates.

As for the investigation data, Heatlie said it’s difficult to draw any conclusions.

“Reports being up, I think, is a positive indicator that our education efforts about our process of reporting and people’s willingness to report to us is effective. It’s going up year over year which is good,” Heatlie said. “In terms of the number of See OIE, Page 3

University of Michigan Regent Ron Weiser, R, and his wife Eileen Weiser donated $10 million Wednesday to establish the Weiser Diplomacy Center at the Ford School of Public Policy. Weiser, chair of the state Republican party, began working on the idea of the center with Public Policy Dean Michael Barr last spring with the goal of generating interest in diplomacy among students and providing them with career services in the field.

“Diplomacy is so important in the way that we deal with the rest of the world that I felt giving (students) a chance to be exposed to diplomats and secretaries of state and others who are part of that process would give (students) a path they want to follow and also give them a lot more knowledge if they chose to follow that career path,” Weiser said.

Aside from providing workshops, conferences and internship opportunities, the center is expected to bring ambassadors and foreign policy experts to the Public Policy School. Weiser, founder and CEO of national real estate investment company McKinley Associates, Inc. and former U.S. ambassador to Slovakia, said he has personal connections with diplomats whom he would like to help bring to the University.

“A former Secretary of State would be nice to bring, and certainly there’s a number of ambassadors that I know – former ambassador of NATO, a number of people within the National Security Council – so people of that caliber that I want to help bring,” he said.

The contribution, along with previous donations to found the Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies in the International Institute in 2014 and the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia in See FORD, Page 3

County board of commissioners passes BSB in full In Review: use as new bill to establish Racial Equity office Whitmer,

CAMPUS LIFE

GOVERNMENT

school year starts off

After county ranks 81st in economic inequality, policy mandates equity training

Some say the transition to the new building will take some adjustments

The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to adopt the Washtenaw County Equity Policy at its board meeting Wednesday night, establishing a Racial Equity Office to address issues of inequity in the county and calling for all aspects of the county government to implement strategies that will result in “equitable outcomes for all residents.”

Washtenaw County ranked 81 out of 83 Michigan counties in economic inequality, according to this year’s County Health ratings.

Median income for Black households is nearly half the median income of white households according to a 2015 reportby Opportunity Washtenaw. The same report shows that if there had been no racial gaps in income in 2014, the local GDP would have been $1.79 billion higher.

Felicia Brabec, D-District 4, chair of ways and means,

LIZZY LAWRENCE Daily Staff Reporter

While construction work seems to appear everywhere on the University of Michigan’s Central Campus this fall, a shiny new addition on North University provides relief from the constant demolition and renovation: the Biological Sciences Building.

The building’s interior is open, with natural light pouring in through the large windows facing onto the transportation center. It contains state-of-theart classrooms, laboratories and faculty offices. The different departments are in close proximity with each other and in some cases share labs in order to encourage collaboration and interdisciplinary research.

See BSB, Page 3

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LEAH GRAHAM Daily Staff Reporter

Check out the Daily’s News podcast, The Daily Weekly

thanked the county residents “who are holding us accountable to do better … in our community.”

“I know it’s only a first step, but it’s been a really long, long time coming,” Brabec

said. “We get to focus on the implementation now.”

Conan Smith, D-District 9, emphasized the need to properly implement the policy.

“Someone said from the audience earlier this evening

that we should not be so much debating the passage of this but debating how it gets implemented best,” Smith said, calling racial inequity an “emerging problem that See EQUITY, Page 3

Schuette look to Nov.

General election divided on ultra partisan lines after high primary voter turnout SONIA LEE

Daily Staff Reporter

While you were away this summer, you may have missed some big stories from Ann Arbor.

The Daily will be publishing recaps of the summer’s breaking news.

RUCHITA IYER/Daily

Washtenaw Count Commissioner Felicia Brabec speaks at a public hearing for racial equity ordinance at the Washtenaw County Administration Building Wednesday night.

For more stories and coverage, visit

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INDEX

Vol. CXXVII, No. 129 ©2018 The Michigan Daily

On Tuesday, Aug. 7, Michigan voters from the Democratic and Republican parties nominated their respective party candidates during the 2018 gubernatorial primaries. Gretchen Whitmer, former state Senate Democratic leader, and Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette emerged victorious and will face off on Nov. 6 for the governor’s seat.

Whitmer and Schuette will compete in November, running See NOVEMBER, Page 3

NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................6

SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6 SPORTS....................7

News

2 — Monday, September 6, 2018

MONDAY: Looking at the Numbers

TUESDAY:

By Design

WEDNESDAY: This Week in History

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FRIDAY: Behind the Story

Charlie White @CharlieaWhite

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Gabriel @dagabesta

Back on campus for my first class at @UMich in a while.

It really doesn’t matter that I’ve seen the birth of my child or won the Olympics, I’m still nervous! Go Blue!

Gonna fight the girl in my orientation who said “OMG I see you have a hickey”... okay yes I have one what do YOU have other than a lack of personality and a foundation shade 13 shades lighter than your skin, SAMANTHA?

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Good luck to you all at @ UMich on y’all’s first day of the school year! Feels weird not being there with y’all!

Syllabus week? More like syllabus second at umich lmao how am I already neckdeep in work

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“So this year is my sophomore year, I think it’s a lot about just expanding what I know since last year was more about discovering what I like. This year I just want to delve into everything I decided I enjoyed last year, and make a focus, primarily within my culture, learning more about that through ASA and other student organizations, after that I’m also a student and pre-med so I want to expand my network in that sense.

Naveen Fawaz, LSA sophomore

New research center foucses on aging for patients with long-term disabilities $4.3 million grant funds studies on intersectional issues of mental health, impairment

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Thanks to a $4.3 million grant and the tenacity of a few professors, students and future students with physical disabilities might be able to live a little more comfortably.

In October, a new research center at the University of Michigan will begin investigating how to improve aging for those facing long-term physical disabilities.

The idea for the new research center was spearheaded by a team of investigators: Michelle Meade, an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation psychology; Philippa Clarke, a professor of epidemiology; and Robyn Rontal, policy analytics director at the Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation.

Clarke said a new research center is necessary to help design a world more accessible to individuals with physical disabilities.

“What’s happened essentially is that people who have had disabilities in the past, typically never lived long enough to be old or to age,” Clarke said. “But with all the improvements in technology and medical care, there is a wonderful thing that is happening: People with disabilities are now growing older. However the services and support that we have set up for older adults have never really been targeted or able to meet the needs of this new group of clients who have been living with physical disabilities.”

Meade, the lead investigator for the research center, believes the center could perhaps ease those complexities.

“Individuals with disabilities are more likely to have other health conditions, such as diabetes, depression,” Maede said. “They are more likely have had days where they are not feeling well, and less likely to have access to care, and more likely to report problems with the care they have. So we put all these pieces together, working among these departments really provides us with the opportunity to develop a solution that could be used here and across the United States.”

According to a National Center for Education Statistics report, students with physical disabilities in 2011 and 2012 accounted for 11.1 percent of all undergraduates enrolled nationwide. The 2016 Campus Climate Survey says 5 percent of students at the University report having a disability.

The University offers resources for students with physical disabilities. Students who are deaf, hard of hearing or have temporary or permanent motoric disabilities are eligible to receive accomodations in their classes. These can include notetaking, video captioning and real-time transcription services.

However, these resources are often difficult to access or even inadequate. Last year, thenArchitechture graduate student Mieko Preston told The Daily that it was an uphill battle to register for disability accomodations with the University. She experienced a

stroke several years ago and now uses a medical scooter.

“The accessibility of being able to benefit from those accommodations or resources that are necessarily put in place is actually extremely difficult,” she said.

Meade and her colleagues requested funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research to establish a Rehabilitation Research and Training Center program at the University. The center will conduct research, offer hands-on training and spreads awareness and information around rehabilitation efforts.

These University studies, called the the Investigating Disability Factors and Promoting Environmental Access for Healthy Living RRTC, or IDEAL, will look specifically at the effects that both personal and environmental factors have on people with physical disabilities and how that, in turn, affects the aging process.

Meade also hopes this center will serve as a national resource center for policy makers, and all types of disability organizations, thus helping distribute the new knowledge breed at the U-M research center.

“One of the projects run by Dr. Michael McKee is about creating a model clinic for family medicine for individuals with disabilities,” Meade said. “Once again, we want to develop the best practice and then we want to share them.

Hopefully, by doing this, we will be changing the way that we do clinical practice, they way that we

provide services, and make sure things are relevant for people with physical disabilities.”

Meade said this center will help people nationally and hopefully make its way onto campus.

“Students are in the need of also accessing care, such as getting into the recreational facilities or accessing courses and lectures with those with hearing impairments,” Clarke said. “We are trying to understand how we structure our campus with simple things like examining how many stairs we have.”

Engineering sophomore Ellie Rocheleau said she believes the research center will provide new opportunities and a sense of optimism for those dealing with long-term physical disabilities.

“Someone I know is affected by ulcerated colitis, which is the swelling of the colon that leads to stomach aches and other intestinal issues,” Rocheleau said. “This is usually linked with severe arthritis, which in turn, leads to being unable to drive, walk, or even stand. Not only does this also affect him physically; it has led to a great deal of anxiety to try to figure out how to live his day to day— because even when he has good days, it is still an ongoing battle. It is hard enough to be able to deal with the one initial illness; if there was some new technology or medicine that could make living just a little easier, I think that would make all the difference.”

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Monday, September 6, 2018— 3

GROW TH AND GRIT

NOVEMBER From Page 1 highly contrasting campaigns in hopes of following Snyder, who is leaving the seat with low approval ratings following the Flint water crisis, as Michigan governor.

Now, with nine weeks left until the general election, Whitmer is polling 9 points ahead of Schuette, according to RealClearPolitics.

The Libertarian Party, qualifying as a major party in Michigan, also held its first primary in the state Aug. 7.

Insurance title examiner Bill Gelineau and former Livonia teacher John Tatar faced off, with Gelineau winning 58 percent of the vote.

The election results diverged from student polling conducted

by The Daily — last fall, University of Michigan alum Abdul El-Sayed, the former Detroit Health Department Director, received the highest share of potential student voters. 32 percent of students indicated they planned to vote for El-Sayed in the primaries.

The Michigan primary election featured voter turnout that broke records going as far back as 1978. Nearly 29 percent of registered voters casted ballots, amounting in about 2.5 million votes total. Washtenaw County experienced the largest surge in voter turnout in the state, increasing from 21.6 percent in 2010 to 34.4 percent.

Vote Breakdown Republican candidates on the ballot included Schuette, Lieutenant Gov. Brian Calley, state Sen. Patrick Colbeck and Dr. Jim Hines.

Schuette won 50 percent of vote, and Calley was the runner up at 25.2 percent. Colbeck followed at 13.1 percent and Hines at 11 percent.

Schuette led in the primary polls and was expected to win the nomination. An endorsement from President Donald Trump played a significant role in his campaign.

In June, Vice President Mike Pence visited Michigan to campaign on Schuette’s behalf.

“President Trump has endorsed my candidacy for governor because he knows I’ll cut taxes in Michigan like he’s cut taxes in America,” Schuette said in the final GOP debate in July. “It’s time that Michigan wins again.”

Schuette also received endorsements from several U.S. Republican representatives and the Michigan Chamber of

CARTER FOX/Daily Joe Salvatore, director of the Science Learning Center, discusses the power of a growth mindset in the Undergraduate Science Building Wednesday evening.

EQUITY From Page 1 that we had to grapple with more constructively, more intentionally.”

The bill calls for racial equity training for all commissioners and members of county boards, commissions and committees.

Departments will be required to create a racial equity plan, but plans for evaluation and metrics have yet to be determined.

Smith said he believes the policy would help confront the challenge of inequity in the county.

BSB From Page 1 The building project was approved by the University Board of Regents in 2014 to give the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department and Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Department a better working space, as the 103-yearold Kraus Natural Science Building was deteriorating. In 2017, the Museum of Natural History announced plans to join the EEB and MCDB departments in the new building. The BSB now also houses the paleontology museum faculty and staff. The Ruthven building, which formerly

FORD From Page 1 the School of Education in 2008, is another in a series of efforts by the Weisers to align the University community with Weiser’s previous work in Europe.

LSA junior David Carpenter, vice president of policy for the student-run Michigan Foreign Policy Council, said he believes the center will provide students

“By adopting this office this evening by identifying a staffing structure and a regular commitment to including this in a four-year budget, so that it is not a flash in the pan — that is going to lay a foundation that I believe we have badly needed for a long time,” Smith said. “Whoever ends up in this office certainly has their work cut out for them.”

The Racial Equity Office will lead the effort to tackle inequity, reporting directly to County Administrator Gregory Dill.

During the public hearing prior to the board’s vote, Trevor Bechtel,

a pastor at Shalom Community Church in Ann Arbor, said the Racial Equity Office would institutionalize the work to reduce gaps in resources.

“An office allows the people working on this policy to address questions of racial equity from inside the system, so it becomes a systematic conversation,” Bechtel said.

“Part of addressing a systematic question like racism is positioning the structure and creating the institution that can have that conversation.”

Margy Long, director

of Washtenaw Success by 6, which works to combat the opportunity gap faced by children of color and low-income children in elementary school, spoke up during a public comment period, encouraging the commissioners to reach out to community members who are affected by racism and social injustice as they begin enacting the equity policy.

“If we hope to make an impact with this policy and this office, I hope that it goes much beyond just talking to professionals, and you really reach out to the people in the community,” Long said.

housed the museum, will be the new headquarters for University administration when Fleming Building is demolished.

For post-doctoral student Torey Arnold, the building change is welcome. Arnold is a cell biologist who researches the changing cells and tissues of frogs in metamorphosis. He appreciated the building’s aesthetics and convenience.

“It’s made everything more efficient, putting everything closer together,” Arnold said. “It’s also gotten me a better view (from my window).”

Engineering junior Weihong Chou said he spends time before his biology class in the BSB, expressing his admiration of the

building’s design.

“I really love the glass,” Chou said. “I like how clean everything looks.”

But the building shift was not an enthusiastic transition for everyone. Catherine Badgley, an EEB professor and researcher in the Museum of Paleontology, used to teach at the North University Building and misses the way both NUB and the museum allowed her to interact with her department.

“I’m not yet convinced that the change is positive,” Badgley said. “I really enjoyed the way I interacted particularly with my students in the museum building, where I could every day go into a lab area, we could meet around a

big table, discuss informally, we could have regular lab meetings, we could have lunches, things like that. And that’s not possible in this building, at least not yet, without scheduling a room that is sometimes already booked for other people’s meetings.”

Badgley said she’s still waiting to see how everything turns out and if the previous department synergy will return. She acknowledged, though, while certain things have been lost, the building has created many new opportunities for workspace and research.

Students and faculty agreed the arrival of the BSB will require some adjustment. But at least on its sleek surface, it’s hard to deny the BSB is, as Arnold put it, “cool.”

who are interested in entering the field of diplomacy with the tools and information they need to launch their careers.

“In terms of career aspects for a lot of students there, I know I want to enter foreign service or something diplomacy related so I think having (the center) for students is definitely good for having career opportunities and really good mentorship opportunities,” Carpenter said.

In a press release Wednesday, John Ciorciari, director of the

International Policy Center at the Public Policy School, reaffirmed the belief that the center will help prepare students for careers in diplomacy.

“This new initiative will help train a new generation of informed, principled, and entrepreneurial students committed to international affairs,” Ciorciari wrote. “ will also help connect the academy to the world of foreign policy practice to generate new ideas for addressing the many

global challenges we face. No comparable concentration of diplomatic expertise exists at any university in the Midwest.”

Carpenter agreed the center will introduce students to careers in international affairs who otherwise wouldn’t have seriously considered such a career as an option living in the Midwest.

“I definitely think having people come to the Ford School that are in that field will definitely open doors

for students who never really considered (careers in diplomacy) as a possibility, especially since I feel like often times the foreign policy world is so centered in Washington that people might not be able to make it a conscious effort … to reach out to universities like us,” Carpenter said.

The $10 million donation is the latest addition to the Weisers’ contributions to the University. Both Ron and Eileen Weiser are University alumni,

Commerce. Meanwhile, Calley was endorsed by Gov. Rick Snyder and Colbeck by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

Democratic candidates on the ballot included Whitmer, El-Sayed and businessman Shri Thanedar. Whitmer won with 52 percent of the vote, followed

by El-Sayed with 30.2 percent and Thanedar with 17.7 percent.

El-Sayed received endorsements from several progressives during his campaign, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders as well as activist Shaun King and new Democrat upstart Alexandria Ocascio-Cortez.

El-Sayed campaigned heavily at the University, holding rallies on campus and speaking at the Ford School of Public Policy Thanedar funded much of his campaign with his own money and polled strongly before the election with Black voters in Detroit due to key endorsements form local radio personalities and pastors.

Whitmer also led in the primary polls and was the expected winner, receiving endorsements from Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, former Gov. Jim Blanchard, the Michigan Education Association and the United Auto Workers.

“Detroit needs a partner in the governor’s office who knows how to get things done right now, and without a doubt, that person is Gretchen Whitmer,” Duggan said at the opening of Whitmer’s new Detroit campaign headquarters.

Whitmer has emphasized her substantial experience in the government and has said she will be the governor to “get things done” in Lansing.

“I am the one person who has experience in state government and we’re hiring someone to run our state, to oversee our schools and our higher education institutions as well as our criminal justice system, the cleanliness of our water, the health care of our citizenry, and I think that we need someone who knows what they’re doing,” Whitmer said in an interview with The Daily in July.

Schuette is focusing his campaign on jobs, tax cuts and giving families a pay raise.

“I want each and every citizen to cop a new attitude, a new attitude about our future. Michigan must be about big hopes, bold dreams and boundless aspirations,” Schuette’s website reads. “We must have the attitude that there is nothing we cannot achieve.”

and their biggest contribution came in 2014 with a $50 million donation. Half of the donation was distributed across the School of Education, University Athletic Department, University Health System, University Musical Society and Ross School of Business, with the remaining half dedicated to the Center for Emerging Democracies.

When asked about plans for future donations, Weiser said he has “some other ideas and thoughts” in his head.

Sudoku Syndication

OIE From Page 1 investigations this year dipping, we had another year where it dipped. It’s kind of hard to have any feelings about a one-year data point.”

Rackham student Nicole Bedera is currently conducting a dissertation at the University on how various academic institutions respond to sexual misconduct cases.

When considering the current OIE report, Bedera said the low number of investigations compared to the previous year could be a result of the increased attention to reporting processes on behalf of the University.

She said data collection on the claimants’ impressions after interacting with OIE would be helpful in determining whether or not the new reporting methodology benefits the claimants.

“It is possible that more stringent mandatory reporting requirements are bringing

more reluctant complainants forward who were never interested in an investigation and would not participate should one start,” Bedera wrote in an email. “I would like to see more information reflecting the degree to which those reporting sexual misconduct are satisfied with their treatment by the Office for Institutional Equity.”

The report breaks down the total 277 cases into eight categories – 148 sexual assault concerns, 85 sexual harassment claims, 26 stalking claims, 27 intimate partner violence cases, four gender-based harassment claims, three retaliation concerns, one violation of interim measures and seven “other” cases. “Other” cases involved prohibited conduct that did not explicitly fall under the University’s sexual misconduct policy.

When considering the cause of why the number of launched investigations dipped compared to last year, Heatlie pointed to data in the report on the University’s policy scope and

the wishes of the claimant.

The report claims 102 of the 277 reports brought to the University were deemed outside of the University policy’s scope, meaning the report could possibly involve a member outside of the University community, conduct that isn’t technically prohibited by the policy, etc.

Out of the 175 cases that were deemed inside the scope of University policy, 152 of the cases were not pursued because either the claimant did not want an investigation or OIE could not identify the claimant.

Heatlie cites this as the primary reason for why there are so many reports and so few investigations launched. Heatlie said OIE takes the claimant’s wishes heavily into account when considering investigating.

“We would be happy to investigate every single report that comes into our office but our Student Sexual Misconduct Policy … has a process that gives the claimant the ability to say to the institution, ‘I would like

this investigated’ or ‘I wouldn’t like this investigated,’” Heatlie said. “We want to respect that when possible, when there isn’t, for example, a campus safety issue that overrides that request and so our primary focus when handling any report that comes into our office is campus safety and wellbeing, including the well-being of that particular claimant.”

Melissa Overton, deputy chief of police at the University’s Division of Public Safety and Security, also spoke about the reasons why someone might not report a sexual misconduct case. According to both Overton and Heatlie, DPSS and OIE work together on cases when a crime has been committed such as sexual assault or intimate partner violence.

While Overton said she expected sexual assault claims to increase due to situations like the Nassar trial giving

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HANK MINOR | COLUMN

Deplatforming political celebrities

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AMANDA ZHANG | COLUMN

T

More than just a teen romance

he summer of 2018 marks the revival of the romantic comedy, or rom-com — a genre once often overlooked as artistically lazy and trite. With major box office hits like “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” and “Crazy Rich Asians,” it seems as though Americans have finally admitted to themselves an architect racing against time to stop his one true love from boarding a plane is both exhilarating and satisfying.

As a lifelong fan of the classically cheesy tropes native to the romcom, I was not particularly shocked by the genre’s return to the spotlight, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the influx of Asian representation, especially in the Netf lix original film “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.”

Adapted from fiction author Jenny Han’s young adult novel and starring VietnameseAmerican actress Lana Condor, “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” follows Lara Jean Covey, an endearingly awkward halfKorean, half-white teenage girl, after five of her privately written love letters are unexpectedly mailed out. To avoid confronting a recipient of one of the letters, Covey begins a fake relationship with recently single Peter Kavinsky, and teenage romance ensues.

On its surface, the film is light and lovable ­— the ideal late-night Netflix indulgence. But as an Asian-American girl who grew up watching countless rom-coms in which none of the female protagonists had skin, hair or eyes like mine, “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” is much more than a jovial tale of young love — it is a stark reminder that until very recently, Asian-Americans have had virtually no leading roles in Hollywood.

As much as I value what actors like Jackie Chan and Ken Jeong have done for the Asian community, I would prefer the representation of my entire race on the big screen were not limited to kung-fu masters and Mr. Chow from “The Hangover.”

Enter Covey, a relatable 16-yearold girl who just happens to be half Korean. That’s it. Covey does not embody any classic Asian stereotypes. She is not timid like that freakishly quiet beatboxer

Lily from “Pitch Perfect” or saddled by an overbearing tiger parent like Lane from “Gilmore Girls.” Instead, Covey is articulate and actually funny.

Her primary concern in life is a fake relationship with a cute boy and, before leaving for her school’s annual ski trip, she endured a painfully uncomfortable sex talk with her father.

Covey is the classic female rom-com protagonist. Yes, she is half Korean, but it is the subtlety with which her ethnicity is incorporated that makes “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” such an important work. This

Though Asians have seen a rise in Hollywood representation this summer, there are still massive strides to be made. film represents an extraordinary moment for Asians in Hollywood, not because it blatantly censures deeply rooted racism in the film industry, but simply because the lead is Asian and her ethnicity is neither a statement nor a punchline.

Despite the fact that Covey’s Korean heritage is never a central plot point in the film, it does not go completely unrecognized.

“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” includes a number of refreshingly subtle scenes that introduce aspects of Korean culture. In one of my favorite moments, Kavinsky is picking up Covey and her little sister on the way to school and asks what her sister is drinking. She is drinking a Korean yogurt called Yakuroto commonly found in Asian grocery markets. The charming love interest gives the yogurt a try and playfully strikes a deal with the sister, promising to take her to school every day in exchange for a bottle. The

scene is an endearing moment in which Kavinsky begins to win over Covey’s precocious little sister, but it is also a delightful example of open-mindedness and cultural exchange.

Growing up as a child of Chinese immigrants, I was always slightly hesitant to reveal aspects of my culture. Out of fear of appearing unconventional, I used forks instead of chopsticks around my white friends and always suggested going to other people’s houses to hang out.

While I have since overcome this anxiety, Kavinsky’s immediately positive reaction to the yogurt and the casual manner with which they discuss it are a gentle reminder that exposure to different lifestyles is the key to promoting a more integrative and inclusive society. The film’s subtle nod to a common Asian household item offers a powerful message that Hollywood thus far has largely neglected — our different backgrounds are not meant to be tucked away at home, but instead shared with others.

Though Asians have seen a rise in Hollywood representation this summer, there are still massive strides to be made as the film and television industry is still replete with archaic standards of beauty and worth.

When she was first approaching production companies to convert her novel into a film, Han reportedly turned down multiple offers after producers pressured her to whitewash Covey. This is not particularly surprising, considering it took a quarter-century for a major motion picture to anchor a predominantly Asian cast with this summer’s box office hit, “Crazy Rich Asians.”

Needless to say, these films featuring Asian leads were not produced without their fair share of adversity. “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” is a momentous film for the Asian community, but it is not enough for the little girls like me who grow up believing only white women deserve to be fantastically swept off their feet. Hollywood needs to do better.

Amanda Zhang can be reached at amanzhang@umich.edu.

HANNAH MEYERS | CONTACT HANNAH AT HSMYERS@UMICH.EDU

M

ilo Yiannopoulos, the “alt-right” firebrand and provocateur, fell from grace far earlier than many of the political entertainers raised high by President Donald Trump’s election. He was permanently banned from Twitter in 2016, resigned from Breitbart as a senior editor in 2017 and lost his spot at the Politicon convention in 2018. His college speaking engagements, once a major engine for his career, have largely dried up. Now, in front of his much-diminished audience, he’s melting down.

“I have been betrayed and abandoned by everyone who ever called themselves my friend, with a small handful of notable exceptions … I almost single handedly ignited the current debate about free speech on campus and NO ONE has ever matched my ability to draw attention to these issues … I have lost everything standing up for the truth in America, spent all my savings, destroyed all my friendships and ruined my whole life,” Yiannopoulos wrote in a (lengthy) Facebook post.

I’ve never been entirely convinced that protest with the goal of “de-platforming” ideologues is very effective.

Organization against highly public stunts, like college speaking tours, seem to primarily serve as fodder for the Fox News outrage machine.

“De-platforming” has to have support from a higher level — news companies, tech companies and financial interests — to truly work. That said, Yiannopoulos’ accelerating public decline has made me reconsider, somewhat. Without sustained pressure from a general mass of progressives, would entities like Twitter and Politicon have taken action against Yiannopoulo’s in the first place?

Political celebrities provide a circuitous method of advertising. Radical websites can’t pay for ads in The New York Times, but their figureheads serve a nearly indistinguishable

purpose simply by being covered.

“De-platforming” Yiannopoulos, however it happens, robs his fans of a valuable resource: access to the mainstream press. Furthermore, feeling marginalized suppresses meaningful political activity; by reducing the clout of a movement’s leaders, you reduce its efficacy overall.

This isn’t a groundbreaking observation, admittedly; there’s a reason people like Trump, former State Secretary Hillary Clinton and New York congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez draw so much sustained criticism and attention. The difference between a politician like Clinton and a media figure like Yiannopoulos, though, is institutional power — influential politicians can raise their defenses in situations where a more isolated private citizen cannot. Yiannopoulos didn’t have the institutional power necessary to preserve his status.

Was it protest, though, that collapsed Yiannopoulo’s career?

Initially, his importance came from his ability to provoke direct action from supposedly deranged college liberals — in other words, protests. Now, ceteris paribus, deranged college liberals are responsible for Yiannopoulo’s decline? His departure from Breitbart and expulsion from Twitter both occurred after media scandals; if protests had continued, sustaining his reputation, I find it hard to believe that either Breitbart or the Mercer family would have reacted.

Protests signal some segment of the country — and therefore some segment of consumers — find someone’s brand so repulsive that they’re willing to show up in person and spend their time repeating their outrage. They don’t, for a provocateur like Yiannopoulos, scare away funding that’s already signed up for public stunts and drama. Some might argue violent protest, as carried out by segments of antifa, is the key; if Yiannopoulos cannot

speak because of security concerns, he’s clearly being “de-platformed” (at least in one area). There remain dozens of other platforms, though (television, social media, etc.), where threats of violence are ineffective.

Physically preventing someone from speaking on one campus or another does not prevent them from speaking to millions of fans online, or millions of live TV viewers.

I believe protests are an important demonstration of solidarity and a way of demonstrating the strength of one’s conviction. I’m also not shedding any tears for wildly popular, well-compensated celebrities being denied the chance to make money and headlines on college campuses, either. I am still unconvinced, however, that direct action with the goal of “de-platforming” people like Yiannopoulos is enough. Preventing someone from speaking on campus may be an independently good thing, but it doesn’t appear effective toward the larger cause of removing someone from the public stage. The journalist who publicized that clip of Yiannopoulos appearing to defend pedophilia did more damage to his career than all of the people involved in the subsequent protests, for all of their righteous intentions.

It seems likely we’ll have at least one campus controversy this academic year over a speaker on campus, and there will — and should — be protests.

Organizing them with the goal of “de-platforming,” though, is to misunderstand the way political celebrities wield and grow inf luence. Denying someone space to speak is clearly effective, but only when that denial is far reaching and total — “de-platforming” one head of the hydra does not prevent it from growing back two more elsewhere.

Hank Minor can be reached at hminor@umich.edu.

ADITHYA SANJAY | COLUMN

McCain showed why compromise matters

O

n Aug. 25, Arizona Sen. John McCain passed away due to complications from brain cancer.

After McCain was diagnosed with glioblastoma last July, his health steadily deteriorated until he made the decision to discontinue his treatment a few days before his death.

The late senator was a naval hero, having spent multiple years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

He retired from the Navy in 1981 and entered politics, blazing his own legacy as both a champion of conservatism and an ardent believer in compromise. See, McCain was a self-described maverick: a politician willing to cross political party lines to protect his values. He represented a brand of politician that is largely absent from the American political scene today.

I was shocked to see much of the response to the senator’s passing was critical. Instead of celebrating McCain’s legacy, the media largely used his death to attack President Donald Trump and even express dissatisfaction over McCain’s ideology. In fact, The New Yorker released an article that focused on Trump’s petty response to McCain’s death, calling Trump a “liar” and “crook” instead of focusing on McCain’s sizable legacy.

Why couldn’t people put their ideologies aside to celebrate McCain’s great career and sacrifices for the country?

In America’s current politically polarized state, it has become increasingly important to bring people from both sides together.

While reflecting on McCain and his work in the Senate, it’s imperative to highlight and remember his efforts to put politics above party lines.

The U.S. government is extremely inefficient. It’s how it was constructed. Efficiency was compromised in favor of checks and balances. With a Congress that can switch parties

every two years and a president that can switch every four, it is very difficult to produce lasting legislation without bipartisan support. Otherwise, legislation would just be rolled back every time the party in control switches.

Trump’s rise to the presidency has seemingly damaged the social fabric of the U.S., widening the rift between conservatives and liberals, thereby making it difficult to have discussion across party lines. Though much of Trump’s policy aligns with the moderate right, his rhetoric and alternative facts have been

Political discourse needs to be open and factual discourse.

used to brand conservatives as a racist, uneducated and misogynistic group.

But it’s not just the right that is hurt by this. On the other side, the rise of Democratic socialists has contributed to the polarization. Political leaders like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York congressional candidate Alexandria OcasioCortez have developed the left as socialist and at times intolerant.

This marque of radicalism has become quite counterproductive to achieving true political progress in the United States. The number of violent groups on either side has been increasing recently, and as a result has created a nasty facade to politics. People actively avoid showcasing their party allegiance publicly and stay away from politics entirely for fear of being judged and attacked. In fact,

when I was canvassing for a local candidate this summer many individuals refused to put up yard signs or even talk to me for that reason alone.

Even worse than this is the rise of intolerance for even hearing out opposing arguments. Many top conservative thought leaders and polemicists have been actively shut out by students and even college administrators from even being able to simply share their ideas on campus. The University of California, Berkeley riots in opposition to people like conservative writer Ben Shapiro were one of the many examples of active infringements on free speech rights.

At the University of Michigan, where a substantial number of students are Democrats, it is important to make sure the other side is heard out and respected. We must branch out of our own echo chambers and try to at the very least acknowledge the validity of the other side.

The other day I had a conversation with a couple of friends who were of opposite political ideologies. As politics go, the discussion got heated at times, but in the end we were able to compromise on certain issues. Political discourse needs to be open and factual discourse. No ad hominem. No racism or sexism. Just free and proper debate.

So instead of creating conspiracy out of McCain’s passing or blaming the current presidential administration, respect the senator’s legacy by making an extra effort to hear out both political sides.

Practice politics in the spirit of the maverick. And who knows?

Maybe it’ll change your mind.

It sure did change mine.

Adithya Sanjay can be reached at asanjay@umich.edu.

Arts

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Thursday, September 6, 2018 — 5

FILM REVIEW

ALBUM REVIEW

FILMRISE

ATLANTIC

‘Miseducation’ is relatable Death Cab for Cutie is no for some, important for all less emo on ‘Thank You’ ROBERT MANSUETTI Daily Arts Writer

The communal experience of seeing a movie in theaters is often underappreciated.

It’s a good way to be more engaged with the film than alternating between Netf lix on your computer and Twitter on your phone every 10 minutes.

There’s a certain charm to watching the newest “Star Wars” or Marvel vehicle with a slap-happy, hypefed audience that makes an opening weekend blockbuster unforgettable.

All movies don’t have action-packed conclusions and fulfilling endings though; some leave you still processing what just transpired for the last hour or two. The prevailing remark from most walking out of “Sorry to Bother You” was “what the fuck just happened,” while my fellow “Hereditary” goers mixed silence with shocked facial expressions.

And then there’s movies like “The Miseducation of Cameron Post,” movies that provoke people in the theater to exclaim “that’s it?” when the credits roll. This movie may wind up being a divisive film simply for the fact that one’s enjoyment of it is directly tied to how much it resonates with them — non-teen, non-queer audiences might just not get it.

While it only taps into specific sensibilities, the movie still has an enriching, powerful message that everyone should appreciate.

The story follows the titular high schooler (Chloë Grace Moretz, “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising”) in early ’90s Montana.

An orphan who lives with her religious aunt, Cameron is sent to God’s Promise, a gay conversion therapy camp, after she’s caught making out with her friend Coley in the backseat of her boyfriend’s car during prom. What follows is not much, actually, as Cameron is forced to integrate into God’s Promise and adjust to this new

life as scenes of high-intensity drama pepper the narrative.

This superficial mundanity is hard to peel away. But when the film manages to do so, it reveals a heart that is primarily concerned with Cameron

“The Miseducation of Cameron Post” State Theater Filmrise

coming to embrace her own identity and personhood.

This is brought about, not by any life-changing event or transformation, but the world around her. Cameron’s arc may seem static, but she tacitly moves and adapts to her changing environment.

Nothing wraps up nicely in “The Miseducation of Cameron Post.” The trauma of the residents of God’s Promise is brought to the forefront only to be left there. Fellow campers Jane Fonda (Sasha Lane, “American Honey”) and Adam Red Eagle (Forrest Goodluck, “The Revenant”) make quick friends with Cameron and have similar inertia towards their own sexual orientations. They seem surprising targets to end up at God’s Promise — Jane was raised in a hippie commune and Adam believes in his tribe’s non-gender-conforming “two-spirit” philosophy — but they’re there regardless.

The camp itself is run by the kindhearted Reverend Rick, an “ex-gay” played by John Gallagher, Jr. (“The Belko Experiment”) in a satisfying subtle performance, and his sister, the oppressive Dr. Lydia March (Jennifer Ehle, “Fifty Shades Freed”). Rick is slowly revealed to be a tragic character himself, as he was a guinea pig for his sister to force upon the same brand of

“therapy” that they now make a living off of. Meanwhile, Lydia is the closest thing “The Miseducation of Cameron Post” has to an antagonist (Adam labels her as a “Disney villain that doesn’t let you masturbate”), but she is not exactly a Nurse Ratched type that threatens Cameron with electroshock therapy.

In fact, “Cameron Post” has no fiery conclusion, no explosive confrontation that marks the peak of the action.

It drapes itself with comingof-age tropes only to pull them away to unveil a wholly unique story when the 90-minute runtime comes to an end.

No one depicted in “The Miseducation of Cameron Post” is inherently evil; the only evil is the idea of such a conversion camp even existing (while it may seem far-fetched, facilities like the one depicted still exist to this day). Cameron, Jane, Adam and all the other campers are not physically mistreated at God’s Promise, only pushed to their emotional limits. And while some bend to the Christian rhetoric of the camp, others break.

After a traumatic event that leaves the campers scarred and the administrators questioning how it could have happened, a state investigator is sent in to monitor the conditions of the camp. In a conversation where he questions Cameron if there is any ongoing abuse, Cameron maintains that she is not being physically harmed, but raises the question: “How is programming people to hate themselves not emotional abuse?”

Therein lies the core of “The Miseducation of Cameron Post.”

While Cameron’s story takes precedence, the emotional vignettes of the other teens she is newly surrounded by prove that although invisible, self-love and acceptance will always be a more powerful agent of positive change than any forced method manifested from hate.

MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW Donald Glover, better known musically by his pseudonym, Childish Gambino, has existed alone on an island in the corner of the hip-hop world since his first mixtape, Camp. Technically speaking, he isn’t tied to any of the rap conglomerates of his peers, like Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music Label or Drake’s OVO Sound Label. What’s more, his prominence can’t really be credited to anyone but himself, something that cannot be said for artists like Chance the Rapper and Travis Scott, who received endorsements from already established acts during their come-ups. In short, Glover is a lone wolf. This status affords him a unique perspective in the hip-hop world, one through which he can neutrally observe trends; this lense is exposed in the newly released music video for his melancholic sunset track, “Feels Like Summer.”

The video in a nutshell: An animated Glover, looking jaded with tired eyes and a rugged

beard, strolls down a suburban street with headphones in his ears and hands in his pockets.

Around him, prominent figures

“Feels Like Summer” Childish Gambino RCA in hip hop take part in various scenes that insightfully speak on the state of the popular genre today. Drake chases Future, who rides into the sunset on a bicycle; Nicki Minaj and Travis Scott play with children’s blocks; Lil Pump and Trippie Redd skip around like toddlers and seek attention from 21 Savage and Kodak Black; most interestingly, Michelle Obama comforts a crying Kanye West.

Through it all, Glover looks tired and almost desperate for a new order.

Through these images,

Glover brilliantly allegorizes the hip-hop world in 2018: Drake owes much of his prominence to Future’s influence; Lil Pump and Trippie Redd compete with acts like 21 Savage and Kodak Black, but have a significantly less mature image; Nicki Minaj has been bickering over Astroworld’s dominance of her Queen; Kanye West infamously made major waves with a Trump endorsement over the summer.

Amidst all of hubbub, Glover has remained a true boundarypushing artist while avoiding negative press and trivial feuds, relying solely on his talent by embracing the aforementioned lone wolf characteristic. Based on the emphatic images of his new music video, it seems Glover has also been a silent observer of the music world around him, steering clear of the bad, learning from the good and establishing himself as hip hop’s wise man.

-Mike Watkins, Daily Arts Writer

RYAN COX

Daily Arts Writer

Every time one of my favorite artists releases a new album, I get a little nervous. It’s not necessarily because I don’t have faith in them to put out something mind-blowing; it’s just that I’m scared their new music will change how I view their discography as a whole and the memories I have with that band. The more music a band puts out, the more of themselves they’re exposing.

In recent memory, bands like Arcade Fire, Interpol and Weezer have gone from debut albums that received critical acclaim to albums that received extremely mixed reviews, in many instances giving off the perception that the band sold out as not only musicians, but also people.

So when I heard the first single “Gold Rush” off of Death Cab for Cutie’s latest album Thank You for Today, I became a little nervous. The new song was catchy, but it felt so different from their previous work. I couldn’t tell if it was the Yoko Ono sample, or the lyrics, but it felt off. I didn’t want it to change the way I listen to Death Cab, the band that’s been with me through the majority of my emotional teenage life.

But the Death Cab that put out some of my favorite albums like Transatlanticism, The Photo Album and especially We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes is now over 20-years-old. To expect them to continue putting out the same music that they were putting out back then is to expect the band to refrain from any sort of musical growth — a band that lacks growth lacks maturity and artistry.

And grow they have. Not only does this album feature a completely new lineup for the band, with the departure of Chris Walla after 17 years of playing guitar and producing for the band, and the addition of Zac Rae and Dave Depper (who I had the privilege of interviewing last month), but also features a sound different from any Death Cab album in the past.

Although it could be compared to Narrow Stairs, the album features drastically different songwriting and sonic textures. They’ve never

shied from incorporating keys and synths into their music, and the addition of a full-time keyboardist shines through in all of the new songs. In every song, there’s at least some sort of ambient pad backing things

Thank You For Today Death Cab for Cutie Atlantic Records up, or a Rhodes electric piano accompanying guitar, or even acoustic piano. But although the core sounds of a Death Cab instrumental are there, it all still feels a little different.

Dave Depper does a great job at creating those lead guitar lines Chris Walla was so adept at, but some of the lines feel less risky. They feel like they’re missing a little bit of grit.

Granted, this is a completely different album from some of Death Cab’s older, “heavier” stuff, but certain moments like the last half of “Summer Years,” brings back a little bit of that grit that Death Cab used so well, and so sparingly. The songs are catchy, but not too corny (with the exception of “Autumn Love,” which may be one of Death Cab’s weakest songs.)

But, Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr continue to hold it down in the rhythm section, giving performances as solid as any previous Death Cab record. The band sounds different, but the new members seem to make it sound more complete. However, Walla’s production touch still feels a little bit lost. One thing that really stood out about Death Cab records was how crisp and dynamic they were.

Thank You For Today seems a little more compressed than previous records, but still feels clear. However, contemporary indie rockers Foxing’s most recent record, Nearer My God, which was produced by Walla, is unsurprisingly comparable to old Death Cab records.

However, as good as their songs are instrumentally, the band is nothing without Ben Gibbard’s lyricism and sense of songwriting. Best known for writing lyrics that span from overwhelmingly depressing to incredibly romantic, Gibbard’s role as the lead vocalist and

songwriter in the group is a position that has gained widespread fame for the group.

Originally, I thought that one of my biggest complaints about this record was going to be the lack of growth from a band that has been around almost as long as I have been alive. And while they have grown slightly instrumentally, Gibbard’s vocals and songwriting ability have aged like a fine wine. His voice somehow has gotten more delicate and smooth as he has aged.

But the biggest contribution Gibbard has on this record are his lyrics. My initial draw to Death Cab as an angsty teenager was Gibbard’s songs about heartbreak, love and relationships, but hearing a married 40-year-old sing about those things would feel kind of weird. Luckily, as Gibbard has matured, so have the basis of his lyrics (I used to joke about how happy I was when he and Zooey Deschanel split because of how good his lyrics were when he was in a sadder state, as cruel as that sounds).

Although Ben’s happily married again, he still sings about things he’s passionate about. The first single from the album, “Gold Rush,” for example, is about the expansion of the tech industry in the band’s hometown. Although the message might be kind of overdone (see: get off your stupid phone, you dumb kids), it’s done in a fresh and compelling way.

Songs like “When We Drive” and “60 & Punk” feel more grown up, commenting on relationships and realizing that your idols aren’t as great as you once thought they were.

After the first few listens, I was getting ready to talk about the regression of one of my favorite bands. But the more I put off writing this and listened to the record, the more those bad comments started to turn into good ones. A lot of people are likely to give this record a listen and write it off as being a mediocre indie rock record.

But it deserves more credit.

When you listen to this in the context of the rest of the band’s discography, it’s clear that while the band has maintained the elements that brought them such critical acclaim, they’re also embracing the modern era of music they find themselves in.

RCA

Arts

6 — Thursday, September 6, 2018

TV REVIEW

STARZ

‘America to Me’ catalyzes conversations about race video artfully examines the problems that Black people face Daily Arts Writer in America.

“America to Me” offers a more personalized commentary America is in the midst than either of these, and it of an identity crisis. A is not shy in proclaiming its nation supposedly built on purpose. At the end of Starz’s a foundation of equality, 10-part docuseries, “America acceptance and opportunity is to Me,” a short excerpt from a currently masked Langston Hughes by the ugly light poem fills up “America to of hate, bigotry the screen.

Me” and hopelessness.

“O, yes, I say it Pop culture is plain,” it begins.

Starz attempting to “America never help Americans was, America understand what is happening to me, And yet I swear this to their country. Sacha Baron oath — America will be!”

Cohen tries to expose the ugly Hughes, a Black writer and underbelly of contemporary activist who was a leader of the America with his new HBO Harlem Renaissance, is talking series titled “Who is America?,” about how he feels as if he is in which he disguises himself a stranger living in his own to ask politicians, public figures country. America is supposed and everyday Americans to be a place where anybody about their often insulting can succeed, yet as a Black man, or ridiculous views. Rapper Hughes does not feel like he is Childish Gambino offers a enjoying the benefits of living response to Cohen’s titular in America — at least not yet. question with the song “This It is the perfect sentiment is America,” a song whose to end the premiere episode of SAMANTHA DELLA FERA

“America to Me,” a series that for one school year followed students attending Oak Park and River Forest High School (O.P.R.F.) in suburban Chicago.

In an area that the series makes a point of telling viewers is young and liberal, O.P.R.F. appears to be a diverse school succeeding in addressing and highlighting that diversity.

The school is 55-percent white and 27-percent Black, and through research and meetings the administration seems to recognize disparities between their Black and white students and want to repair them. None of the administration will talk to the filmmakers about that research, and director Steve James (“Hoop Dreams”) tells the audience that the principal and superintendent of the school didn’t even want the film to be made.

This alone shows exactly why it is so important that this documentary was made.

People know this country has institutionalized racism and blatant disparities between

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races, but nobody really wants to talk about it. As school board member Dr. Jackie Moore points out, “If you’re feeling as though you can’t be honest or you’re afraid to say what you’re feeling because there’s a camera there and we’re talking about race, what camera’s in your head when you’re going through your day?”

While the adults in power may not be willing to talk about race or the role it plays in everyday life, the students of O.P.R.F. certainly have a lot to say. The series excels in showing the parallel between Black students who deal with disadvantages related to their race and the normal, awkward adolescent experience of going to high school. In one scene, sophomore Tiara is shown talking about the pressures of living with her sister. Tiara’s sister has a son at O.P.R.F. whom the school has essentially given up on. She says her sister wants her to succeed more than anything because she could not get her son to do the same. Not soon after this, Tiara is seen auditioning for the choir, and then jumping up and down in the hallway because the boy she auditioned in front of has been her crush since seventh grade.

Little moments like these are why the documentary

is so effective. It shows how although O.P.R.F. isn’t necessarily separate: The students are anything but equal. At school, the only thing white students have to worry

“America to Me” tells the story of a racist America through young voices that are too often belittled and ignored

about is a quiz they have coming up or running into their crush or what friend to sit with in class. Black students are faced with all of this, along with the added pressure of being treated differently due to the color of their skin and what that has meant for them for years. Race is ingrained in every aspect of O.P.R.F., and one teacher points out that “no space in this school is race neutral.” Some instances are more ingrained, such as the tendencies of kids of the same

race to sit with each other in the cafeteria. Others appear to be blatant racism. In one scene, a school administrator explains how the primarily Black cheerleading squad has to perform on the edge of the field while the mostly white drill team does their routine front and center. As junior Charles points out with frustration: “Everything is made for white kids, because this school was made for white kids, because this country was made for white kids.”

“America to Me” tells the story of a racist America through young voices that are too often belittled and ignored.

These high schoolers have no problem telling America that they feel as if they don’t belong.

O.P.R.F. may just be one high school, but it is reflective of something much bigger. Even integrated, progressive schools are struggling to provide an equal experience for their Black and white students. The first step to addressing the problem is talking about it, something that clearly many people do not want to do.

“America to Me” is pushing that conversation forward, forcing both the people at O.P.R.F. and the audience watching them to listen to a discussion about race and go on to start one themselves.

TV REVIEW

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Amazon’s ‘Jack Ryan’ is a not-so-thrilling thriller

FOR RENT MAITREYI ANANTHRAMAN

Release Date: Thursday, September 6, 2018

Daily Arts Writer

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

DOWN 1 Work up 2 Risky proposition

3 Turow biographical title 4 Not working 5 Fleur-de-__: Quebec flag image 6 Poolside chair 7 Debate equipment 8 Get under one’s skin 9 Small songbird 10 Letters on a Qantas baggage tag 11 Like many tees 12 Greek 13 “... et cetera” 14 How some tickets may be sorted 21 Scented pouch 22 Put on 24 Plant in many Road Runner cartoons 25 Dunderhead 27 What Marcie calls Peppermint Patty 29 Distance runners 31 Cultivates 33 Monastic figures 35 Golden State team 36 Christ the __: Rio landmark

37 Crime show with several spin-offs 38 “You obviously can’t depend on me” 39 Fetches 43 Most junk mail 45 Comic book personnel 47 Change symbols, in math 48 Opera with Desdemona

49 Alters with a light touch?

51 48-Down composer 54 “__ told”: “That’s the rumor” 55 Designer Wang 56 Name in boxy cars?

58 Higher ed. test 59 Cardinal’s letters

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

By Jeffrey Wechsler ©2018 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

09/06/18

09/06/18

GO BLUE

ACROSS 1 Seething 6 Jaguar weapons 11 Half a dance 14 Stinger ingredient 15 Superman player Cavill 16 “The Last Jedi” villain Kylo 17 Alpine airs 18 Broken out, in a way 19 Days gone by, in days gone by 20 Capital on the Volga 21 Suppress, as a story 22 Punching tools 23 Suffix with fruct24 Hall of Fame manager Stengel 25 Sal of “Exodus” 26 Waters down 28 Taiwanese PC brand 29 Rita awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom 30 Hankering 32 Depilatory cream 34 Historic span: Abbr.

35 Impediment to creativity ... and each set of puzzle circles 38 Big letters in family-owned supermarkets 40 Troubadour’s strings 41 Uncle __ 42 Codes of conduct 44 Christian with style 46 Venerated one 50 Adorkable types 51 Lets off steam 52 JFK posting 53 “Psych” finale?

54 Is after 55 Field mice 57 Area 51 craft 58 Singer with Lawrence 59 Accept, with “for” 60 Greek org.

61 Lyft passenger 62 Difficult tasks 63 Hosp. parts 64 Mideast bigwigs 65 Will Rogers prop

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Among the many fans of Tom Clancy’s best-selling “Jack Ryan” novels was Ronald Reagan, who called the first of the spy thriller series “unputdownable.” “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan,” Amazon Video’s new eight-episode addition to the franchise is — sorry, Mr. Reagan — quite putdownable. That’s not to say it isn’t occasionally entertaining.

It has its moments. But too often, “Jack Ryan” lapses into stale, passé story patterns that leave it struggling to breathe life into a tired genre.

In his decades of book and on-screen appearances, the character Jack Ryan has been on the receiving end of dozens of Bond-like reincarnations and reinventions. Alec Baldwin’s Jack Ryan was a wide-eyed, brainy type; Harrison Ford’s a gruff, seasoned hothead.

He’s been a history professor and a Wall Street banker and President of the United States.

But in every iteration he’s the reluctant hero, the sort who has greatness thrust upon him.

“I’m just an analyst. I write reports!” Ryan pleas, usually before being tasked with resolving all sorts of absurd, world-ending plots — like extremists taking advantage of a power vacuum in Iraq or Kremlin interference at the highest levels of the US government (OK, maybe not that absurd).

The small screen Jack Ryan (John Krasinski, “The Office”) keeps squarely in that tradition. He’s a CIA

analyst on a counterterrorism team reviewing suspicious financial transactions — and presumably, writing reports — when he stumbles on a lead that takes him directly to Mousa bin Suleiman (Ali Suliman, “The Looming Tower”), a Syrian jihadist thought to be the next bin Laden. Under the guidance

“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” Amazon Video Season 1

of his new section chief James Greer (Wendell Pierce, “The Wire”), Ryan is — as Jack Ryan is wont to be — hesitantly dragged into a chase that takes him from his humble desk at Langley to field missions in the slums of Paris and Yemen.

Krasinski’s Ryan is convincing, muscled and stoic, of course, but with an easiness and boyish charm that earn him the moniker “self-righteous Boy Scout” in the show’s pilot. Morality, unfortunately, does not a personality make — more often than not, Jack fails to come across as real or lived-in. At times, he’s saddled with lines so groan-worthy it wouldn’t feel particularly out of place for Krasinski to turn and flash a stare at the camera à la Jim Halpert, as if to say, “You see what I have to deal with here?”

He’s dealing with a lot.

Pierce’s pitch-perfect Greer aside, Krasinski has little chemistry with his co-stars,

least of all with Abbie Cornish (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”) as Dr. Cathy Mueller, Ryan’s vanilla love interest. And the story, though well-paced, is little more than another regurgitation of every spy thriller released in the last 10 years. The extensive focus on Suleiman and on telling the story of his upbringing and radicalization seem designed to pre-empt any criticism of the show’s depictions of terrorists.

But it’s still not enough to provoke thought or add needed nuance.

And given all the opportunity for real complexity and excitement the spy thriller provides, it’s almost puzzling that a streaming service with no shortage of money could produce such ordinary television. A far cry from the twisty, thoughtful cable dramas that have dealt with espionage in recent years, “Jack Ryan” more closely resembles a mid-aughts CBS procedural or Fox’s miserable, jingoistic “24.” There is none of the rewarding slow burn or meticulousness of early “Homeland,” nothing close to the delicate psychological study that was “The Americans.”

Even the action sequences feel straight out of a Michael Bay (“Transformers”) film, cheap and gratuitous — to be fair, Michael Bay is, in fact, one of the show’s producers.

What’s the use in watching, anyway? We know how this ends — neatly black and white.

The bad terrorists lose, the handsome good guys with guns win and our exceptional country lives to see another day. It’s no wonder Reagan liked Jack Ryan so much.

Sports

7 — Thursday, September 6, 2018

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Martin, Bell to receive more snaps against Western Michigan this week MARK CALCAGNO Daily Sports Editor

While a disintegrating offensive line and mistake-prone defense drew most of the attention against Notre Dame on Saturday, Michigan’s wide receivers played their best game in nearly two years.

In the 24-17 defeat, sophomores Nico Collins, Donovan PeoplesJones and Oliver Martin, as well as fifth-year senior Grant Perry, combined for 181 yards on 17 catches. It marked the position group’s largest output since Nov. 5, 2016, when Wilton Speight set a program record for passing yards in a half.

The Wolverines’ passing game sputtered in 2017, largely due to the struggles of their wideouts, who combined to catch just three touchdowns all season. Perry, their leading receiver, managed a paltry 307 yards.

But on Saturday, the group consistently beat the Fighting Irish secondary — especially in short-yardage situations — and allowed Michigan to move the ball despite rushing for just 58 yards.

“I thought we had pretty good separation throughout the game,” said receivers coach Jim McElwain. “It’s something you work on every single day, KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily and our guys I think have seen Sophomore wide receiver Oliver Martin and freshman Ronnie Bell will play more snaps against Western Michigan, according to Michigan wide receiver coach Jim McElwain. the importance of it. … They’ve times we looked pretty fast. The do a better job (of managing) the learned enough of the offense to spring,” McElwain said. “As his preparation,” McElwain said. “… see the field against the Fighting confidence grew in the ‘what’ and Technically, he played pretty darn responded well to being conscious consistency really wasn’t there, pitch count.” the ‘how,’ he seemed to play faster good.” and where I think we can be a That will likely lead to more Irish. of gaining separation.”

McElwain provided no update “He did a really good job and faster.” snaps for Martin and freshman Wolverine receivers mentioned little better.”

Since sophomore Tarik Black on Black’s injury on Wednesday, that as a priority throughout spring McElwain mentioned this Ronnie Bell. After redshirting of attacking the playbook,” and summer camp. They credited was the case for Peoples-Jones last year, Martin made three McElwain said. “The hardest suffered a right foot injury, the as he would neither confirm nor McElwain — who was the head specifically, who made six catches catches for 29 yards in his first thing for guys sometimes when door opened for Collins, whose deny the possibility of a comeback appearance; the they’re young is maintaining how size and speed have become a this season. It’s a different group coach at Florida from 2015 to 2017 for 38 yards. Though Peoples- collegiate — with teaching them subtleties to Jones wasn’t one of the many who Wolverines ran two screens for fast they can play when their mind talking point for Michigan players replacing Black than in 2017 the position that have aided their fell victim to cramps in the South Martin before he caught a 21-yard is spinning. I thought he did a and coaches. He showed why — Kekoa Crawford and Eddie against Notre Dame with three McDoom have both left the growth from a season ago.

Bend heat, fatigue caught up with pass on Michigan’s lone offensive really good job.”

Balancing the mental demands catches for 66 yards — including program — and Michigan is still touchdown drive.

It showed Saturday, but still not him — at least in his coach’s eyes.

On the other hand, Bell had of the position with playing full the Wolverines’ most explosive working through its receiver “I think he played too many as often as McElwain would’ve plays,” McElwain said. “That’s a much quicker path to the speed isn’t easy. McElwain saw play of the evening: a 52-yard deep rotation. liked it to.

But though it wasn’t a perfect “One of the things we have to on me as far as being able to play Wolverines’ receiving rotation. A this with Collins, who took some ball on the first snap of the third performance, Saturday showed do a better job of is playing fast fast every single down. I think former Missouri State basketball time to gain his confidence despite quarter.

“I guess I’d say his assignment that the Wolverine receivers are throughout the game,” he said. there were times — not that he commit with no other Division being a four-star recruit.

“I thought (he was) tentative grade was really good in this game, closer to answers than they’ve “I thought there were plays we was loafing, but quite honestly, I football offers, Bell committed looked slow. And yet, there were because he was gassed. We got to to Michigan last December but early when we got here in the which tells me he did a good job of been in some time.

Michigan in Color

Intern Diaries: Part One CHRISTIAN PANEDA Senior MiC Editor

Summer has unfortunately come to a close, and at Michigan in Color, it’s a tad bittersweet.

Though many of us are excited to come back to the Daily office for more shenanigans, we’re also sad to leave the places we spent out internships in. We’re trading business professional attire for the office for the casual and comfy clothes we usually wear in college. Here, a few MiC editors wanted to share their summer stories of hustling, learning, and the importance of diversity in the workplace.

Rising Public Health senior Christian Paneda took to the famous (or infamous, depending on how one wants to look at it) Washington, D.C., to intern at the U.S. House of Representatives.

His work was assisted by the Asian Pacific American Institute of Congressional Studies, a bi-partisan non-profit organization dedicated to build Asian-American and Pacific Islander representation in public service at local, state and national levels.

The organization’s summer internship program allows AAPI students to explore the intricacies of the U.S. Congress. Paneda interned for the office of Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif, the first openly gay person of color to ever serve in Congress.

How did you hear about your internship?

I heard about APAICS from multiple sources. When I was talking to a former senior MiC editor, the incomparable Areeba Haider, on opportunities to intern in Washington, D.C., she

knew a couple of people from the program and recommended to apply. At the same time, one of my close mentors, who is actually a D.C. superstar, was involved with APAICS through their fellowship program and advised me that the program was one of the best internship opportunities. Both of them weren’t wrong!

What made you want to apply?

I’ve always had a passion for policy. In the field of public health, we talk a lot about how the law and policy affects the health of a population, especially those who are marginalized due to a variety of social determinants. I wanted to intern in Washington, D.C., to get a hands-on perspective in the policy-making process and learn more about advocacy. Especially since we live in an abnormal time that threatens the livelihood of so many people of color, I wanted to take action. I applied to APAICS because I aligned with their mission of building the AAPI pipeline, because diverse representation is essential for equitable policy. In the Midwest communities of AAPIs, I’ve heard a lot of mistrust of the government (local, state and national), thus leading to a sense of apathy toward civic engagement. I wanted to combat that as I believe an individual’s voice can hold a lot of power when it’s in solidarity with others.

What are your favorite memories from your experience?

I absolutely loved every moment of my internship! I enjoyed learning about issue areas I am extremely passionate

about – education, immigration and health policy. Outside of many of my intern tasks, I was given the opportunity to do some other cool things. I delivered a couple of speeches – one included me introducing the congressman at a congressional event! In Washington, D.C., APAICS really afforded me the opportunity to sit down with AAPI trailblazers who have fought for people like me to live unapologetically. I found their sacrifice and their stories to be inspirational.

What is the culture like where you interned?

The Hill can be an intense place. As it seems like horrifying news is hitting every week, one can imagine the daunting yet necessary work needed to protect many different marginalized communities. Working in policy takes dedication, perseverance and optimism. What I am also very thankful for is the AAPI community in D.C. I was surprised to find out how tightknit the community is, and I am even more thankful that they were so kind to me as a brighteyed intern.

Any advice for prospective interns interested in public service?

I’ve come to learn that success is not individualistic. It is crucial to find mentors in fields you’re interested in and that can vouch for your work. That said, I also do not recommend burning bridges as everything in public service is related to community. Be genuine with your connections! I’ve heard a lot about transactional relationships in D.C., and from what I’ve observed, collaborative work gets accomplished and best sustained when a genuine connection is established.

Courtesy of author

Information senior Nisa Khan participated in a summerlong program with a grant from the Knight Foundation and hosted by the Craig Newmark Journalism School (previously known as the CUNY-J school).

Located in New York, this diversity initiative trains 20 young journalists of color, funding their expenses and connecting them to media companies throughout the city. Khan interned with the investigative reporting outlet ProPublica.

How did you hear about your internship? What made you want to apply?

It took a lot of Googling.

There are a lot of really amazing, extremely generous scholarships and programs out there that I wouldn’t have been aware of without the many hours

researching. I came across the Knight-CUNYJ program a few times in internship listings.

What are your favorite memories from your experience?

New York is really fun, as it turns out. Even the media training by the initiative was a fulfilling time. But having my first story published was the most relieving, wonderful experience.

We also went out for karaoke and I repped Michigan by singing Mr. Brightside. I don’t care if anyone thinks it’s basic.

It’s still a banger my 2009 middle school self loved and no amount of football tailgates can take that away from me.

What is the culture like in your program?

The Knight-CUNYJ is a wonderful program if you are

a person of color who aims to go into this industry. You get a great support group and teachers of a similar background. You are trained in a wide array of multimedia tools that are important to the field.

You are worked hard — I was bone-deep tired every day, but that’s the expectation.

I got along with my cohort so well — I made some amazing friends and we all carried each other through an exhausting and rewarding few months. A guy saw me cry three days in a row and I don’t really consider myself a crier. He doesn’t believe me when I say that and that’s okay.

I would 100 percent recommend anyone to apply to this program when applications open early next year.

Want to write for Michigan in Color?

Email us at michiganincolor@umich.edu

Sports

8 — Thursday, September 6, 2018

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Zordich evaluates defensive back play vs. Irish Harbaugh “not on the hot seat,” says Schlissel MIKE PERSAK

Managing Sports Editor

EVAN AARON/Daily

Junior cornerback Lavert Hill and the Michigan secondary surprisingly struggled early in the Wolverines’ 24-17 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday.

ETHAN WOLFE Daily Sports Writer

On paper, the Michigan football team’s defensive backs put on a formidable show against Notre Dame’s receiving corps on Saturday night.

But for defensive backs coach Mike Zordich, it all comes with an asterisk.

“I’d say for the first quarter, pretty bad,” he said of his group’s performance. “But after that, they settled in and played well.”

Fighting Irish quarterback Brandon Wimbush completed just 12 of 22 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown. But 148 of those yards came in the first half, and even some of Zordich’s highly-touted corners surrendered atypical yardage.

After Chase Claypool caught a 16-yard first-down pass on the third play of the game, Notre Dame’s Miles Boykin corralled an impressive 28-yard grab through a pass interference call by junior

defensive back Lavert Hill. Hill had his back turned and tried to save face by pushing Boykin, but the referee saw it.

For the fiery Zordich, even the best aren’t immune to criticism.

“The simplest things, the first third down — things we do 15, 20 times in practice — we didn’t do it.

Why? I have no idea,” Zordich said.

“The next play (Hill) looks like he’s never covered a guy man-to-man.

He had a pass interference and the guy made a great catch anyway.

You just never know, just gotta learn from it.

“And we’re moving on, but that was a tough one to swallow.”

Zordich demands excellence from his defensive backs and will be blunt about it if they aren’t, but he will allow breathing room for some of the nuances of the position.

He acknowledged the size of the Fighting Irish’s top two receivers — both 6-foot-4 — and how that caused a physical grudge match for his shorter corners.

After two consecutive miscues that set up Notre Dame’s first touchdown, he didn’t say anything to his group on the sidelines, emphasizing the short memory he preaches for his players.

Amnesia was certainly necessary after the most notable play of the evening, with the Wolverines already down, 7-0. Backup safety Brad Hawkins, who had replaced the ejected Josh Metellus, found himself in the endzone on a 50-50 ball with Fighting Irish receiver Chris Finke. Despite Hawkins’ hand on the ball, Finke outmuscled Hawkins to bring Notre Dame’s lead to two scores.

“Hats off to the Notre Dame guy,” Zordich said. “He made the play. Ball is in the air you gotta go get it. You gotta make plays, there’s no excuse. Certainly that was a big (mistake) because that resulted in seven points.”

After the first two drives, though, Zordich was pleased.

Michigan allowed just 22 yards the

entire second half, and recorded an interception by Brandon Watson. But even Watson received measured feedback, as Zordich cited “a couple technique issues” before admitting the fifth-year senior had a solid showing on Saturday.

The Wolverines’ defensive backs were some of the best in the country a year ago, and displayed that same aggressiveness despite anomalic mental lapses. It seemed like enough to hush any lingering concerns about the unit, but also enough to leave Zordich questioning himself after trotting out what he thought was an “unbelievably prepared” group.

“As a coach you have to focus on what you saw to correct,” he said.

“Yes, you have to look at how they came back and they played well, they really did. I compliment them on that.

“It’s just — I’m trying to figure out why that happened in the first quarter with all the prep.”

Four years ago it would have been unfathomable to question Jim Harbaugh’s job security.

Even now, the prospect seems far-fetched, but after the Michigan football team’s loss to Notre Dame on Saturday, some Wolverines fans took to comment sections and social media to call for Harbaugh’s job.

It’s not like the entire fanbase has turned against the former Michigan quarterback.

Even so, the contingent was at least large enough that University president Mark Schlissel was asked about it at the Detroit Economic Club forum at the Westin Book Cadillac on Wednesday.

Schlissel, for his part, scoffed at the notion.

“He is not on the hot seat,” Schlissel said. “He is under contract for four more years.”

Of course, that is easy to say early in the season. But even looking at Harbaugh’s time at Michigan as a whole, he still is the most successful coach the Wolverines have had in the last decade, even if it is by a

small margin over Brady Hoke. “… I joke with some of our coaches, who all expect to win a league every year and have a perfect record and the like,” Schlissel said. “It’s mathematically impossible for everyone to have a perfect record, after the first game anyway.”

All week, Michigan echoed Schlissel’s sentiment, downplaying the idea that there is any sense of urgency after Week 1. Each player, when asked, said they’re trying to block out the noise from the outside.

However, there is also an obvious feeling that the Wolverines must improve in short order. Harbaugh’s predecessor, Hoke, was fired after his fourth season, following a 5-7 campaign.

It would be a seismic shock if Michigan was that bad this season, and only a seemingly vocal minority is calling for Harbaugh’s job in the first place. Regardless, it is a good sign for the coach that Schlissel, the man who ultimately holds the power to fire him, has given a public endorsement.

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh gets sign of confidence from Mark Schlissel.

‘M’ shows depth in win Ross and Gil positive in whatever role they play VOLLEYBALL

TIEN LE

Daily Sports Writer

Most cases of one team dominating another are a show of superior physicality and skill. But for the Michigan volleyball team, its 3-0 win over Valparaiso was a chance to flex one of its greatest strengths this season: depth.

In a sweep over the Crusaders, 16 players saw time on the court. There were lineups that incorporated the Wolverines’ veterans and youth — putting both in situations to allow success.

“We want to continue to develop that depth,” said Michigan coach Mark Rosen. “Because you never know when somebody has an off night or an injury or you want to make adjustments. That depth is really important for us so it’s kind of a combination of both where we’re still able to get players experience, but we’re also settling in on what our team is looking like.”

In contrast to last season, when Michigan arguably had a more limited bench, this year’s team draws its advantages from its substitutes. Playing freshman outside hitter Paige Jones in the more experienced starting lineup allows Rosen flexibility to have veterans come off the bench, while helping Jones transition to the level of play.

“I think (Jones) just acclimated to the college game really quickly,” Rosen said. “I think she’s a player who can play six rotations, and we certainly want her to develop as her career goes on.”

Rotating in off the bench, junior outside hitter Sydney Wetterstrom mans the second wave of substitute, playing a pivotal part in not just contributing to the game — where she hit eight kills — but in teaching the inexperienced players on the court with her. Even so, many of the underclassmen are eased into the game by playing next to experienced players.

“We don’t want to have a new player in there with a bunch of other new players because then it’s not like they get a chance to acclimate to what the lineup is like,” Rosen said. “So we try to

sparingly put those kids in, get them experience with veteran kids, with the experienced kids.

Because that’s a better way to learn, and they don’t feel that pressure in having to do everything.

“Also our veterans (senior libero Jenna Lerg, senior outside hitter Carly Skjodt, redshirt junior middle blocker Cori Crocker and senior setter Mackenzie Welsh), they’re really smart volleyball players, so they’re on the court teaching and helping (the inexperienced) understand what’s going on, so we want to give them the chance to play with those kids.”

Splitting defensive duties with Lerg, sophomore libero Jacqueline DiSanto saw two sets where she either played the main libero role or side-by-side in a two libero defensive lineup. The opportunity to play next to the consistent Lerg could be fruitful for DiSanto’s development.

In the center of the rotations, Skjodt played all three sets, recording 14 kills in 21 attempts.

With all the changes in rotation, from freshmen to seniors, sophomores to juniors, Skjodt pillared the offense to work as it does, teaching by example.

“Carly’s just such a glue of our team,” Rosen said. “At the end of the match, she leads us in kills. She hits .570. She’s just a kid who gets it done. She’s played all six rotations.

She’s great defensively. She’s great as a passer. She’s great as a server.

There’s nothing she doesn’t do well we found with her. We can’t take her off the court. We take her off the court and it changes way too much because she’s so impactful in so many areas.”

One player who can attest to this is freshman opposite hitter Lizzie Sadilek, who made her collegiate debut Tuesday night.

Hitting a .800 attack percentage, Sadilek tallied four kills, good for second-highest on the team for non-starters.

Ending Valparaiso’s six-game win streak while adding another sweep to its five-game sweep streak, Michigan proved that its strengths don’t just lie in its talents and skills, but with its depth that continues to develop every game.

MIKE PERSAK

Managing Sports Editor

When Michigan’s defense trotted onto the field at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, junior Devin Gil came out as the starting WILL linebacker.

It was an answer to one of the final personnel questions for a defense returning nine starters from last season. Defensive coordinator Don Brown had said Gil and sophomore Josh Ross were in a “fistfight” for the starting spot.

Both said the competition benefitted them. And in the end, though only one of the two can run out for the first defensive play, both saw the field Saturday.

Ross worked at MIKE linebacker in camp too, so when junior Devin Bush went down with a leg injury in the second quarter, Ross came in for him.

Gil finished the game with four tackles, and Ross finished with five.

So maybe the “fistfight” will

go a few more rounds.

On Tuesday, at the Wolverines’ media availability, Gil mentioned Ross when asked if Bush’s injury changed anything for him.

“No, because I know that I’ve got another linebacker next to me, Josh Ross,” Gil said. “And we’re both vocal enough where we both can contribute halfway and he does the other half.

So I have trust in him. So we knew that we were gonna step up and do what we had to do to make sure the defense is right.”

Ross and Gil played solidly, though the most memorable play from the two may have been one that Gil says he should have made.

Late in the third quarter, he broke into the backfield, nearly sacking Notre Dame

quarterback Brandon Wimbush.

But Wimbush spun away, scrambled, then found an open Chase Claypool for 20 yards.

It was a low point in an otherwise strong first start, which included a tackle of Wimbush with two minutes left in the game to give Michigan the ball back and a chance to tie it.

“I felt I did pretty good,” Gil said. “I mean, it’s always some plays that you feel that you could be able to make, and that’s just how it is.”

The question now is if Gil remains the starter at WILL. While Ross played a lot when Bush went down, he also spelled Gil at times.

For his part, Gil says he’ll leave any permanent starting decision up to the coaches. Either way, it seems the two are happy to fill

“I know that I’ve got another linebacker next to me...”

whatever role they’re given.

“We’re cool,” Gil said. “Like I said, we both feed off each other.

No matter what, regardless if he’s in or I’m in, we’ve always got each other’s back, and if we see something that we did wrong or can help us, we’re gonna make that adjustment and help each other out.”

Added Ross: “I mean, having D. Bush and D. Gil on the team, I mean, all three of us just working together, it’s a great, great thing to have when you can really talk to guys and really get better off of each other. So to have guys like that on our team — linebackers next to me — it’s beautiful to see.”

It’s a good problem to have for Brown and Michigan. Bush is clearly the best linebacker on the team, and from all accounts his injury is minor — Gil said Bush practiced on Tuesday. But Gil and Bush both proved capable in Saturday night’s loss.

And they may have each other to thank for that.

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Junior WILL linebacker Devin Gil and Josh Ross fought for a starting spot in the preseason, and on Saturday against Notre Dame, they showed what they can do.