ANN ARBOR, MI | MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2020 | MICHIGANDAILY.COM
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s Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., took a moment to look out onto the sea of attendees at his rally on the University of Michigan Diag, he addressed the crowd: “So right now, in this moment, we have got to look around us and what we have got to determine is whether you’re satisfied with the status quo.” On Sunday evening, more than 10,000 students, faculty and Ann Arbor residents took to the Diag, wearing Sanders’s campaign gear waving white and blue “Bernie” campaign signs. Students began lining up as many as five hours before the rally was scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. LSA senior Martha Abrams got in line at 1 p.m. and said she is voting for Sanders primarily because of his consistently held positions. She also said his positions on crime and the environment
are reasons for her support. “He has a consistent record in regards to criminal justice reform and being against mass incarceration, whereas Biden definitely doesn’t,” Abrams said. “(Biden) has passed legislation (...) that really helped establish the carceral state as it exists today. With the environment, Bernie seems to be one of the frontrunners in acknowledging how pressing that issue is.” The rally featured a spate of Michigan and national political figures including U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., former gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed and state Rep. Yousef Rabhi, D-Ann Arbor. El-Sayed rallied the crowd when he spoke before Ocasio-Cortez or Sanders took the stage. See RALLY, Page 2A ALLISON ENGKVIST / DAILY
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Former Vice President Al Gore to speak at upcoming commencement
University announces environmental activist as the 2020 graduation speaker at Michigan Stadium CLAIRE HAO
Daily News Editor
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Bernie Sanders talks progressive politics with The Michigan Daily Presidential candidate discusses electability, policy priorities ELIZABETH LAWRENCE & JULIA FANZERES Editor in Chief & Daily Staff Reporter
The Michigan Daily sat down with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., for a few minutes before his rally on the Diag at the University of Michigan. Sanders won Michigan in the 2016 presidential primary, and the
state remains crucial for him after former Vice President Joe Biden won decisive victories on Super Tuesday. In his interview, Sanders discussed his efforts to appeal to moderate voters, how to get young voters to turn out and his plan for student loan debt cancellation. The Michigan Daily: Michigan is a purple state, so how do you appeal to
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Al Gore, vice president to former President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2001, will speak at the University of Michigan Spring Commencement May 2 at Michigan Stadium. In 2000, Gore was the Democratic candidate for president and lost to Republican George W. Bush. A University press release announcing his appearance emphasized Gore’s environmental work. In 2007, Gore was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize alongside the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for highlighting climate issues. “As vice president from
voters in the middle who value bipartisanship? Is bipartisanship important to you? Bernie Sanders: Sure it is. And we appeal to voters based on the issues that we are proposing and fighting for, which appeal to a broad spectrum of the American people, whether they’re Democrats, Republicans or Independents. See SANDERS, Page 2A
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He also serves on Apple Inc.’s 1993 to 2001, Gore helped negotiate the Kyoto Protocol board of directors and as a that committed industrialized senior partner at venture capital nations to reducing greenhouse firm Kleiner Perkins. gas emissions,” the press release Prior to becoming Vice reads. “He also championed President, Gore served two science and technology.” terms in the Senate and The 2006 film “An four terms in the House of Inconvenient Truth” featured Representatives for Tennessee. Gore and his effort to convince LSA senior Amanda Gross people about the urgency said she was excited to have of climate change. It won Gore serve as the speaker, an Academy Award for Best noting his environmental Documentary. Gore is also the advocacy and political legacy. “It’s incredible to have author of several books on global warming and the controversial someone who has never been politics surrounding the issue. afraid to speak up about the Currently, Gore is the realities of climate change and co-founder and chair of who has worked so hard to try Generation Investment, to champion positive changes an investment firm that for not only our nation but the emphasizes sustainability, and world,” Gross said. Climate Reality, which works to combat global warming. See COMMENCEMENT, Page 6A
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ALLISON ENGKVIST/Daily U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorses Bernie Sanders as the democratic nominee at the Bernie Sanders Rally on the Diag Sunday evening.
RALLY From Page 1A Sanders endorsed El-Sayed during his campaign for Michigan governor, who said his previous conversation with Sanders increased his confidence in grassroots movements. “When I ran, I was lucky enough to get Bernie’s endorsement. Let me tell you about the conversation we had,” El-Sayed said. “He didn’t ask me what I stood for. He said I know what you fight for, but I want to know why you fight for it. And I told him about my grandmother, who never got the opportunity to go to school, though she was the smartest, wisest woman I have ever met. She used to remind me about when I go visit that it wasn’t about me. It was about the opportunities that I had.” Ocasio-Cortez introduced Sanders, thanking Reverend Jesse Jackson for his March 7 endorsement of the senator. She discussed Sanders’ long-standing support for marginalized groups, citing it as a reason for her support. She also noted how, as mayor of Burlington, Vt., in the 1980s, Sanders endorsed Jackson for president at the Burlington Democratic presidential caucus. “When it was time for the Vermont caucuses to come around, Mayor Sanders stood up to break the common consensus and endorsed Reverend Jesse Jackson for president,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “He stood up and delivered that speech in the Vermont caucuses. He was yelled at, he was hit, but he said this is our opportunity to bring millions of working people into our political process and transform who America can work for.” Following Ocasio-Cortez’s
SANDERS From Page 1A For example, raising the minimum wage to 15 bucks an hour is enormously popular because if you’re a worker who’s a Republican making 12 bucks an hour, you can’t make it. And you want to raise that minimum wage. The American people now understand that we are the only major country on Earth not to guarantee health care to all people. And yet we’re spending
introduction, Sanders walked on stage as John Lennon’s “Power to the People” played in the background. Upon entering the stage, he thanked Jackson and Ocasio-Cortez for their support and public service. “What history is about is to understand that there have been extraordinarily brave people throughout history,” Sanders said. “People who’ve put their lives on the line, sometimes who have died, gone to jail in the struggle for justice. And that is what this campaign is about. That is what Jesse Jackson’s life has been about, that is what Alexandria’s life is about. And that’s what I hope all of your lives will be about.” As Ann Arbor undertaken efforts to combat climate change, many student groups such as the Sunrise Movement have endorsed Sanders’ aggressive environmental policies. Sanders argued for the urgency of these policies, stating the United States needs to be on the front lines of creating and implementing new provisions for environmental protection. “Yes, we will pass legislation based on the principles of the Green New Deal,” Sanders said. “Climate is not just an American issue, but a global issue. We are going to lead the world and talk to the people in China and Russia, India and Pakistan ourselves, countries all over the world, and make the case that maybe instead of spending $1.8 trillion a year on weapons of destruction, killing each other, (we should) fight our common enemy, which is climate change.” Speaking directly to the students and teachers in the audience, Sanders discussed how his policies will promote funding and support for education, which prompted applause from the crowd. Sanders also emphasized the
value of good public K-12 education. He said free primary education was no longer sufficient, promising to make colleges and universities tuition-free. “Twelve years ago, I talked about making public colleges and universities like this one tuitionfree,” Sanders said. “In the country, states, cities, communities are moving to free public colleges and universities. As president, that is exactly what we will do in every state in this country.” If elected, Sanders said he hopes to expand protections under the Dream Act and establish a wider pathway to citizenship. “We are going to bring sweeping reform to our immigration system,” Sanders said. “I am the son of an immigrant and I will not tolerate the demonization of immigrants. We will restore the executive order for the legal status of 1.8 million young people eligible for DACA. We will end a border policy which today allows fed agents to snatch babies from the arms of their mothers. We will end the ICE raids that are terrorizing communities and we will pass comprehensive bipartisan immigration reform and a path towards citizenship.” The energy at the rally peaked when Sanders began discussing reproductive rights and his plan to expand funding for women’s health care. When he stated his intent to increase funding for Planned Parenthood, the crowd erupted, chanting: “Bernie, Bernie, Bernie.” “I will never nominate anybody who is not 100 percent pro-Roe v. Wade (to the Supreme Court),” Sanders said. “Trump and his friends want to cut funding for Planned Parenthood. Well, I’ve got bad news for them: we are going to expand funding for Planned Parenthood. The truth is, it must be women who control their own
bodies, not the government.” Some students who were attending the rally said they used it as an opportunity to decide between the other former Democratic front-runner Joe Biden and Sanders. LSA senior Samantha Ilagan said she is worried about the senator’s electability. “I’m still deciding between Bernie and Biden,” Ilagan said. “I kind of worry specifically because Trump would be the Republican nominee and who can do better against the end of the general election? I think this election, in particular, is crucial for that specific reason. It’s a choice between ideals and electability … I’m not exactly sure what the right answer is.” Anticipating some undecided voters’ hesitations, Sanders framed his campaign as a grassroots movement by the people, for the people. He said Biden’s campaign is supported by the corporate and political establishment. “We are taking on Joe Biden and we are taking on the billionaires funding his campaign,” Sanders said. “We are taking on the Wall Street executives who are helping to fund his campaign and we are taking on the corporate and political establishment. We are gonna win this election.” Sanders concluded his speech with a call for civic participation among his supporters. “Tell your friends that you’re tired of them complaining about high tuition, student debt, lack of health care and low wages and unaffordable housing,” Sanders said. “Tell them to stop complaining at the standoff and fight back. So let us go forward. On Tuesday let’s win here in Michigan, let’s win the Democratic nomination and together let us defeat Donald Trump.”
twice as much per capita on health care. The American people, Republicans and Democrats, believe that health care is a human right. We’re on a campus here, the beautiful campus of the University of Michigan, and I think people all across this country understand that our young people are entitled to a good quality education without having to go deeply into debt. And they support the idea of making public colleges and universities tuition-free and canceling all student debt through a modest
tax on Wall Street speculation. And lastly, there is a growing understanding that climate change is an existential threat. Our country and the world, people want us to deal with it. So to answer your question, the way you bring bipartisan support together is by talking about the issues that impact the vast majority of the people who are working people. TMD: You’ve made the argument that increasing voter turnout — particularly among young people — can create a new electorate, one that will
vote for progressive change. But, in states like Virginia where voter turnout was up on Super Tuesday, former Vice President Joe Biden still won a commanding lead. What does it mean for your campaign that increased voter turnout didn’t translate to more support for the progressive candidate? Sanders: That’s a good question. In Virginia, the turnout went way up. We haven’t analyzed, to be honest with you, all of the voter turnout data. See SANDERS, Page 6A
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Michigan in Color
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Monday, March 9, 2020 — 3A
“We Nod” WILLIAM ROYSTER MiC Contributor
We often cross paths but do not speak I do not know him, but understand my brother is not my enemy I do not know of his pain, but simply know that it exists So we nod We understand that no one cares for your two cents, when they look through you as if you missin’ twofifths Understand that our streets will poor out two more fifths for our sons and daughters today, But we didn’t put these liquor stores here Didn’t flood this cities gates with snow But we nod to the “War on
Drugs” When we nod, we raddle 400 years of slavery and those pictures didn’t make it to your Whitehouse They didn’t quite make it to your textbooks So “eighth grade history teacher” please tell me more about Christopher Columbus but never speak a word of Willie Lynch Please tell me more of Martin Luther King and who else I am “allowed” to celebrate but never speak of Malcolm-X Of the Black Panthers Don’t you know that they are terrorists? We nod to the “War on Terror” We nod because some days smiling is unbearable when the corner of your lip is stitched to borrowed
cheekbones of unknown ancestors, I do not know where I am from But still nod to a last name birthed on a plantation so Often introductions taste of cottonmouth and strange fruit They have picket fenced our tounges so let us take this moment of silence To honor the absence of gunshot anthems and allow our eyes to do the talking Turn our pupils into pupils and teach them the value of a proper hello The delivery of a firm handshake And the peace offering of a smile Which gives the prelude to the deepest conversation We never had.
Image from Jack Carter / UNSPLASH
“A Letter to my Brother” ANONYMOUS MiC Columnist
Editor’s note: The author’s name was omitted to protect their identity.
Image from William Royster, MiC Contributor
In the wake of the video of the student government president making anti-Palestinian, antiArab comments, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be Palestinian; both on this campus and in the broader world. Sometimes, I find myself envying the certainty I had in my identity as a child. Even before I knew about words such as “apartheid” or could fathom ideas like “two state solution”, there was an emanant longing my father radiated when he would sit on the patio with a glass of marimeyah (a chillingly warm mint tea native to Palestine). My parents were refugees: They did not leave their country by choice. They never let us forget that. In the wake of the Holocaust, the Jewish people were looking for a state. They found hope for a national homeland in this strip of land in the Middle East and began to organize a movement to establish this homeland there around the slogan, “a land
without a people for a people without a land.” There was a small problem with this; Palestine most certainly was not a land without a people. My family, and other Palestinian families, had been living there for generations. Partially because their way of life revolved around farming and partially due to Jerusalem being a religious hub, they had extremely strong connections to the land. Apparently, a native population was just a small setback for a huge comeback because in 1948, 700,000 Palestinians were forcibly expelled from their homes. Both them and their descendents are actively denied the right to return. There’s a word people in the diaspora use to describe the displacement: ghourba. It roughly translates to a feeling of being foriegn no matter where you are. I didn’t understand this as much until I was older, and I interacted with non-Arabs. Being asked “where you’re from” is
“As Indian women, we must learn to love him in spite of him. He’s my son babu, I love him because I know no one else has,” my mother sighed in exasperation. My brother stood doe eyed at the feet of my father, innocent in his mission to conquer parental affection. His presence was drowned out by my father’s shadow. They sat together at the kitchen table, my brother’s feet dangling from his chair, my
‘Ghourba’ JINAN ABUFARHA MiC Columnist
already a stressor for most firstgeneration immigrants but every time that question was directed at me, I felt like I lost a part of my subjectivity. As soon as I confessed to being Palestinian, I turned into either just another demographic threat or a projection of the conflict. I didn’t have the privilege of casually talking about my homeland. Reading a poem which affirmed my right to be Palestinian was enough to almost get me suspended my sophomore year of high school because a school board member took issue with me saying the P-word at a school event on school property. My mother began to teach me to cultivate silence; that it would be better to hold my story close to my chest where I wouldn’t be punished for it until I found
places where it was safe to speak. Michigan was supposed to be one of those places. I remember coming onto this campus and being excited to talk about Palestine as much as I wanted. The statement that Schlissel released during my first month condemning academic boycott of Israel wasn’t a great omen, but I remained hopeful. I needed to remain hopeful. As a wide-eyed, freshman, student government intern, I decided a Central Student Government executive meeting between the interns and executive would be the perfect place to test this theory. After all, CSG was meant to represent ALL the students of University of Michigan, and with a sizeable Arab and Palestinian population, I assumed CSG spaces must be at-odds with the broader “Sacrifice”. Image from Bashir Sinwar mentalities the University held. The icebreaker question was “what is your favorite food?” When the circle made its way around to me, I responded with,
dominance well. My father’s bruised knuckles continued to reach for his cup. My brother, now with an intuitive understanding, sensed my mother’s fear. Now, my brother faces the same choice, with anger fierce enough to clasp a cup, and gentleness tender enough to serve chai. In my father’s absence, he takes his place at the table. He has grown into my father’s shadow. He has made his choice. Now, I face a choice, too. Often, I wonder, if I do not love me, who else will? I hope my brother can forgive me. I am still learning how to love you in spite of you.
father’s planted. My mother readied both hands for the men of the family. Armed, she stood, chai for my father, milk for my brother. My brother watched adoringly as my father reached for his cup. I watched curiously as my mother f linched at his reach. When my mother describes my brother’s birth, she describes him as someone who was born crying, immediately in contention with leaving home and entering the world. I am sorry our father taught you to be afraid of your own tears. As my brother grew, his presence was now noticeable to my mother, and equally encroaching to my father. Our dad defended his
“I’m Palestinian so my favorite foods are words that mean nothing to y’all.” The hush which fell over the room was ghastly saved for the quiet chuckling of my Muslim friend on exec that served to inform me I had fucked up. You would think I said my favorite food was a Trump re-election. Later, I was told that if I wanted to talk about Palestine, the student government was not the place for me. Because it was too divisive of an issue; my right to exist and occupy space was too divisive of an issue. Moreover, what did I have to gain? This administration (besides being at best passive and at worst pro-displacement) was great! We weren’t going to see better options than this, so couldn’t I just be okay with this minor character flaw? I see this constantly. As Palestinians, we are demanded to accept a baseline amount of violence. We shoulder the burden of “creating peace” with a state which abuses our human rights, to such a degree that it is widely considered genocide by Palestinians and allies. We’ve been socialized out of mainstream U.S. society
to protect the comfort of the Zionists, and our existence comes almost as an after-thought for most people. I think about this the most with the upcoming election, where I will be expected to show up and vote for a candidate who advocates for my ethnic cleansing (albeit, maybe in different packaging) because our lives are inconsequential compared to the larger concerns of society. It just begs the question of why Palestinian lives are the issue so many of us are willing to compromise on? I want better for my people. I want us to have permission to narrate our stories. I want to be able to confidently write about the country I am from without consideration of any reaction from audiences other than boredom. I want to be able to walk into an interview and say, “I’m Palestinian” with my whole chest and not have to worry if something as simple as saying where I’m from will cost me a job. I want to be more than a mantra or a scapegoat. I want to be heard. I want to be able to have faith in something again. I don’t want to be swept under the rug. I want the certainty I had as a child. I want to feel safe.
THE R E C KO N I N G S C O N V E R S AT I O N S AC R O S S D I F F E R E N C E
LACY M. JOHNSON Author and Professor, Rice University
March 11, 2020 4:00-5:20 PM Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy Annenberg Auditorium 1120 Weill Hall, 735 S. State Street Free and open to the public. Reception and book signing to follow. Information: fspp-events@umich.edu Livestream: fordschool.umich.edu @fordschool #fordschoolCAD Photo: by John Carrithers
Cosponsored by: The Department of English Language & Literature at U-M Cosponsored by: The Department of English Language & Literature at U-M
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LEAH ADELMAN | COLUMN
Traveling for spring break as an environmentalist
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DAVID LISBONNE | COLUMN
I
A case for the electoral college
n the four years since the 2016 election, calls for the dissolution of the Electoral College have become widespread, and ahead of the 2020 election, the calls seem even louder. However, the Electoral College should remain, both to protect the minority political opinions against a tyranny of the majority and to preserve our union. The founders understood with unparalleled clarity the importance of structural parallelism, and they wrote beautifully in defense of the Electoral College and its benefits in “The Federalist Papers.” Calling to dismantle the Electoral College in the name of “one person, one vote” is, by logical extension, calling also for the dismantling of our federal republic. The Federalist Papers are perhaps the greatest political commentary published in American history. They’re a collection of 85 essays written in 1788 by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay – under the pseudonym Publius – to persuade the American people to ratify the Constitution. Three specific essays illuminate the benefits checks and balances offer, the virtues a federalist system protects and how the Electoral College functions: No. 10, No. 51 and No. 68, respectively. Before addressing the issue of dismantling the Electoral College, it’s imperative to understand its fundamental structure and operation. First, in every state, each party on the ballot chooses people to serve collectively as a slate of electors, all pledged to vote for a particular candidate. Critically, the number of electors per state is identical to the number of United States representatives and senators from that state. In November, when voters at the polls indicate their choice for the general election, the vote doesn’t go to the candidate directly, but rather to the slate of electors previously chosen by the candidate’s party. In December, the electors belonging to whichever party wins the state’s popular vote cast their votes for president and vice president. As seen in 2016 – as well as 2000, 1888, and 1876 – it is possible for a candidate to win a solid majority of electoral votes and yet lose the popular vote nationwide. Since 1824, most states adopted a “winner-take-all” electoral vote system, with only Maine and Nebraska maintaining a proportional delegation today. Critics argue that this system, by which the people indirectly elect the president and vice president, doesn’t honor the democratic notion of “one person, one vote,” and places more weight on votes in smaller states. This argument is easily understandable yet fatefully ill-conceived.
Madison wrote famously in Federalist No. 10 about the role of “factions” in a federal republic: “The influence of factious leaders may kindle a flame within their particular States, but will be unable to spread a general conflagration through the other States.” Here, Madison defends the Constitution’s federalist system for its resistance to the rise of powerful factions. It is important to clarify the meaning of “faction,” and Madison does so, writing that “by a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest.” The Electoral College affords the same protection against a powerful faction, that is likely geographically or socioeconomically concentrated, by leveraging federalist principles identical to those so clearly outlined in the Constitution. A large faction that gains over 90 percent popularity in the nine most populous states would capture a majority of the American population. In a direct democracy, such a situation would transform the U.S. and endanger minority liberties at the whim of the majority.
To dissolve the Electoral College is to invalidate the goals of federalism. However, the protection of the Electoral College extends further. It is easy to imagine a benevolent faction that constitutes a minority – groups united by occupation, ethnicity, religion, etc. In such an instance, federalism, and by extension the Electoral College, preserves their liberty. For example, consider Utah, where the majority of residents are Mormon. Within Utah, the popular vote is used in state elections, which means that state officials and legislation likely reflect the values of the voters, and each state’s individual rights allow for laws to reflect those values. For nominating the president and vice president in federal elections, Utah contributes six electoral votes. If the popular vote were used nationwide in nominating the president, who then influences legislation applied to every state, it’s understandable how minority groups could easily be stifled. Next comes the troubling phrase “one person, one vote.” Nowhere in the Constitution
does this notion appear regarding national voting. The United States is not a direct democracy. It never has been. We live in a federal republic, a Union of States. As such, federal representation is determined on a state level – think of Congress. A state’s Electoral College representation is identical to its total Congressional representation. Objecting to the Electoral College on the grounds it violates this notion logically entails an objection to the structure of Congress. The same degree of “inequality” in voteweight found in the Electoral College exists in Congressional representation. Further, the only difference between state representation in the House and in the Electoral College is the addition of two votes to account for Senate seats and winner-takeall systems. Thus, taking aim at the Electoral College for its “unfairness” is only truly taking issue with Senate representation. As adamant as people may be to dissolve the Electoral College, the argument doesn’t incorporate due diligence and proponents have seemingly looked no further than the immediate desired effects. I certainly don’t hear these critics calling for the end of our bicameral legislature. Federalism is at the core of the U.S. and is the foundation upon which Abraham Lincoln’s noble aspirations to “form a more perfect Union” reside. States existed long before their union under the Constitution in 1789, and before even the Declaration of Independence. We embraced federalism to become this union of states and wrote it so in the Constitution. The Electoral College, then, is not an arcane, needlessly controversial institution; rather, it is federalism applied once more. To dissolve the Electoral College is to invalidate the goals of federalism and such an act might have great repercussions, capable of dramatically altering our governmental landscape into something objectively less desirable. The Electoral College serves as an equalizer in the voting process like the Senate is to the legislature, protecting the populace from a tyranny of the majority, or a president’s desires run rampant. The founders understood human nature and the nature of government with startling acuity. The Federalist Papers are an expression of that knowledge and a defense of the Constitution. The Electoral College is one of many inheritors of their genius, but it embodies all that the founders fought to preserve. Its dissolution would be a tragedy. David Lisbonne can be reached at lisbonne@umich.edu.
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hen classes ended Friday, University of Michigan students hopped in cars and caught planes to their Spring Break destinations. Our travels guzzled jet fuel and gasoline, which feels somewhat contrary to the environmentally mindful views of the majority of the student body. Many of us feel that climate change and carbon emissions are the greatest threat of our time and necessitate immediate major action, but if you think your choice to emit carbon while traveling makes you hypocritical, it’s actually these feelings of guilt that are letting the big oil and gas industry win. Big corporations that are massive emitters of carbon want you to believe that climate change is the fault of the individual. If it is the general public’s fault for overconsuming and only a change in our behaviors can save the world, then we reduce the responsibility big corporations must take. The truth is that 100 companies are responsible for over 70 percent of global humancaused emissions since 1988. These companies have made huge profits while destroying our planet yet would love for you to believe it’s your personal actions that are causing the climate crisis. BP even released its own Carbon Footprint calculator, helping further the belief that it is our personal actions that will be the way to cutting carbon emissions. Transportation is the main source of carbon emissions for Americans. Carpooling and biking are great ways to reduce your carbon footprint, but the minute you step on a plane, your footprint skyrockets. A roundtrip flight from New York to San Francisco warms
the planet with about two or three tons of carbon per person. The average American causes about 19 tons of carbon emissions a year, meaning about 13 percent of a year’s worth of carbon would be emitted in just one trip. That is a hard pill to swallow if you’re flying somewhere far for a quick spring break. Is the expansion of travel to blame for our carbon overuse? Many tourist sites are overpopulated. People are traveling more and further than they ever have. The relationship and experience we have with tourism is so far away from that of our parents’ generation and even further from our grandparents’. Though the degradation of landmarks and our experience of them from overcrowding is tragic, this is an issue of poor government and institutional management, not one that is solely the fault of travelers. Travel expands our worldviews. The exchange of knowledge and the experiences gained through travel have an unquantifiable benefit not only to society, but to individuals. Far-reaching travel is still financially inaccessible to the vast majority of people in the world, but it is also more accessible to the general public than ever before, making it more than for solely the wealthy elite. To shame people for travel now is similar to shaming developing countries for becoming more industrial. Just as the United States had its industrial revolution before carbon-limiting agreements came to be, the überelite and wealthy had their time to travel widely before the middle class got their chance.
That being said, excessive travel should be limited as much as possible and especially travel done in private aircrafts. There is no reason for a luxury that does so much harm, and it is irresponsible to use jet fuel to fly a plane with only a handful of people inside. Students on a Spring Break trip, however, can still consider themselves environmentalists while engaging in the occasional environmentally harmful activity. Other environmentally friendly practices we engage in while traveling are not canceled out due to the fact we used jet fuel to get there. Extreme personal responsibility as a requirement to environmentalism ostracizes those who would otherwise be willing to support the movement. It is not necessary to cut out red meat, stop buying new clothes and stop traveling to be a good environmentalist (though all of those actions are a great way to help the planet). We can contribute to the environmental movement in the way that we see fit and should not be shamed, or shame others, for doing so at our own level. There is a balance between taking personal responsibility and remembering that corporations have a major fault in climate change. Both lifestyle change and major political change is necessary to combat the climate crisis. With that in mind, college students should be able to explore and travel during their Spring Break without guilt and remain credible advocates for the climate. Leah Adelman can be reached at ladelman@umich.edu.
ANIK JOSHI | COLUMN
O
The hypocrisy of Major League Baseball
ver the past few years, the Houston Astros have been a team full of cheaters. For three years, the team management used cameras to record signs from the opposing teams’ pitchers and shared them with their players, a prohibited move known as sign-stealing. This behavior continued into the postseason and the Astros won the World Series in 2017 while continuing to use these methods. The team tried to address the issue in a press conference from hell. The team’s owner, Jim Crane, apologized with all the sincerity of a 6-year-old caught with his hand in a cookie jar. Crane claimed during the same press conference both that he didn’t know if the sign-stealing impacted the game and also the sign-stealing didn’t impact the game. Crane is a lot of things, but he isn’t this stupid., though his comments at the conference suggest that he feels the average viewer is. Why would a team cheat? To win, obviously. And if they do cheat, it clearly will impact the game. Major League Baseball finished investigating the case in January 2020 and decided to punish the team. The punishment included a $5-million fine and a loss of four draft picks, as well as the suspension of team executive Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch for the 2020 season. Crane later fired both Luhnow and Hinch. However, not a single player was fined or suspended despite the fact that the players knew about the scheme and actively participated in it.
This is bizarre when considering the case of Pete Rose. Rose is the all-time hits leader in MLB and is, by any fair measure, one of the greatest to ever play the game. Rose played for the Cincinnati Reds from 1963 to 1978 and then managed the team from 1984 to 1986. During his time as manager, he gambled on the Reds to win. He was later banned from the game and thus the Hall of Fame when his betting became known to MLB leadership. In 2015, Rose applied for reinstatement to the League, which MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred declined the request on the grounds that Rose presented a risk “to the integrity of our sport.” Whether or not Rose betting on his team was ethical is not the point, but it is laughable to argue that Rose’s behavior is deserving of a ban while that of the Astros is deserving of a slap on the wrist. For some reason, one of these instances threatened the integrity of the game and the other didn’t. And finesse and draft picks are no punishment at all. While cheating over the past three years, the Astros have won the American League West Division title every year, the American League Championship Series two years out of three and the World Series once. Though it is impossible to prove they would have lost without the assistance, they clearly thought they needed it to win. Manfred suggesting this didn’t violate the integrity of the game is incredible and there’s no way even he believes the nonsense he’s hawking. Again, if people
cheat, they do it to win and that will violate the integrity of the sport in and of itself. In addition, Manfred suggested that a lack of contrition on the part of Rose was part of the reason for Rose’s continued suspension. How does this square with the Astros’ Justin Verlander, who currently pitches for the Astros, had no problem sharing his opinions on how MLB players want a “clean game” after Dee Gordon, then a player for the Miami Marlins, was busted using performanceenhancing drugs (PEDs). Yet for some reason, the self-appointed czar of cleanliness was unable to significantly grapple with the Astros’ obvious cheating. Verlander claims to have been opposed to the sign-stealing, yet he was unwilling to put his words into action because talk is cheap. His complete hypocrisy about “clean games” suggests the only thing he has ever said that is worth listening to was “I do” to Kate Upton, a woman far more successful than him (who didn’t cheat to get where she is). Rose was punished because they violated the game. They were meant to act with integrity and they didn’t. However, integrity is a funny thing because either it matters or it doesn’t. There cannot be one set of rules for Rose and another for the team that cheated their way to the top. Since Commissioner Manfred has decided that the Astros’ behavior is acceptable, there is no reason Rose should be treated any differently. Anik Joshi can be reached at anikj@umich.edu.
ANNA GETZINGER | CONTACT CARTOONIST AT GETZINGA@UMICH.EDU
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Monday, March 9, 2020 — 5A
Lionsgate, I don’t need any help scaring my mother EMMA CHANG Daily Arts Writer
Horror movies, in general, are not my favorite things in the world. I got nightmares simply from reading the synopsis of “Us,” and had I known what “Get Out” was about, I would not have agreed to see it with my friends. Obviously, Jordan Peele isn’t the only person making horror movies, but of the ones I’m interested in seeing, his movies rank the highest. On top of their plots, however, they have another thing in common: their release dates. “Us” aired in theaters on Mar. 22 last year and “Get Out” was released on Feb. 24, 2017. Both are extremely innocuous dates, with nothing all that culturally important happening. Maybe midterms at U-M, but at that point in the semester, we could all use a good scare that doesn’t come from a Canvas page. The idea behind movie release dates is classic. So classic, in fact, that several of my college classes have used it as an example to discuss what’s known as the prisoner’s dilemma. In essence, studios are trying to avoid opening certain movies on certain days in order to gain the biggest profit. It’s a concept that’s easy enough to understand and, traditionally, may also result in releases on certain dates, like Thanksgiving or Christmas, to boost opening
day profits. Again, a totally expected thing to do. Except for the fact that, for some reason, various production studios have decided to release horror movies on holidays that, quite honestly, don’t need horror movies. This past December, Universal Pictures released “Black Christmas,” a film
Various production studios have decided to release horror movies on holidays that, quite honestly, don’t need horror movies.
centered around a group of sorority girls trying to avoid being murdered on their empty campus during the holiday season. Though it wasn’t released on Dec. 25, its holiday season ad campaign put a serious damper on the red-and-white Macy’s doorbuster ads any sane
person would prefer. That said, not all Christmas movies have the happy-go-lucky bad acting of the Hallmark variety — “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is a classic, though I personally have never seen it because Jack Skellington gives me the creeps. What “The Nightmare Before Christmas” proves, however, is that the key to a good Christmas horror movie is to maintain the essence of the holiday season. “Black Christmas” is mired in clichés; sorority girls alone on campus being attacked by a mysterious man has been done in more movies than I can count. An animated skeleton that finds the true meaning of Christmas? Now there’s an original idea. Not all seasonal horror is created equal, however. Valentine’s Day, as commercialized a holiday as you can get, was made for horror movies. While I would rather watch Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner exchange sloppy teen kisses and a large white teddy bear in “Valentine’s Day” over and over, I can understand the appeal of sitting through a scary movie with your significant other. They give people the excuse to cuddle up and hold hands, if only because they’re scared. Absolutely genius, truly. And it makes sense, then, that when I googled “Valentine’s day horror movies,” there were at least six options to choose from. It’s honestly impressive the way studios and the floral industry capitalize on our constant need
FILM NOTEBOOK
A24
to feel close to someone. Even July 4 isn’t safe — “Midsommar” was released this past summer on July 3, and the whole third season of “Stranger Things” was released on the fourth. “Midsommar” being released during the summer holiday is forgivable, mostly because July 4 really shouldn’t be a holiday anyway. At this point, it’s just an excuse for Americans to blow things up and drink, but that’s not really relevant. What is relevant, however, is the fact that Florence Pugh gave us a reason to watch her frolic with an eerie band of people wearing flower crowns. And though “Stranger Things” isn’t a film, with the binging culture that Netflix has created, watching season three all the way through is almost the same as watching a horror movie, but with more opportunities to go get more popcorn, or even a tan. The one horror movie holiday release date that I
DANA PIERANGELI
MERGE RECORDS
‘Suddenly’ is Caribou’s most meditative release There are a select few who can claim to have as much of an impact on electronic music in the 21st century as Caribou, also known as Dan Snaith. In the 2000s, he expanded upon the plunderphonics of DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing with Up In Flames and flirted with a psychedelic Laurel Canyon sound on Andorra. In the 2010s, he ventured into dancehall on Swim and Our Love. Throughout his career, whether as Montreal or Caribou, he has pushed electronic music towards the sublime. Similarly to Four Tet, Caribou tends to explore the idea of vibrance through his music. As a result, color and texture have become domineering tools in Caribou’s arsenal. He will often let layers of sound invade the mix until the music blends into one element. Now, entering the new decade, it seems Caribou is opting for a more reserved approach, resulting in his most contemplative album yet: Suddenly. He appears to be emulating several artists on the record, including Floating Points, whose style has always favored a more introspective listening experience. Suddenly finds Snaith embracing soft and isolated synth tones alongside the pop-inspired dancehall he’s so familiar with — synth
going to the movies on Mother’s Day, let alone to see a horror movie. Maybe your mom is
Go dance your ass off at ‘Dance for Democracy’ Daily Community Culture Editor
Daily Arts Writer
Not all seasonal horror is created equal, however. Valentine’s Day, as commercialized a holiday as you can get, was made for horror movies.
into feeling frightened, which is fine, but when I’m watching a sewing tutorial and have to mute my computer and watch a trailer through my fingers for a horror movie not even released on Mother’s Day, but on Mother’s Day weekend, I have some questions for the marketing department. Let’s just discuss the date itself, not even its connotations — how many people actually know when Mother’s Day is without googling it? I’m not an awful daughter; when May comes around, I will figure it out and set my Google Calendar to remind me the day before, but as a consumer I want to be told a concrete date. What I don’t need is a scary man’s voice telling me, three months in advance, that this Mother’s Day I should be ready to run from Sarah Paulson’s newest character, when I don’t really even know if Mother’s Day is on a Saturday or a Sunday.
COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW
ALBUM REVIEW
DREW GADBOIS
can’t understand, however, is Mother’s Day. There is no reason that people should be
tones that sound eerily similar to the tones on Floating Points’ last record. Another influence is Against All Logic (Nicolas Jaar), whose 2012-2017 project reinvigorated house, capturing more mainstream listeners. Both albums exhibit very in-your-face type sample work. This type of plunderphonics is new for Caribou. Before, his
Suddenly Caribou Merge Records
use of samples was always as a means to fill the background with some color; now, it’s an integral player in most of the songs on Suddenly. The vocal samples in particular on tracks like “Sunny’s Time” and “New Jade” demonstrate an effort on the part of Snaith to find more esoteric ways of developing a song. Song development in general is much different here than on previous records. Suddenly feels more definitive in its direction. The music doesn’t wander off because it doesn’t have the time. Snaith finds virtue in brevity
with an average track length of less than four minutes. The only song that goes against this trend is the last one which, unsurprisingly, is the longest. As a result, this structural option combined with the occasional trap beat makes this feel like Caribou’s most conservative release. Fortunately, it appears to be intentional, as it leaves room for Snaith to express more lyrically than he ever has in the past. Snaith makes it pretty clear that Suddenly is about emotional clarity. Every track details a certain moment of transparency where he is able to let out the feelings he has kept confined. His work has always been relatively romantic but typically this was presented through the music. Now, it’s entirely found in his words. He talks of heartbreak and the fear of loss. “You and I” specifically addresses the loss of his brotherin-law, and how such an event can empty someone. He speaks of each aspect with astounding palpability. Perhaps the only issue with Suddenly is that it’s a bit topheavy. All of the best and most inventive tracks were put on the first half, leaving the more subdued songs to close out the project. This leaves the album feeling unbalanced. The solution would be as easy as a simple reordering. Regardless, Caribou has put out a strikingly personal effort on Suddenly that leaves the listener enlightened and ready to move forward.
With the current political climate as terrible and terrifying as it is, the last thing you may want to do is get up and dance. But, according to Professor Michael Gould, that is actually the first thing you should do. The 2020 “Dance for Democracy” is an evening at the UMMA of live music, dancing and democratic engagement. On Tuesday, Mar. 10, three bands — E. Reid with Kultur Grenade (for which Gould is the drummer), local band The Kelseys and funk band Sabbatical Bob — will perform, while event organizers help attendees become more democratically engaged. The event is free and open to all U-M students, with a capacity of 300 people, no matter what their political ideals are. Gould got the idea when frustration from the disappointing news cycle threatened to overtake him. “The only thing at that moment that popped into my mind was locking myself in a room and dancing my ass off until exhaustion,” Gould wrote in an email interview with The Daily. “What a funny thought — so, I decided to act upon this and do something positive.” This event is meant to
bring together students from all across the political spectrum. Everyone is feeling the frustration, no matter their political ideals. But that doesn’t mean we can’t all dance together and try to understand each other’s opinions. “My thought was let’s bring everyone together in a large venue — blue, red, purple ... to enjoy the democratic process
Dance for Democracy Mar. 10 @ 9 p.m. UMMA Free admission, 300 person capacity
without the divisiveness that has raged across the US,” Gould wrote. The event will strongly emphasize voting. There will be tables with information specific to voting to ensure a large voting turnout among college students. “I think everyone’s voice and vote matters and it is extremely important that college aged students get out and vote — we need your input on how you want the future of our country to be run,” Gould
wrote. Gould also talked about the potential of the event to facilitate dialogue across the political spectrum. “My hope is that everyone gets out on the dance f loor — builds up a good sweat and then takes a break and talks about their views in a civilized manner,” Gould wrote. “It is hard to be angry after dancing your ass off to great music — music is one of the greatest ways to bring people together … so come out and express yourself in motion and then talk in the tabling section or the periphery of the event. Give the opposing view a chance and a hug or high five or fist bump (hey, and wash your hands).” No matter how you’re feeling about the presidential candidates, Gould and those with “Dance for Democracy” want to emphasize the importance of voicing your opinions and allowing others to voice theirs. Part of what keeps our democracy intact is freedom to have discussions like this, and if they can be done with dancing, then even better. “Even if you feel discouraged about the political process, shy about dancing, scared about what is going to happen with the upcoming election — come on out and talk to other people who most likely feel the same — and in the process, hear some great music that will hopefully get you moving,” Gould wrote.
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News
6A —Monday, March 9, 2020
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
University ranks 4 th out of Big Ten schools in voter turnout for student government elections
Michigan Daily analysis of voting trends across comparable institutions reveals disparity in electoral participation NAVYA GUPTA & JULIA RUBIN
Daily Staff Reporters
The University of Michigan’s 2019 Central Student Government voter turnout ranked fourth highest across Big Ten schools, according to The Michigan Daily’s analysis of voting trends in student government elections. The Daily analyzed Winter 2019 — the most recent executive ticket election — data for 13 of the Big Ten schools. The University of Illinois student government was not included because voting data could not be obtained. On the high end for the Winter 2019 student government elections, 16.4 percent of University of Nebraska undergraduates voted. The lowest voter turnout rate was at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, where 2 percent of undergraduate students voted. From 2015 to 2017, voter turnout for CSG elections fell steadily from 20.1 percent to 17.9 percent but jumped to 23.9 percent in 2018. In 2019, the figure declined to approximately 11.9 percent. Based on this data, if rankings were based on the 2018 election as opposed to the 2019 election, the CSG voter turnout would have been approximately 50 percent more than the next highest school. Instead,
because of the double-digit drop, it was fourth. As deputy elections director during the Winter 2019 election and elections director for the Fall 2019 election, Law student Austin Del Priore administered and advertised the elections. He said he and his team handed out f lyers on the Diag and emailed the student body to encourage students to vote. Del Priore attributed last year’s voter turnout to the low competitiveness of the election. In 2019, there was one party, Engage, while there were eight in 2018’s election. “I think that generally … the more executive tickets you have running, the more likely you’re to see higher voter turnout,” Del Priore said. “So I think in (the Winter 2019) election, there were actually fewer executive tickets than had been to go in past years and so I think that we speculated that that was a large driver of lower turnout.” The University’s student turnout rate for Central Student Government elections counters voting trends for national elections. University student voter turnout rate for the 2016 presidential election and the 2018 midterm elections were about 45 percent and 41 percent respectively — two to four times the turnout in the Central Student Government elections of those same years. For Michigan State’s student government, the Associated Students of
Michigan State, executives are elected through ASMSU representatives rather than by direct election by the student body. ASMSU President Mario Kakos attributed the low voter turnout rate at his school to the structure of ASMSU elections and the $100 cap on candidate campaign expenditures. “The idea behind (the spending caps) is to ensure that it’s equitable for anyone who wants to run for any position. So you’re not going to see people passing out 1,000 buttons. You’re not going to see any yard signs,” Kakos said. “I personally don’t believe that student engagement will be something that is ever really achieved.” CSG’s compiled code allows individual candidates to spend $150 of personal funds on their campaigns, while executive tickets can spend up to $500. The code also limits the amount students can donate to candidates. Individual candidates are only allowed $75 per donor, while executive tickets are permitted $250. Further, a donor can contribute no more than $500 in a particular election. Aneesh Deshpande, spring elections committee chair of Rutgers University Student Assembly attributed the drop of their turnout from 12 percent in 2018 to 2 percent in 2019 to a lack of competition in the latter year. He further highlighted that Rutgers, being a primarily commuter school, witnesses low turnout
rates because the majority of students live off-campus. However, Jared Long, internal vice president of University of Nebraska’s student government, credited their high voter turnout to their focus on issues that solely concern students, something he said distinguishes them from other student governments that tend to focus on issues on which they have little impact, like immigration. “A lot of other Big Ten student governments focus on a lot of hot-button issues, things that really parallel the American government and the American political system,” Long said. “And while, of course, we all as engaged students have options in regards to what policies are happening at the national level, we at Nebraska avoid those hot-button issues, which I think results in the fact that we are not alienating large parts of the student body.” Long also spoke about the importance of student participation in the activities of their school’s student government through voting and the necessity of increasing voter turnout. He said he did not expect his school to be the highest at 16 percent, conceding that it is not a turnout rate to be proud of. “Unfortunately, student government is not something students take interest in when they really should,” Long said. “When administrators are tackling a problem and
they want student input, they turn to student government members. So student government is the easiest way to get connected with the university administration. For that reason alone, I think people should take an interest in student government.” Jinwook Hwang, the University of Maryland Student Government Association’s director of communication, credited their high voter turnout to consistently competitive elections as well as the ticket system. Hwang said few other schools use the ticket system, in which four students can run together on a unified ticket. “UMD’s voter turnout was unique in the fact that people don’t really see double-digit turnout but it was possible for us mainly because there was a lot of competition,” Hwang said. “We had three different teams running against each other and so the competition was advanced when candidates started to reach out to communities that usually did not get reached out to.” In Ann Arbor as of Sunday night, two parties, Mobilize and Change at Michigan, have launched campaigns for the University’s upcoming 2020 winter elections. Public Health junior Grace Sleder didn’t vote in the Winter 2019 elections. She attributed her decision to a lack of information about the issues and candidates’ platforms. “I think in my freshman
COMMENCEMENT From Page 6A
SUDOKU
WHISPER puzzle by sudokusnydictation.com
Introducing the
WHISPER “60 characters. Bare your soul. Get featured in the Daily!”
Release Date: Monday, March 9, 2020
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Seminary book 6 E-cigarette output 11 Media-monitoring org. 14 __-proof: easy to operate 15 How the cheese stands, in a kids’ song 16 “__ be in touch!” 17 *Fruity ice cream treat 19 Be litigious 20 Grandstand group 21 Cough syrup, e.g. 23 Chad or Rob of movies 26 Practical joke 28 Lacking a downside 29 Immobile 31 Chafing result 33 Smart set member 35 “Great Leap Forward” Chinese leader 36 Storybook fiend 39 Upside-down sleeper 40 Fixed, like the ends of the answers to starred clues 43 Put a jinx on 44 Messy roomie 46 Nourished 47 House speaker Nancy 49 Luggage tie-on 52 Shops with slicers 53 Gondolier, e.g. 55 Deviate from a course, at sea 57 MASH shelter 58 Declares to be true 60 Carpentry wedge 62 Nautical pronoun 63 *Knock one out of the park 68 Afternoon social 69 Chopin piece 70 Marble mineral 71 Write “mispell,” say 72 “Jurassic Park” critters, briefly 73 Well-known DOWN 1 Highchair wear 2 Wash. neighbor
3 TSA checkpoint container 4 Shoes sans laces 5 Sicilian volcano 6 Seven Sisters college 7 Tyrolean peak 8 C-SPAN figures, informally 9 French crockful with a cheesy crust 10 Captured back 11 *Place for rural anglers 12 Crossword hints 13 Checkout worker 18 “Life of Pi” director Lee 22 Common jazz combo 23 Tree branches 24 Shaq of NBA fame 25 *Won 10 in a row, say 27 2/2/20, for Super Bowl LIV 30 Many coll. lab instructors 32 Roll of bills 34 Egyptian queen in Tut’s time
37 Amber, for one 38 Be 41 Like fresh nail polish 42 __ XING: crosswalk sign 45 Restrain, as one’s breath 48 Captive’s plea 50 Worked together perfectly 51 Serious cuts 53 Keep moist, as turkey
54 [none of the above] 56 Grinch victim 59 Zap with a Taser 61 Somali-born model 64 Pointless bother 65 Squeal on the mob 66 Rugged vehicle, for short 67 “Game of Thrones” patriarch Stark
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
SANDERS From Page 2A 03/09/20
By Fred Piscop ©2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
WHISPER “Look up ‘how to make a long egg’ on youtube”
LSA senior Yosef Gross, no relation to Amanda Gross, commented on Gore’s political legacy and the impact of his environmental policies on the upcoming election. “I think he has the potential to be a really good choice as the commencement speaker because his own political experience is so relevant to what’s happening this political cycle,” Gross said. “When I think about Gore conceding the presidency to Bush in 2000 to make sure that the country could move forward, even though he believed that the election had been stolen from him, I can’t help but notice the contrast with our current president, who I believe would never do the same. Additionally, actress and playwright Dominique Morisseau, a University alum
“I find ankles sexy”
03/09/20
Sanders: My impression is that older people voted in significantly higher numbers, their percentages went way up. More younger people did vote, but nowhere near the level of increase of older people. But here is the challenge that we face. Younger people are in fact the most progressive young generation in the history of this country, that’s your generation. The problem is that it has historically been very hard to get young people to vote in large numbers. We’re making some progress. 2018 was a good example where a lot more younger people voted than four years previous to that. I think you’re going to see the same thing now. But historically it has been hard, and that’s why we’re here on the campus, that’s why we visit many campuses: to make it clear to young people that in a democracy they have an obligation to participate, that it’s not good enough to moan and groan about all the concerns you have, you’ve got to get involved and stand up for what you believe in, and that means participating in the political progress. TMD: Student loans are a very important issue for many people here at the University of Michigan and universities across the country. What do you say to your opponents
year I voted, but it’s only because I knew someone who was running,” Sleder said. “For a presidential election, you wouldn’t just vote based on who you think has the best sounding name or something, you want to be informed on the issues, and I just don’t feel like I’m informed enough to make a good decision or vote.” She said she wishes there was a better system to learn about what each candidate was running on and what voting for them meant, such as including the candidates’ platforms on the email the elections director sends to the student body informing them of the elections. On the other hand, Public Policy junior Bryce Brannen voted in 2019 CSG elections after she found out about them through current President Ben Gerstein’s Facebook page, who was running at the time, and saw posters of other party candidates. Brannen said voting was essential for her as the work CSG does directly impacts her day-to day-life as a student. “I think voting is important no matter how small or how big (the government is),” Brannen said. “Voting obviously makes a difference and is a great way to have your voice be heard and make sure that there are people who are representing you that you ideally agree with.” Reporters Navya Gupta and Julia Rubin can be reached at itznavya@umich.edu and julrubin@umich.edu.
and Detroit native, will be the Rackham Graduate School speaker at its commencement on May 1 at Hill Auditorium. Morisseau, a recipient of the MacArthur Foundation’s “genius grant,” has written numerous plays, including several about Detroit. She has maintained close ties with the University, performing her 2017 play “Blood at the Root” at the University’s Arthur Miller Theatre. Currently, Morisseau is a playwright in Signature Theatre’s Residency Five program in New York City. “Morisseau is one of America’s most produced playwrights, acclaimed for her lyrical dialogue, emotionally complex characters and authentic portrayals of people and communities struggling with economic and social change,” the press release reads. Daily News Editor Claire Hao can be reached at cmhao@umich. edu. who believe that canceling student loan debt is a handout? Sanders: Well, what I say is if Trump could give a trillion dollars in tax breaks to the top 1 percent and large multinational corporations, if Congress 12 years ago could bail out the crooks on Wall Street who destroyed our economy through a Wall Street bailout — what do you call those things? Those things are handouts, but handouts that are going to the very rich and the powerful. I think that young people who have done the right thing, they’re trying to get a decent education, what we’re finding is that they’re struggling very hard to buy a home, to buy a car, to get married, to have kids. I think it is totally appropriate through a modest tax on Wall Street speculation to raise enough money which will make public colleges and universities like the University of Michigan tuitionfree and at the same time cancel all student debt. So in other words, 12 years ago we bailed out big time the people on Wall Street who nearly destroyed the economy. I think through a modest tax on Wall Street speculation, they can help us help the younger generation. TMD: And now we have more of a fun question: Have you seen any of the memes about yourself? If so, what’s your favorite? Sanders: No. Well, I probably have, there’s so much stuff out there. Literally I have a hard time keeping up with it.
MARCH 9, 2020 | MICHIGANDAILY.COM
SPORTSMONDAY FRIDAY: U-M 3, MSU 0 | SATURDAY: U-M 3, MSU 0
MANN OF THE HOUR
Strauss Mann posts two straight shutouts, leads ‘M’ to sweep of Spartans in first round of Big Ten Tournament TIEN LE Daily Sports Writer Strauss Mann had a shutout on Saturday. It was no epiphany. It was easy to see the work he put in over the course of 60 minutes to accumulate to a 20-save blank sheet. When asked, he’ll always deflect the credit elsewhere. Some nights, it’s all about the defense in front of him, blocking shots or throwing checks. Other nights, it’s the offense, keeping the puck in the other zone. Saturday night, as Michigan notched a 3-0 win to move onto the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, it was, again, the defense making all of Michigan State’s chances not hard to save. “This was probably the best we’ve played defensively all year,” Mann said. “And I don’t know how many grade A’s I’ve had to face but it wasn’t a lot this weekend.” But the real story was all about Mann — he was the man of the hour. A shutout is no easy feat. After earning his fifth the day before, he tied for second in the nation for most shutouts. One day later, he did it again. Sixty minutes. One hour. That’s how long he had to laser in in-game, but his match started much earlier. To most players, there’s practice. There’s team meetings. There’s warmups, and then there’s the game. “Some guys when they come, they don’t think about hockey until they get to the rink,” Kris Mayotte said Jan. 30. “And then once they
leave the rink, sometimes they don’t think about it again until they come back the next day.” Mann’s routine and structured lifestyle has been often noted. He has a strict diet that he follows to a T. He requires 10 hours of sleep. He has made sacrifices in how he lives to better his hockey career. Because of his discipline off the ice, the coaches trust that whenever he leaves the building, he’ll have his mind and heart on hockey. “It’s something that’s on his mind all the time,” Mayotte said.
Everything he does, he does meticulously in a way that will bring him success on the ice. “The pre-work or even the postwork of what’s going to happen here at the rink, you know, that just that tends to build on itself, and its success usually follows.” And his success has followed. He’s the third best goaltender in the nation based on save percentage, which he’s recorded at .939. He’s claimed the sole spot of most shutouts with six and a goals against average of 1.85. Sure, his defense helped by blocking shots and limiting Grade-A chances, but he ultimately made the saves and stopped the puck. To Mayotte, it’s success that Mann believes he deserves.
“A lot of it is the mental side of it, and knowing that you’ve sacrificed as much as you possibly can to be where you are,” Mayotte said. “So you just feel like you’re prepared as well as you can be and so you feel like you deserve success. “And I think that’s a lot of what he feels and he does.” Even off the ice and away from the play, he maintains focus that carries over to on-ice success. Before the game Saturday, the Wolverines were in the weight room, getting ready for the Spartans. Freshman forward Johnny Beecher joked that he felt someone to his left and after getting no response to a question he asked, he figured it was Mann. Mann was dialed in and nothing anyone could do would get him out of his zone. “He’s super into his craft,” Beecher said. “I mean, he takes care of himself really well and it’s exciting to watch.” Even for game-day meals, he had a continuation of his Paleo-esque diet. “He had poached eggs for breakfast,” Michigan coach Mel Pearson said. “I told him, ‘What’s the difference between the eggs that are hard boiled and the poached eggs?’ ” But there are differences, besides the obvious. Everything he does, he does meticulously in a way that will bring him success on the ice. A game of hockey lasts sixty minutes, and Saturday night, Mann played them to flatline Michigan State’s offense. But to him, the game started much earlier than that.
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INSIDE
HOCKEY ADVANCES TO B1G SEMIS: PAGE 2B MEN’S HOOPS DROPS REGULAR-SEASON FINALE: PAGE 3B WOMEN’S HOOPS UPSETS NU, FALLS IN B1G SEMIS: PAGE 4B
SportsMonday
2B — March 9, 2020
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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
The odd predicament of Hayden Lavigne
wenty minutes after Michigan had sealed a win over Michigan State, and with it a berth in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, a continuation of a run that has seen the Wolverines lose just three times since the New Year and climb back into ETHAN contention SEARS for an NCAA Tournament bid, Hayden Lavigne wore a blue suit and tie. Clean cut, with everyone around him still covered in sweat. Lavigne didn’t play on Friday. Or on Saturday. He hasn’t played since Nov. 23, when he got his only start of the season in net and lost, letting up his third goal of the night 36 seconds into overtime in a non-conference game at New Hampshire. He spent this weekend standing next to assistant coach Kris Mayotte on the back row of Michigan’s bench, and when senior forward Jake Slaker put the series away with an emptynet goal in the final minute on Saturday, all Lavigne could do was crane his neck and watch. “Honestly, it was probably one of the easier weekends I’ve had to face all year,” sophomore goaltender Strauss Mann said after shutting the Spartans out twice. Mann is the story. He has been the story throughout the season. He will be the story as long as Michigan’s season goes on. This puts Lavigne — a senior who two years ago won a competition for playing time, played the way Mann is playing now and took Michigan all the way to the Frozen Four — in an especially fascinating spot. “It’s a different position, obviously,” Lavigne said, as Mann spoke to a group of reporters a
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Senior goaltender Hayden Lavigne expected to battle for playing time this season, but instead has watched sophomore Strauss Mann take the reins in net.
few feet away. “And not necessarily one that I want to be in, but at the same time, winning like this is a fun atmosphere just to be around in general.” Over the course of this conversation, Lavigne will say all the right things. He’s accepting the role and doing what he can, enjoying the wins as they come. But it’s clear that two years ago, when he skated off the ice in Minneapolis after letting in a goal with under 10 seconds to go and ending Michigan’s season, this wasn’t how Lavigne saw his career winding down. He attended the Nashville Predators’ development camp
in the summer of 2018, and it was easy to see a path to playing NHL hockey. Now, he’s not sure what comes next. He’s been putting out feelers, hoping for an amateur tryout contract after Michigan’s season ends. “It’s hard though, when you don’t play any games all year,” Lavigne said. “There’s definitely guys that put up numbers as a senior with more games played, like (Michigan State goaltender John) Lethemon’s played 35 and is top in the country. So he’s obviously looking for a spot as well. So (there’s) competition out there
There was the expectation that we were gonna battle.
that’s in a little bit better shape than I am, but I’ll figure it out and find somewhere to go.” Lavigne’s career hit a low point prior to coming to Michigan. Playing in the USHL after committing to the Wolverines in 2013, the Tri-City Storm and Waterloo Blackhawks cut him before he eventually stuck with the Bloomington Thunder. This, though, is different. Lavigne is older, which means he has mental clarity he didn’t then. It also means there’s no light at the end of the tunnel in the form of a scholarship waiting for him. He can’t point to a moment in
the last two years when things flipped. During the 2018-19 season, he and Mann split time in net, and neither played particularly well. He worked with a coach during the summer to get better with the mental side of the game and came back feeling good. Before this season, Lavigne was an All-Big Ten honorable mention. Competing until one of the two goaltenders pulled ahead felt the logical path. It never happened. When asked about it, Lavigne laughed. “There was the expectation that we were gonna battle for the starting position,” he said.
I didn’t get to play. So then that was the role.
“That being said, I didn’t play my first game until November. So …” He trailed off. The simple fact of the matter is, Mann seized the job before Lavigne ever had a chance to compete for it. No one can say it was the wrong decision on Michigan coach Mel Pearson’s end — yet it’s clear Lavigne would’ve liked that chance. This is the delicate position he finds himself in as his college career nears its end. Unable to blame anyone, but frustrated nonetheless. “I mean, it wasn’t even clear by opening night,” Lavigne said. “It was just weekend and weekend at the start of the year, and then eventually, I didn’t get to play. So then it was the role that I was in.” He doesn’t tiptoe around the fact that his career reached its high point two years ago, nor the reality that a chance to top it isn’t in sight. He says it’s not a big deal, though of course it is — if not for the Michigan hockey team, then certainly for him personally. “It was hard,” Lavigne said. “I’m a competitive person, like I want to play. I want to win. So that was a tough thing to kinda get used to. At the same time, early in the year, I was preparing thinking that I was gonna get that opportunity. I was gonna eventually get my share of those games. And then that kept me focused the first little bit. “And then now it’s just the idea that I’m playing for my next year, or if anything does happen this year. So that keeps me focused now.” The cold, hard reality is that all he can do is show up each night and take his spot next to Mayotte, staying ready in case an opportunity comes. Sears can be reached at searseth@umich.edu or on Twitter @ethan_sears.
Blanked Michigan sweeps Michigan State in Big Ten Tourney with a pair of 3-0 shutouts and a power play led by Nick Blankenburg ROHAN KUMAR Daily Sports Writer
It wasn’t supposed to be easy, but Johnny Beecher made it look effortless. In the final minutes of the second period on Saturday night, the freshman forward got the puck way back in the defensive zone, then took the game into his own hands. He raced down the left side and perfectly weaved through two opponents to get to the slot. Beecher didn’t take the one-on-one shot against goaltender John Lethemon — instead, he dashed wide past the right post. The offensive burst looked like it might be over, and yet the way he attacked the net was enough to create awe by itself. But after skating past the net, Beecher went around the right circle and fired a shot into the bottom right corner of the net. That goal put the Michigan hockey team (18-14-4 overall, 12-10-3-2 Big Ten) up by two and fueled the Wolverines to a 3-0 win over Michigan State (15-192, 11-12-2), Saturday night at Yost Ice Arena. And with the victory, a Michigan team once left for dead advanced to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament. “From where we were in December to where we are now, this team has shown tremendous growth,” Michigan coach Mel Pearson said. “They’ve hung in there. We were 0-6-1 in the Big Ten at one point. It’s been well documented. … It’s a tremendous credit to the young men that we have in that locker room. Good for them. I’m really proud of that for them.” The Wolverines knew ahead of time it could be tough playing an opponent who’s on the brink of elimination. And it was challenging at the start. Following the Spartans’ limited offensive production Friday night, they showed more urgency on the attack from the moment Saturday’s game started. “I don’t think we had a lot of energy from the get-go,” Pearson
said. “It was a struggle to start. We knew it would be. Anytime you’re facing elimination, you’re gonna get the other team’s best effort. I thought they played hard and we hung in there.” After a tense, scoreless opening period Michigan got on the board early in the second while on the power play. Sophomore defenseman Nick Blankenburg and senior forward Jake Slaker passed back and forth from the high slot to the right circle. Blankenburg finally rifled a shot toward Lethemon, and senior forward Will Lockwood tipped it on its way to the back of the net. That first goal was critical, but it wasn’t until Beecher’s that the Wolverines got breathing room. “I think we just came out strong and did the little things right,” Beecher said of the pivotal second period. “I think we weren’t extremely happy with our first period and we knew the things that we needed to work on. Obviously, getting those two goals is massive and that gave us the momentum for the rest of the game.” Michigan’s defense faced increased pressure to start the game, until just under four minutes in when forward Brody Stevens went to the box for interference. The Wolverines created solid chances with the extra man. At one point, Lockwood took a shot from the left side. The shot was blocked, but fell right by the crease. Senior forward Jacob Hayhurst immediately reached out to try and swipe it into the empty right side of the net. But his stick met the defender’s square on to keep the game scoreless. Michigan’s special teams couldn’t convert on the rest of the opening power play. The Wolverines went on the penalty kill twice in the first frame, too, but defended them successfully. Michigan State established good puck movement on both attempts, but Michigan’s players managed to cut off the shooting
lanes. The Wolverines’ defense stayed staunch the rest of the game as well, killing a third, and final, penalty. With the stellar performance, the Spartans have scored just two goals on Mann in the last four meetings combined — all of them Michigan wins. “Defense wins championships, they say,” Pearson said. “So if we don’t give up any goals, we’ve got a pretty good chance to win some hockey games.” Once the offense found its groove in the second period it was Michigan’s game to lose. And in the final minute of the game, Slaker wrapped it up with an empty-net goal to send his team cruising into a semifinal at Ohio State. Such an outcome would’ve seemed unfathomable just a few months back. “I think in the beginning of the season guys were pretty down,” Beecher said. “Obviously nobody was happy with what was going on. But I think the biggest thing is guys kind of realized that if we really buy in and come together as a team then we can do something special.”
MOLLY SHEA
Daily Sports Writer
A little over three months ago, Nick Blankenburg had the primary assist on a power play goal against Wisconsin. Senior forward Jake Slaker passed the puck back to Blankenburg who waited at the blueline. He hit a one-timer in the direction of the net. Jacob Hayhurst and Will Lockwood were positioned in front of the Badgers’ goaltender acting as a double screen. Lockwood managed to get his stick on the puck, and it connected with twine. The goal gave Michigan a 2-0 lead in a game it went on to eventually lose. “Blanks did a great job just shooting the puck today,” Lockwood said on Nov. 30 against Wisconsin. “Earlier in the year, he would’ve shied away from that. But he’s got a lot of confidence right now, and he’s got a great shot.” Saturday night, an almost identical play to the goal against the Badgers happened. Blankenburg had the puck at the edge of the offensive zone.
The Wolverines were on the man advantage, and he had options to pass. Slaker drifted near one of the faceoff circles. Blankenburg recognized his positioning was perfect for a one-time shot off a pass — a Slaker staple. But he didn’t take the shot. Instead, he dished the puck back to Blankenburg who rifled a shot as he slid on one knee. In front of Michigan State netminder John Lethemon stood Hayhurst and Lockwood. Once again, just like on Nov. 30, Lockwood tipped Blankenburg’s shot into the net. This time, the goal broke a scoreless tie and put Michigan ahead. “I just tried putting it on net,” Blankenburg said. “I know the earlier powerplay had a similar shot. Just try getting it to the net. I’m confident in Hayhurst being in front of the goalie. I know he’s a smaller guy, but he does a good job, and Will getting that double screen is big, too.” Being able to convert on man advantage opportunities is critical, especially in postseason play. Saturday night, Blankenburg’s shot yielded a
ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily
The Michigan hockey team beat Michigan State 3-0 on consecutive nights to secure a trip to the Big Ten semifinals.
goal that gave the Wolverines crucial separation from the Spartans in an eventual 3-0 win. It gave them momentum. With solid defensive play, it ended up being all Michigan needed to win. Blankenburg’s been a key component on the powerplay all season for Michigan. At the beginning of the season, it wasn’t as apparent. The powerplay struggled. A lot. But Blankenburg and his teammates believed in the system. They bought in. Now, they move the puck much better. The movement allows for much better scoring opportunities. And recently, Blankenburg has been quarterbacking the whole thing. He’s one of the more offensive-minded defenders on the team. It’s likely because for the majority of his hockey career, he played forward. And like Lockwood pointed out back in November, Blankenburg’s confidence in his shot is apparent. It’s not just visible on power play goals like the one Saturday night. He’s tallied 68 shots and four goals this season. The development of his shot has been a point of focus for him this year. “Just working on it in practice and just getting the opportunity to be there,” Blankenburg said, when asked about his shot. “I think in the start of the year we were kind of figuring out what worked and what we liked (on the powerplay). I think we kind of found that out from trial and error and whatnot.” On Saturday night, Blankenburg’s shot influenced the game. It gave Michigan enough to complete a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal sweep of the Spartans. As the Wolverines move on to the semifinals against Ohio State, having a source of offense from a defender and a confident player running the power play unit could be a difference maker. And that’s exactly what Blankenburg provides them.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
March 9, 2020 — 3B
Shell shocked
DeJulius scores 20, but Michigan falls short, dropping regular-season finale to Maryland, 83-70 JACOB KOPNICK Daily Sports Editor
COLLEGE PARK — Franz Wagner played the first eight minutes of Sunday’s game against Maryland aggressively and efficiently. The freshman scored five quick points, notched a steal and was leading the surging Wolverines. Then, the lanky forward was called for his second foul attempting to swat a ball down low. The minute that second whistle sounded, Wagner secured himself a comfy chair on the bench. His first half minutes were done. From there, the Terrapins showed why they were the top dogs — or turtles, rather — en route to clinching a share of the Big Ten regular season title. Using a combination of outside shooting, offensive f luidity and a dislodging of the Wolverines’ defense, No. 9 Maryland (24-7 overall, 14-6 Big Ten) dismantled Michigan (19-12, 10-10), 83-70. Following Wagner’s benching, the first half displayed Maryland’s ceiling and Michigan’s basement. “I think that kind of changed the momentum of the game, to be honest,” Wagner said. “I thought we were there for those eight minutes … which is especially frustrating because I thought those two fouls came because I was there, I was ready to help. And we were f lying around the way we wanted on defense and that was definitely frustrating, but guys told me to keep playing and keep my head up and get ready for the second half, and I think I did that.” The Terrapins came as advertised. Open 3-pointers were drilled with ease, and the offense was firing off crowdhyping play one right after the other. Maryland had its way with the Wolverines’ defensive
miscues, and it showed on the scoreboard as well as the highlight reel. The Terrapins’ offense was a steady steamroller, refusing to bow to even Michigan’s best efforts. Maryland racked up a cool 1.37 points per possession in the first half and accentuated the first 20 minutes with a variety of big plays. For instance, late in the first half, following an ill-advised hook shot from senior guard Zavier Simpson, the Terrapins ran the ball in transition and found the cutting forward Jalen Smith, who hammered the ball home with authority. The place went nuts. A few possessions later, Maryland guard Anthony Cowan scored on back-to-back possessions. Again, the crowd roared, former Terrapin star Bruno Fernando f lexing on the sidelines, fired up by the senior guard’s performance. The only offensive bright spot for the Wolverines came from sophomore guard David DeJulius, who put up 13 points in the first half and was the only one who seemed to remember how to shoot a basketball. He finished with a team-high 20 points in the strong shooting performance. “Just doing all I can do,” DeJulius said. “Just being a leader, coming out there, being a playmaker, being aggressive out there on both ends of the f loor, guarding, it’s just kind of doing everything this team needs. It’s just kind of coming in and having a positive plusminus.” Outside of DeJulius, it’s clear the offense hobbled early following Wagner’s fouls. With him on the bench, Michigan stagnated while Maryland beat its offensive drum steadily through the half. “We were scrambling,” Michigan coach Juwan
ABBY SNYDER
Daily Sports Writer
MILES MACKLIN/Daily
Sophomore guard David DeJulius scored 20 points in Michigan’s loss.
Howard said. “Franz, he’s a big part of our team. Not only on the defensive end but on the offensive end with his outside shooting, his length. The way he attacks the basket with force. “As you’ve seen, in the beginning of the second half when Franz was in the game, he just started to give us that offensive punch that we needed. Unfortunately, you can’t control those types of situations in the game where you’re hoping that you had all hands on deck, guys not in foul trouble, but it happens. We truly missed him in the first half.” The first-half exclamation point came from a buzzer beating 3-pointer from Smith whose lanky frame resembled an exclamation point itself standing at center court following the make. With the three, Smith made it a 41-28 lead at the break. The second half continued along much of the same trajectory, albeit with Michigan finding a lot more life in between the orange circumference of the hoop — due in part to Wagner’s reappearance. The Wolverines began drilling shots — highlighted by Wagner and Simpson — and managed to pull the game within three.
The defense showed a bit more life as well, characterizing a much better half of basketball holistically for Michigan. But the Wolverines just couldn’t get stops. Their defense continues to be a thorn in the side of the team, planting a firm roadblock on the path to big wins. “They scored 83 points,” Wagner said. “It’s definitely a problem. Again, 3-point shots. Like I said last time, I don’t think we played bad defense all game, but I think we had two or three stretches where we let them get going, and that hurt us down the stretch.” Despite pulling within three though, the Wolverines coughed up a few dead possessions giving Maryland the breathing room it needed to maintain a solid lead. From there, the Terrapins did nearly everything right to keep Michigan at arm’s length. In the end, whether it be Wagner’s fouls or a struggling defense, all the Wolverines could do was stand and watch as Maryland celebrated its Big Ten title right in their faces. Now, Michigan retreats to Ann Arbor to lick its wounds ahead of the impending tournament season and pray that Wagner doesn’t catch early fouls in the future.
COLLEGE PARK — It has been a big year for David DeJulius. After a difficult freshman season struggling for playing time and riding the bench behind senior guard Zavier Simpson, DeJulius has grown by leaps and bounds in his sophomore year. He’s played significant minutes in every game this season and has proven himself a reliable piece of Michigan’s backcourt, averaging seven points and three rebounds a game. His performance at Maryland on Sunday was proof positive of how far he’s come. He delievered 20 points, a defensive rebound and a steal in 20 minutes. It was a stat line DeJulius could only have dreamed of a year ago today: He was the only Wolverine to top 20 points against the Terrapins in an 83-70 loss. “I just said, ‘To hell with it, I’m going in aggressive,’ ” DeJulius said. “I don’t have anything to lose at this point, so I might as well come in and give the team all I can in all phases on the floor.” With junior guard Eli Brooks and junior forward Isaiah Livers playing unusually quiet, only scoring six points apiece on the day, most of the spark on offense came from DeJulius, be it from a drained 3-pointer or a quick screen pass on the outside. It was a boost Michigan sorely needed, especially as it struggled to score early on. DeJulius’ points were a big part of what helped the Wolverines stay in the game for as long as they did.
“Big lift, especially in the first half, when we struggled to score,” Michigan coach Juwan Howard said. “There were some possessions when the ball wasn’t going in, wasn’t getting anything to the basket, and then David came in. Which is his role, and he’s embraced his role of being a guy who can come in and bring some energy. “He’s another guy who can be an attacker on the floor and another guy who can make some decision-making for us when he has the ball in his hands. When the ball was in David’s hands, good things happened.” Against a Maryland team that had a size advantage of at least a few inches at every position, DeJulius caught on early to Maryland’s switches and attacked them effectively throughout the game, an adjustment many of his teammates didn’t make until halftime. “He’s a very confident player,” associate head coach Phil Martelli told The Daily. “He attacked the switching, which is where I think we got in trouble a little bit. That lull in the first half, that was because we didn’t attack their switching. David did a very good job of going at that.” DeJulius’s performance in College Park is a testament to his growth. At the time his team needs him most, he’s giving it exactly what it’s missing. But more than that, DeJulius is coming into his own as a player. The blow to his confidence he suffered with that year on the bench is long gone — just take it from him. “This is good for my confidence,” DeJulius said. “I’m just going for it going into the postseason. I’m just going to continue to build off of this.”
I just said, “To hell with it, I’m going in aggressive.”
Johnny Beecher’s work pays off Wolverines split weekend series BAILEY JOHNSON
NICHOLAS STOLL
Johnny Beecher brought his stick up over his shoulder and slammed it to the ice in frustration. The freshman forward, sprung on a breakaway thanks to a pass from graduate transfer forward Jacob Hayhurst, had cut to the front of the net and tried to send the puck five-hole on his backhand past Michigan State goaltender John Lethemon. It was late in the second period of Friday’s game, and Beecher was looking for his second goal of the night. But Lethemon got down in his butterfly to make the save, and as Beecher watched him make the stop, he became visibly frustrated. Beecher’s goal earlier in the game was his first since scoring two goals on Jan. 17 at Penn State — but it wasn’t the kind of flashy goal Beecher has demonstrated a tendency toward this year. The puck had simply bounced off his skate and into the net after Hayhurst tipped a long-range shot from senior defenseman Luke Martin. “I had an ugly one last night,” Beecher said Saturday. “Tried to get the monkey off my back a little bit, off my foot.” Saturday night, Beecher flipped the script. He scored again — his ninth goal of the season — in dramatic, highlightreel fashion, helping propel Michigan to a 3-0 win over the Spartans. After forward Mitchell Lewandowski’s shot sailed wide of the Wolverines’ net, Beecher skated over to the side boards to collect the puck. He began to move the puck up the ice, as he would in any normal breakout from the defensive zone. There wasn’t a clear option to pass to, and as Beecher moved through the neutral zone, he started to pick up speed. Then he picked up a little more and then a little more. He met two Michigan State skaters on the entry to the offensive zone, and neither Lewandowski nor defenseman
This weekend, the No. 16 Michigan softball team had two chances to assert itself and prove its fortitude. The first was against No. 1 UCLA (22-1). The second pitted the team against No. 22 UCF (18-5). In both matchups, the Wolverines fell short. The losses came at 2-0 and 3-2, respectively — each the result of Michigan’s (15-8) continued problem generating runs when it counts. “I would say our offense right now is not doing its part — at all,” Michigan coach Carol Hutchins said. On paper, the Wolverines actually out-hit UCLA and UCF by a combined total of eight hits to six. And counting its other two games at the UCLA/LBSU Invitational, with a 5-1 win over Cal State Fullerton (14-9) and a 2-1 win over Boston University (12-6), Michigan had 11 more hits than its opponents on the weekend. So finding a single hit wasn’t the Wolverines’ problem. It was stringing them together. “But I’d just say we’re not getting the timely hits that we need to,” sophomore left fielder Lexie Blair said. “I’d say most of our losses from this weekend, especially against UCLA and UCF, it was just timely hitting for both
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Daily Sports Writer
ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily
Freshman forward Johnny Beecher scored a highlight-reel goal Saturday.
Dennis Cesana could do anything to slow him down. Beecher wove between the two, cut across the top of the right circle and headed down the slot in front of Lethemon with a full head of steam. In many ways, his approach as he got close to Lethemon mirrored the breakaway attempt from Friday night that Lethemon saved. This time, Beecher wasn’t able to get a shot off. He considered shooting five-hole again but ended up coming around left side of the net without taking a shot — with the puck still on his stick. “Just keep going after it,” Beecher said. “... Unfortunately, I lost it. But at the end of the day you just gotta keep putting the puck on the net and hope it goes in.” As Beecher swung around the top of the left circle, he saw Hayhurst providing a screen in front of Lethemon. Three quick steps later and — without warning — Beecher fired a shot that slipped between Lethemon’s left pad and the goal post. The goal put Michigan ahead 2-0 over the Spartans, and with how stingy the Wolverines’ defense had been all series, it started to look like two goals might be an insurmountable hill for Michigan State to climb. “Obviously, Johnny Beecher’s goal is a big goal,” Michigan coach Mel Pearson said. “From that point on, I thought we were in good control.” Dramatic goals like Beecher’s on Saturday are frequently lucky, spur-of-the-moment occurrences that kind of come
out of nowhere. But for Beecher, the goal represented a season’s worth of work on that kind of shot — and a bit of inspiration from Connor McDavid, who is currently second in the NHL with 95 points this season. “That’s kind of been a shot I’ve been trying to pull off the whole season,” Beecher said. “Coach Pearson actually sent me a clip, I want to say it was about three or four days ago. I think it was McDavid. He kind of wrapped around the top of the circle and he kind of let the same shot go. He had seen me try and do it a couple times before and just tried to give me a little bit of an idea.” And instead of slamming his stick on the ice in frustration, as he’d done the night before, Beecher balled up his right fist and punched the ice in celebration before flinging himself into the glass in front of him as his teammates swarmed around him to continue the celebration. As he skated back toward the bench for fist bumps from the rest of the Wolverines, Beecher brought his left fist up to his head and hit it against his helmet — a celebration that’s become common throughout the season. Sophomore forward Garrett Van Wyhe says it represents the team putting their hard hats on and going to work. Saturday, Beecher went to work nearly 200 feet from where he eventually scored what’s arguably the most impressive goal of his Michigan career. It paid off.
opponents that we just couldn’t come up with. We couldn’t come up with stringing any hits together and getting any runs across.” This was evident over the course of the invitational. Out of Michigan’s 23 hits on the weekend, 13 of them came as the only hit in the inning. With runners on base, the Wolverines didn’t fare much better. They stranded 24 runners over the course of four games, with a high of nine against Cal State Fullerton. Blair didn’t attribute the struggles to Michigan’s physical capabilities, nor did she credit them to the prowess of the Wolverines’ opponents. To her, it was the team’s mental outlook in scoring situations that held it back. “It’s easy to get way ahead of yourself and try to focus on the outcome,” Blair said. “Which, for our team, being outcome oriented doesn’t always grant you success.” Senior center fielder Haley Hoogenraad echoed Blair’s sentiment by preaching Michigan’s mantra of “one pitch focus.” “I think we just have to focus on the same thing we were trying to focus on the entire time,” Hoogenraad said. “You can only control what you can control. We struggled with that a little bit so I think that we need to do a better job of focusing on one pitch that we can control at a time.”
Despite poor offensive performance, the Wolverines took two of four games on the weekend and remained close against some of the top teams in the country. They held UCLA, a squad that averages 7.74 runs per game, to just two runs. And UCF was held to one run until the bottom of the eighth inning. In each of Michigan’s wins, it held its opponent to just three hits and one run. In those victories, the Wolverines’ opponents reached base just 12 times in total. The reason: pitching. “Defense is led by the pitching,” Hutchins said. “When the pitchers are on, it makes our defense a lot easier. … I think our pitchers have set a really good tone, but our defense and offense need to pick up on it.” Michigan stands less than a week away from its opening weekend in Ann Arbor. To find success, it will need to hold on to its pitching prowess and overhaul its offensive performance. But the Wolverines won’t spend their time worrying about it. In fact, Hutchins wants them to do the exact opposite. “We have to just go up there and swing,” Hutchins said. “Not worry about anything. Not worry whether it’s the right pitch. Not worry whether we miss. “That will help our swing get back to where we’re capable of.”
ALLISON ENGKVIST/Daily
The Michigan softball team went 2-2 at the UCLA/LBSU Invitational with losses to both of the ranked teams it faced.
SportsMonday
4B — March 9, 2020
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Missed opportunities haunt Wolverines
Lack of secondary scoring plagues ‘M’
BRENDAN ROOSE
JACK KINGSLEY
INDIANAPOLIS — Midway through the fourth quarter Saturday, as Ohio State nursed a threepoint lead, junior forward Hailey Brown found herself open with an opportunity to tie the game. The play felt like a rerun of the end of Friday’s duel with Northwestern, when Brown iced the win with a 3-pointer off the glass. Another shot like that, and the Wolverines find themselves in a tie game with all the momentum. It rimmed out. Not to worry, though. After a quick miss from the Buckeyes, freshman guard Maddie Nolan found an open look of her own. She had buried 3-of4 from deep against the Wildcats, so this one felt like a certainty. Nope. Another clank off the rim. As the buzzer sounded on Michigan’s 66-60 loss in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, there hung a sense that the Wolverines could have won. Just one night earlier, almost everything fell in a perfect storm that ended in the tournament’s biggest upset. But Saturday, they just couldn’t hit the open shots they needed to pull off one more. “(Friday) we made shots. We won the game,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “If it was that easy — we didn’t make shots early (Saturday), and I think when you don’t make shots early, that messes with your confidence a little bit.” Beyond that pair of missed threes, there were plenty of examples of Michigan not capitalizing on its opportunities. One could point to its 5-for-11 mark from the free throw line, or players passing on open looks because they’d lost the confidence to shoot. Even sophomore guard Naz Hillmon — the Wolverines’ most reliable scorer, who finished with 22 points — missed on a few layups where she’s usually automatic. And while Michigan f loundered, Ohio State pounced on every mistake. The Wolverines had just 12 turnovers on the game, but the Buckeyes took full advantage and grabbed 15 easy points off them. Even though Michigan controlled the glass with 21 offensive boards, it could only collect 16 second-chance points. Ohio State had 11 on just eight offensive rebounds. And when the Wolverines missed shots, the Buckeyes ran in transition and notched 17 fastbreak points. Michigan had none. “Whatever we did, they were able to adjust to, whether that was defense or offense,” senior guard Akienreh Johnson said. “Their coach really adjusted. And then attack defenders that came off the bench, they attacked them immediately.” At this point in the season, everything — justifiably or not — will be looked at through the lens of March. Teams across the country will have to answer to being “made for March.” In this context, critics could view the Wolverines’ struggles down the stretch as evidence that they aren’t built for postseason basketball. In fairness, though, Michigan can hit those shots. It did in the previous two rounds of the Big Ten Tournament, and three close games in three days can be exhausting. But from here on out, it won’t matter if the Wolverines can hit shots, or if they could have won. Because if they don’t win, their season’s over.
INDIANAPOLIS — Hailey Brown walked off the court three minutes into the second quarter, her head hung low, and slammed a towel down on the scorer’s table. The junior forward turned the ball over twice in the last minute and missed her first four shots of the game. Brown’s frustration was a microcosm of a larger issue that held the Michigan women’s basketball team back in its 66-60 loss to Ohio State on Saturday night. Throughout the game, the Wolverines secondary scorers struggled to create any offense. “They were definitely disruptive,” Brown said. “They clogged the paint a lot so it was hard to get some looks at the rim.” When Michigan lost to the Buckeyes on Jan. 9, sophomore forward Naz Hillmon was the only consistent source of scoring, finishing with 24 points. Senior forward Kayla Robbins complemented Hillmon early on, but foul trouble forced her to sit the final seven minutes of the first half and she couldn’t get back into a rhythm upon her return. In the second half of that game, with nobody providing offense outside of Hillmon, Ohio State was to stage a fourth-quarter comeback and win a game Michigan controlled for its majority. Which takes us to Saturday. Once again, Hillmon got going early, scoring six first-quarter points, while four other players added a basket each, and the Wolverines took a twopoint lead into the second quarter. But in the second, nobody could create besides her as she scored seven of Michigan’s 10 points in the quarter. Driving lanes were closed for sophomore guard Amy Dilk and senior guard Akienreh Johnson, forcing them to try to generate offense from the perimeter. The open 3-point shots that Brown had made a living on in the past two games disappeared — she only attempted one in the second quarter. “They always wanted to stop our dribble penetration and kind of clog the paint so we couldn’t get anything in to Naz or Hailey or (freshman center Izabel Varejão), so that was pretty tough,” sophomore guard Danielle Rauch said. “(They) clogged the paint, and then some of our shots weren’t falling on the outside so it got tough.” By halftime, no Michigan player besides Hillmon had made more than one field goal and the Wolverines trailed by six. Ohio State had all the incentive it needed to focus solely on her and force other players to beat it. “They’re so long and athletic, it was kind of hard to get the skip passes and the extra passes like we did the first time,” Johnson said. “Our ball movement was very stagnant.” Hillmon struggled in the third quarter while drawing even more attention, scoring just four points at a 40 percent clip. Michigan’s offense looked lost early on — they committed turnovers on their first three possessions of the half — before Brown and Johnson got going. Johnson was finally able to find space in the paint and knocked down open jumpers. Brown got to the line twice and connected on a 3-pointer late in the quarter. Both scored six points in the third quarter as the Wolverines cut a 12-point Buckeye lead to just four entering the fourth. “We just knew that they were double-teaming Naz so we had to make ourselves available,” Johnson said. “We started cutting and moving without the ball. And then we started setting more screens, actually running plays, getting people open shots.” Brown hit an early triple in the fourth quarter and Rauch made a pullup jumper two possessions later to tie it, but after that the secondary scoring once again dried up. Ohio State focused more on the perimeter and the open shots that Michigan did get didn’t fall. By the time a player besides Hillmon scored again, the Buckeyes led by eight with two minutes left in the game. And when Johnson finally got an open 3-pointer to fall with two seconds left — her first basket of the fourth quarter — it didn’t matter. There were no smiles. Only frustration they couldn’t get those shots earlier.
Daily Sports Writer
Daily Sports Writer
ALEXANDRIA POMPEI/Daily
Sophomore forward Naz Hillmon finished Saturday’s game with 22 points, but it wasn’t enough as Michigan lost 66-60 to Ohio State.
bounced out Michigan loses shot at first ever Big Ten title KENT SCHWARTZ Daily Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS — Michigan, for the second year in a row, stared down a chance to do something it had never done. No team, in the history of the program, has played in a Big Ten Tournament title game. For a program steeped in mediocrity, Saturday was an opportunity for the Wolverines to put their name down in history. They gave it their best shot, but it hit the rim and bounced out. Michigan (21-11 overall, 10-8 Big Ten) couldn’t buy a bucket, bowing out of the tournament in the semifinals for the second straight year, losing, 66-60, to Ohio State (21-11, 11-7). Michigan’s offense played directly into its identity: shoot, rebound, shoot again. It was an offense reminiscent of the beginning of the season, when junior forward Hailey Brown sometimes struggled, her confidence gone, and when freshman guard Maddie Nolan barely played. Teams then didn’t respect the Wolverines’ outside threat and packed the paint. The Buckeyes did exactly that in the teams’ first matchup in January. Saturday, Ohio State did the same. Brown and Nolan, riding hot hands coming into the game, found themselves with plenty of opportunities to score. But their shots hit the rim — once, twice — and bounced out. Over and over and over again. “I had the confidence to keep on shooting,” Brown said. “My teammates were putting me in good positions and drawing up plays to get those shots. … All my shots felt really good, they all
felt on frame, I thought they were all going in.” Brown ended the day 3-for-11 from beyond the arc. Michigan’s offense was on life support, dragged along by sophomore forward Naz Hillmon — the rebound part of the shoot, rebound, shoot again. She finished with 10 offensive rebounds and 16 total, leading to her 22 points on the day. Even the unanimous all-Big Ten player, though, watched her shots bounce out, shooting 47.6 percent compared to her season average 57.2.
I thought that was really the difference when they brought in Crooms. “(The double team is) definitely difficult, just because any two-on-one, that’s tough to deal with,” Hillmon said. “But in the past couple of games, especially in the end of the regular Big Ten season, we faced that and we really tried to work on that.” Those adjustments required teammates to make shots, shots that didn’t bounce out. But, like the beginning of the Big Ten season, Michigan’s defense kept it in it. Ohio State shot equally poorly
through the first quarter and the Wolverines settled in for a physical matchup of who could rebound better. A matchup they can beat almost every team at. Then Buckeyes’ guard Janai Crooms entered the game. “They are balanced and they have seven players that are pretty much averaging the same, between 14 and 10 points,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “And I thought that was really the difference when they brought in Crooms in the first half. I thought she did a great job for them.” Two hours later, Michigan players were talking about her shiftiness in the locker room. She sparked a nine-point run and the Wolverines couldn’t conjure an answer of their own; Brown’s shots kept rimming out, Dilk’s drives were walled off, Hillmon suffered through double teams. Late in the third quarter, the Wolverines finally found their mojo: Five quick points followed by a couple 3-pointers drew them even with 7:18 left in the game. The shots were falling, the bench was feeling it, momentum was theirs. Then Ohio State called a timeout. Afterwards, Hillmon watched her shot travel across the rim and into the hands of Dorka Juhasz. Time and time again during the fourth quarter, Hillmon shook her head, lips drawn into a frown after another layup attempt bounced twice off the rim and into the waiting arms of a Buckeye. Ohio State, meanwhile, regained its composure. It made plays, it hit free throws — nothing but net. The game was over. History would have to wait.
Michigan’s Big Ten Tournament run
81-75
The Wolverines beat Nebraska on Thursday behind a resurgent Naz Hillmon.
67-59
Michigan pulled off an upset over secondseeded Northwestern thanks to a 3-point barrage.
66-60
Ohio State ended Michigan’s run after fourth-quarter comeback falls short.
ALEXANDRIA POMPEI/Daily
Junior forward Hailey Brown missed a 3-pointer to tie the game late in the fourth quarter of Michigan’s 66-60 loss to Ohio State.