2022-09-28

Trevor Noah talks innovation, equity with engineering students

RONI KANE & SHANNON STOCKING Daily News Editors

If Trevor Noah could have any wish granted, he would not wish for more money, success or even more wishes.

Instead, he told University of Michigan students that he would wish for something “crazy.”

“I wish that the world would have this weird system where at any time, in any place, you could be snapped out of your body and you’d have to live in somebody else’s for an indeterminate period of time,” Noah said. “I wonder how they would treat (other) people knowing that they might be them on any given day.”

Noah, a 38-year-old South African comedian and host of The Daily Show, presented life advice — and humor, of course — to U-M engineering students while talking about his 2016 autobiography “Born a Crime.” He gave the equivalent of an intimate “fireside chat” from the stage of a packed Hill Auditorium and returned to Hill after sunset to perform stand-up. The comedy show was a stop on his ongoing “Back to Abnormal” world tour and marked the first time Noah has appeared live at the University.

Following the fireside chat, which was exclusively for engineering students, Noah hosted a comedy show at the Hill Auditorium that drew over 3,000 attendees, of which over 1,100 were U-M students. The show featured a comedic take on U.S. and U.K politics, the COVID19 pandemic and the upcoming live-action remake of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.”

Engineering freshmen in 2021 and 2022 were asked to read Noah’s “Born a Crime” as a part of the Common Reading Experience program before stepping foot on campus and starting their first courses. Since 2013, the program

was created to give new students an easy way to start conversations with their peers. The literary selection has changed from year to year, but for the past two summers, engineering students have started their time as Wolverines by reading Noah’s book about growing up in South Africa during apartheid.

Friday’s talk was specifically reserved for engineering students who filled up the main floor and mezzanine of Hill Auditorium — over 2,000 seats total. At the talk, Alec D. Gallimore, the Robert J. Vlasic dean of engineering, introduced Sita Syal, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, who led the conversation with Noah.

Gallimore spoke to the crowd about why the College of Engineering wanted to bring Noah to campus to talk to students. He mentioned that Noah speaks eight different languages — English, Xhosa, Zulu, Tsonga, Southern Sotho, Tswana, Afrikaans and German — and was listed as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in 2018.

“The Common Reading Experience creates an opportunity for class bonding and thoughtprovoking discussions even before the students arrive on campus,” Gallimore said. “Our aim is to compliment our technical excellence with insights from other disciplines such as the humanities and the arts and broaden the understanding of equity as we cultivate the global perspective we call this comprehensive approach to our work: People-first Engineering.”

Syal asked how Noah strikes a balance between humor and social sensitivity when discussing controversial topics in his comedy routines. Noah said he uses comedy to overcome the day-to-day challenges that come with “being human” and to contextualize his individually lived experiences.

Entheofest returns to Ann Arbor to spread awareness of psychedelic decriminalization Activists host second annual celebration of entheogenic plants

ISABELLA KASSA Daily Staff Reporter

Over 700 community members gathered in the University of Michigan Diag on Sept. 18 to participate in the second annual Entheofest, a festival dedicated to the decriminalization and awareness of entheogens, or psychedelic substances. The event brought together people and organizations from all over the Ann Arbor area, fostering a sense of community through a variety of performances and educational booths.

This September marks the two-year anniversary of the Ann Arbor City Council’s decision to decriminalize psychedelics, declaring it “the lowest priority” for law enforcement. The Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office also does not charge individuals for the use, growth or possession of entheogenic plants. According to an MLive article, City Council members

Board of Regents approve transformative plan for Flint Campus

HODDER & MATTHEW SHANBOM

Staff Reporter

The University of Michigan Board of Regents met on Sept. 22 at the Alexander G. Ruthven Museums Building to discuss enrollment rates at the University of Michigan-Flint, new residence halls and dedicating the tunnel at Michigan Stadium to former football coach Lloyd Carr.

The meeting marked Interim University President Mary Sue Coleman’s last meeting before President-elect Santa Ono takes office on Oct. 13. She opened the

meeting by addressing challenges at U-M Flint, including a 30% drop in enrollment since 2014. Coleman announced a strategic plan to improve U-M Flint and to extend Flint Chancellor Debasish Dutta’s appointment until June 2026.

“The work begins tomorrow morning when (Dutta) will host (a) town hall meeting,” Coleman said. “It will be driven by comprehensive data, including labor and student market demand for academic programs. It is critical that the Flint campus align its programs with the needs of our state’s workforce.”

The town hall meeting will take place Sept. 23 at 10 a.m. at the

U-M Flint Riverfront Conference Center. Strategic planning will continue through the fall and winter semesters under Ono’s presidency.

In anticipation of an increased demand for student housing, Coleman proposed naming a future residence hall after former Vice President of Student Life Dr. E. Royster Harper. The board approved the renaming unanimously. It will be the first University of Michigan building to be named after a Black woman.

Athletic Director Warde Manuel also proposed a dedication, asking the Board of Regents to name the players’ tunnel at Michigan Stadium for former U-M football coach Lloyd Carr, who was present at the meeting.

“There is something that’s so appropriate about naming this tunnel after (Carr),” Regent Mark Bernstein (D) said. “When you go through a tunnel, particularly the tunnel at the football stadium, The Big House, you emerge in this majestic and formative place, and that’s what (Carr has) done for countless numbers of student athletes and students on campus.”

The board approved the proposal unanimously.

were “swayed by arguments about medical and spiritual benefits of using psychedelics, including for mental health treatment” in 2020, when they made their decision.

Though the state of Michigan has not decriminalized psychedelic substances statewide, the city of Detroit officially decriminalized entheogens in November 2021, with Hazel Park following in March 2022.

According to Bridge Michigan, only 14 cities nationwide have passed similar policies by March, and Oregon is currently the only state to have decriminalized entheogens for medical purposes.

Julie Barron, president of the Michigan Psychedelic Society and board member of Decriminalize Nature Michigan, has been involved with Entheofest since its inception, one year ago. Barron was beaming as she talked Sunday about the success of this year’s event. Barron told The Michigan Daily that hosting public events like Entheofest promotes a sense of inclusion in the community.

“We want to honor our sacred

plants and fungi,” Barron said. “We want to create a space of diversity and equality in the space. Our event is really just to continue the forward motion of the work already done. It’s really to make sure we take time and honor the community and the plants.”

Keynote speaker Moudou Baqui, who is also a key leader in the Decriminalize Nature Detroit campaign, emphasized the less obvious benefits of psychedelics, such as healing trauma and helping those with mental health concerns. His speech spoke to the importance of keeping psychedelic substances under the jurisdiction of activists rather than the government.

“How do (psychedelics) stay in the hands of people? By avoiding the mistakes that we made in the previous movement of cannabis,” Baqui said. “We allowed people to convince us that legalization was the smart way which was really signing us up to enter into a legal structure.”

Based on previous research, Baqui said there is potential for

increased health benefits from improving access to psychedelics for individuals experiencing mental health concerns, the elderly and those healing from trauma.

“When we do mushrooms, sometimes I’m dealing with a kid that’s got memories of police repression or drive-bys or memories of friends dying on the street, so we do it with a deeper level of healing,” Baqui said.

Matt Strang, another member of the Michigan Initiative for Community Healing, attended Entheofest for the second time on Sunday. Strang said he was happy with how the event seemed to attract more visitors and felt more welcoming to him this year compared with 2021.

“I like how (Entheofest) is maturing and changing,” Strang said. “People are kind of learning as we go.”

Daily News Reporter Isabella Kassa can be reached at ikassa@ umich.edu.

University publishes first climate action report on sustainability progress, priorities

SAMANTHA RICH Daily Staff Reporter

The University of Michigan published its first climate action report detailing the University’s progress toward its sustainability and carbon neutrality goals during the 2022 fiscal year on Sept. 23.

In a press release obtained by The Michigan Daily, Interim University President Mary Sue Coleman said the University will continue its commitment to its carbon neutrality goals and collaborate with various stakeholders to achieve them.

“Carbon neutrality is at the heart of what we do; in planning and powering our buildings, deploying our buses, pursuing leading research, and making investments to fund such work,” Coleman wrote. “I look forward to building on our progress and learning from like-minded partners and communities as we pursue a more sustainable world. Together, we can take meaningful climate action.”

According to the report, the University has reduced its total greenhouse gas emissions by 25% from 2010 to 2022, achieving a goal to do so three years early.

This includes a 4% reduction in emissions in the past fiscal year.

The report also said the University is on track to reduce both scope one and two emissions by 50% by 2025. This is in line with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s recommendation to reduce emissions by 45% by 2030.

The University’s carbon neutrality plan — which was released in March 2021 — highlights three kinds of carbon emissions and unique timelines to reduce each type. Scope one includes direct carbon emissions from University facilities, which the University is working to eliminate entirely by 2040.

Scope two entails off-campus purchases of electricity, which the University hopes to achieve net-zero emissions by 2025. Scope three includes indirect carbon emissions from food and travel.

The University said they are working to define its goal and timeline for scope three emissions reduction by 2025.

The University’s carbon neutrality plan came as a result of continued student and community activism to push the University to take more aggressive action on climate change and go beyond the recommended emission reduction

targets. Throughout the twoyear process of creating the plan, the President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality engaged in extensive research by a group of faculty, students and other advisors starting in 2019.

In the past year, the University identified 50 energy conservation projects to finance through its Revolving Energy Fund, which in total, is estimated to reduce carbon emissions by over 5,600 metric tons per year. They also issued $300 million in green bonds and unveiled plans for geothermal heating and cooling systems. The University also released the U-M Emissions Reduction Dashboard this year, where members of the campus community can track carbon neutrality progress.

In a statement, the University highlighted its key priorities for climate action in the upcoming fiscal year.

“In the year ahead, key priorities include finalizing a renewable-power purchase agreement, initiating on-campus solar energy projects and partnering with like-minded institutions, consortia and community stakeholders,” the statement read.

comedy

Mary Sue Coleman present at her last meeting to talk new dorms, Michigan Stadium UMich reaches benchmark of 25% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

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Earthfest returns to Diag, promotes awareness of sustainable initiatives on campus

Planet Blue, Campus Farm Stand among those in attendance at annual event

TEAGAN STEBBINS Daily Staff Reporter

The windy and chilly weather on Thursday morning signaled that fall arrived right on time as students and community members gathered on the Diag to celebrate Earthfest, an annual event promoting sustainability initiatives and environmental justice organizations to the University of Michigan community.

LSA freshman Wan Alif Zafri Bin Wan Azmi came for the free apples but stayed to learn more about the different clubs and organizations. He said he liked the integration of sustainability into other aspects of campus life.

“I just want to learn more about initiatives on campus because I want to possibly integrate it into my studies,” he said.

Katrina Folsom, marketing and communications specialist for the Office of Campus Sustainability, highlighted the different projects and initiatives sponsoring Earthfest, including Planet Blue, the University’s overarching sustainability efforts and the School for Environment and Sustainability. Folsom said one of the goals of Earthfest is to reach different members of the U-M community, particularly given the widespread interest on campus.

“The goal is to connect students, faculty and staff to ways that they can get involved in sustainability here,” Folsom said. “We have student groups, we have community groups, we have campus units to help people find a way that they can tap into their interest in

sustainability.”

U-M Facilities and Operations, one of the booths at the event, brought new electric lawn mowers and offered information about the new electric buses that the organization will be introducing by the end of the academic year.

“The grounds department brought their new electric equipment,” Folsom said. “We got a whole suite of new electric battery-powered lawn equipment. They are quieter and have no emissions.”

Folsom also discussed ways students can directly make an impact by identifying ways to be more sustainable.

“(Planet Blue) places a real emphasis on how we’re all going to be part of the effort toward carbon neutrality, both institutional and individual,” Folsom said.

Planet Blue offered apples and apple cider while their student ambassadors

shared information on environmental behavior and handed out free stickers and reusable water bottles.

Michigan Dining provided snacks made from vegetables grown on the Campus Farm at Matthaei Botanical Garden. Additionally, the U-M Farm Stand held its weekly pop-up market in front of the University of Michigan Museum of Art.

Rackham student Isabella Beshouri, co-president of the U-M Sustainable Food Program, explained food sovereignty and what role the Campus Farm plays in accessibility.

“We’re bringing (access to locally grown fruit and vegetables) to students who might not otherwise be able to access it and giving them power within their food system by doing so,” Beshouri said.

The Campus Farm Stand — a weekly pop-up of locally grown produce — was also present at Earthfest and offered students a

30% discount. All proceeds to the farm stand go to funding student-led sustainable food initiatives. Beshouri also mentioned that Campus Farm is hosting HarvestFest, a sustainable food celebration on Sept. 25.

Art & Design senior Emily Tamulewicz, Student Life sustainability intern, demonstrated how to make paper out of recycled materials. As she constructed lilac-colored paper for the crowd, Tamulewicz said being sustainable also involves being creative.

“It’s exciting (hosting) events that inform people about what they can do to decrease waste, whether it’s fun crafts or a lot of composting,” Tamulewicz said. “We work a lot with the University as a whole as well to promote these ideas.”

LSA sophomore Elizabeth Guenther also took part in the fun, sipping apple cider and collecting free stickers. She said she appreciated the relaxed and educational atmosphere of Earthfest.

“A lot of the clubs pressure you (to join),” Guenther said. “But I feel like everyone here is more about educating people and letting people know about opportunities to help in the community and putting awareness out.”

LSA freshman Archana Chandran said she is always surprised when something new happens at the Diag and was not aware of Earthfest taking place on Thursday. But Chandran said she was happy to check out the different clubs and learn about the programs the University offers.

Here’s a breakdown of affirmative action ban at UMich, pending Supreme Court decision

KATE

Since 2006, the University of Michigan has been running what it calls a “natural experiment” in race-neutral admissions. Following a 2006 statewide vote that banned affirmative action in the state’s public universities, the University radically shifted its admissions procedures for the first time since 1963 by removing race from the admission process. On Oct. 31, the Supreme Court will hear the lawsuits brought by Students for Fair Admissions, an anti-affirmative action organization challenging racially informed admissions practices at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina.

In an amicus brief in support of Harvard and UNC, the University of Michigan argued the practice of ‘race blind’ admissions has failed. In the past 16 years, the percentage of Black students at the University has decreased from 7% to 4%. The percentage of Native American students dropped from 1 to 0.11 percent, a 90% reduction.

History of Affirmative Action: 1978-Present

In 1978, the Supreme Court ruled against racial quotas employed by the University of California Davis Medical School in Board of Regents v. Bakke. These quotas limited the number of students from each racial group that could be admitted to the school. However, Justice Lewis Powell wrote that using race as a criteria in admissions could be permissible if it were one of several criteria. The Court in Bakke ruled that using race as “one factor among many” is constitutional under the 14th Amendment, which provides all citizens equal protection under the law.

In 2003, the University of Michigan Law School programs made headlines in the Supreme Court case Grutter v. Bollinger.

Barbara Grutter, a white resident of Michigan and law school applicant, sued the Law School after she was denied admission. The court analyzed her case using the 14th Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race in educational programs receiving Federal funding. With a

majority opinion by former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the Law School’s admissions practices were constitutional under the Bakke decision. The undergraduate admissions practices, which utilized a “point system” providing explicit benefits to minority groups, were ruled unconstitutional in Gratz v. Bollinger, decided the same year.

University of Michigan law professor Michelle Adams said O’Connor’s opinion emphasized the “compelling state interests” of consideration of race in admissions practices.

“If there’s no exposure to a wider variety of individuals and viewpoints, those individuals are not going to be able to lead with any kind of authority, and it’s going to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the leadership class that gets created,” Adams said.

Michigan voters passed Proposal 2 in 2006, banning all affirmative action in the state’s public universities. In 2014, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Proposal 2 in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action.

Affirmative Action in Today’s Supreme Court

In anticipation of the Harvard and UNC cases, the University of Michigan filed its amicus brief, saying it has had difficulty cultivating racial diversity without affirmative action.

The amicus brief cited a decrease in racial diversity on campus since affirmative action was banned in the state of Michigan in 2006. The brief says the University supports the consideration of race in the admissions process.

“U-M’s experience thus represents a natural experiment in race-neutral admissions that this Court should consider in determining whether efficacious race-neutral alternatives are in fact available to Harvard, UNC, or other institutions of higher education,” the brief reads. “U-M’s experience underscores that the limited consideration of race is necessary to obtain the educational benefits of racial diversity.”

Adams said the University’s attempt to increase diversity and maintain a selective admissions process has proved difficult without affirmative action.

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Harvestfest at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens Sunday afternoon.

And that’s what you missed on … the Emmys!

SERENA

Like every award show, the Emmys had plenty of big wins, a number of snubs, a few questionable red carpet looks and whichever comedian they could wrangle into hosting. Some highlights of the evening include Jennifer Coolidge dancing to the outro music intended to cut her speech off, the “Only Murders in the Building” trio being the only presenters to land a joke and “The Bear” stars Ayo Edebiri and Jeremy Allen White presenting together (when he called her “chef,” my heart did melt, thank you for asking). No notable fist fights to report, but Jimmy Kimmel did “play dead” on the floor after losing in his nominated category. He then proceeded to lie there well after the bit was up and Quinta Brunson was called up to the stage to accept her award, which made the whole thing go from mildly awkward to outright disrespectful and interruptive to Quinta’s big win. I don’t know when we as a society will accept the fact that late-night show hosts are kind of the worst, but major props to Quinta for not kicking him right off the stage.

But alas, now we move on to the shows, the thing that the Emmys are actually about … right?

Succession

Could any other show have truly won Outstanding Drama Series? I mean, come on, it’s “Succession.”

A masterful depiction of a dysfunctionally filthy rich American corporate dynasty with an allaround treasure trove of an ensemble cast, each acting with the passion of a soap-opera character vying for the role of best scene-stealer.

At a whopping 25 nominations, “Succession” dominated the rest of the pack, with 14 going to its actors alone, breaking the record for the most ever acting nominations for a series. Although it lost out on the main acting categories aside from Matthew MacFadyen’s well-earned

Supporting Actor win, British creator Jesse Armstrong came out on top with an Outstanding Writing win for that iconic third season finale of finales, “All The Bells Say.”

During his acceptance speech, Armstrong jokingly remarked that it was a “Big week for successions. New king in the U.K., this for us,” but that there was “evidently a bit more voting in our winning than Prince Charles.”

Ted Lasso

After its acting category sweep last year, “Ted Lasso” is 2-0 for the gold and won Outstanding Comedy Series once again. In just two seasons, the Apple TV hit has racked up 40 nominations and 11 wins at the Emmys, with a notable win this year in the Outstanding Directing category for MJ Delaney and double streak acting wins for Jason Sudeikis and Brett Goldstein. Goldstein, consistent as ever, cheekily tried and failed to once again make it through his acceptance speech without swearing, an all too characteristic trait of his role as soccer player Roy Kent. At this point, a true Emmydarling, the show’s second season proved that it was in fact not a oneseason wonder. With all the heart of a sentimental underdog sports team and the sweet-talking optimism of nearly one too many puns, “Ted Lasso” is a kind, hopeful favorite among critics and viewers alike.

The White Lotus

The HBO anthology series “The White Lotus,” which went viral during the pandemic era for its comical portrayal of wealthy privileged vacationers, took home five awards: Outstanding Limited Series, Directing, Writing and Supporting Actor and Actress. Almost every member of the main cast was nominated in the Supporting category, which goes to show just how solid everyone’s performance was. Jennifer Coolidge and Murray Bartlett were more than deserving of their wins, with Coolidge’s performance as Tanya McQuoid evoking some of the most cringey hilarious moments of the series, while Bartlett played a

spiraling hotel manager whom you just couldn’t take your eyes off of. Speaking of Coolidge, her acceptance speech served to prove that her comedic timing knows absolutely no bounds. She had me literally gasping for air while laughing, when she shouted “Wait! Hold on!” as she danced to the outro music and continued on with her speech. Mike White won back-to-back awards for Writing and Directing, joking that his success has now increased his threat level à la “Survivor.” In short, White and the employees and guests

and thought-provoking. The series served as a platform to showcase the absolute powerhouse that is the Korean film and TV industry, evidenced by the fact that it is still the most-watched series on Netflix since its release on Sept. 21, 2022, holding onto its number one spot even after the release of season four of “Stranger Things.” Season two of “Squid Game” is highly anticipated, although it doesn’t look like we’ll be getting it for another two or so years.

Abbott Elementary

As one of the few network

Daily Arts runs a marathon: Introducing the runners (part 2)

DAILY ARTS WRITERS

In 2022, like in years before, the writers of The Michigan Daily Arts are stretching out their hammies to participate in a grueling challenge of mental fortitude and physical fitness: the Probility Ann Arbor Marathon. A little pretentious, a little weird, The Daily team is a mix of ex-trackletes. For the sake of journalism and prestige, The Daily’s tenacious review-writing gremlins are closing their laptops, tying up their Brooks and hitting the Ann Arbor pavement. Non-gremlin but marathon-interested University of Michigan students can sign up for the marathon with the discount code “Goblue25.” Individuals in the Campus or Ann Arbor community interested in volunteering at the Oct. 2 event should contact alise@ epicraces.com for more information. Read our first installment of runner introductions here.

Laine “Just Scraping By” Brotherton

run three. I may run like someone whose arms and legs don’t belong to them, and I may up my tempo and end early simply because I’m bored, but I want nothing more than to become a true runner: Someone who knows when to rest and when to go, how to stretch and what to eat. If I’m being completely honest, I also want to be someone who carries around pockets of flavored energy goo, just to see how it feels.

of the White Lotus resort know how to make a showstopper first season.

Squid Game

Continuing the “Squid Game” hype streak, Lee Jung-jae took home the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, making history as the first Asian man to win in the category and the first winner in the category to come from a nonEnglish show. Hwang Dong-hyuk triumphed in the director category, promising a better second season of “Squid Game” in his acceptance speech, which was ironic considering just how many records the first season broke. Considering the anxiety that “Red Light, Green Light” put me through, the win came as no surprise. I got some flashbacks when I saw that doll on stage. “Squid Game” effectively changed the genre of dystopian TV with a season that was equal parts terrifying

comedies still in the running at these award shows, “Abbott Elementary” revitalized the sitcom genre this year and quickly became one of the most popular comedy series on the air. The mockumentary-style sitcom features a strong ensemble cast, with Emmy-nominated recognition for its creator, writer and star Brunson, as well as its supporting cast Tyler James Williams and Janelle James, with a monumental win for Sheryl Lee Ralph. With seven nominations and three historic wins, Brunson became the second Black woman ever to win an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series. Its first season hit all the right notes, equally hilarious and heartwarming, with all the signs of a sitcom classic in the making,

My relationship with sports is like that of a child and their grumpy piano teacher — nothing I do is right and I never know where to put my hands. Seven-year-old me didn’t play soccer so much as she kicked the ball once or twice before losing track of where it was. Nine-year-old me was just fine on the neighborhood swim team, but competing made her anxious to the point of nausea. Ten-year-old me served a four-year tenure term playing softball but quit before it got too serious.

Despite this, I recognize that being fit and healthy is a privilege, and I really do feel my best when I’m in shape. The pandemic brought forth the most sedentary period of my life, and roughly a year ago I had a relatively invasive surgical procedure that prevented me from any high-impact activity. Following that period, I could hardly run a mile; now, after about two months of light running, I can comfortably

Jane Austen still knows a thing or two about love

PAULINE KIM Daily Arts Writer

I must confess — I didn’t actually want to read “Sense and Sensibility.”

It was mid-June and I was sprawled on the floor of my childhood friend’s bedroom, listening to the choppy audio and occasional laughs emanating from the corner of her bed where she was wrapped in blankets, scrolling through TikTok. I sat up and started scanning her bookshelves, pulled out Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility” and read the first 30 pages before realizing that it was boring and I’d rather not. But it was too late — 30 pages is a lot when you’re reading Austen’s tiny font size and dizzying sentence structure. I couldn’t throw away my hard work, so I read the whole book.

Surprisingly, I don’t regret it. Sure, “Sense and Sensibility” is frustratingly long and overall quite boring, and the actual plot doesn’t start until over halfway into the book — but none of these unfortunate aspects detract from an incredibly

thoughtful and redemptive ending that has stuck with me these past couple of months.

“Sense and Sensibility” is essentially about the love lives of two sisters (though I would argue that it’s more a character study than a romance). Elinor, the elder of the two, is level-headed and always strives to do what’s right. She tends to think thoroughly about an issue before deciding on a course of action. Marianne is pretty much her opposite: spontaneous and passionate in everything, she never holds back from fully expressing her joys and sorrows. Over the course of the novel, both sisters fall in love with men who end up breaking their hearts, and the way they respond to these bitter disappointments is the focal point of the story.

Marianne leans into her pain with no restraint, sobbing constantly and refusing to eat. For most of the latter third of the novel, she’s pale-faced and fragile, wandering the house in the dead of night like a ghost. But Elinor, out of love and consideration towards her mother and Marianne, bears her own sorrow with quiet

fortitude and carries on without betraying the slightest hint of inner turmoil. When Elinor’s secret heartbreak is revealed, Marianne is shocked and humbled by her sister’s self-denial — that’s the best part of the book.

The boring exposition, monotonous dinner parties and uninspiring conversations are worth it for this singular moment, when Marianne makes a lifealtering realization that challenges her entire worldview. Marianne, who always dismissed her sister’s self-possessed manner as a lack of passion, is shocked to find that what she mistook for indifference is actually love in its purest form: restraining oneself for another’s gain.

Pop culture typically teaches us to associate love with passion and gushy feelings. Everyone says to “follow your heart,” embrace your inner desires and pursue them without reserve. In short, be like Marianne. This individualistic mentality extends to our general attitude toward life — if something good doesn’t feel right to you

anymore, maybe it’s time to throw in the towel, because our emotions are everything. To be sure, there are times in life when putting yourself first is the right thing, like if you need to protect yourself from a harmful relationship. That said, this philosophy is problematic when taken too far: As Marianne herself experiences in “Sense and Sensibility,” pursuing your desires without consideration for other people can be hurtful and damaging. This exact brand of selfishness is what caused Marianne’s lover, Willoughby, to break her heart and crush her spirit — just so he could be rich and comfortable. Marianne’s unceasing devotion to her own desires made her so preoccupied with personal sorrow that, to her bitter regret, she was unaware of the immense pain Elinor was shouldering. Ironically, pursuing the intense emotions and desires that we assume will lead to great personal satisfaction can actually result in even greater selfishness.

Contrast this with the image of Elinor, suffering in silence and controlling her own heart-

wrenching emotions in order to shield her mother and Marianne — who are already burdened by Willoughby’s betrayal — from the additional blow of Elinor’s heartbreak. This kind of selfdenying love is something we recognize in our own lives, most often in our mothers. A loving mom is sacrificial and attentive to their child’s needs. Regardless of how tired or emotionally drained they might be feeling, they somehow set aside their

At present, I’m confident I would vomit before crossing the finish line, but I’m putting in writing my intention to turn that around before Oct. 2. Despite seven-hour days in the Chemistry building, 9 a.m. classes or my tendency to smack headfirst into the pavement when I run at dawn without glasses, I’m going to make it happen.

Following the pattern of most of my decision-making — a declaration of commitment without forethought — I have sworn myself to do something that I truly believed I would forever be capable of.

Zach “Hates Running But Loves Being Outside” Loveall

My first real experience with running was in middle school when, in an attempt to stay active, I signed up for the school track team. I was always a half-hearted participant — one of my events was the long jump because it meant a large chunk of practice was spent standing in line. I loathed the idea of running long distances. Every day that I had to run more than a couple of miles increased my temptation to quit the team. I stopped going after one year, switching to tennis instead.

own preferences in order to give their best to their kids. When you think about everything moms do on a daily basis, it sounds exhausting — and yet, a mother’s care is often celebrated as the noblest, most elevated form of love known to humankind. There is true beauty in sacrifice, and it’s far more weighty and honest than the dizzying infatuation that is sometimes passed off as love.

‘See How They Run’: A whodunit with no mystery

ZACH LOVEALL Daily Arts Writer

Whodunits are a classic subgenre of mystery. From Agatha Christie’s work to modern takes like “Knives Out,” these stories take the conventional idea of a detective story a step further by immersing the audience in the mystery, giving them clues so they can, theoretically, figure out the puzzle for themselves. Parodies of the genre are almost as old, like the black comedy mystery “Clue.” “See How They Run” attempts to unite the authentic and the satirical, but fails to understand what makes mysteries interesting in the first place: the mystery itself.

Set in 1950s London, “See How They Run” tells the story of novice Police Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women”) and jaded Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell, “Jojo Rabbit”) who are investigating the death of condescending asshole filmmaker Leo Köpernick (Adrien

Brody, “The French Dispatch”). Köpernick was murdered at a party for the 100th performance of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” — a real play that has run for over 70 years on London’s West End.

Despite attempts from filmmakers, the play has famously never been made into a movie. Its contract rights stipulate it could only be adapted to film once six months had passed since its stage run ended. Because of its historic run, however, this has yet to occur. We are instead given a whodunit about the classic whodunit.

Ronan does the heavy lifting in the character department of this film. I found it impossible to care about any character but Stalker, as she was the only person in the movie with depth or a likable personality. Ronan by far has the best comedic timing of the cast. I laughed at almost every joke — which were few and in between — that came from her. Stalker is the only character who feels like she has motivations for her actions,

naively writing down every piece of information she hears in an attempt to solve the mystery as quickly as possible. She is the saving grace of this film, giving the audience a thin thread of emotional connection to the plot and characters.

Besides Ronan, the rest of the star-studded cast all play eccentric characters, but none of whom the audience is given reasons to like or care about. Rockwell’s Inspector Stoppard is meant to be a man broken by years of work, a war injury and an unfaithful wife, but he comes across as an uncaring detective to which the writers forgot to add depth. I’m especially disappointed with Rockwell’s acting; he won an Oscar just five years ago for his performance in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” but here he seems content mumbling all of his lines without emotion. The timehardened detective is an enduring trope with which Rockwell does nothing.

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Personalities abound in Graeme Macrae Burnet’s ‘Case Study’

‘American Horror Stories’ returns for a second twisted anthology

SWARA RAMASWAMY Daily Arts Writer

I cannot stand horror movies. I flinch at every jump scare and end up watching most of it through my fingers. And yet, over the past five years, I have found myself shamelessly entranced by “American Horror Story” (AHS). From its debut season “Murder House” to the fan-favorite “Coven” to the most recent “Double Feature,” I have seen it all. “AHS” became famous due to its commitment to each season’s terrifying theme, the range of its cast members and some of the craziest plot twists and endings known to man.

JULIAN WRAY Book Beat Editor

Content warning: mentions of suicide.

When Rebecca recounts her sister Veronica’s suicide, she notes that a young man tried to intervene. He reached for Veronica but was too late. He caught her shoe as she fell from the overpass. “The second shoe was never recovered,” Rebecca narrates, “but as her feet were two sizes larger than mine, I could not in any case have worn them.”

Such is the sardonic tone that runs through “Case Study,” Graeme Macrae Burnet’s Bookernominated, brilliant and often disquieting work of psychological fiction. The novel is composed of two parts: a biography of the fictional 1960s psychologist Collins Braithwaite, and the notebooks of one of his patients, Rebecca.

Only her name isn’t Rebecca. The writer of the notebooks is a 20-something girl from London.

She works as a secretary and lives at home with her father and has no desire to marry and move out of the house. Her mother died when she was 15, and her sister died recently.

In a published collection of Braithwaite’s case studies, “Rebecca” recognizes her sister in a patient called “Dorothy.” In the chapter, Braithwaite gives Dorothy a thought exercise: If you had one day to do whatever you wanted without consequence, what would you do?

“Eventually, the color rose to her cheeks. I asked her what she was thinking,” Braithwaite’s notes read. Dorothy doesn’t share her thoughts, but Braithwaite asks what the consequences would be if she indulged in them.

“‘Nothing,’ she said. ‘There would be no consequences.’ I told her that she could do or be whatever she wanted. She seemed greatly unburdened. She did not, she told me, want to be Dorothy any longer.”

Rebecca recognizes this patient to be her sister from the way she

gingerly reclines on a settee and uses the word “melodramatic.”

She notes that Braithwaite’s office was “only a few minutes walk from the overpass from which Veronica had thrown herself.” She makes an appointment with Braithwaite. She means to learn more about him — or find proof that he led her sister to her end.

On the train to Braithwaite’s office, the narrator decides she can’t reveal who she is. He’d recognize her name and the details of her life from her sister’s own sessions. We never learn her real name, only the one she tells Braithwaite: Rebecca Smyth (with a Y).

What follows from this first flirtation with the Rebeccapersona is a spiral into the performative problem of identity itself — as she plays the role of Rebecca, a clever and worldly woman in Braithwaite’s office, she feels it carve out more and more of her.

On September 8, creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk wrapped up season two of their spinoff “American Horror Stories,” an anthology with each episode featuring new cast members and new stories. Season one made its debut last summer to an overall positive reception, as fans were delighted to see the introduction of fresh talent, some of whom entered the main cast of “AHS” in season 10.

Season two of “American Horror Stories” had its highs and lows, kicking off with episode one, “Dollhouse,” bringing us the story of Mr. Van Wirt (Denis O’Hare, “True Blood”), a man

with an unhealthy obsession with dolls, his victims and his son, Otis (Houston Jax Towe, “Animal Kingdom”). What made “Dollhouse” the standout of the season, however, was its ending. Devoted “AHS” fans will notice that the women with whom Otis leaves at the end of the episode are witches, and as we find in an incredibly satisfying moment, Otis is none other than a young Spalding, the mute butler in American Horror Story’s “Coven,” who was also played by Denis O’Hare. As a sweeter touch, we see a young girl with large glasses and crimped red hair run out of the famous Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies, introducing herself as Myrtle Snow and claiming that one day, she’ll run the academy. “AHS” fans know how that one turned out. “Coven” featured some of the series’ most beloved characters, and the little reveal at the end served as a great way to keep fans connected to the main body of the story while also ensuring that “Dollhouse” was a great episode in its own right, unmarred by fan service.

While “American Horror Stories” does feature fresh talent, viewers do see some familiar faces scattered across the episodes. Episode two, “Aura,” stars Max Greenfield (“New Girl”) as Bryce and

Gabourey Sidibe (“Precious”) as his wife Jaslyn, the latter of whom is well known for her role as Queenie in American Horror Story’s “Coven”, “Hotel” and “Apocalypse.” The couple buys an Aura device, akin to the modernday Ring home security system and quickly begins experiencing supernatural hauntings through it. Episode three, “Drive,” stars Disney icon Bella Thorne (“The Babysitter”) playing a party girl who’s just trying to have a good time and “AHS” alum Nico Greetham (“Love, Victor”), who may or may not be a part of the creepy nightlife that follows her home. All four actors showcased their range in their respective episodes as the plots twisted and turned and ultimately landed on their heads. Both “Aura” and “Drive” showcase the classic “AHS” formula with great success:

Introduce the extremely normal main characters

Oh no! Some disturbing stuff is happening to our very normal characters

Guess what! Our super normal characters are, in fact, not so normal!

Despite the potential for distraction with some popular faces, these two episodes felt like classic “AHS.” The second

Arts Talks: Taylor Jenkins Reid’s new release ‘Carrie Soto is Back’

DAILY ARTS WRITERS

Following in the footsteps of The Michigan Daily Arts’ Music Talks, The Michigan Daily Arts section presents Arts Talks, a series where

Daily Arts Writers gather to discuss their opinions on and reactions to the latest and major releases in the Arts world.

In this segment of Arts Talks, three Daily Arts Writers well-versed in the Taylor Jenkins Reid Universe review TJR’s recent publication, “Carrie Soto is Back,” discuss her authorship and deliberate over her other mainstream work.

This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity and brevity.

could be off-putting to some people, but I think TJR explains tennis really well. The thing about sports fiction is that it’s also so fun to read; it’s exciting and engaging because you can’t help but wonder what’s going to happen next. The story itself is very fast-paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Lillian Pearce, Managing Arts Editor: I, like many Taylor Jenkins Reid (TJR) fans, came to “Carrie Soto is Back” with high expectations. She’s the bestselling author of eight novels, and “Carrie Soto is Back” follows the particularly renowned “Malibu Rising”, “Daisy Jones & The Six” and “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.” All of these books became popular on BookTok, and for good reason — they’re entertaining, easy to read and fun. Though all of her books engage in the same fictional universe, there are a lot of parallels to and influence from reality; I think that’s partly why they’re so easy to eat up.

Ava Seaman, Daily Arts Writer: Yeah! When I first read the synopsis of “Carrie Soto is Back,” I immediately thought of Serena Williams. Like Williams, Carrie Soto is a tennis player who’s been playing since a very young age under the direction of her father (and ex-professional tennis player), Javier. Carrie eventually becomes the greatest player of all time, earning the record for most Grand Slam titles before she retires. It’s this record that becomes her claim to fame and functions as the primary source of conflict in the book; the novel is about Carrie’s comeback and how she trains and relearns tennis in this new age of the sport. Even though it’s only been six years since she retired, the game has changed, and the players have improved.

This is a sports fiction novel, which is incredibly different from TJR’s previous works that have focused on other distinct eras (’70s music scene, ’50s Hollywood, etc). It

LP: The first 20% of the book focuses on how Carrie started playing tennis with her father, who was a famous player in Argentina known as “The Jaguar.” There’s a brief description of his move to the United States, where he works as a trainer and meets Carrie’s mother, who ends up dying when Carrie is very young. Javier’s grief is evident in how he pours himself and all that he knows into his daughter. From the moment Carrie first picks up a racket, he claims that she’ll be the greatest player of all time. “Carrie Soto is Back” is a story about a father and daughter as much as it is about tennis.

AS: Her relationship with her father is definitely as complicated as it is interesting. I think the reason for that is the lack of a relationship with her mother — the lack of motherly affection and warmth that fathers typically aren’t expected to have (though they can obviously still provide it). Javier makes up for this absence with his affection on and off the tennis court; their relationship is so compelling because it’s not what we typically see in fictional fatherdaughter duos.

LP: Another compelling aspect of “Carrie Soto” is that we, as readers of TJR’s previous works, came to it with preconceived notions of who Carrie Soto is.

AS: Carrie Soto makes an appearance in “Malibu Rising” when she cheats with the protagonist’s husband, another tennis player. We therefore already have this idea that Carrie is a very cold, icy woman, who knowingly had an affair with a married man; the idea that she’s not a likable person sets the tone for “Carrie Soto is Back,” and for our perception of Carrie herself in particular.

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Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Nichols Lewis

Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Nichols Lewis

JOHN JACKSON Statement Columnist

For as long as I can remember, I’ve heard trains in the night. Railroads snake all along the Mississippi River, through Memphis, past its hallowed streets of soul music. The tracks run up the Hudson, through Rhinebeck, past its Dutch barns and vast orchards.

Only now, in Ann Arbor, where I hear the bells and whistles on the banks of the Huron, the sounds of cargo hurrying to its destination, do I finally realize how empty my nights would feel without the sounds of trains.

I’ve relied on the railroads for most of my life: not just for white noise while I sleep, but for travel. My dependence on the Amtrak system led me to wonder what motivates others to embark on a train, and what specific pros and cons accompany rail travel in a small city without a subway system.

To investigate the stories of those who rely on long distance public transit, I set out to the Ann Arbor station, positioned at a quaint corner of Kerrytown, under an overpass. The little brick station is familiar, but tonight, eerie. It seems almost abandoned, walls swimming in the fading autumn light.

Once there, I wait for trains, but more importantly, for those embarking on them.

***

Clutching tight to my mother’s hand, I waited for my first train, in Upstate New York, almost a decade ago. It came in an instant, kicking up shrouds of dust and a great clamor. At my eye level, sturdy steel wheels loomed and immense, miscellaneous cogs and gears assembled tenderly in a great mass, as if some great mechanical beast

STATEMENT

Demystifying Ann Arbor’s train station

had thundered into my path.

The conductor, clad all in navy, topped with a signature cap, emerged though the widening door, arm outstretched to welcome us aboard.

“Hurry,” he seemed to say, “I couldn’t stop this thing even if I wanted to.”

The warm wooden walls evoked great spectacle, as if men in tuxedos were soon to serve us steak on little silver platters. Someone had carefully laid out carpet long ago, all along the aisles, and though the seats were covered in protective plastic, the train car screamed of magnificence, of great days long since passed.

The beast chugged steadily, every hour of every day, to and from New York City, to the south. It made for great company, this great mechanical beast, and I grew and changed alongside its plastic seats and fading carpet. Through teenage angst and newfound confidence, I rode ceaselessly, back and forth, up and down the river, all the while resting my head against a sweaty backpack or fiddling with a new day’s crossword puzzle.

This summer, I decided, it was time to let the train carry me back to Ann Arbor.

With bags packed and a family wished goodbye, I boarded again, tentatively, headed north, not south.

When the ticket collector appeared, I asked her, “Can I just stay in this one seat? All the way to Ann Arbor?”

“Sure,” she explained, “The train decouples and reassembles at specific stops. This segment is headed all the way through to Chicago.”

Spectacular.

As the miles passed, at first, I simply put in earbuds and watched the land fly by outside the window.

I saw more of the northeastern countryside than I’d ever seen, distracted as I usually was by traffic and the distinct concentration that comes along with the operation of a motor vehicle. Herons flew low over the marsh. Rows and rows of crops grew ever steadily toward the sunlight.

As dark settled in, I turned inward, toward books and movies, rising only occasionally to stretch my legs or purchase a snack from the kindly man working near the front.

My evening was sleepless: a marked con, I will admit.

Try as I might, twisting my neck to and fro at different angles, I could never quite get comfortable against the unforgiving glass panes of the window. Strange to think I had more legroom than an airplane, a lower angle to recline my seat.

Perhaps the excitement of the train journey kept me awake. Perhaps the prospect of Ann Arbor. Who could say?

***

I discovered the long-range public transportation in Ann Arbor my freshman year, when I found myself lonely, stressed and desperately in need of a weekend vacation.

Luckily, a friend at the University of Notre Dame offered to put me up on his couch, and I commenced planning an affordable travel plan. As an out-of-state student, my family was 600 miles away and couldn’t be relied upon to provide me with airfare or a car to borrow. After a night of hasty internet research, I set off to South Bend, printed tickets in hand, with a meticulously planned web of Amtrak trains and charter buses.

Since then, I’ve increased my weekend wandering to Columbus, Kalamazoo and Traverse City,

almost entirely via public transit. The stations where train cars stop along the way, waiting to be decoupled and reassembled at half a hundred stations, are brimming with distinct quirks.

Ann Arbor’s is no different.

It’s quiet inside. The ticket office within appears closed, the waiting room vacant.

Fading light of evening trickles through tall windows, overpowering the fluorescent lights inside the waiting room. In lieu of any music in the lobby, background noise streams from the traffic on Depot Street, a chorus of mechanical growls. The abrasive sound outside feels almost a mockery of the more ancient method of travel fostered within these walls.

A University of Michigan doctoral student, Traci Lombre, is the first to arrive. She tells me she always travels via train when her schedule permits it. The company she works for flew her to Michigan, and offered to fly her back, but she refused. “(The train) gives me more time to stretch out and get work done while still heading somewhere.”

“It’s just efficient,” she explains. “Sometimes you just don’t want to drive.”

Another traveller, Reid Charles, used to be a licensed pilot, but he hasn’t flown in three years. “I’ve got over a million miles in the air,” he says, “but (planes) are too crowded. Lousy. I prefer Amtrak.”

Many of those I spoke with were frequent commuters on Amtrak trains. None mentioned feeling any insecurity over their safety, instead criticizing the scheduling delays or surge ticket prices.

While comfort and convenience are crucial, I was shocked to discover that no one cited

environmental concerns as their motivator, despite an amassing pile of evidence on public transit’s potential for reducing carbon emissions.

Though it’s perhaps unrealistic to expect others to base their travel plans on climate sustainability, (particularly in the wake of news that many celebrities’ private jet emissions can dwarf an average citizens’ lifetime emissions in a single year) I maintain that reduced carbon output is a key factor in the necessity for public transportation.

Content in the knowledge that you’re enacting a small positive change, spending the day watching the miles roll by, has always been, for me, well worth any minor hassles that may arise.

Our Ann Arbor station is the epitome of functional. Neither pretty nor ugly, it simply rests there, as if anxious to hurry on with its proceedings, just like the many passengers I encountered.

Distinct from an airport, however, it emanates a quiet sense of charm.

GABBY CERITANO/Daily

While everyone I spoke with criticized delays or prices, they did so with smiles on their faces, as if they were clued in on a secret, and I knew it too. The antique magic of the train station was a rare gem, and we were all lucky to have discovered it.

As I prepared to walk away for the night, letting the glass door close behind me and bracing against the chill of the night air, a thundering rattle came upon the station suddenly, followed by the occasional screech of scraping metal and the soft, and periodic blaring of the horn I can never quite escape hearing in my sleep.

The train hurtled past with all the might of the Industrial Revolution, rusted steel crates smattered with the new age graffiti of a hundred cities’ trainyards, and watching it pass, I was overcome with a childish glee. This machine would keep on chugging. Long after I’m gone.

Statement Columnist John Jackson can be reached at writejpj@ umich.edu.

Students are paying to do unpaid labor; What the ‘U’ can do

HALEY JOHNSON Statement Correspondent

I like to joke that I came into college as an idealistic liberal arts student and came out with a job in big tech. One day I was taking classes in political theory, philosophy and English rhetoric. The next thing I knew all I cared about was coding and passing technical interviews.

I’m not alone in this experience. I have friends who started as compassionate pre-med students but became consultants; I know engineers who had high ambitions of saving the world but ended up with jobs in the military-industrial complex.

These radical career shifts aren’t an indictment on any individual. Rather, they’re a reflection of a higher education system that is increasingly concerned with

market demand that college students devote less time to learning for the sake of learning and more time to learning how to become employable. Educational accreditation emerged too, ensuring that students (mostly in master’s degree programs) had the right hands-on experience before entering a particular job market, such as specific courses engineering students need to take or requiring clinical experience for Masters of Public Health candidates.

Out of this comes the phenomenon of unpaid labor-ascoursework. Different departments at Michigan call it different names; in the School of Social Work, master’s students have to complete over 900 hours of “field work” to graduate. In the School of Information, graduating seniors spend a year working on “capstone projects” with external clients.

“application of theory in practice, motivation, management skills such as strategic planning, and professionalism.”

At the University of Michigan, however, these courses are often a waste of time at best and exploitative of undergraduate students at worst.

***

One recent alum, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of professional repercussions, completed four client-based courses during her undergraduate and master’s degree programs at the School of Information. In this article, she’ll be referred to as Thea. In the School of Information, students in client-based courses work in teams and still meet regularly in the classroom with an instructor to learn about project management, consulting and professionalism.

Thea likened her experience to

essentially doing the jobs of fulltime employees.

Engineering senior Mohnish Aggarwal, a computer science major, was interested in applying to CoE’s Multidisciplinary Design Program (MDP) and working with an industry-sponsored team. According to their website, the program “provides team-based, ‘learn by doing’ opportunities” so students can “apply what you learn in class to engineering design projects.”

Despite his initial interest, Aggarwal changed his mind when he learned of the program’s exploitative nature.

“For most companies (in MDP), you’re guaranteed nothing but (unpaid) work experience and college credit,” Aggarwal explained. “But these projects do benefit the companies monetarily, and the companies would otherwise need to hire a professional to complete them.”

Recent corporate partners include General Motors (2021 revenue $132 billion), Hyundai ($99 billion) and JP Morgan Chase ($121 billion). All of these companies could afford to pay students for their time but would certainly prefer not to have to. Instead of using the corporate world’s ageold tricks to extract cheap labor, the University serves up eager students to them under the guise of learning.

notables criteria that courts must consider are “the extent to which the intern’s work complements, rather than displaces, the work of paid employees while providing significant educational benefits to the intern” and “the extent to which the internship is tied to the intern’s formal education program by integrated coursework to the receipt of academic credit.”

MDP and UMSI’s client-based courses seem to exist in a gray area between these two standards. Both include classroom components, but the first standard — that students don’t do the work of full-time employees but, rather, receive some educational benefit — is stickier.

UMSI students are most definitely not doing the work of full-time employees, but it’s unclear how much educational value is in their capstone projects.

MDP students’ experience, on the other hand, sounds a lot like they’re doing the work of full-time employees.

And the kicker: These students are paying the University for these opportunities. They’re paying to work for free, and it seems as though the law doesn’t care.

***

out of their wheelhouse that they were so stressed,” she said.

Thea attributed students’ lackluster experience with experiential learning to UMSI’s Engaged Learning Office, which is responsible for client outreach and selection. Fundamentally, she thought the clients were too “hit or miss” to consistently provide highquality experiences to students. UMSI provides a list of client requirements for prospective partners — notably absent is any information about UMSI’s curriculum or selecting projects that are appropriate for students.

Sarah, a second-year Masters of Social Work (MSW) student who asked to remain anonymous due to fear of academic retaliation, echoed similar concerns to Thea. Social work students typically complete over 900 hours of work at field placements in order to graduate in accordance with accreditation requirements set by the Council on Social Work Education.

making its graduates “employable.”

English rhetoric wasn’t going to pay, but I was fairly certain that learning to code was. It was a pragmatic decision, driven by the fact that I wasn’t willing to accept more economic uncertainty than I had to. And it was better to know I had in-demand skills than hope someone would recognize the value of my liberal arts education.

Rising student loan debt and a competitive entry-level job

All of these programs serve similar purposes: to give students hands-on experience in their fields of study.

Why? The PR-friendly answer is that experiential learning and client-based courses have been shown to improve students’

“busy work.”

“A lot of the time you’re doing work that has no impact for the company or the client that you’re working for,” she explained.

“It’s really framed as ‘ooh you’re helping them do these things.’ But in reality, had we not done these projects it would not make any difference in the client’s life.”

While some students were struggling to see the value of experiential learning, others were

This isn’t to say that experiential learning isn’t without value, but there are few protections to ensure that students aren’t exploited. On a national level, unpaid internships have been regulated for years under the Fair Labor and Standards Act. Even if rules regarding unpaid internships often go unenforced, having books on the law can occasionally provide legal recourse for exploited students. At the very least, it incentivizes companies to meet some minimum standard for educational value.

It’s unclear if programs like MDP qualify as unpaid internships under Department of Labors (DOL) standards. Labor courts use the “primary beneficiary test” to determine if someone is an unpaid intern or an exploited employee. The test is vague and avoids setting hard criteria, and it’s unclear to what extent it applies to public institutions like the University. Two

Thea, whose master’s degree is in Library and Archival Science within the School of Information, did one project for an archival collection that was primarily “social media analysis, which isn’t something that the master’s program is trained in at all.”

She spent hours examining how many likes and comments the archive’s Instagram account had.

“At the end, we just presented a document that was like ‘we saw that posts of scenery were most popular.’ What does that provide for this client that they couldn’t see by just looking at the Instagram themselves?” she said.

Thea had positive experiences in some of her client-based courses but knew she couldn’t count on UMSI for a consistent experience.

“I know so many people in my bachelor’s and master’s cohorts who have really enjoyed the projects and been able to flex what they’ve learned,” Thea said. “But then there have been so many on the other side of that. Either the project that they got was so easy that they were just kind of messing around most of the time or it was so

Sarah said she was fortunate to have a high-quality placement, but acknowledged that others were not as lucky. Per the School of Social Work’s guidelines, fieldwork supervisors must meet with the students for at least one hour a week. But according to Sarah, many of her peers had even less time with their supervisors and were provided with little to no mentorship.

“Field placements are really, really uneven,” Sarah said. I’m getting a ton of education, it still sucks that (my placement) is making money on me seeing clients that I’m not getting a single penny for, but I feel like I’m getting a ton of attention from my supervisor,” she said. “I think so many people are neither making money, nor are they learning. I’m not making any money, but at least I’m learning.”

In fall 2020, the University’s MSW students founded the Payment for Placement (P4P) campaign, which advocates for students to be paid a stipend while they complete their fieldwork.

According to a survey administered by P4P, just 12% of MSW students receive stipends during their field practicum and 74% of students said they had to work an additional job to cover expenses.

Engineering students can apply to work on “industry-sponsored teams” through the College of Engineering’s Multidisciplinary Design Program.

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The orgasm gap

Michigan in Color

Slipping through my fingers

ROSHNI MOHAN MiC Columnist

KAILANA DEJOIE MiC Columnist

Across the globe, women have disproportionately suffered from a longstanding disparity in stark comparison to those in Queer relationships: the orgasm gap. If you are not familiar with this phe nomenon, it is defined in a study by Grace M. Wetzel et al. as being “the well-established discrepancy in orgasm frequency between cisgender men and women when engaging in heterosexual part nered sex, with men having more orgasms than women on average.”

While this should not be a foreign concept, spending four years in a predominantly cisgender, het erosexual, capitalism-centric campus has helped me put into perspective just how pressing it is that we have intentional conver sations about our pleasure, espe cially when these forces permeate into all aspects of our daily lives.

The term “orgasm gap” is pre dominantly used to refer to the discrepancy in orgasm rates between heterosexual women and men. While the term typi cally encompasses women’s sex ual experiences with men, other types of orgasm gaps also exist, such as the gaps between (a) women engaged in partnered sex versus masturbation, (b) women engaged in sex with other women versus with men and (c) women engaged in casual versus rela tionship sex, etc. according to the research literature.

I will specifically be exploring the socio-cultural significance of the orgasm discrepancies in heterosexual couples. I will also be cross-analyzing similar data representing those in the Queer community to illustrate that the orgasm gap is most prevalent in heterosexual relationships. This will highlight that, for the most part, straight men are indeed most responsible for this gap.

More specifically, the differ ences in sexual behavior among those with varying sexualities are an indication of how deeply ingrained the patriarchy is in our daily rituals. To the men reading this, I would like to give some of you the benefit of the doubt; I am sure you may genuinely want to make your partner climax — whether that is to inflate your sense of self or actually meet their needs is another question — but you must first recognize that soci ety has misguided you in how to achieve this outcome consistently, if at all.

Moving forward, I ask that you read this article with the same level of consideration and sensi tivity as you would when learning about any other social injustice. The way we approach the plea sure of others is a reflection of how we perceive the personhood and bodily autonomy of those we share such vulnerable experi ences with. To not acknowledge this fact is to deprive intimacy of its nuance, complexities and most importantly, its humanity.

While doing extensive research on this topic, I have found that the language in these studies can feel a bit dense. Therefore, I will try my best to make this writ ing accessible to all audiences by omitting any overzealous scien tific jargon. If you are more curi ous about the specific details of each of the studies, they can be found referenced throughout the article. I would also like to preface that there is a clear discrepancy in the extent of research conducted among heterosexual couples ver sus Queer couples, which makes

the data more difficult to crossexamine across identities. None theless, that does not mean there is insufficient data to prove that straight men are significantly more responsible for the orgasm gap than any other group.

In a study conducted by sexual health researchers, David A. Fred erick et al. examined a representa tive sample of adults in the United States, concluding that “hetero sexual men were most likely to say they usually-always orgasmed when sexually intimate (95%), fol lowed by gay men (89%), bisexual men (88%), lesbian women (86%), bisexual women (66%) and het erosexual women (65%).” Further, regardless of whether you’re in a committed relationship or a casu al fling, on average, 95% of het erosexual men ejaculate from sex, while only 18% of women orgasm from vaginal intercourse alone.

If you’re a man reading this and you’re thinking “nah bro my stroke game is crazy, I can make any girl cream,” please allow me to dispel the illusion you have created by providing some peerreviewed, statistical findings.

When having sex with a famil iar partner, there were no signifi cant differences between orgasm rates for heterosexual (86%), gay (85%) or bisexual (78%) men.

On the contrary, orgasms rates among women differed across sexualities, where lesbian women reported experiencing orgasms at a statistically significant high er rate (75%) than heterosexual (62%) or bisexual (58%) women.

Another, more recent study con ducted by Elizabeth A. Mahar et al. in 2020, used a sample of 800 undergraduate students, and found that 91% of men versus 39% of women reported usually or always experiencing orgasm in partnered sex. Gay men were also 28% more likely than het erosexual men to say their part ners always orgasm and 16% more likely to say they usually-always orgasm. Interestingly, in the context of a familiar partner, a recent large-scale survey of 2,850 individuals revealed that lesbian women are more likely than both heterosexual and bisexual women to orgasm during partnered sex, a finding subsequently replicated in an even larger survey of over 50,000 dating, married, remar ried or cohabiting people.

Mahar et al. also found that for women identifying as bisex ual who had engaged in onenight stands with both men and women, 64% reported frequently or always orgasming when their partner was a woman while only 7% of these same women report ed frequently or always orgas ming when their partner was a man. In short, research finds that women’s orgasm rates seem to be context-dependent (i.e., sex with a man vs. another woman, casual vs. relationship sex), with women being least likely to orgasm during casual sex with male partners.

You may be wondering what some of the reasons for these dis crepancies are, to which we can point to our social organization of sexuality and cultural scripts surrounding the act of sex. The disproportionate value we have placed on a man’s pleasure ver sus a woman’s informs how we behave in the bedroom. This valuation is often based on one’s exposure to the idea that women’s bodies are meant for procreation and, in turn, that sex is intended to be pleasing only to the man. It has been found that many women have even internalized this belief with existing research indicating that women feel an obligation to

soothe the male ego by orgasming during intercourse.

One qualitative study found that female participants reported being concerned about hurting their male partner’s confidence if they did not have an intercoursebased orgasm. Further, these women believed that asking their partners for clitoral stimulation would “hurt their partners’ feel ings,” where this prioritization of their partner suggests a lack of entitlement to sexual pleasure. Since women’s bodies have been commodified throughout history for the sake of procreation, many of our instincts in the bedroom derive from this generational trauma. Women are also less likely to communicate to their partners how they need to be stimulated in order to orgasm, each of these being factors positively correlated with reaching orgasm.

The overwhelming concen tration on penetrative sex in heterosexual relationships, stem ming from the emphasis on male pleasure and women’s ability to procreate, further explains these findings. While reports vary depending on how the question is worded, studies overwhelm ingly suggest that only about 18% of women indicate that vaginal penetration alone is sufficient for orgasm to occur. Furthermore, when a convenience sample of over 500 undergraduate students was asked to indicate “their most reliable route to orgasm,” only 4% indicated penetration alone.

Instead, 43% said they most reli ably orgasmed when pairing pen etration with clitoral stimulation (e.g., with hands or vibrators), and 34% said they most reliably orgasmed during sexual activities focusing exclusively on clitoral stimulation (e.g., oral sex, manual stimulation, vibrator stimulation).

On top of this, it has been found that men largely overestimate the consistency of orgasms for their partners, most likely as a result of their misconceptions on how to please. Men tend to feel emas culated when they are unable to perform well during sex — wheth er this means not lasting long enough or thrusting hard enough — therefore, this overinflation of self-perceived skill aims to pro tect their self-image.

So why does this matter? While the orgasm gap in and of itself is problematic, its existence has wider implications for society’s perception of women’s bodies and their humanity. No matter how progressive you perceive yourself to be as a man, the data shows that you are most likely reinforc ing patriarchal notions of sex whether you’re aware of it or not. The existence of these patriarchal structures is not necessarily your own fault, but you will always benefit from it, and by being complicit in this system, you are exploiting your male privilege in not challenging these misogynis tic perceptions.

To challenge this, we must first acknowledge the deep-seated his tory of the colonization of wom en’s bodies to serve the needs of man. We have quite literally built our entire society on the backs of our women, with their bodies his torically being seen as a means to an end: to procreate, expand the workforce and ultimately maxi mize productivity. This reinforces the idea that women’s pleasure is not a necessary component of sexual experiences; rather, their bodies exist to serve the needs of external societal forces at the expense of their personal needs.

“Slipping Through My Fin gers,” from ABBA’s album The Visitors, is an indie-meets-folkand-pop song that is anything but unknown. Having garnered hun dreds of millions of streams, form ing multiple TikTok trends and stemming from one of the most well-known pop groups, the song is definitely well cherished. Yet, the song means more to me than just a background audio or catchy tune. When I listen to this song, I can’t help but think of my parents and how they must feel now: about how for the first time in 23 years, both their children are out of the house, whereas silence now coats the walls, pouring down from the melancholy ceilings. The song is about a mother’s realization of how fast her daughter is growing up as she gets ready for school — how she wishes to reach out and grab what’s left of her daughter’s childhood and hold her close to her heart forever but is unable to. The song reminds me of my own parents, but more specifically, my father. Perhaps it’s because my mother has always been more vocal about how she feels about us leaving. Maybe it’s because I never thought to wonder how my father felt. Or maybe it is simply because he is an ABBA fan. But regardless of the reason, for those three min utes and 53 seconds, I can’t help but think about my father and my relationship.

My father never shared much of the music he listened to with us. Since I can remember, a silence during our car rides was evaded by blasting whatever artists my brother and I fixated ourselves on at the time. It started with the soundtrack from “Barney & Friends.” Over time, we transi tioned from listening to Hannah Montana, to then switching to Nicki Minaj, before finally mov ing on to Faye Webster. My father didn’t complain too much about not getting aux. He did, however,

comment on and critique every song we played. He’d praise my brother’s pick of Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak album until he focused on the lyrics, when he’d critique both the explicit nature of the song and us for choosing to listen to it. Other times he would forcefully drum his fingers onto the steering wheel, missing every beat by a second, overpower ing the sound of the actual beat when Selena Gomez & the Scene was on. Occasionally, he’d nod his head or gently tap his leg, making a crinkly noise from the material of his shorts, when I’d play Katy Perry. He’d overly compliment Taylor Swift’s soft Folklore and ask if it was her newest album that he heard about on the news and complain about how loud Icona Pop’s “I Love It” was every time I played it during elementary school. But every once in a while, he’d queue up some Bon Jovi and ABBA, a Michael Jackson CD or a few Tamil ones from a movie he’d made us watch multiple times and refuse to change it no matter how much we pleaded, pushing our hands away every time we tried to reach for his phone or the CD eject button. We complained, even more than he would about our music. To us his music was antiquated, older than the thrifted dresser plopped in the guest room that my parents bought when they first moved to America. It’s older than the scratched green Toyota Camry that has sat still for years in front

of our house with broken brakes and an obnoxiously loud engine that my father somehow refuses to get rid of, and older than my moth er’s collection of crumpled sarees that haven’t been worn in over 25 years, carefully placed in broken suitcases that smelled like faded mothballs above my mother’s clos et. It was old, and seven-year-old me hated every second of it.

I don’t remember the first time I heard the song. I can’t remem ber if it was one of the few ABBA songs my father played during a road trip, if it was on the way home after he picked me up from elementary school or if it was a song I just stumbled upon on one of my long playlist-making nights, searching the entirety of my Spo tify recommended for the perfect song to fall asleep to. But I do remember the first time it meant something.

I was sitting in my father’s makeshift study that he first built for my brother and me to do our homework next to him as he worked. My father was cleaning and reorganizing the study, which had spent the last year filled with almost as much clutter as a few of the houses on “Hoarders.” In the back corner of the room above a giant roll of orange wire too heavy for me to pick up sat the new vinyl player my brother and I had got ten him for Christmas, which he had just mounted onto the wall.

Redefining everyday life through my film camera

SAHANA NANDIGAMA MiC Columnist

Film photography is one of my favorite new hobbies. I hesitate to use the word “hobby” because I think claiming a hobby implies you’re only an amateur or novice at it. In its most traditional form, film photography consists of tak ing pictures on a camera by expos ing frames on a film roll. While I don’t consider myself a photogra phy expert, I take my film camera everywhere because it reminds me to search for things to appreciate in the moment, instead of waiting for a reason to take a picture to share online. Taking film pictures is a much more conscious and inten tional process than taking pictures on my phone. Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and other popular camerabased apps have rendered taking pictures on my phone a thoughtless process. It’s so easy for me to use my camera any time of the day to check my appearance or take a picture of a flier for an event I saw on the Diag (that I think I’ll look at later but that will instead just take up storage on my phone). In contrast, taking out my film camera from the bottom of my bag, gesturing for my friends to scooch into the frame and adjusting the shutter and zoom to perfectly capture the setting is a much more deliberate process. It could also be that using a “real” physical camera whose only function is to take pic tures adds purpose to the phototaking process, in contrast to my phone which also serves as my cal culator, notepad and my main mode of communication with friends

and family. Taking film pictures requires an acknowledgment of the beauty of the moment, an apprecia tion of the candidness of everyday life and the decision to capture an image to add to your growing roll.

Two summers ago, I developed my first film roll. I had just finished using a disposable camera after deciding to join the recent revival of film photography that had been circulating the internet for almost a year. I developed pictures of the sunset from my last day of high school, trips to the lake with my best friends, my sister’s visits home and even moments when I was just by myself and felt like using my camera. I was reminded of count less memories that I hadn’t even remembered making, like when I started to go on picnics almost every week, my budding painting hobby and a questionable amount of boba runs. As I flipped through the remaining pictures, I felt a grow ing excitement, as I was unsure of what other forgotten moments I had collected. At the same time, though, I wondered how I could be living the same life as the one I saw on the roll, because I didn’t see the beauty in these moments until they had passed. It’s easy to think that your life is mundane and boring if it doesn’t meet the unrealistic stan dards we see on social media. I find myself looking through pictures from the influencers I follow, won dering how they manage to balance their work, social life and “making Instagram casual,” all while look ing put together. My film pictures gave me a new perspective on this, as they presented memories that seemed casual in fleeting time but

were incredibly meaningful to me as I looked back on them. Unlike my phone, my film camera took away my ability to see my pictures instantly after I had taken them. At first, I was impatient and rest less at losing control of how the photos turned out, but the devel opment process gave me time to continue living my life and absorb experiences with more awareness. When I got my roll developed, I was able to revisit these moments with a different mindset — I wasn’t worried or bothered about how I looked or how the background was captured anymore; all I cared for were the memories and the story that accompanied each picture. I was able to see that my picnic trips were my way of relaxing in nature, my painting hobby was a form of meditation for me and my countless boba runs became my favorite way to catch up with hometown friends and try new drinks.

After my first experience with a film camera, I kept up with my hobby and I looked forward to collecting more souvenirs. I stopped waiting for moments that were “good enough” to make my roll, and just took pictures of whatever I liked. Moments spent alone, such as reading outside, waiting for the sunset or redecorating my room, became more sig nificant. I used to be incredibly uncomfortable with the idea of being alone and spending time with myself because it made me feel like I was missing out on what was happening around me, and I quite frankly didn’t know what to do with myself. I attribute a great deal of these feelings to social media and the pressure it casts on people to constantly indulge in every body’s business but their own. There seems to always be a cat egory to box people in based on their social media presence, and I hate the looming stress of having to curate your feed to somehow perfectly encompass the person you are. I learned, though, that our Instagram feeds are not a reflection of who we are, but of who we want to be.

Courtesy of Rita Sayegh

Roshni Mohan/MiC

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Michigan in Color

Rat and mouse: summer days

JUAN PABLO ANGEL MARCOS MiC Columnist

To Phat,

It was a hot, sticky summer day in the forest, and to beat the heat, the forest animals did everything they could to remain cool. Some would sit under their favorite leaf and read their favorite book, while others would take a trip to the market and cool down with the help of some freshly scooped ice cream.

However, Rat and Mouse took a different approach to staying cool in the summer heat; they preferred spending the day swimming with friends at their lo cal creek. The two fuzzy creatures had been attached at the hip since they were just baby rodents, sharing blocks of cheese with each other during recess. They were best friends and did everything together — today was certainly no different. Under the beaming sun, Rat and Mouse had made plans to swim in the creek with their friends to fend off the most dangerous of rays.

“Alright, which flavor are we thinking of?” said Mouse as his eyes surveyed the shelf.

“It doesn’t matter to me! Just pick your favorite one and let’s get out of here. We’re already late!” said Rat, catching his breath and fanning himself with his tail.

“Good idea! Okay, let’s see… hmm… favorite one?” said Mouse, rubbing his chin. “Everything Bagel crumb or Baguette crumb? Hmmm, this is hard, Rat. You know that I have more than one favorite!”

Mouse stood there for a second, thinking hard. The Everything Bagel crumb or the Baguette crumb? Two very delicious choices that had Mouse in a bind. The Everything Bagel crumb was savory, the spices’ many flavors creating a wonderful aroma, but the Baguette cru—

“Ahh you’re taking too long,” said Rat, throwing his arms up in the air.

Rat stood behind Mouse impatiently, before quickly ripping the money right out of his pocket and throw ing it over the counter.

Rat was the friend who seemed to have everything in order; he was diligent, quick-witted and streetsmart, while Mouse was a little more carefree, scat terbrained and book-smart. Rat always loved to tease Mouse about the one time he tried to make a delicious chocolate cream pie for their neighbors. He baked the pie that day so it would be extra fresh, following the recipe he wrote down step by step while listen ing to Rat talk about his new cooking class. But it turns out Mouse had misheard Rat. Mouse wrote down “mustard” on his notepad, but Rat had actu ally said “custard.” Even though Mouse thought the mustard request was a bit odd for a chocolate cream pie, he never bothered to double check with Rat to see if he misheard him. Instead, he went along with it and ended up creating a monstrosity of a dish. That’s Mouse for you.

“We’ll go with the Baguette crumb! Thank you very much,” Rat said to the cashier.

So they bought their crumbs and out the door they went. But, as they made their way to the path leading to the creek, Mouse realized he forgot to get another item he was assigned to bring. Classic Mouse.

“Mouse?” “Yeah, Rat?”

“Do you see what I’m seeing?”

“Yeah, the water is really clear! Looks great for a swim, don’t you think? This heat is unbearable.”

“NO!” Rat shouted, “There’s nobody here! Oh no, I knew this was going to happen, the day is ruined. How could you forget the crumbs and the fruit!?”

Rat fell on his back and put his paws over his face. He felt defeated because after a long day, all he had wanted to do was spend some time goofing off with his friends while they swam.

“Hey Rat, it’s okay, let’s just go for a swim,” said Mouse.

Mouse walked up to the river and began dipping his toes in the creek to get a feel for the temperature. Mouse was trying to make the most of the situation even if his friends weren’t there. Suddenly, he heard a noise coming from the grass.

“Wait, I hear something, Rat! Getupplease,” said Mouse, squeaking out the words hastily.

The source of the rustling sounds from the grass revealed themselves to be Rat and Mouse’s friends, Chipmunk and Rabbit.

“Oh my gosh! Sorry we’re late guys, Chipmunk for got to get the pie and carrots so we had to stop by the market to get them,” said Rabbit.

“I’m so sorry, it’s my fault. These things really do slip my mind,” Chipmunk said earnestly.

Having heard all this, the only thing that Rat and Mouse could do was stand still while giving each other the slightest side eye. Rat was looking like he could explode in frustration at any second, while Mouse looked like he could scratch his head in confusion at any second. Even after a day filled with complica tions, Rat and Mouse were still the first ones to arrive and Chipmunk and Rabbit had encountered an equal amount of troubles.

“Ah, finally, all set, let’s get g—” Rat’s excitement quickly came to a halt.

“Ahhh! I forgot one more thing, Rat!” Mouse ex claimed. “Berries from the Fruit Stand!”

Rat was in disbelief. “You have got to be kidding me, Mouse, let’s hurry up and go! The water is waiting for us, I can’t stand this heat!”

On this particular day, Rat jumped for joy as he made his way to Mouse’s home. He couldn’t wait to dive in the water and practice his new butterfly technique. But, unbeknownst to Rat, the day was going to take a turn for the worst. You see, everyone was responsible for bringing something to the creek — blankets, food and games — but of course, Mouse had forgotten the items he was responsible for.

Classic Mouse.

“Today’s the day!” said Rat. “I can’t wait to swim, swim, swim!”

“Yes! I can’t wait to swim and relax as well,” said Mouse, wiping the sweat from his brow as he began to pack his backpack. Suddenly, Mouse realized his mistake.

“Wait, oh no! I forgot, I do need to get some things from the store before we head over.”

“What!?” screamed Rat. “Dude, you had all week to get your stuff!”

“I know, I know,” said Mouse nervously as he started making his way out the door. “It was a really busy week at work, I… uhh… barely had time to cook dinner and do laundry! I couldn’t even call my mom, that’s how busy I was. And you know I always call my mom.”

Rat quickly followed Mouse out the door. “Sure… Wait up!” he shouted after him. “This better be quick,” he added in a mumble under his breath.

“This is the last one, I swear!” said Mouse.

Rat looked at Mouse and said, “It better be, because if not, all our friends will be done swimming in the creek by the time we get there.”

So off they went… again. Traversing through the heat, while the other forest creatures were keeping cool. Over the log, under the fence and through the grass, to make it to the Fruit Stand.

“Well, don’t just stand there,” Rabbit walked by Rat and Mouse, giving them both a slap on the back. “Let’s enjoy the water!”

“Come on Rat, let’s enjoy the water! We’re all finally here, WOO!” said Mouse, running towards the creek.

“Yeah yeah yeah, I’m right behind you,” grunted Rat.

Rat stayed on the shore for a while, trying his best to keep his cool and not lose his temper on everybody. Then suddenly Rabbit said…

“Hey, wait a minute, Rat, where’s the sunscreen you were supposed to bring?”

“Sunscreen?” said Rat, “I thought Chipmunk was supposed to bring that?!”

“Woah, Rat, you forgot the sunscreen?!” Mouse asked, holding back a laugh with his paw over his mouth. “Looks like even you can be a little scatterbrained! C’mon Rat, let’s finally go for a swim.”

Rat and Mouse walked up to the Fruit Stand vendor and to their surprise, there was only one fruit left on the shelves. This meant that Mouse didn’t have a chance to think hard about what to choose this time. It would have to be the lone strawberry.

“Aw man, it looks like it’ll have to just be the straw berry this time,” said Mouse.

“Yeah, that’s really too bad, Mouse,” said Rat with a sarcastic pout on his face. “Let’s get it and go! The creek, our friends!”

“Yup, right, on it,” said Mouse.

“Hey! …yeah, you’re right Mouse,” said Rat. “I guess we’ll all be a little more sunburnt by the end of the day.”

It seems like silly mistakes happen to everyone, even Rat. Things may feel like the end of the world at the moment, but with time, everything will eventually fall back into place. At the end of the day, Rat was still able to swim in the creek with most of the necessary goodies and friends. So why not just enjoy his time?

Rat would shortly get up and cannonball straight into the creek, finally getting to enjoy the water on a hot summer day.

The truth was that Mouse did not have a busy week at work. He did in fact have time to cook dinner, do laundry and call his mom. He simply just forgot about what he was assigned to bring.

So off they went, under the striking sun. First stop, the Crumb Store, where the delicious bread crumbs were sold.

So with all their goods obtained, Rat and Mouse were finally able to start making their way to the creek to enjoy their afternoon swim. Again they went, over the log, under the fence and through the grass. Then they had to go over the rocks, watch out for the fly ing birds and jump through the coarse sand to finally make it to the creek. And right when they arrived, something was off…

All designs by Juan Pablo Angel Marcos/MiC

one of my bestest friends who continues to inspire me every day, love you forever and always.

Julian Barnard

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Opinion

Biden’s national security strategy should have a domestic outlook

LIZZY PEPPERCORN Opinion Columnist

VANESSA KIEFER AND KATE WEILAND Managing Editors

Lindsey Spencer Evan Stern Anna Trupiano Jack Tumpowsky Alex Yee Quin Zapoli

End single-family zoning in Ann Arbor

LYDIA STORELLA Opinion Columnist

In 2021, the Ann Arbor City Council voted to zone newly annexed residential neighborhoods for single-family use. The same year, the state of California effectively banned singlefamily zoning when the Legislature passed a bill that allows homeowners to subdivide their property into two lots and build two homes on each of those lots. California took a step in the right direction; Ann Arbor did not.

Single-family zoning originated in Berkeley, Calif., to prevent a Black-owned dance hall from moving into a predominantly white neighborhood. Singlefamily zoning in Ann Arbor is rooted in racism as well.

Advocates for diversifying housing zoning cite a 1970 article that stated larger lots would be too expensive for Black people to purchase. The legacy of this law lives on in the United States. Seventyfive percent of the residential land in major American cities is zoned for single-family use, contributing to the racial wealth gap.

While cities like Berkeley and Ann Arbor are known for being progressive, the application of these laws suggests otherwise. In addition to structural racism, single-family zoning contributes to many other problems in Ann Arbor and the U.S..

One such issue is rent prices. The median rent in Ann Arbor is up 11.1% from last year, raising median rent prices to $1,300. This is expensive by itself, and appears even more dramatic when compared to the median rent of $1,090 in Detroit and the statewide median rent of $953.

The reason that singlefamily zoning contributes to high rent prices is because it prohibits multi-unit housing from being built on single lots,

artificially decreasing supply. There is a limited supply of land in the city of Ann Arbor, making it difficult to build enough housing if each lot can only accommodate a single unit. Allowing homeowners to build multiple units on a single lot would expand the housing supply in Ann Arbor, putting downward pressure on rent prices and giving people more housing options.

Another benefit of ending single-family zoning is that it allows for greater diversity in the use of property. In many residential areas like Ann Arbor, people have to drive to do activities outside of the home, including to go to work, school and the supermarket.

One important reason for this problem is that property is zoned exclusively for residential use in residential areas. Policies to end singlefamily zoning could lead the way for the zoning of residential communities into mixed-use commercial and residential, allowing for the construction of small local businesses in residential areas. This would accomplish two important goals. This would have the benefit of building more housing, while making communities more walkable and social.

But these policies do not have to go that far. An important feature of ending single-family zoning is that it does not require homeowners to build a second unit on their property; it just gives them the option to do so. This is a free market response to a major problem in Ann Arbor that reduces rent prices, increases the housing supply and could provide homeowners with another stream of income.

On its own, eliminating single-family zoning will not solve the problem of high rents in Ann Arbor. But this policy could help alleviate the burden on city residents, both Ann Arborites and students alike, while City Council considers other policies to make Ann Arbor a more affordable city.

One major factor in the

housing makeup of Ann Arbor is the University of Michigan. The University is the largest employer in the city, while also being one of the single largest providers of housing as well as one of the largest land owners. The University of Michigan without a doubt has a role to play in addressing housing affordability in Ann Arbor. Duke University in Durham, N.C., has partnered with the city to identify the needs of the neighborhoods surrounding the university, including addressing affordability and fostering community development. Considering the gargantuan footprint that the University of Michigan occupies in Ann Arbor, it should be involved in any attempt by the city to lower housing costs.

Ann Arbor should also eliminate single-family zoning as a way to address racial inequities. As I wrote above, single-family zoning arose as a way to prohibit Black buyers from purchasing homes in predominantly white areas. Now, Black people have the lowest rate of homeownership compared to other racial groups, and property in Black neighborhoods is valued at 23% less than in white neighborhoods. Today, Black people are excluded from neighborhoods with higher property values due to the legacy of redlining and current racial inequities.

While eliminating singlefamily zoning will not end racism, it could be a way for Ann Arbor to address its history of racism in the housing market.

During the 2020 election cycle, candidates for City Council addressed the need to confront the affordability crisis in Ann Arbor, including ideas like offering legal guidance to renters and creating affordable housing. Along with these policy ideas, City Council should end singlefamily zoning ordinances to increase the housing supply and lower rent costs across Ann Arbor.

Ever since the GoldwaterNichols Act was passed in 1986, the current president’s administration has been mandated to present an annual National Security Strategy to Congress. The Biden administration’s strategy is set to be released in the following months, setting the tone for America’s foreign policy and priorities abroad.

The National Security Strategy is an opportunity for the executive branch to get on the same page regarding the country’s most vital values, goals and plans. It forces the government to proactively address global issues and threats rather than react to situations when they are an immediate threat. At a time of high domestic divisions on issues, however, it is essential for the Biden administration to release a National Security Strategy to prioritize uniting the country on domestic values and aligning these values with U.S. foreign policy.

Government intervention abroad takes many forms. The United States promotes family planning, women’s sexual rights and domestic violence mitigation among its international initiatives. The U.S. government is the largest donor to family planning and reproductive health efforts globally. In addition to monetary aid, the U.S. has long engaged in peacekeeping efforts internationally with the goal of mitigating violence and conflict. However, the U.S. seems to be struggling domestically with these same issues.

A Siena College Research Institute study found Americans are extremely divided on voting rights, immigration, gun control and abortion, among other issues.

Public Policy senior Sophia Dara shared similar feelings, saying she believes the U.S. is most divided on the “right to abortion and bodily autonomy, how (Americans) manage international conflict and how guns should be regulated.”

Despite there being a lack of domestic consensus on many social issues, the Siena College study identified three major common value areas: equality, liberty and progress. A large majority of those interviewed identified these as values they hold dear, regardless of political affiliation. The government should capitalize on these three shared values to build domestic strength.

Public Policy senior Jake Cohen said that “the U.S. has a responsibility of protecting democracy, but it should not come at the expense of forgetting infrastructural problems in the U.S.” According to the Pew Research Center, a majority of Americans believe that common values rather than common problems bring nations together.

Biden’s National Security Strategy should make identifying and promoting American values a priority to bring the nation together so that it can be stronger on the global stage.

The United States should continue to invest in international human rights and equality initiatives. It should also keep in mind that being united and strong domestically is essential to having successful international initiatives. If the U.S. can’t

promote its values at home, how can we expect other countries, allies or not, to respect American principles?

The U.S. derives much of its influence and power from its strong economy. However, the American middle class has struggled in recent years as income and wealth inequality has grown. Biden’s National Security Strategy should therefore prioritize investments in the American economy and middle class. By prioritizing workers over corporate interests, the U.S. can promote inclusive economic growth, closing the gap in income and health inequality, two initiatives the U.S. advocates for internationally. Investments in research, education and technology can also improve the lives of the American people.

When asked if she feels proud to be an American, Dara answered, “Sometimes. I think it’s hard to deny that we live in a country with great privilege and resources, which makes me feel lucky to live here. However, these opportunities are often limited to those in the top socioeconomic classes, leaving behind the rest of society. It can feel shameful to live here sometimes because of the barriers we put on BIPOC and impoverished people.”

The U.S. needs to address inequities in opportunity and invest in restructuring systems that exacerbate inequality to improve the lives of Americans and be a stronger player internationally. Choosing policies that put Americans before corporations, promote American social values and strengthen the U.S. economy should be vital priorities for Biden’s National Security Strategy.

From The Daily: State Street construction reveals deeper transportation dilemma

THE MICHIGAN DAILY EDITORIAL BOARD

If you’ve been on Central Campus since the start of the semester, you know it’s impossible to miss the construction on State Street. The project, which began in early June, has closed off the section of the street between William Street and North University Avenue. The project is designed to remove the curb in this space, making it more accessible to pedestrians and, in the warmer months, outdoor dining. While the project was initially slated to be completed by Labor Day, a number of factors have caused that date to be pushed back into October at the earliest. Beyond its immediate impacts on foot traffic and commerce, this project has revealed a number of issues with Ann Arbor’s public transportation system and furthered the debate about Ann Arbor’s walkability (or lack thereof).

The construction project has directly interrupted the traffic flow for cars going down State Street. More importantly, it has also temporarily created a jumble of walkways for pedestrians, who, on average, make up a larger portion of movement in this area of Ann Arbor compared to vehicles. From the orange plastic rails to the loud machinery, pedestrian flow and businesses of local stores has been largely disrupted.

Pedestrians are not the only recipients of this project’s disarray; buses, which many students rely on, face the issue of navigating around the chaotic street. This transportation system is especially important for students who must travel between Central and North Campus, who may now expect a delay in their commute. The bus schedules have a history of issues prior to this project, and the prolonged construction may only exacerbate the bumpy bus schedules, potentially causing more setbacks and transportation unreliability.

Additionally, this construction has a disproportionate negative effect on disabled students. Coupled with the narrow space between the plastic orange railings, the un even and lumpy rubber paddings make it difficult for disabled students to traverse around State Street.

Overall, the unexpected delays with the construction project have made it even more bothersome for students and Ann Arbor residents. As the State Street Construction Project stated on its Facebook page, “Phase 1 will take place in the summer of 2022 (June 1 – Labor Day).” As we near this project’s proposed end date, Ann Arbor residents are eager for its completion.

So, what will State Street look like once we are on the other side of this construction project? In an attempt to convert a central area of Ann Arbor into a space that can be shared more equally by citizens, the “Woonerf Design,” an urban planning strategy developed in the Netherlands and Belgium, was adopted. This would give State Street a new makeover, complete with an all-tile road and curbless sidewalks.

First and foremost, a new road will be beneficial to car and bus drivers who, over the years, have become accustomed to a needlessly bumpy ride on State Street. It will also improve sidewalks by making them smoother and bigger, benefitting not just those commuting by foot, but also those using bicycles, roller skates and skateboards, who, between cracked sidewalks and poor roads, have to pick the lesser of two evils.

At its core, this project is about improving the lifestyle of the Ann Arbor citizens, and, if its vision is truly realized, State Street will become even more of a social hub than it currently is. For locals, this would add another location to the list of “fun places to go with your family,” in Ann Arbor. Store and restaurant owners will finally reap the benefits of a more socially active area: more customers and, in the case of restaurants, more space for outdoor seating.

Students will be some of the biggest beneficiaries of this project. The new expanded sidewalk layout will decrease travel times between classes and, as mentioned before, will make biking and skateboarding safer and faster. The flipside, however, is that cars and buses will have to deal with slower-moving traffic, as this kind of road minimizes the size difference between the sidewalk and the road.

While the changes to State Street are a step in the right direction, improving Ann Arbor’s urban

planning doesn’t stop here. The city is filled with small problems that could be fixed by quick projects. For example, all across Ann Arbor, streets — busy streets at that — lack necessary crosswalks. Adding crosswalks between the University of Michigan Museum of Art and the Law Quad, East Quad and the Ross School of Business and at several spots along State and Huron Streets would go a long way toward making Ann Arbor a safer and more accessible place to live and walk.

Beyond that, the city and University’s bus systems need a massive overhaul. This editorial board’s discussion of how the State Street construction would eliminate the right-turn lane quickly turned into one about the multitude of short to long term issues with Ann Arbor’s bus system. The timescale of resolution for these issues varies widely, but each is solvable, and it’s important for Ann Arbor residents and the city’s municipal government to be aware of some solutions.

The simplest problem to fix is the lack of student awareness about the University’s Blue Bus system and the city of Ann Arbor’s TheRide system. If they aren’t already, students should be aware of the multiple dedicated apps and websites that track the Blue Bus system. Additionally, they should be aware that Google and Apple Maps include the appropriate city or University bus route to get to their destination, as well as provide real-time updates on when buses arrive at their starting and ending points. If students aren’t already doing so, they should be utilizing the unlimited free access to TheRide that they get by swiping their MCard while boarding.

In the medium and long term, however, the Blue Bus system in particular needs structural improvements to its routes and capacity. On both campuses, it needs more express buses that only stop at places that are further away from each other, so students who use it to quickly travel long distances can do so more efficiently. North Campus also needs a loop that only services North Campus Buildings, so students that live off campus there can access the Blue Bus as easily as their peers near Central Campus.

ISABELLE SCHINDLER Opinion Columnist

This November, Michigan voters have the opportunity to protect reproductive rights by voting yes on Proposal 3. This vote is our chance to show that Michiganders support the rights of people to make their own decisions about their health care despite the recent regressive actions of the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Proposal 3, which will be on the ballot for the Nov. 8 midterm election, establishes that every Michigander has a fundamental right to reproductive freedoms in the Michigan Constitution. These freedoms include the right to make and carry out decisions about all matters related to pregnancy, including birth control, abortion, prenatal care and childbirth, without government interference. The proposal was introduced by Reproductive Freedom for All, a group dedicated to protecting reproductive rights in Michigan. The issue of reproductive choice in Michigan has become immensely important ever since

the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization which overturned Roe v. Wade. Following the Supreme Court’s decision, support for Proposal 3 surged: Reproductive Freedom for All was able to collect an overwhelming 750,000 signatures from voters across the state.

Codifying abortion access in the Michigan Constitution is critical due to an almost 100-year-old statute in the state constitution that criminalizes nearly all abortions. The 1931 law, which had been invalidated by Roe v. Wade, makes performing an abortion a felony with accompanying jail time unless the mother’s life is in danger.

Currently, the 1931 law is not in effect, since a Michigan Court of Claims judge issued an injunction declaring the rule unconstitutional. However, the judge’s ruling could be appealed by the Republican-controlled legislature, meaning that abortion could be criminalized in almost all cases and health care providers could face years in prison for providing reproductive health care to patients.

Exam season back again

Opinion

The myth of the dream job

RUSHABH SHAH Opinion Columnist

Not everybody wants the same thing once they’re out of college. Some want to keep studying — get a masters, maybe even a Ph.D. Others might decide to take a break and explore the world before they enter into their field of choice. However, with the unyielding pressure of student loans and everybody around you invested in the recruiting rigamarole, most students look for a job. Computer science and engineering majors are no different. So, when tech giant Meta announced that they would not be offering any of their summer interns the coveted return offers that most of their predecessors had received, it left not just them, but the entirety of the computer engineering and computer science student body stunned.

I remember the day so clearly. We were well into summer break, and I was far removed from everything college related until my

roommate sent an article into our group chat about how companies like Twitter had done the same, and that there was a chance they would not extend full time offers for the following summer at all.

While the initial shock presumably left current interns scrambling and aspiring interns like myself worrying, once the dust settled, it was easy to see why this was happening. With rising inflation, the war in Eastern Europe and the economic effects of the pandemic lingering, sacrifices had to be made. However, such a decision by these firms reeks of short-termism and cuts down a usually guaranteed supply of future talent required for keeping the work space fresh and hungry. This suggests that while it may have been the easiest option to cut off the interns, it wasn’t necessarily the smartest.

Nevertheless, jobs at Meta and other big tech firms provide financial stability, and, to college students, that is priceless. When an already grueling fight for limited seats is dealt such a decisive blow,

it begs the question: What other options are even there? Is it simply more hours of Leetcode grinding and trying to stand out in the crowd of applicants in any way you can? Potentially. But that isn’t, and hasn’t been for quite some time, the only option. The other is to create — to innovate.

It is easier said than done, I know, but in a world where converting your brainchild into something real has never been as easy as it is today, we need to take more advantage of it. Startups and organically grown businesses offer students of any ilk the chance to evade the ever-increasing barriers of entry into the industry they have always wanted to join. They allow students to create jobs as opposed to searching for them. Most of all, they give students the opportunity to leave their mark on the world. And that’s just the beginning.

Entrepreneurship is vastly different from what it was at the turn of the century. As startups grew in popularity, being the first to create and execute an idea was crucial to their success. Today,

with new startups being set up every day, being first, while still important, isn’t as vital as the quality of the product. Moreover, their success depends on factors that go deeper than simply what they sell. Society is becoming more sensitive about social and environmental issues, and a startup from the 2020s will surely reflect that. Tech giants will be quick to relax any efforts towards creating a more diverse work environment the moment things get tough, and the same can be said for their responsibility towards the environment. Startups led by students of our generation, however, are unlikely to be as ignorant and would go a long way towards reversing some of the damage done to the tech industry by the larger firms.

Most startups don’t make it. Yes, I know the statistics, and I understand that a longshot is not an adequate replacement for a job that offers a stable salary, but something has to change.

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

The case for student voting power on campus

PETER MATARWEH Opinion Contributor

American democracy is failing, and people know it. Last month Americans with confidence in government institutions and democracy hit the lowest levels on record.

Young Americans have felt this way for a while: 52% of young Americans reported negative feelings about the state of democracy in the U.S. last year.

As the next generation to take over these institutions, it is up to us to decide how we want the next stage of American democracy to look.

The discontent among younger generations comes as no surprise. Different age groups have different priorities, and those in power are generations

apart from the youngest voters — and even a generation from the median voter. Despite the median age in the U.S. being 38, the average age in Congress is 59 years old. Coupled with the fact that members of Congress routinely receive large amounts of money from vested interests and PACs, as evidenced by the 2020 election cycle, the average young voter has almost no voice when it comes to policy making.

Young people do not have the same influence in Washington as these groups, and yet, despite the still-growing cynicism in our political system, they are poised to come out in record-breaking numbers in the upcoming midterm elections. This begs the question: If youth feel their participation in the system is futile, why are they coming out at all? The answer is because

they have no other choice. Faced with skyrocketing inequality, the climate crisis and racial and gender injustice — among many other issues — the youngest Americans cannot just sit by idly. The option to be apathetic is not one most young people can afford. So, despite their lack of faith in the system, they cast their vote and hope for the best. But we don’t have to relegate ourselves to hoping for the best. While we may not have influence in Washington, our universities do. The education industry spent over $80 million on lobbying in 2020 alone. According to OpenSecrets, the University of Michigan has spent over $8.6 million in lobbying efforts since 1998, with $160,000 directed so far to lobbying in 2022 alone. The University of Michigan is just one example of the tremendous

influence universities have in our political system and on policy, but that influence, and some of the money they use, come from their students. Because of this, students have a great influence on universities — and we should use it.

This is why organizations such as Un-PAC, a voting rights non-profit focused on youth empowerment, has shifted its focus from national voting rights policy to campuses across the nation. They know youth can influence their universities to enact a slew of policies on campus that protect the voting and political rights of students, such as canceling classes on election days and being more transparent about their lobbying efforts.

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

AMBIKA TRIPATHI | OPINION CARTOONIST

October

Stephen Warner plays the historic Barton Organ during the film.

Rocky Horror Picture Show October 27 Shadow Cast

The Leather Medusas perform

shadow cast during the film.

Frankenstein October 31 Direct From London Starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller.

Sports

SportsMonday: Panic, or don’t. It’s up to you.

NICK STOLL Managing Sports Editor

It’s time to panic.

If you want to, that is.

The No. 4 Michigan football team certainly gave some cause for concern in Saturday’s 34-27 scare against Maryland. The game saw the Wolverines trail for the first time this season. Sophomore quar terback J.J. McCarthy of Nazareth (Academy) wasn’t the next coming. And the defense showed plenty of holes against the Terrapin offense.

If you want to take these things and run with them, go ahead. But there’s a different perspective to watching that game that you can take — one of learning and tact.

So let’s learn, starting with the offense.

McCarthy isn’t always going to be the unstoppable prodigy that the fanbase wants him to be. He showed that he’s human, pair ing mistakes with his seeminglyinhuman feats. Notably, McCarthy overthrew open receivers on deep routes thrice and underthrew sophomore receiver Andrel Antho ny on a route of the same ilk. That’s

on top of fumbling the ball twice and launching an ill-advised nearinterception in the endzone on a pass intended for fifth-year receiv er Ronnie Bell.

“It definitely wasn’t my best per formance,” McCarthy said Satur day. “I want some things back that happened out there.”

Next to him at the podium, junior running back Blake Corum chuckled before adding, under his breath: “I want some back, too.”

It’s a bit of an amusing com ment coming from the player that just rushed for 243 yards and two touchdowns, easily passing the eye test as the best player in the Big House on Saturday. But it’s also a testament to the optimist’s point of view of the Wolverines.

They’re touting a potential Heis man-caliber running back next to a high-upside quarterback and a tal ented receiver room. And Michigan isn’t even healthy at the moment. Sophomore running back Dono van Edwards will likely return soon, adding an element to both the pass and run game, and the offen sive line is still recovering from its piecemeal solution to an injury-rid dled start to the season.

Speaking of which, the offensive line — against better competition — took a leap forward in terms of chemistry, pass protection and run blocking.

“(We can) talk about how many yards I put up but the o-line killed it today,” Corum said. “They make my job easy. They allowed me to get to the second level defenders real quick.”

So there were positives, even

when the Wolverines’ offense floundered at times. And the only way to find out whether the good or bad will rise to the top is to wait and see.

The same holds for the defense.

Michigan’s defense looked sus pect throughout the game Satur day, allowing 27 points and nearly 400 total yards. Most concerningly, the Wolverines’ pass rush often appeared weak, and seemed non

existent at times. That allowed Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa to deliver through the air, going through his reads with time to spare and sometimes turn ing up field to make a play with his legs.

“We’re getting past the quarter back a few too many times,” Michi gan coach Jim Harbaugh said. “And there (Tagovailoa) proved to be really slippery and good. We had some shots to get him back, get him on the ground, but he was tough. It’s tough to get him on the ground.”

Beyond that, the Wolverines’ defensive backs were inconsistent. Sometimes, they lost their man and gave up easy receptions. But alter natively, they came up with two improbable interceptions at critical times to turn the tide of the game.

Michigan’s defense showed its volatility on full display: look ing paper thin on some drives and drawing whispers of last year’s competent squad on others. That’s either a good thing or a bad thing — a defense burgeoning with poten tial or marred by inconsistencies — depending on how you look at it.

The last thing is that Maryland

Blake Corum carries Wolverines with electrifying performance

JOSH TAUBMAN Daily Sports Editor

Blake Corum was never con cerned about the lack of attention.

Back before he became the unequivocal lead back for the Michigan football team; back before he bulked up in the off season by adding 11 pounds; back before he was throwing up stat lines that were being mentioned in the same breath as players from the 1960s.

Back before the season, before anyone had seen how the junior running back would look on the field, Corum was asked how he felt typically being left out of the national conversation about the best running backs in the country.

“I don’t really care about the accolades,” Corum said on Aug. 19.

“It’s cool. It’s nice. But I don’t care. I don’t really pay attention to that stuff.”

In the preseason, college foot ball pundits may have overlooked Corum’s name as one that could be listed amongst the nation’s elite. But after his electrifying perfor mance on Saturday, they’re sure to start paying attention — even if Corum won’t.

Thrust into an outsized role on Saturday, the Maryland native thrived against his home state Terrapins — delivering the offense

the juice it needed to pull out a vic tory.

With sophomore Donovan Edwards sidelined due to injury and an unproven group of run ners behind him, Corum was bound to shoulder the bulk of the ground game. As the game unfold ed, though, it became apparent that sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy and the passing game wasn’t up to its usual flare that had torched secondaries throughout the first three games.

So Corum was called on to will the entire offense forward and grind out a closer than expected win.

His response? 30 carries. 243 yards. 2 touchdowns.

“With my mind set, I feel like I’ve always been able to carry the ball that many times,” Corum said after the game. “I prepare in the offseason for a reason.”

As time winded down in the first half, the Wolverines leaned on Corum to handle one of their first bouts with adversity on the season. Trailing 13-10 and caught in no man’s land, Michigan kept its foot on the gas — going for it on fourth and inches to keep the drive alive.

Everyone in the stadium knew who the ball was going to. But not even Corum could’ve envisioned what the end result would be.

After the offensive line sealed,

Corum opted not to dive forward for the easy first down. Instead, he cut to the left and accelerated upfield — where there wasn’t a single defender around to stop him.

“We snapped the ball crash ing down, o-line crashed down and there was a big old hole,” Corum said. “So I’m like, ‘Let’s go.’ ”

Corum sent the Wolverines into the locker room with the lead, and when they returned to the field, he made sure that a floundering offense would have enough to pull out a vic tory. As the minutes bled down and Maryland remained within striking distance, Corum was there, over and over, to ensure there would be no upset.

“Thirty carries, I mean we knew very well that he could handle that,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. “He’s trained. This isn’t something that he just goes out and does. It’s a seven day a week thing for him year round to train himself to be in a position to do what he does.”

Last season was Corum’s first chance to be a contributor from the backfield, but he had a defined role; he was the speed back while Hassan Haskins pro vided the power.

A quarter of the way through this season, Corum has laid ques tions to rest about who would fill out the other half of last year’s thunder and lightning duo.

It’s Corum, himself.

He rushed to the tune of eight yards a carry, constantly surg ing forward and embracing con tact. It didn’t matter whether he needed to bruise it up to the middle or break it to the outside in space. It was the fact that he could handle it all, that a rush ing play would inevitably result in positive yardage, that show cased his irreplaceable value to Michigan.

might be a fully competent team, it’s just too early in the college football season to know for sure.

Many programs have already lost to teams they “shouldn’t have,” and only 20 undefeated teams in FBS remain, so Michigan being one of them is a feat that should not be taken lightly.

And again, don’t be too rash to judge — book, cover, that whole saying, you get it. Remember the Wolverines’ game against Rutgers last year? The unconvincing earlyseason 20-14 win led to pundits and fans alike writing Michigan off all together. That didn’t hold up well.

So while your mind is racing about whether the Wolverines can reach the same heights they did a season ago, remember to put every thing in perspective.

There’s plenty to criticize, and there’s plenty to worry about. So if you want to spend the next week — or more — thinking about that, feel free. But consider the alterna tive: waiting, watching Michigan’s game next week, learning more about what this team actually is and saving yourself some mental turmoil in the process.

Or not. It’s up to you.

Against Maryland, J.J. McCarthy shows room for growth

JARED GREENSPAN Managing Sports Editor

Entering Saturday, J.J. McCar thy’s season had followed the same, Hollywood-style script. The wunderkind sophomore quarterback won a tense battle for QB1, unseating senior incum bent Cade McNamara. Then, in two starts — against Hawaii and UConn — McCarthy dazzled, lighting up the scoreboard and stirring the imagination.

Saturday, McCarthy deviated from the script.

Michigan’s first true test of the season doubled as the first true test of McCarthy’s reign, too. Maryland’s pass defense is pedestrian, ranking 10th in the Big Ten in passing yards allowed per game. But the Terrapins marked a step-up in competition, boasting bona fide talent.

McCarthy’s final line — 18-of26 for 220 passing yards and two touchdowns, along with two fumbles — is striking. In the end, he helped usher the Wolverines to victory. But his performance featured a blend of good and bad, a mix of perfection and headscratching moments.

When asked to assess his play, McCarthy smiled, per usual. He also let out a long sigh.

“It definitely wasn’t my best performance,” McCarthy said. “I want some things back that hap pened out there. But I was happy with the way we were able to move the ball when at times we needed to respond. … I was just happy with the way we respond ed.”

McCarthy responded well, too. Each gaffe seemed to be met with a play meant for a highlight reel.

McCarthy opened the fourth quarter with a beautiful 20-yard touchdown strike to junior receiver Roman Wilson, putting Michigan up 24-13. He began the ensuing drive by short-arming

a pass to sophomore receiver Andrel Anthony. Two plays later, he lofted a ball down the sideline, hitting graduate receiver Ronnie Bell in stride for a 49-yard gain. And, three plays after that, he tried to force a pass to Bell in the front corner of the endzone, nearly throwing an interception.

Michigan settled for a field goal. So it goes.

“I think he did a lot of great things,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. “With the game on the line, throws to Roman, to Ronnie Bell, just to name a cou ple. Thought he worked the ball to the tight ends. … He just kinda settled into playing good funda mental football.”

This is all a process for McCarthy; there are lessons to be learned on the fly. Harbaugh knows that. Crucibles like Satur day’s game, a surprisingly close contest against the Terrapins, allow for McCarthy to develop.

There are other opportunities to learn, too.

Saturday, McCarthy held court with Charles Woodson, in town as a part of FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff coverage. The pair talk ed, though McCarthy did most of the listening, soaking in Wood son’s critique and advice.

“The big thing that stood out to me with him was just to use my legs more,” Mccarthy said. “I

mean, God gave me them for a reason. And when I’m sitting back there and I’m not seeing anything open, just run. That’s what I took wholeheartedly, and that’s something that I really need to do.”

McCarthy’s mobility helped separate himself from McNa mara, who lacks the same agil ity and speed. But there are spots to deploy those traits, and McCarthy needs to pick and choose. That’s what he’s still learning. McCarthy’s perfor mance Saturday featured the full spectrum of decision-mak ing, both brilliant and erratic.

In the second quarter, with Michigan facing a third and seven, McCarthy eluded a furi ous rush of Maryland defend ers, eventually scampering for the first down. The crowd roared in delight.

Five plays later, on second and ten, McCarthy tried to per form similar heroics. Instead, he wound up taking a 15-yard sack and fumbling the football — his second fumble of the day. Though the Wolverines recov ered the football both times, the yardage lost would prove costly: Fifth-year kicker Jake Moody shanked the 43-yard field goal try.

Michigan can’t find the net in draw against Ohio State

that became all too familiar.

The Michigan women’s soccer team’s season has been defined by trouble in the box — its match against Ohio State was no differ ent.

Despite a strong defensive per formance, the Wolverines (5-3-2 overall, 0-2-1 Big Ten) couldn’t pot the ball against the Buckeyes (6-2-2, 1-1-1) in a scoreless draw.

Michigan’s defense held up well against a formidable Ohio State offense, protecting the net from its rival. Even the Wolver ines’ attackers made a consistent effort to get back on defense and protect the goal.

“We wanted to make sure that we were good defensively,” Mich igan coach Jen Klein said. “We knew that they were gonna have

some very good attacking person alities, so we wanted to make sure that we were good collectively in our defensive press.”

Fifth-year goalkeeper Izzy Nino showed increased comfort in her new starting role notching five saves — including an impres sive leaping grab after a ball came whipping at the upper 90.

On the other half of the field, sophomore forward Kacey Law rence and senior forward Lily Farkas sent in cross after cross and shot after shot to try and put Michigan on the board.

Early in the first half, Michigan crowded into the box searching for an early lead. Junior forward Sammi Woods crossed it in from the right side of the field, and Lawrence tried to chip it in with a cheeky little chop move that went wide. The crowd sighed and moaned in frustration — a feeling

“You kinda scratch your head a little bit,” Klein said. “We’re in really good spots and we’re show ing some good balance and tech nical ability.”

But the sighs continued to echo

all night.

In the 32nd minute, Farkas fed the ball into Lawrence leaving her in a one-on-one with Ohio State goalkeeper Katherine Rob inson. Robinson slid into Law rence’s feet to snatch the ball up.

The first half continued with the same energy of discontent, frustration and anger on the field.

Lawrence was fouled and knocked to the ground multiple times, but she remained resil ient on the field and continued to push up and down.

“Ah man, that girl was on fire; the one thing she was missing was a goal, Klein said. “She is such a spark of energy, her ability to go and have one gear. A spark plug that just fires and goes. She brought some unbelievable ener gy and brought some really good chances for us.”

The second half started with the same energetic push up the field. Wolfe sent a shot soaring high above the net, and it was fol lowed up with a curving corner that missed outside.

The crowd once again held their breath midway through the

second half as Farkas faked out her defender to launch a wouldbe-game winner that slammed off the crossbar.

Even with the Wolverine’s brilliant efforts on both sides of the ball, they couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities to win, a continuing theme of their lack luster season.

Michigan is teetering on drop ping to .500 with half the season to go — sinking to the bottom of the Big Ten rankings.

And if the Wolverines want to be competitive in the Big Ten with the likes of No. 4 Rutgers and No. 17 Penn State, they’ll need to shoot better against respectable competition. They can’t just rely on their admirable defense.

As the saying goes, defense wins championships — but only if the offense can put up points too.

JEREMY WEINE/Daily

Following a nerve wracking victory over Maryland, worrying about the football team seems reasonable, but there’s more to be learned from Saturday.

WOMEN’S

REMI WILLIAMSON

SYDNEY

The inability

chances resulted in a scoreless outing for the Wolverines.

JEREMY WEINE/Daily

J.J. McCarthy drops back and surveys the field Saturday.

Michigan outlasts Maryland in first taste of adversity

SPENCER RAINES Daily Sports Editor

For weeks, the discourse around the Michigan football team has been about its soft non-conference schedule. Three consecutive opponents posed little to no threat to even test the Wolverines. Many wondered what they would look like when they finally faced a “real” opponent that could actually contend for the victory.

Against Maryland, Michigan certainly received that challenge.

The fourth-ranked Wolverines (4-0 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) wobbled but eventually righted themselves to beat the Terrapins (3-1, 0-1), 34-27, in their Big Ten opener.

“I mean, you learn more as you go, right,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. “Every single game, every single test, you learn more about your team (and) you’ll learn more about yourself as a player.”

On Saturday, Michigan learned how to win a tight game. It learned how to get back up after getting knocked to the ground. And, though it was ugly at times, it learned those lessons while remaining undefeated.

Outside of the opening seconds when Maryland muffed the kickoff and Michigan scored immediately, the Terrapins controlled the first half. They handled the Wolverines’ defensive line, play after play. And led by quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland’s offense consistently stayed ahead of schedule on its drives, racking up good chunks of yardage on first down leading to short second and third down situations.

Finally, Michigan’s defense was tested, and throughout the entire game, it showed cracks.

“When situations like that come up where the defense just really has to step up, stick in there and just stay together, our message was just keep fighting,” senior defensive back Mike Sainristil said. “Keep making plays don’t give them anything.”

But the Wolverines’ defense let Maryland march down the field in chunks, certainly exposed to the harsh realities of conference play. In the second quarter, after a floundering offensive possession, the Wolverines once again let Maryland easily get into field goal range and secure three points. For the first time all season, Michigan trailed, 13-10.

In the waning seconds of the first

TORTOISEthe SCAR

half, the Wolverines responded with a 33-yard fourth-down touchdown scamper from junior running back Blake Corum to retake the lead. But they were still bleeding.

The Terrapins landed punches in the first half and knocked Michigan onto its heals but they couldn’t overcome a few key plays: The opening muff and an interception by senior cornerback DJ Turner that appeared to hit the ground, to name a pair.

Whether it was because of the jump in competition or because of simply playing poorly, Michigan looked out of sync nearly the entire game. Sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy looked human for the first time this season, fumbling twice and missing on the majority of his deep balls.

After the game, McCarthy was still smiling, but he recognized his struggles and put much of the onus on him. There were a myriad of throws he “wanted back” and he deemed Saturday not his “best performance,” but then he pivoted.

“That was a good team out there,” McCarthy said. “Maryland’s got a great defense, they got a great offense and I’m just happy with the way we responded when some adversity creeped in.”

A three-point deficit may not seem like the most adverse situation, but for a Michigan team that outscored its opponents 16617 through its first three games, it was certainly more than it had experienced.

Of course in the end they responded. As the Wolverines had seemingly for the entire game, they did just enough to stay ahead and keep control. Junior defensive back R.J. Moten bobbled and then caught a practically game-sealing interception, and Corum placed an exclamation point on the game just moments later, finishing off his herculean day — 30 carries and 243 rushing yards — with a 47-yard touchdown.

But the Wolverines were forced to play in a contentious second half, one where the game’s outcome was still unknown well into the fourth quarter.

Michigan did not look like the world-killers that the first three weeks of the season had painted itself as. But it survived its first test of the season, albeit not with flying colors.

Perhaps the next time the Wolverines face adversity, they’ll show that they learned a thing or two.