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Following increased enrollment, UMich becomes the largest university in the state With over 52,000 enrolled students, UMich recently passed MSU
MARISSA CORSI
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The University of Michigan is currently the largest public institution in the state in terms of total enrollment. According to the University Record, the University’s fall enrollment reached a total of 52,065 matriculated students, a 2% increase from 2022. Despite declining statewide and national postsecondary enrollment trends following the pandemic, the University received a record 93,745 applications and admitted its largest-ever incoming class of 7,466 first-year students and 1,414 transfer students. As the campus continues to increase in student body size, The Michigan Daily spoke with students about their thoughts and concerns on housing, class sizes, and student resources as they navigate a University more than 52,000 strong. Housing accommodations and shortages LSA freshman Maryam Altayeb told The Daily she wasn’t shocked by the record-breaking numbers. “Honestly, I’m not that surprised,” Altayeb said. “I’ve heard about a lot of people this year who didn’t get any dorm placements, even freshmen or sophomores who are usually given priority.” While the University does not guarantee housing to returning students, freshmen are guaranteed a form of housing if they are a part of the 97% of first-year students who choose to live on campus. However, the University had to convert lounges
into dorm rooms to accomodate 40 students this fall, reflecting an increased strain on U-M living spaces. After living in the dorms for her freshman year, LSA junior Ashlyn Coombs told The Daily she now lives with their now-graduated sister as a sophomore. Coombs said the University should also generally provide more guidance and assistance to students for securing housing.. “The housing prices are quite absurd,” Coombs said. “We already pay the University so much in tuition. … I do think that the University should be more responsible for getting its students places to live.” Large class sizes and office hours access While many students expressed concerns for increased housing difficulties, others pointed to the academic challenges higher enrollment and subsequent larger class sizes may pose for U-M students. In fact, Fall 2023 saw the computer science major implement a majorspecific application for all those applying to the University, as a result of increased interest and enrollment in the major. LSA junior Tomas Garcia Lavanchy said the notoriously large class sizes of computer science courses prevent beneficial one-on-one communication between students and instructors. “I have office hours that I’ll go (to where) I’ll enter the queue at the very beginning and sometimes I won’t even get seen just because that’s how big the classes are,” Garcia Lavanchy said. “It’s much less personal time
with the teachers and getting to know them.” Engineering freshman Yasmeen Almahmoud spoke on similar concerns with The Daily by referencing another infamously large class, CHEM 210, U-M’s entry-level organic chemistry course taken by students with interest in pre-med and biological sciences. “It’s a really big class, so it’s kind of hard asking questions during class,” Almahmoud said. “And it’s kind of hard to remember what questions you wanted to ask in that particular moment.” Altayeb, who is also taking CHEM 210, spoke with The Daily about the course’s office hours, which comparatively presents a much more accessible option for students than computer science courses. Altayeb said she commends the course’s consistent and lengthy office hours options.. “We have office hours for four hours every single week with the professors themselves,” Altayeb said. “So I feel like it’s pretty accessible.” In 2022, the student-to-faculty ratio at the University was 15-to1. This remains on par with the national average of 14-to-1 for four-year public universities. Still, Garcia Lavanchy said the occasional disproportionately large classes pose a challenge to students in interacting with professors and vice versa. They called for the University to hire more Graduate Student Instructors to ease the situation in these large classes. “More GSIs means more individual time with instructors,” Lavanchy said. “I know the
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Over 1,000 community members hold vigil after attacks on Israel
Participants walked from Hillel to the Diag to mourn the lives lost KATE WEILAND & SHANNON STOCKING Co-Editors in Chief
Content warning: this article contains mentions of violence. The University of Michigan community gathered on the Diag Monday night for a vigil following the attacks on Israel Saturday. More than 1,000 campus community members attended the event, gathering in support of the lives lost following the attacks. On Saturday morning, Hamas troops carried out a planned attack on Israel, first firing rockets into the country and then carrying out attacks by land, sea and air, according to the New York Times. The attack infiltrated 22 cities in Israel and by Sunday morning, officials reported 700 Israelis as dead after the attacks, with an estimated 150 other civilians and soldiers held hostage. Israel formally declared war against Hamas on Sunday and carried out an air attack on the Gaza Strip neighborhood Tuesday morning. Officials on Tuesday reported over 900 deaths in Gaza and over 1,000 deaths in Israel. The attack targeted buildings and forced Palestinians to find shelter in the 25-mile Gaza Strip, with the war continuing to escalate. The war has claimed the lives of soldiers and civilians on both sides and is the result of over twocenturies of conflict. Attendees gathered at Hillel Tuesday to walk to the Diag. According to attendees, students, faculty and community members in attendance were escorted by the Ann Arbor Police Department. Speakers included students and rabbis from the Jewish Resource
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Center, Chabad House of Ann Arbor and Hillel. They spoke on their personal experiences and ties to Israel and led prayers for those held in captivity. Hillel International released a statement about the attacks on Sunday, which was reposted by the Michigan Hillel Instagram. “We are devastated as we awake to the news of this horrific attack on the Jewish homeland and the Israeli people,” the statement read. “The photos, videos, and headlines we are seeing are shocking and heartbreaking, and our hearts and prayers are with all the people of Israel today. We are also thinking about our many Hillel colleagues and students in Israel, the many Israelis working on our Hillel teams, and the thousands of Israeli students we serve at Hillels on campuses in North America and around the world. We are here for you.” Attendees at the event gathered for a moment of silence to honor those who have lost their lives to the conflict, which was followed by the singing of Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem. LSA junior Sari Rosenberg
attended the event and spoke with The Michigan Daily about the support she felt from the University community at the vigil, from the initial gathering at Hillel to the Diag full of people. “It brought tears to my eyes to see how many people came,” Rosenberg said. “I’ve never seen so many Jews in (Hillel). It was really great that we were able to provide such a healing space for people and I think there were a lot of tears and a lot of emotions, but it was really powerful to see everyone come together, cancel their plans, and for people to reflect on what was happening and come together in solidarity. As the crowd grew when we came to the Diag and met more people who were there, it was just a really beautiful thing.” Rachel Cusnir, Co-President of Wolverine for Israel, helped to organize the event and spoke at the vigil. In an interview with The Daily, Cusnir said she was overwhelmed by the turnout at the event and felt reassured by the support from the community. Read more at michigandaily.com
GEORGIA MCKAY/Daily Students gather on the Diag for a community Vigil after the attacks in Israel.
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University makes a whole lot of money, so they could spare to be a little bit more generous with what they have.” Student organization meeting spaces Students also discussed how their experience with student organizations might be affected by the increased enrollment. As of fall 2023, more than 1,700 student organizations and opportunities for campus involvement exist on campus. Almahmoud spoke about her introductory experiences with Festifall, the Center for Campus Involvement’s annual student organization fair hosted on the Diag. “It was kind of overwhelming,” Almahmoud said. “But I think it’s kind of easy to access those clubs or get in contact with (them). … It makes sense that (they) need to be
there to show the new students.” Despite enjoying access to a variety of unique communities within the University, students and student organizations still feel the effects of a growing enrollment. Engineering junior Erin Clingerman, a member of the Michigan Taekwondo Club, told The Daily many student organizations struggle with a lack of physical space for meetings on campus. “We don’t entirely fit in our practice space all the time now,” Clingerman said. “And I just don’t think there’s anything bigger at the moment.” Both Clingerman and Garcia Lavanchy are also on the board for the Michigan Games and Cards club, which Garcia Lavanchy said had to shift their procedures for hosting events in response to the
growing student population. “(The University) changed the renting reservations … so that we can only get one room per day, pretty much, for five hours, which is not enough for how big of a club it is,” Lavanchy said. “There are so many people that want the space, and there’s not enough of it.” Financial aid and student resources In allignment with rising enrollment, the University’s offers of monetary aid increased by $18 million. In an email to The Daily, University spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald expressed that the University upholds financial and physical commitments during the process of determining U-M enrollment. Read more at michigandaily.com
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SAFE protests UMich administration response to IsraelHamas War at President’s House
Students and community members advocated for President Ono to acknowledge Palestinian perspectives SEJAL PATIL & SNEHA DHANDAPANI
Daily News Editor & Daily Staff Reporter
Content warning: this article contains mentions of violence. About 300 University of Michigan students and community members gathered outside the President’s House Friday afternoon to protest the Oct. 10 statement released by University President Santa Ono in response to the ongoing IsraelHamas war. Demonstrators said they were protesting in part because Ono’s statement did not include any mention of Palestine or the Palestinians who had been killed or displaced by the Israeli government. The sit-in was organized by the University’s chapter of Students Allied for Freedom and Equality in collaboration with the United Asian American Organizations, Graduate Employees’ Organization, Arab Student Association and Young Democratic Socialists of America. Israeli warplanes have been bombing the Gaza Strip since Tuesday, in response to a planned attack by Hamas last Saturday which killed more than 1,000 people and took over 100 hostages. Following the attack on Israel last Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war on Hamas on Oct. 8. Over the next week, the Israeli military carried out a series of land and air attacks which killed at least 2,288 people in Gaza and wounded more than 8,714 others. As of Saturday, the death and injury toll on both sides
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LILA TURNER/Daily Ann Arbor City Council candidate Dr. Mozhgan Savabieasfahani leads a crowd down South University St in support of Palestine and in protest of Santa Ono’s statement on the Israel-Palestine conflict Friday afternoon.ence on Mackinac Island Saturday.
continues to rise following almost a week of heavy fighting and attacks. On Friday, the Israeli military called for Gaza Strip residents to evacuate their homes, in anticipation of an expected ground invasion, displacing over 1 million people. Israel also halted the entry of food, water, most electricity and medical supplies into Gaza, in a “total blockade” in response to the attacks last Saturday. The sit-in started at the President’s House with the protestors uniting in their chants: “Ono, Ono, you can’t hide, you need to mention Palestine,” “Resistance is justified when people are occupied”, among many more chants. The protest moved north up South State Street around to the Diag with the Ann Arbor Police Department escorting the protest by blockading the streets. The crowd then returned to the President’s House for the sit-in portion of the protest, to sit outside the front lawn listening to the
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organizers’ statements. An Arab Student Association member at the protest, who has requested anonymity for fear of retribution for sharing their support for Palestine, said in an interview with The Michigan Daily that a number of students have felt unsafe on campus after being harassed for their support of Palestine in public and on social media. “(The Arab Student Association has) put up posters to provide context about the war that’s going on, that’s been declared, and they’ve been ripped down, we’ve been flipped off,” they said. “(Ono’s statement) very clearly made every student on this campus, Muslim or anyone who’s pro-Palestine, scared to speak out … We don’t want to get flipped off on campus for wearing a keffiyeh or hijab or wearing a necklace that has a Palestinian map, or anything like that.”
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University Vintage store opens on State Street
University Vintage, an online platform that sells vintage collegiate clothing and accessories, opened its first store Sept. 7 on South State Street. The storefront primarily sells University of Michigan clothing items sourced locally and nationally and features clothing from the ’70s to early 2000s. University Vintage was founded by Shane and Jared Perlin, brothers who graduated from the Ross School of Business, Shane in 2020 with his undergraduate degree and Jared in 2023 with his masters. In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Co-owner Shane Perlin said they are passionate about representing their alma mater through fashion and giving others the opportunity to do so as well. Shane Perlin said he began their business as an Instagram page in 2017 when he was still a
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student. Since his brother joined the effort in 2023, Shane Perlin said they have expanded into various pop-ups on campus. “When Jared came in the fall of 2023, that’s when we started to do more public pop-up shops, like at Blue (Leprechaun), Garage Bar and Cantina,” Shane Perlin said. “Those also went super well and that’s when we realized there is a large opportunity to open up a store.” Shane Perlin said the business hopes to expand its collection beyond U-M apparel into vintage clothing in general. “We want to offer a vintage pipeline of Michigan and non-Michigan clothing and merchandise for the school, students and fans,” Shane Perlin said. “Right now we only have Michigan clothing on the floor. We’re looking to expand into regular vintage clothing.” In order to continue growing the University Vintage collection, Shane Perlin said they plans to
allow students to trade in or sell vintage clothing at the storefront. “People can bring stuff in and get cash or store credit, which we think is going to be a fun opportunity for students and people who like vintage clothing to come and shop,” Shane Perlin said. Co-owner Jared Perlin told The Daily that running the business has been a rewarding experience so far, due largely to support from the University community. “The store has been doing really well and we have gotten a lot of great feedback from the community as well as people who have been following the page for years,” Jared Perlin said. “People who went to the University all those years ago love to come in and see the stuff on the walls, the memorabilia and seeing items from games they personally went to. It has, in a way, exceeded our expectations and it’s been fun to see everyone’s reactions and be a part of it.”
Taubman freshman Hannah Toppel told The Daily she decided to visit University Vintage after learning about it and said she had a positive experience shopping there. “I had heard of the vintage store on campus and went in to shop,” Toppel said. “I heard it sells great Michigan vintage clothing. When I went in I thought it was really cool.” Shane Perlin said while they only expected support from friends and family, the outpouring of support from the community has been overwhelming and helpful to growing the business. “It’s definitely been a warm welcome … we have random people walking in that are loving the store and talking with us,” Shane Perlin said. “It’s been great to connect with people and understand what they want, like and enjoy about the store. That helps us get a better understanding of how to cater the store to people moving forward.”
Astronaut John Cassada shares journey to space and back again
Cassada spoke on Central Campus about traveling to the International Space Station EMMA LAPP
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The last time Josh Cassada, Expedition 68 flight engineer and SpaceX Crew-5 pilot, spoke at the University of Michigan’s Saturday Morning Physics lecture, he livestreamed from the International Space Station. Last Saturday, Cassada was able to speak to the University community in person. About 500 people gathered in person in the Central Campus Classroom Building and 200 people listened online to hear Cassada speak about the NASA SpaceX Crew-5 mission, in which he worked on the International Space Station for 157 days. Cassada, along with other members of the mission team and people on the ISS, worked on more than 200 experiments while in space. The experiments focused on a range of disciplines, including cardiovascular health, bioprinting human organs and installing rolled-out solar arrays. According to Cassada, the experiments are all meant for the preparation of human exploitation beyond low Earth orbit. One of the major experiments conducted on the ISS was bioprinting human organs using a 3D printer. In an interview with The Daily, Cassada explained more about bioprinting and its implications. “The idea is to eventually be able to print an entire organ from a patient’s cell,” Cassada said. “It is amazing to me that we are at a spot now where we can leverage being in low Earth orbit to do things like potentially forwarding entire functioning organs using actual patient cells.” Another experiment conducted on the ISS during the SpaceX mission was the Veg-05 experiment, which examined the effect of light quality and fertilizer
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Thrifters can now buy vintage UMich apparel from the 70s to 2000s Daily Staff Reporter
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Michigan in Color Editors michiganincolor@michigandaily.com Senior Michigan in Color Editors: Anchal Malh, Udoka Nwansi, Maya Kogulan, Claire Gallagher, Sarah Oguntomilade NASA Astronaut and Physicist Josh Casada presents at Saturday Morning Physics. RUBY KLAWANS/Daily
on dwarf tomato production. Cassada spoke with The Daily on the significance of researching food production while in orbit. “The need to be able to grow fresh fruits and vegetables in situ is going to be critical for deep space exploration,” Cassada said. “The (astronauts) are going to be in a spot where they are going to be able to do what we need when they don’t have the luxury of either sending up new cargo vehicles with food like we have right now or coming home if they need it.” The U-M Department of Physics developed the Saturday Morning Physics lectures in 1995 as a vehicle to share recent projects, findings and ideas with the public. In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Timothy Chupp, professor of physics and biomedical engineering and faculty organizer of Saturday Morning Physics, spoke about his
experience working with Cassada. “It is tremendously rewarding to be part of bringing science and its relation to policy, art and life to fans of all ages through Saturday Morning Physics,” Chupp said. “The opportunities to organize the live interview with Cassada from the International Space Station and then live back on Earth have been fun, exciting and brought some of the largest audiences to Saturday Morning Physics.” During the event, Cassada shared his struggles with eating enough food while on the ISS. Though his doctors had advised him to eat 3,000 calories a day, Cassadra said there were limited options for food while in space. Cassadra described a time he shared a pizza with his crew members that they had made while at the station on Christmas Eve this past year. Cassada elaborated on the process of
making this pizza in an interview with The Daily following the event. “We used tin foil to make a little oven where we could heat up food,” Cassada said. “It was a lot of work to make the pizza, but we already had cheese, pepperoni and crust. We were all blown away at how good this pizza was and it was nice to be able to celebrate the holiday together in our own way.” Cassada then gave the audience a demonstration of how the astronauts are weighed in space. He weighed himself by measuring the mass and frequency of a spring with and without the person on it. “You can’t really get on a scale in space when you are standing because you are floating,” Cassada said. “You are not weightless but you can’t measure weight in the same way you would do on Earth with gravity.” Read more at michigandaily.com
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“Cloud Cuckoo Land” author Anthony Doerr finishes UMich professorship
Doerr ends his time at the University with a public lecture about the process of writing fiction EILENE KOO
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Anthony Doerr, author of the 2021 bestselling novel “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” and 2014 bestselling novel “All the Light We Cannot See” spoke to more than 500 University of Michigan students, faculty and community members in Hill Auditorium Wednesday evening about the experience of writing fiction. He focused on “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” which tells the tale of a fictional ancient Greek play loosely based on Aristophanes’ “The Birds” that is performed throughout three different eras — 15th-century Constantinople, present-day Idaho and a spaceship in the distant future. “Cloud Cuckoo Lane” was a finalist for the 2021 National Book Awards in the “fiction” category. Doerr gave the lecture as a part of his position as a DeRoy-Graf Memorial Visiting Professor, which was established by the LSA Honors Program to bring professionals from various fields to the University to teach an Honors mini-course and present a public lecture. Doerr was selected for the professorship this year and taught a mini-course called “A World in a Grain of Sand: Examining the Formulaic and the Unfamiliar in Creative Work.” In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Mika LaVaqueManty, LSA Honors Program director, said he thought many of
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the themes in “Cloud Cuckoo Land” were very relevant to issues young people are facing today and hoped the audience could get new insight into Doerr’s creative process. “People will understand what’s behind his thinking (and get) to know this person,” LaVaqueManty said. “Many of the themes in that book are issues on which we would like to hear his thoughts on climate change, … young people’s well-being (and) different forms of discrimination.” LaVaque-Manty opened the lecture by introducing Doerr and commemorating the end of his time as the DeRoy-Graf Memorial Visiting Professor. Afterward, Doerr took to the stage and began his lecture by presenting several news headlines about the recent increase in space expeditions led by wealthy individuals such as Jeff Bezos. During the lecture Doerr said he believed this uptick was caused by an interest in experiencing “The Overview Effect,” or a psychological phenomenon in which people’s perspective of the world changes when seeing it from above in space. “Billionaires, just like us, sometimes worry that they have lost perspective (of the world),” Doerr said. “Maybe these billionaires feel this more keenly because, despite the worlds they are chasing, they realize money doesn’t buy all.” Doerr transitioned to talking about the research he did before writing his 2015 historical fiction
novel, “All the Light We Cannot See,” which is set in Europe during World War II. He explained how during his research for that book, he came across information about the ancient walled city of Constantinople, which later inspired the first of the three settings he explored in “Cloud Cuckoo Land.” “For 10 years, I worked on ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ and in much of the reading I did on defensive walls, I came across the walls of Constantinople,” Doerr said. “It wasn’t until 2015 when the (then) presidential candidate Donald Trump was leading crowds in chants of ‘Build that wall’ that I was finally able to go back to the walls of Constantinople.”Doerr then shared a personal anecdote about living with his grandmother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease when he was in high school. Doerr said this experience spurred an interest in the idea of erasure of memory and how it can be preserved in literature. “In a world where we can download (an author’s bibliography) … it’s sometimes hard to even believe in erasure,” Doerr said. Doerr then continued talking about his journey writing “Cloud Cuckoo Land.” Doerr said the plot of “Cloud Cuckoo Land” resembled a rhizome, a plant stem that continually grows underground and branches off. Similarly, he said his fictional Greek play was like the
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central stem of a rhizome with each of the three narratives being the branches. “My goal is to … interconnect on micro and macro levels … with the lives of the five protagonists with the (ancient Greek play) being the center,” Doerr said. Doerr concluded his lecture by encouraging his audience to look at life in a way similar to how he writes: through a magnifying glass. “Almost every noun around you is worthy of investigation,” Doerr
said. LSA freshman Claire Byrd said she read “Cloud Cuckoo Land” over the summer with other Honors students as a part of an optional community read program and said she loved the level of detail in Doerr’s work. “He’s such an introspective and a funny, down-to-earth author,” Byrd said. “There were some really, really big ideas presented in this talk. … I just thought that he handled everything so well and made the
audience feel really connected to everything that he cared about.” Naomi Richardson, a law school student studying at the University of Detroit Mercy, came to Ann Arbor to attend the event and expressed how grateful she was that the University of Michigan decided to make the event open to the public. “He’s just such a good teacher, and so I feel very jealous of all those students who got to be in his class,” Richardson said. “He seems very passionate about what he does.”
Founder of Trans Studies Sandy Stone visits North Quad
Stone was invited by the Information School to speak about trans identities and technology JUNE MACDONALD Daily Staff Reporter
University of Michigan community members gathered at North Quad Residence Hall Tuesday afternoon to hear a lecture from Allucquére Rosanne “Sandy” Stone, an associate professor emeritus of communication technologies at the University of Texas at Austin, and Cassius Adair, an assistant professor of media studies at The New School. The talk, titled “Trans Studies in the Virtual Age,” was hosted by the U-M School of Information as part of LGBTQ+ History Month, which takes place in October. Stone and Adair discussed the evolution of Queer identities and their relation to technology throughout history, their own experiences as transgender people and an upcoming documentary about Stone. The event was co-sponsored
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by the Digital Studies Institute, Institute for Research on Women and Gender, and the Center for Ethics, Society, and Computing. The lecture was a part of a range of events the University and Spectrum Center are hosting throughout LGBTQ+ History Month to celebrate Queer identities and experiences. Stone established the field of trans studies with her 1987 essay, “The Empire Strikes Back: A Posttranssexual Manifesto,” widely considered the discipline’s founding document. She has since held professorships in Queer theory and media art at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California, Santa Cruz and toured worldwide as a theatrical performance artist. Stone spoke about how some of her first experiences with the online trans community were through phone sex, fueling her curiosity about the intersection between pleasure and
technology. “I (connected to the online community through) phone sex … which I was also introduced to by a trans person,” Stone said. “The sex workers were doing interesting stuff and had a very narrow bandwidth. … They were not just conveying information, they had to convey desire (through technology).” Adair elaborated on the relationship between technology, Queer development, community and desire. Since he is considerably younger than Stone, Adair explained that his relationship with technology, which he said was primarily established through Tumblr culture, was formed at the start of his gender transition from 2009 to 2011. “I like to introduce myself sometimes as part of the Tumblr trans generation,” Adair said. “I see people who are from this particular generation are like, ‘We follow each others’ blogs, we
really know something about each other.’ We know something very intimate about each other and we know something about how to communicate in a sort of combative, ironic discourse that I think is very emblematic of the early 2000s or 2010s. … I think it’s really shaped the way I think about digital studies and also the way I think about identity.” The pair further contrasted their experiences and spoke about their work in the media arts in the context of Queer expression. Stone spoke about understanding her relationship with her body through the lens of art, technology and the digital world. “Whatever the ‘us’ is, whatever the core of our identity is … it’s very independent of what our physical shape is,” Stone said. “How we think of ourselves as embodied (people) is really a lot more flexible than it seems to be, than we imagined it, or even that we can imagine.” Stone also spoke at length about
her experiences as an artist and student living in California in the 1960s and ’70s and trying to find a trans community who she would be able to relate to. “Not that many people were aware that they were trans in the sense that they could put that label on (it),” Stone said. “At that point, there were so few people online that the idea of forming a solid community of trans people didn’t happen.” Stone shared her thoughts about technological connections in Queer youth spaces today. She emphasized the importance of robust communication platforms in places where Queer identities are marginalized. In particular, Stone mentioned how Queer communities in states that have laws limiting access to healthcare and other resources, like the one Florida passed in June affecting transgender people, need a space to organize and connect with others.
“The thing about the parents in Florida pushing back (against trans policies), it’s important at this point to look at what is the origin of the disgust,” Stone said. “We’re not just fighting for a gender position. We’re fighting for an entire cultural shift. We’re gonna have to figure it out or our kids are gonna have to figure it out.” LSA senior Atticus Spicer attended the event and said they were familiar with Stone’s work and story. They spoke about the importance of listening to older members of the Queer community and listening to their stories. “She’s one of the oldest Queer people that I’ve really been around,” Spicer said. “We don’t have a lot of queer elders. It’s important to think about Queer history as like, this is survivable, and all the things before this were survivable for someone. Just knowing that there is a history makes you feel more secure. That you’re going to continue writing it.”
Five bills from the past month to watch in the Michigan state Legislature
Every month, The Daily recaps five bills you should be paying attention to ARNAV GUPTA
Daily Staff Reporter
Each month, The Michigan Daily publishes a compilation of bills in the Michigan legislature for students at the University of Michigan to know about. The following article explains five bills that have been introduced, passed or signed into law by the Michigan legislature or Gov. Gretchen Whitmer throughout the month of September. 1. Protection for reproductive health access Status: Introduced in the House and referred to the Committee on Health Policy As part of a 21-bill package called the Reproductive Health Act, House Bill 4949 aims to protect the rights to health care and reproductive freedom for Michigan residents. State Rep. Laurie Pohutsky, D-Livonia,
sponsored the bill and said in a stakeholder roundtable that the passage of Proposal 3 in the November 2022 midterms and the subsequent repeal of the state’s 1931 abortion ban were just the first steps towards protecting reproductive rights in Michigan. “This term, we worked to restore and protect reproductive rights in Michigan by repealing the 1931 abortion ban in state law,” Pohutsky said. “But our work is not done, and we must continue to eliminate the barriers that hinder Michiganders’ access to essential health care with the Reproductive Health Act. The implementation of these bills is urgent to ensure medical avenues are open to access safe, legal abortion across Michigan.” The bill outlines legal protections for reproductive freedom and aims to prohibit
legislators from implementing any abortion restrictions before fetal viability. It would also protect anyone involved in providing or seeking abortion care from facing legal consequences. 2. Creation of an Environmental Literacy Task Force for K-12 curriculum development Status: Introduced in the House and referred to the Committee on Education House Bill 4961, introduced by state Rep. Julie Rogers, D-Kalamazoo, would establish an environmental literacy task force responsible for developing a curriculum on climate change and other environmental issues for Michigan public schools. The task force would bring together a wide array of individuals appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s appointees, including the superintendent of public
instruction, the director of the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, a director of the Department of Agriculture and representatives from various Michigan schooling associations. The team would be responsible for integrating environmental education into existing curricula and outlining teacher training and support for doing so. The bill also details requirements for service and hands-on learning, and outlines a list of terms that would have to be defined in classrooms, including “climate change,” “environmental literacy” and “healthy lifestyle.” 3. Restrictions on firearm possession for people convicted of domestic violence Status: Introduced in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary and Public Safety
Introduced by state Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, Senate Bills 471 and 472 would prohibit people convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors from possessing or owning a firearm for eight years following their conviction. Currently under Michigan law, domestic assault is not considered a felony unless it occurs three times, and only those with felony convictions are barred from possessing a gun under federal law. That means that those who have been convicted of domestic violence one or two times can still own a firearm in the state. In a senate hearing, Chang said S.B. 471 and 472 would help protect survivors of domestic abuse from further harm. “The argument here is simple: When you have a gun in the situation where there’s an individual with a record of domestic violence, there is a
much greater likelihood that the victim might die,” Chang said. “Survivors of domestic violence endure unimaginable pain and betrayal, and it is our responsibility to ensure that they have the peace of mind knowing that they will be protected from threats of gun violence at the hands of their abusers.” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) also expressed her support for both bills in a recent press release. “Survivors are at the greatest risk of harm in the first weeks after leaving an abusive relationship,” Nessel said. “That risk increases significantly when the abuser has access to a weapon. Common-sense measures like this will remove weapons from the hands of people who have been convicted of violence in their homes.” Read more at michigandaily.com
Arts
4 — Thursday, October 19, 2023
Kwebbelkop AI and the now-unavoidable AI conversation KATELYN SLIWINSKI Daily Arts Writer
Whether online, in school or in the workplace, it seems the discussion of the “artificial intelligence revolution” is unavoidable. Once a futuristic pipe dream, sentiments surrounding AI are now tiring and seem to have anti-workingclass subtexts. Just this week, a poster for Marvel’s next season of “Loki” was released amid tense post-writers-strike conditions — quickly, users online started to theorize that the poster was created by AI. If this is the case, it’s a striking example of a large company not wanting to pay actual human artists, instead defaulting to machine generation. Disney isn’t new to this concept, either: Marvel’s “Secret Invasion” opening credits are made by AI. The idea of shifting from manmade work to AI is ever-present — the most recent example being the recent writer’s strike where studios wanted AI to write scripts instead of paying their human employees a fair wage. Ironically, AI wouldn’t be able to write any scripts without referring to the bountiful, incredible work of the writers that came before it. However, entertainment might not be the only industry to have this debate. Recently, the AI controversy has reached an industry that you may not have expected: YouTube gaming channels. Jordi Maxim van den Bussche, best known as Kwebbelkop, has amassed over 15 million subscribers on YouTube through gaming content. He most frequently uploads Minecraftand Roblox-related gaming videos, with these two games being notably popular among children. In early August of this year, van den Bussche announced he’d be replacing his presence in videos with an AI
version of himself — a 3D avatar reminiscent of VTubers that he’d trained to make videos for him. He claims he made this choice to keep his business alive. “Every time I wanted to take a holiday or I needed some time for myself, I couldn’t really do that because my entire business would stop,” he said. With this newfound format, van den Bussche can release content without effort in the form of AI-generated scripts and voiceovers. What is so appealing about this? van den Bussche no longer needs to “work,” yes, but is there any artistic integrity here? For the hundreds of thousands of people — the majority of whom are children — that will watch these videos, what will they gain? They are not connected with Kwebbelkop in any regard. They are watching recycled scripts of his old videos repurposed through AI, mechanically coming out of this avatar’s mouth. There is no humanity, no authenticity, only machine-generated slop. In the beginning, there was at least a decent indication that these videos were artificially generated, as the thumbnails reflected the AI avatar as opposed to van den Bussche’s actual likeness. However, on Sept. 22, he released a video called “The End of Kwebbelkop AI…” that teased a shift in his channel. Displaying his human self in the thumbnail, there was a clear impression that he might be turning away from AI. However, right away, van den Bussche quickly began to push back against the criticism of his AI content. “One of the arguments I kept hearing over and over is that they wanted to see me. The real me,” Van Den Bussche said. This lead to the introduction of his next endeavor: an AI version of his real likeness called the “Kwebbelkop 2.0 model.” He revealed that everything in the video was completely
Why this UMich grad quit a corporate job to start her own bakery
AI-generated, including the van den Bussche on camera who had been speaking to us. When watching the video, this fact became fairly obvious, as his face moved in a disjointed and robotic way. When exploring his channel, the thumbnails on his most recent videos appear to have his real face in them, and there is no indication in his video titles or introductions that they are AI-generated. But click on a video like “Roblox COLOR or DIE… (FULL GAME)” and a trained eye can quickly tell that the van den Bussche we see in the top-left corner talking to us is actually the Kwebbelkop 2.0 AI. The entirety of the video is AI-made, from its script to van den Bussche himself. Yet he doesn’t disclose this anywhere. Would a child be able to tell that this video is not man-made? If not, is this ethical? Will we reach a point where AI and human creation are virtually indistinguishable? Not only does van den Bussche allege that AI will benefit his channel in the long-term, but he also extends it as an opportunity to other influencers, selling his brand of AI that they can use to “enhance their storytelling.” He encourages other influencers and gaming channels to use his methods. van den Bussche says that he arrived at this state due to burnout — he felt overly immersed in his brand, forced to churn out gaming content daily and unable to focus on anything else. With the start of Kwebbelkop AI, he felt better able to branch out while the AI version of him continued to produce content. In a theoretical sense, this sounds OK — we often feel overwhelmed with our work, and if we could have what is essentially a clone do our work for us, it would allow us to take time for ourselves. Read more at michigandaily.com
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ALLISON WEI Daily Arts Writer
At age 30, Rachel Liu Martindale is able to say something few people can: She spends every day doing what she loves most in the world. As the owner of Q Bakehouse & Market, an Asian-American bakery and market opening this fall/winter offering pastries, cakes and Asian pantry staples, she spends her days frosting wedding cakes, folding dumplings and brainstorming the latest item on her everchanging, unique pastry menu. With items like black sesame tarts, pandan chiffon cake and miso sweet corn milk buns, it’s easy to get lost scrolling Q Bakehouse’s Instagram and its hybrid world of AsianAmerican desserts that are at once dazzlingly creative and delicious. At age 30, Rachel Liu Martindale is able to say something few people can: She spends every day doing what she loves most in the world. It can seem that Liu Martindale is living the dream, pursuing her passions as her job. In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Liu Martindale defined all that she loves about her work. “It’s everything,” Liu Martindale said. “I love baking. I’m shocked by how many days at work that I still enjoy. I’ll come home from work in the evenings and just bake at home, playing around with stuff.” But it wasn’t always like this; just seven years ago, a bakery wasn’t even in the picture for Liu Martindale. In 2016, freshly graduated from the University of Michigan with a materials science and engineering degree, Liu Martindale was working as an engineering consultant, feeling undeniably stuck. “I was at my job, feeling
miserable,” Liu Martindale said. “I’d work eight hours then go home and think about how I’d have to work the following day. Weekends would be a bit of a break, but then I’d actually have Sunday nights where I’d just cry because I didn’t want to go to work the next week.” “Immediately, I was trying to find different ways to cope with the fact that I hated my job,” Liu Martindale said. Rachel first discovered her love for baking during her undergraduate years at the University, experimenting with recipes and flavors during her free time. After graduation, Liu Martindale again turned to food and baking for joy. On top of her engineering job, she picked up a part-time job at a coffee shop and started baking during evenings and weekends, posting recipes on a resurrected food blog from college. Eventually, Liu Martindale came to a decision point: Should she continue down the corporate road or take an uncharted path? “I had to ask myself questions like: ‘What’s my new salary going to be? What does my new budget look like? Am I okay with not being able to buy certain things?’ I was weighing the pros and cons,” Liu Martindale said. “I realized that, yeah, I wouldn’t have all these things that are kind of nice to have, but I’d be gaining my mental health and joy back,” she said. So she took the plunge: Liu Martindale quit her engineering job and transitioned to working fulltime at a coffee shop. And so began what Liu Martindale calls her “soulsearching period.” She wasn’t sure what the future would hold for her, but she did know one thing — she couldn’t stop baking. She started pursuing baking seriously, taking up an internship at a renowned wedding bakery, Sweet Heather
Anne. Friends started reaching out to ask Liu Martindale if she could make their wedding cakes. Liu Martindale also ran a homeless ministry with her husband, serving free breakfast to people experiencing homelessness in Ann Arbor. “We didn’t anticipate how popular it was and how many people it would be feeding,” Liu Martindale said. I thought maybe I’ll make cakes on the side to help fund it.” And just like that, in spring of 2017, Liu Martindale’s bakery business was born. To make it official, she made an Instagram page with the name “Milk + Honey bakery.” Milk + Honey took off from there. Liu Martindale started doing weekly pop-ups around Ann Arbor. “It’s crazy how social media does what it does. That’s how Milk + Honey grew in the first place …It kept growing organically from there where I was able to quit the job I was at and switch to baking full time in 2019.” Five years after Milk + Honey’s conception, Liu Martindale is excited to open an in-person location in west Ann Arbor as the rebranded Q Bakehouse & Market. The rebranding reflects Liu Martindale’s desire to share her Taiwanese-Chinese heritage and offer more Asian-inspired pastries and pantry items. What makes Liu Martindale’s journey remarkable isn’t simply that she pursued her dream, but she did so as an Asian American woman. “There aren’t many Asian chefs or bakers out there,” Liu Martindale said. Certainly, being a baker doesn’t fit into the list of traditional “Asian parentapproved” career options, something Liu Martindale had to struggle with. Read more at michigandaily.com
Join Vision 2034 and Campus Plan 2050 at the final open house to preview the U-M of the future! View planning scenarios for campus land use and share your thoughts on how they connect to the university’s
Help build U-M’s future — Attend an Open House
strategic vision.
October 19 Pierpont Commons, Fireside Cafe
Sessions run 4-8 p.m. and registration is required. Reserve your spot now! myumi.ch/Mr2mP
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Arts
Thursday, October 19, 2023 — 5
The Seven Deadly Cines: Gluttony and the Chocolate Factory Ticket represents Lust; Grandpa Joe’s (Jack Albertson, “The Poseidon Adventure” and David Kelly, “Waking Ned Devine”) constant commentary on the other contestants arise from Envy and Wonka’s punishments are his Wrath. But that doesn’t fit well, does it? Mike’s fetishization of violence — whether through television or video games — makes him a better fit for Wrath, yes? Veruca’s constant coveting of others’ possessions illustrates her Envy, does it not? And of course, the question I started with: what is Gluttony, that voracious beast that haunts every corner of the Chocolate Factory and all of modern civilization, threatening to consume it all completely?
SAARTHAK JOHRI Daily Arts Writer
Aren’t our modern lives a bit too … puritan? I mean, spending each and every day trying to follow all these rules and regulations and do’s and don’ts and faux pas and unwritten mandates found in that social contract we were all forced to sign — you know, it really just gets tiring. After spending the day acting as virtuously as physically possible, it’s only right to get home, kick your feet up and get sinful. Post a selfie. Rob a bank. Fuck your ex. Slash your neighbor’s tires. Or, uh, maybe don’t do any of that actually. That would probably ruin your life. Let’s leave the debauchery to the professionals and have Hollywood take care of things for us. And, to make your life a little easier, your favorite publication is here to give a tour through the seven most deadly sins of all. Is that something in your pocket, or are you just happy to read The Michigan Daily? It’s time to put the Sin back in Cinema and celebrate the little things that make us human. Welcome to the Seven Deadly Cines. — Rami Mahdi, Daily Arts Writer Oompa Loompa, doompadee doo Before I welcome you into the Chocolate Factory, let me ask you a question: What is Gluttony? I’ve got a perfect puzzle for you I recall discussing this riddle with the Film Beat at this series’ conception. Sloth, Wrath, Pride — all sins in their own domains of indolence, fury and arrogance — but what of Greed, Lust and Envy? Did they not all arise from avarice: the progenitor of desire, the desire for another’s flesh, the desire for what others possessed? Envy is to covet and break the Tenth Commandment, Lust is to commit adultery and
Design by Hailey Kim
break the Seventh — so what about Gluttony? Is it just — as we asserted in our discussion as the series began — Greed but for food? Would its examination in cinema be, say, the myopic moralization of a man who martyrs himself through his multitudinous meals? Or is it the original desire, the sin on top of which all other sins are built? Oompa Loompa, doompadee dee My idea of Gluttony has changed since contemplating that riddle, especially in the context of the story that I intend to take a sizable bite into. The “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” book was originally published by
Roald Dahl (“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”) in 1964, adapted by Mel Stuart (“The Mystery of Sleep”) into the film “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” starring Gene Wilder (“The Producers”) in 1971, then rebooted by Tim Burton (“Batman”) with its original title “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” starring Johnny Depp (“Jeanne du Barry”) in 2005. Differences aside, they all feature a tale I’m sure you’re familiar with: A winning group of children and adults are taken on a tour of Willy Wonka’s titular Chocolate Factory, and a child leaves after every successive factory level as punishment for indulging in their temptations.
If you are wise, you’ll listen to me Augustus Gloop’s (Michael Bollner, Debut and Philip Wiegratz, “The Wild Chicks and Life”) voracious consumption of the Chocolate River condemns him to clog a tube that would have otherwise saved him from drowning. Violet Beauregarde’s (Denise Nickerson, “Dark Shadows” and AnnaSophia Robb, “Bridge to Terabithia”) arrogant attempt at Wonka’s threecourse dinner gum causes her to inflate until she is literally as full of herself as she is figuratively and ready to burst. Veruca Salt (Julie Dawn Cole, “Poldark” and Julia Winter, “Dolphin Tale 2”) is sent straight to the hellfire of the garbage incinerator for her avaricious
demand to possess Wonka’s animals. Mike Teavee’s (Paris Themmen, “Screenplay” and Jordan Fry, “Meet the Robinsons”) careless experimentation with Wonka’s teleportation renders him as small as the TV characters he’s spent his life glued to the couch watching. What do you get when you guzzle down sweets? Maybe you’re familiar with the fairly popular interpretation of the story in which each main character represents one of the seven deadly sins: Charlie Bucket’s (Peter Ostrum, “Role Model: Gene Wilder” and Freddie Highmore, “Finding Neverland”) powerful desire for the Golden
Eating as much as an elephant eats? No, Gluttony is not just the food and fat, not just Augustus Gloop and his gorging. I hope you’ve been able to guess by now where I’m going with this, with the ridiculous lengths to which sin is seen in the Chocolate Factory. In their caricatured flaws, the characters embody sin extrapolated to the extreme. Greed, Envy and Lust are to desire, covet and adulter. Gluttony is these sins in their ultimate indulgence. What are you at, getting terribly fat? Gluttony is a chocolate maker so prideful about his craft that he lays off and financially destroys an entire town just to keep his secrets. Gluttony is the modern Wonkas of the world consuming as much of the world’s clicks and capital as possible, whether they be of the MrBeast or Bezos variety — the oh-so-generous millionaires and billionaires that occasionally give their Golden Tickets of charity to feed their brand growth and entrench oppressive systems rather than change them. Read more at michigandaily.com
No one’s raining on this parade: ‘Funny Girl’ at the Detroit Fisher Theater
SUDOKU
SKYLAR WALLISON Daily Arts Writer
puzzle by sudokusnydictation.com
WHISPER WHISPER “Of all the path you take in life...”
“Funny Girl,” a classic Broadway musical, hit the stage this fall from Sept. 26 to Oct. 8 at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit. This long-awaited revival has audiences praising the animated comedy and extraordinary vocals of Fanny Brice once again. I, for one, was willing to trek through torrential rainfall just to hear “Don’t Rain on My Parade” live. Yes, I understand the irony of that statement. The story, a tale of a talented young Jewish girl, Fanny Brice, with a dream to rise beyond her Lower East Side Manhattan neighborhood, still captivates viewers more than 50 years later. Originally starring the acclaimed actress Barbra Streisand (“Yentl”), “Funny Girl” has been commended as one of the most iconic Broadway shows of all time since its premiere in 1964. This particular production, with Katerina McCrimmon (“Where the Pieces of My Life Belong”) starring as Fanny Brice, was flawless. A production like “Funny Girl” takes a very specific performer to succeed — to say McCrimmon did just that would be an understatement. Beginning with a flashforward of Fanny in her dressing room, donned in the chicest of silk robes, the audience sees her starstudded dreams realized. She barks orders at the stagehand beside her, questions the reflection in the mirror and slowly starts the show off with “Who are You Now.” The delicate
and emotionally compelling song sets the tone for the entirety of the production. The level of finesse that director Michael Mayer (“American Idiot”) incorporates into every aspect of the show is truly remarkable. As a born-and-raised New Yorker, I grew up fortunate enough to experience the power of an excellent Broadway show just a couple blocks away. Now, as a student at the University of Michigan, I can openly admit that Mayer’s Detroit showing of “Funny Girl” was as fantastic, if not better than a New York City production. In songs such as “Don’t Rain on my Parade,” “People” and “I’m the Greatest Star,” McCrimmon exhibits a unique voice canny to that of Barbra Streisand. With her mezzosoprano smoothness and effortless ability to belt out even the hardest of notes, McCrimmon executed the role of Fanny Brice with ease. Along with the caliber of vocals presented by McCrimmon and the remaining cast, the production also showcased expertise in choreography, costume and set-design, as well as engaging dialogue. The audience was immediately charmed by actor Izaiah Montaque Harris’s “After Midnight” talented tap dancing as Eddie Ryan, intertwined with the synchronicity of the delightfullydressed ensemble dancers. Each character, be it Mr. Nicky Arnstein, played by Stephen Mark Lukas, or Mrs. Brice, performed by star Melissa Manchester (“Blossom”), was executed and played to perfection. Read more at michigandaily.com
“...make sure some of them are dirt.” ~John Muir
This image was taken from the official website for “Funny Girl” on Broadway.
MiC
6 — Thursday, October 19, 2023
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Breaking walls, building solidarity: Unveiling the apartheid struggle in Palestine ANONYMOUS MIC CONTRIBUTOR
Content warning: This article contains mentions of violence and rape. Editors Note: This piece is a column published by Michigan in Color which follows a separate editorial process than our News or Opinion content. Michigan in Color allows contributors and columnists to write anonymously to protect themselves from racial and other identity based harassment. *** A Rebellion in Gaza On Saturday, Palestinians in Gaza launched a surprise attack on the colonizing force of Israel, one of the largest-ever Palestinian liberation operations in modern history. They invaded colonial settlements, bulldozed territorial walls and captured Israeli soldiers. Although any violence is unconscionable, the rebellion was unavoidable. It comes after Palestinians have been imprisoned in a cage, where they’ve been trapped and subjected to violence, polluted water, inequitable health care, forced births at checkpoints and, as the Human Rights Watch conclusively states, crimes against humanity. This must be interpreted as a response of a people pushed beyond endurance in an open-air prison. For when you confine more than two million individuals within a strict, 140-square-mile area, subjecting them to an unrelenting siege devoid of resolution with drones and rockets persistently buzzing above day and night, imposing continuous surveillance and harassment and granting them minimal control over their daily existence — inevitably, those deprived of their rights will rise in rebellion. In response, Israel has imposed a complete blockade on food, water and electricity to the Gaza area, telling you everything you should know about who the oppressors are. This fight is not about Jews and Arabs; this is about Israeli apartheid and occupied Palestinians. IfNotNow, an American Jewish organization, pointed out that this attack from Gaza is not “unprovoked.” The Jewish Voice for Peace, a Jewish anti-Zionist organization, states that “the Israeli government may have just declared war, but its war on Palestinians started over 75 years ago.” If that’s not enough, thirty-one Harvard student organizations blame Israel for the recent Hamas attack, claiming that these attacks didn’t happen in a “vacuum.” *** SAFE’s Apartheid Wall Just three days before this liberation act, Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) gathered on the Diag to protest the ongoing apartheid of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. Students displayed an 8-foot tall mock apartheid wall that stretched 36 feet across the Diag, serving as a testament to the 36-foot tall and 2.3 million-foot long barrier that exists in present-day Palestine. SAFE members and allies also held informative signs detailing the ethnic cleansing carried out in the Occupied Territories and Palestine as a whole by the state of Israel. From calculated ecological crimes to health care restrictions and killings of children, the signs were an educational form of protest that informed passersby of the tragedies taking place in Palestine: Protestors hold up signs displaying Israel’s atrocities against Palestinian civilians. Protestors display signs that detail atrocities committed by Israeli forces against Palestinians. MiC Staff Photographer
A member from Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) gives a speech in front the mock apartheid wall. The 8-foot tall wall serves as a testament to the 36-foot tall and 2.3 million-foot long barrier that exists in present-day Palestine. MiC Staff Photographer
“96% of water from Gaza’s sole aquifer is unfit to drink — UNICEF.” “1 in 4 pregnant women in Palestine are considered high-risk and are regularly denied specialized care — UNICEF.” “The Israeli military and border police forces are killing Palestinian children with virtually no recourse for accountability — Human Rights Watch.” *** Historical Context The barrier, also known as the apartheid wall, separates Palestinian communities in the West Bank from Israel. Construction of the apartheid wall began in the summer of 2002 amidst the Second Intifada, which was triggered by Palestinian frustration with the “solutions” put forth in the Camp David Summit that disguised Israeli occupation as a fair legal resolution. The Israeli government claimed that the wall was a defensive measure to prevent violence against its citizens. In reality, these sentiments were rooted in pure propaganda and the construction imposed a new sinister reality for Palestinians. The leading human rights organization in Israel, B’Tselem, claimed that a key factor in constructing the wall was to lay the “groundwork for the de facto annexation of most of the settlements and much land for future [Israeli] expansion,” which included fertile territory and water sources. Amnesty International has condemned the construction of the wall and demanded that the Israeli government return the property that it has unlawfully seized to the Palestinian people. Most pertinently, the United Nations has explicitly stated that “the wall is a tool for ethnic cleansing” and the Human Rights Watch reported that the wall is a weapon that rationalizes “Israeli forces routinely (firing) on those who enter or approach the ‘buffer zone.’ ” *** SAFE’s Stories of Murdered Palestinians The purpose of SAFE’s demonstration was to raise awareness about the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians through the tragic symbol of the apartheid wall (although the wall is only one manifestation of Israel’s oppression and settler-colonialist project in Palestine and the Occupied Territories). Upon initiation, speakers took to the microphone to tell the devastating stories of Palestinians whose lives have been disrupted by the wall. Here are three stories that were relayed at the protest: On the morning of September 22, 2015, 18-year-old Hadeel al-Hashlamun was stopped at a checkpoint in the old city of Hebron. After she passed through the
checkpoint’s metal detector, Israeli soldiers ordered her to open her purse and lift her face veil. Hadeel, who only spoke Arabic, could not understand the orders given to her in Hebrew, and the Israeli soldiers refused to let witnesses translate for her. When she couldn’t understand their orders to move back, the soldiers shot the warning shots at the ground and then shot her in the leg. They shot her 9 more times, 10 times total, as she lay on the ground … her body was dragged out of view of the cameras and left on the ground at the checkpoint. The Israeli soldiers refused to let Palestinian medics through the checkpoint and Hadeel went untreated until it was convenient for the Israeli medics to “attend” to her. Hadeel died that afternoon. In April of 2016, 24-yearold Maram Abu Ismail — at the time five months pregnant and a mother of two — approached the Qalandia military checkpoint near Ramallah with her 16-year-old brother Ibrahim Taha. Ibrahim and Maram were confused about the crossing procedure and they were immediately apprehended by the Israeli occupation forces manning the checkpoint. They shot Ibrahim seven times and Maram was shot 15 times. The Palestinian Red Crescent was not permitted to enter the checkpoint to treat them. Maram, her unborn child and Ibrahim were all murdered. During the seventh month of her pregnancy, 22-year-old Nahil Abou Reda began to bleed intensely. Nahil and her husband left for the nearest hospital in Nablus, but Israeli soldiers stopped them at a checkpoint and asked them to produce documents from the Israeli Liaison Office before they would be allowed to pass. They weren’t permitted to pass despite the severity of the situation. They were redirected to another checkpoint for further meaningless investigation. Finally, Nahil’s husband called for an ambulance, but the Israeli soldiers would not allow it to pass through. Nahil delivered her baby at the checkpoint, in sight of the ambulance that had come to help but could not reach her. After seven months of pregnancy, Nahil woke up to find that her baby had died at an Israeli checkpoint. These stories depict the violence that Palestinians are subjected to on a daily basis — and these are but a few stories of what happens in Palestine and the Occupied Territories. Israel is an occupation that murders Palestinian children, rapes Palestinian women, tramples Palestinian graves, demolishes Palestinian homes, outlaws Palestinian human rights organizations and, worst of all, denies its crimes. And yet, whenever Palestinian activists protest, they are re-subjected
to Israeli hegemony; it’s never the case that the Palestinian flag can be peacefully flown by itself — the Israeli flag will always be within the vicinity, articulating its dominance and reconfiguring discourse. *** The Counterprotest And that’s exactly what happened at the protest. A group of counterprotesters waving the Israeli flag was also present on the Diag, verbally harassing and filming the demonstrators. Counterprotesters yelled at Jewish Graduate Employees’ Organization members and called them “traitors.” They also spat on the silent protestors holding signs and directed racist remarks at Arab and Muslim students at the event, claiming that the demonstrators looked “less Arab” than them. Counterprotesters wave Israeli flags near the apartheid wall demonstration. Proponents of the Israeli regime have been known to harass and corner individuals who stand with Palestine. MiC Staff Photographer Counterprotestors also claimed that the demonstration was antisemitic especially amid the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. In reality, the conflation of Judaism as a religion and the settler-colonial project has been a convenient narrative that moralizes the ongoing apartheid and exploits a holy religion for a political agenda. SAFE’s demonstration was not a rally against Jewish people, but instead a rally to echo the cries of Palestinians subjected to the violent architecture of apartheid and the inhumanity of Israeli occupation forces in their homeland. It must be noted that there is bravery in coming out to a protest like this: Proponents of the Israeli regime have been known to harass and corner individuals who stand with Palestine. An appalling example of this is Canary Mission, a website that doxxes Palestinian activists and shares their personal information. Many protestors wore masks to hide their faces and protect their identities from verbal abuse online. I chose to be an anonymous contributor for the same reason. Even in the United States, in moments of resistance, the colonialist oppressor manages the oppressed, deterring activists from speaking out against Israel’s brutality. Still, there was a vast and diverse showout at the demonstration. Individuals from different backgrounds, ethnicities, races, religions and sexual orientations united under the slogan “Free, free Palestine!” because this is a movement for collective liberation — the same cannot, of course, be stated
for the counterprotestors. The increasing support for Palestine does come at a very unfortunate cost. As the tragedies intensify, it becomes harder for Israel to mask its violence. On the international stage, the Palestinian is pushed to become the perfect victim. *** The Perfect Victim The “perfect victim” is a damaging concept that does not address the Palestinian struggle until it’s completely helpless and tragic. This leaves no room for international recognition of the struggle unless the oppressed silently accepts all that’s done to them, polarizing their dehumanization to a point that hinders the dominant narrative’s capability to supersede. Acts of resistance from the victim interrupt this narrative and allow for the re-articulation of the dominant discourse. On the day of the resistance attack that recently took place, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the country was at “war” and that the “enemy” would pay “an unprecedented price” — a frightening pronouncement to hear from this colonial government that’s recently resorted to a totalitarian, aggressively far-right leadership. One can only imagine the bleak reality that such a direct statement entails, given that the occupation has one of the strongest armies in the world. More horrifyingly, Ariel Kallner, an Israeli Knesset member, called for a second “Nakba” in response to these events. (For context, “Nakba” means “catastrophe” in Arabic, and the first Nakba of 1948 resulted in the deaths of over 15,000 Palestinians.) Whatever the future may bring, there’s a moral onus on all of us to stand with the Palestinian resistance that’s fighting against the occupational force. The international response, as of late, has been quite morally disappointing, with the United States pledging $3 billion to Israel, Germany mulling aid to Palestinians and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announcing that the world must stand in solidarity with the oppressor that is Israel. Moreover, when there is resistance and the “perfect victim” narrative is interrupted, major Israeli and Western news outlets subsequently misconstrue the narrative — a pattern all too familiar whenever there is an oppressed people and a favorable oppressor. An instance of such fabrication is the Times of Israel, Fox News and the New York Times presenting this recent act of resistance as an act of terrorism rather than an attempt at decolonization. To quote the famous human rights
activist, Malcolm X: “If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.” *** Moving Forward Due to the University of Michigan’s incompetency and moral bankruptcy, Palestinian students are forced to attend an institution that actively supports their aggressor. Biased, one-sided courses and Zionist student organizations normalize a traumatizing reality for many of these students. Are Palestinian students supposed to simply book an appointment with the bureaucratic mess that is Counseling and Psychological Services? Any serious support for Palestinian students must begin with the acknowledgment of the undeniable fact that Israel is an apartheid state. Unfortunately, from funding trips to Israel to avoiding a boycott of Israeli institutions amidst rising violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, this University has seriously failed its Palestinian students. Even University President Santa Ono believes that there are some “very strong meaningful relationships” that this institution has in Israel. (He also visited Israel in May of 2014.) Given the decentralized nature of the University, however, pockets of progress are inevitable thanks to the tremendous work of Palestinian activists on campus. The establishment of the Edward Said Lounge as a space for SAFE and the Arab Student Association, for instance, is a testament to this. Said was a prominent Palestinian academic, poet, literary critic and musician. More relevantly, he was a leading activist for the Palestinian cause and his representation on campus is a small, but productive step toward Palestinian advocacy. *** Final Thoughts The demonstration organized by SAFE stands as a poignant testament to the ongoing atrocities faced by the Palestinian people. The mock apartheid wall, embodying the oppressive Israeli policies, served as a powerful visual tool to educate and raise awareness about the grim reality of life in Palestine. The personal stories shared during the protest vividly depicted the harrowing experiences of individuals who have suffered under the occupation, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the humanitarian crisis. In light of Israel’s recent declaration of war, the fight for Palestinian advocacy continues, and we must continue to educate fellow students and urge our institution to reassess its staunch allyship with Israel. As SAFE continues to do the great work that it has been doing, solidarity for the Palestinian cause on this campus will only increase, and the normalization of growing resistance is the first step towards critical institutional change. Activist organizations on campus, such as the Black Student Union, the Young Democratic Socialists for America and the Graduate Employees’ Organization, along with cultural organizations, such as the Arab Student Association and the United Asian American Organization, have re-posted SAFE’s statement on the recent events, which essentially endorses the Palestinians’ right to resist an apartheid regime. In the words of Edward Said: “No matter the sustained and unbroken hostility of the Israeli establishment to anything that Palestine represents, the sheer fact of our existence has foiled, where it has not defeated, the Israeli effort to be rid of us completely.”
MiC
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Thursday, October 19, 2023 — 7
Taishanese, family, and other fading things
SARA WONG/MiC
SARA WONG MiC Columnist
A dust-ridden textbook mocks me beneath my bed every day, every night, never failing to remind me of my own self-reproach. “Integrated Chinese 4th Edition, Volume 1.” Inside, whether it can teach me how to say loser or fool, I wouldn’t know. It’s $68 of language-learning gold, and I’ve never read a single page. During my first semester of university, I took introductory Chinese to fulfill LSA’s language requirement. Learning Chinese seemed like something I was just supposed to do. My classmates, most of whom were white students interested in Chinese for its business practicality, seemed to think the same. My mom taught me a little bit of the Chinese writing system and pinyin when I was younger, so all of the early lessons were merely review. And yet, I couldn’t shake the crawling fear that I was being judged. What was a Chinese girl doing in firstyear Chinese? I lasted less than a week before dropping the class. The feeling of “not being Chinese enough” is one familiar to many second-generation immigrants and other individuals that identify with the ChineseAmerican label, but I’ve always faced a different issue altogether — I’m the wrong type of Chinese. The word “Chinese” as a language has become synonymous with “Mandarin,” or “Standard Chinese,” but in reality, there are over 300 Chinese dialects, many of which are not mutually intelligible.
My family speaks Hoisan-waa, or as Romanized, Taishanese. The language originates from the city of Taishan, Guangdong, home to the village in which my parents spent their childhood catching snakes and skipping stones. It’s a tonal, sing-songy dialect full of southern twang. Rural dialects just happen to be more colorful. More fun, if you will. To my parents, Taishanese was the language of home and family, while Mandarin and Cantonese were the languages of practicality. Then, my parents had to learn English when they moved to the faraway, mystical land of Ohio to start a new life together. English was the language of survival. The other family members we slowly brought over, like my grandparents, never learned English at all, because we could protect each other. The nature of my upbringing as a Chinese-American, like the true embodiment of the hyphen, is that I learned both languages at once, and rather clumsily. Sometimes, I can’t translate back certain phrases in either direction, and there’s a handful of Taishanese words I’d frequently hear without realizing they were profanities. My parents always like to tell one story in particular, where we all piled into the navy Honda Odyssey on a grocery trip and my grandpa tiraded about some obnoxious person or another. The details have been lost to time, but my parents’ memory of their 3-yearold’s squeaky voice, echoing her grandfather’s curses, is undying. “Kai-ai!” I kept repeating. It made my family erupt in laughter each time, so I only wanted to say the words more. “Asshole, asshole, asshole! Son of a bitch!”
Besides my family, the only other people I’ve met that speak Taishanese are elderly store owners or passing strangers in Chinatowns. Taishanese is similar enough to Cantonese, the second most popular Chinese dialect, that when people ask, I just tell them I speak Cantonese. It saves me the explaining, at least, until I run into an actual Cantonese speaker. Cantonese and Taishanese are about as mutually intelligible as spoken Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. They’re similar enough to catch words or phrases, but distinct enough to leave the other party in a guessing game. Mandarin and Taishanese, on the other hand, are unalike in nearly every syllable and tone. If I had a dime for every time someone expected me to be fluent in Mandarin, I wouldn’t have quite enough to pay off the debts of “Integrated Chinese 4th Edition, Volume 1,” but I’d get pretty close. So when, instead, a Mandarin speaker from mainland China or an international student asks if I know Chinese, the resulting blunder is always cataclysmic. “No, I don’t. I’m sorry.” Then, they’d stare. I’d blink. I just answered a question I wasn’t supposed to be able to understand. I looked like either a liar or a failure of a Chinese daughter, and it always felt like both were a little bit true. Even among “my people,” an otherness drafts a divide between us. Taishanese is the language of farmers and fishermen, of families united and the first immigrants who sailed to these alienating lands. It is the language of peeling bean sprouts with grandmother, of checkers with grandfather, of
three hopeful sisters and of my parents’ ardent love. It is historic, it is beautiful, and it is dying. Taishanese has no major presence in music, film, broadcast or other forms of media. To the rest of the world, we don’t exist. And we’re not alone. Even within China, students are actively discouraged from using their native languages in place of standardized Mandarin. Famous linguist Max Weinreich popularized the saying that “a language is a dialect with an army and a navy,” and the death of Chinese dialects, or what I know intimately to be languages, makes this statement all the more relevant in my daily existence. Though my sense of grammar in Taishanese is innate, I have the vocabulary of a 5-year-old. There are no textbooks I can buy, or online classes to take. The more time I spend away from home, the more our language flickers into something strained and foreign. And if the flame goes out, what do I have left? The University of Michigan offers more Asian languages than I originally thought, from Japanese to Tagalog, Bengali, Urdu and more. However, the description of the Chinese program on the LSA website always struck me the wrong way. The following lines sit at the top of the page: “Chinese is spoken by over 1.2 billion people, making it the most widely spoken language in the world!” and “China plays a major role in world affairs. As China has opened up to the West, there are growing opportunities for employment in all areas. So China is important for your career.” I caution against relating a language’s intrinsic value to its economic or political importance.
I used to use that same capitalist mindset as an excuse whenever my mom would chide me for only speaking English at home as a child. I’d tell her no one else cares about Taishanese, so it didn’t even matter. I never thought of her, or the rest of my family. I only thought of the belittling laughter of my classmates after my teachers asked me to pronounce my parents’ names, the way the Walmart pharmacist shouted at my grandpa when I couldn’t translate fast enough or the backhanded praise of “You’re so good at English, Sara,” or “I never expected someone like you to be so good at writing, Sara,” which I received endlessly. I was acting out of xqa desperate need to conform, of the shame and resentment built up from every microaggression against my family’s accented English. I wish I could take it all back. I wonder what the rest of my family thought watching our unbalanced game — my parents would use our native language, and I’d only ever reciprocate in English. In my youth, my family stood over me like immovable idols, like nothing could scratch the steel sheen of their strength. But as I age, so do they. Silver hairs and sun-touched wrinkles grace the complexions of my loved ones in a way I can no longer avoid. And yet, no matter how many times I’ve ungratefully pushed my culture and my kin away, they’ve always stayed. We visited my grandmother on my dad’s side after my high school graduation. She had been too sick to attend but wanted to congratulate me all the same. The baby of the family was finally
going to college, and I would close the chapter on the first generation of formally educated kids. I still remember one of the last things she said to me. “Wah, hou lek nui! Ngin-ngin hou sek ni, ni ee-tui ma?” Grandma loves you, you know that? My dad’s mother died of cancer last summer, slowly and painfully. We watched her body wither away over the blooming months, and every insecurity or qualm I had about speaking Taishanese vanished out of necessity. In those moments, nothing was more important than telling my grandma I loved her, in her own language, before she passed. All of those years I spent rejecting my own culture have planted me in the illusion of impasse; I’ve lost so much of this dying language that it feels impossible to ever return. But it’s not. I will cup the flame with my palms, and shield our fire from any storm until no amount of shame or embarrassment will ever triumph over the necessity to connect. If I let it, I admit defeat to everything and everyone that has ever wanted my family to fail. I still want to learn Mandarin and Cantonese on my own, not because I should, or because not knowing them makes me any less Chinese, but because I like learning languages. In the meantime, I bless my mother’s patience for all of my questions, translation requests and impromptu Taishanese lessons, and if anyone knows someone looking to get their hands on a copy of “Integrated Chinese 4th Edition, Volume 1,” please, I beg you, let me know.
demanding money, electronics and jewelry. Upon hearing this, the hostility I felt quickly turned to contemplation. Following natural disasters, street crimes reach an all-time high — from mobile phone snatchings to violent robberies and armed assaults. Already, Pakistan’s overpopulated cities — like Karachi — are crowded beyond capacity. Yearly f loods exacerbate the problem, leaving some 33 million people displaced and destroying 90% of crops. My contemplation turned to distress for the millions that fell back on crimes such as these to simply put food on the table. The f loods not only steal people’s homes but viciously snatch money out of their pockets. The environmental fractures devastating the Global South are deepening, and climate colonialism is to blame. Historically, rich Western nations were able to industrialize much earlier and at the expense of underdeveloped countries. Now, agriculturally-driven economies like Pakistan are plunged into desperation,
given that one-third of the country is underwater. News headlines do little to no justice to irresponsibility on the part of Western nations. Pakistan is responsible for 0.3% of global emissions, and yet, is one of the most climate-vulnerable nations globally. At its core, this climate imbalance favors the extravagance of rich nations at the expense of underdeveloped regions — tipping the scales further against them. The bitter reality stands: These globally-recognized crises are familiar yearly occurrences for the average Pakistani citizen. Just as Canadians remember to salt their driveways before a heavy snowfall, we know to expect a loss of livelihood and mass displacement after a fierce monsoon season. As I sit in Ann Arbor, where we celebrate the rising temperatures, I am reminded of how these very changes are creating irreparable fractures in the fabric of my country — mourned by all those on the front lines.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Monsoons on steroids NURAIYA MALIK MiC Columnist
I remember the day I woke up to hurried footsteps around my house. I opened my bedroom door to find my grandmother, aunt and uncle carrying buckets full of water, frantically attempting to mitigate any further damage. Water was seeping in through the roof, spraying out from electrical outlets and blanketing the entire first f loor of our house. I was told to avoid any areas that may have an electric current running through them and was tasked with shielding unprotected corners of the house with a bucket of my own. As I walked downstairs to assess the damage, I saw an assembly line of family members carrying furniture and other possessions above their heads, sustaining their balance through two feet of dirty water. For 72 hours, internet connection across the city was nowhere to be found, and service providers were out of grasp.
Between June and October 2022, Pakistan experienced an exceptionally intense monsoon season — characterized by United Nations SecretaryGeneral António Guterres as “monsoon(s) on steroids.” During this period, the region witnessed an unusually high amount of rainfall, leading to extensive f looding and landslide occurrences at a rate approximately ten times higher than the country’s 30-year average. Having spent the night before binging Netf lix, I was now huddled around a candle-lit, damp table with my family, as we resorted to entertaining ourselves with nothing but playing cards. In a contradicting turn of events and almost six months after COVID-19 forced a worldwide lockdown, I once again found myself isolated from the outside world, this time without electricity, internet connection or running water. Two days later, my friends had their own bizarre stories to tell. One was stranded on a street and had to spend the night at a friend’s while
another was stuck at their dentist’s clinic for half a day without a working phone. I heard from our gardener about how his family of seven had to evacuate the entire first f loor of their house as they were all made to eat, sleep and live on the second f loor. Worse still, I was told about young children wading through streets in sewage water to gather their scattered belongings. While heavy rainfall in developed countries might disrupt a long walk or ruin a barbecue, in Pakistan it catapults an entire country to a standstill. The f loods had a profound impact, affecting nearly 33 million individuals, causing damage to approximately 4.4 million acres of agricultural land and resulting in the loss of 800,000 livestock. I turned on my phone after a two-day hiatus to see my social media overwhelmed with videos revealing country-wide devastations. In the weeks that followed, interviews showed local government officials under fire for failing to reconstruct entire villages, leaving its communities
homeless. I watched tsunamisized waves break apart the historic Hassanabad Bridge in the Hunza Valley, a northern region that is otherwise an expanse of unique, natural beauty. I saw evacuation boats in the Punjab province, each carrying dozens at a time, overf lowing with women and children. Fatima Bhutto, a Pakistani writer and columnist, uses the phrase “climate refugees” to describe these Pakistanis. Indeed, these refugees are not willingly f leeing their homes, but are rather turbulently driven out by the tidal surge of monsoon rains every year. Following the f looding, the escalation in food costs worsened the already dire situation of hunger and malnutrition within the nation. The count of individuals enduring severe hunger has more than twofold since the f loods occurred in June. Presently, a striking 14.6 million people in Pakistan are grappling with severe hunger. Only recently, my grandparents were driving to dinner when an armed man stopped them at a traffic light,
Opinion
8 — Thursday, October 19, 2023
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Devon Hesano Jack Kapcar Sophia Lehrbaum Olivia Mouradian Siddharth Parmar Rushabh Shah Nick Rubeck
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Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of The Daily’s Editorial Board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
UMich, protect student renters NICK RUBECK
Opinion Columnist
A
nn Arbor’s housing, student or otherwise, is in crisis. The United States Census Bureau calculates median gross rent based on the costs of contract rent and average monthly utilities in a city, and then dividing that gross rent into two equal parts. The median gross rent in East Lansing, a comparable college town, between 2017 and 2021 was $990, $173 below the national median. Meanwhile, Ann Arbor’s was $315 more than the U.S. median at $1,382. These prices are indicative of a larger trend: students are being priced out of Ann Arbor. Most University of Michigan undergraduates, after spending freshman year in a dorm, seek out third-party housing. Only 27% of U-M undergrads live in campus housing, three-quarters of whom are first-year students. Whether they’d like to stay on campus or not, dorm spots are scarce and firstyear students are prioritized over those returning. Even with imminent development like Elbel Field, there simply aren’t enough spaces for everyone who wants one. Students with little-tono renting experience are at risk of signing predatory leases with arbitrary fees and byzantine rules. So, many students turn to landlords or cooperative housing. While co-ops provide freedom from many of the struggles of management companies, there aren’t enough beds for every student and not every student wants to share a house. This is not the only rental activity in Ann Arbor, of course. The City of Ann Arbor is currently building affordable housing to support unhoused and lowincome citizens. In 2020, Ann Arborites voted for a 20-year millage to raise an estimated $130 million to buy and construct between 500 and 1,500 affordable housing units. The Ann Arbor Housing Commission, which controls the budget, has since purchased an apartment complex and has begun development on nine lots already owned by the city. The primary target for this program is Ann Arbor’s unhoused population and lowest-income renters, with some availability planned for middle-income renters. This is a great start for people previously excluded from the housing market but, for the moment, its scope is limited to that group. It’s unlikely to have a major impact on affordability for undergrads spending only a few years in town. Hopefully, the millage is the beginning of a streak of future affordable housing programs that will benefit both permanent residents and students. With more units, renters can increasingly prioritize sustainability in construction and utilities, accessibility outside of a car and accountability of landlords. However, most renters have little say in how
complexes are constructed, conducted, placed and priced. Students are especially absent from these conversations thanks to their short rental periods and inexperience negotiating with landlords and management companies. A key step on the path to affordable student housing, then, is representation. Tenants’ unions are an excellent avenue for representation. Organized renters have consolidated bargaining power, which reduces their risk of being penalized or evicted for speaking up. Unfortunately, the Ann Arbor Tenants’ Union, founded in 1968, was defunded by the University’s Central Student Government in 2004. Accounts on X and Instagram bearing the union’s name stopped posting in 2021 after a brief revitalization push earlier that year, and updates to the A ATU Facebook page are sporadic. Despite the absence of a unified platform for renters, activists are still organizing for representation and accessible, affordable housing. Pressure is mounting on public officials to do better. On Sept. 5, the State Capitol building was surrounded by activists in the aptly named coalition “Rent Is Too Damn High.” Protesters organized under the punchy banner called for a renter’s bill of rights, social housing developments and the removal of Michigan’s 1988 ban on rent control. These and related causes would reduce the burden placed on current and hopeful renters. Legislation inspired by the demands could actually give many lowand middle-income renters a shot at finding a reasonable price for acceptable home conditions on and off campus. Outside the concrete policies championed by the Rent Is Too Damn High coalition, student renters need some backup in talking to their first- or second-ever landlord. Luckily, students are part of a massive, wellfunded community of smart and passionate go-getters: the University of Michigan. The University already offers some help to renters in the form of Student Legal Services and Beyond the Diag. SLS offers education and consultation in a number of legal fields, including criminal, family, traffic and housing. Their housing law department offers appointments to assist with landlord disputes, contract terminations, problems with maintenance, evictions and simply reviewing leases before signing. Beyond the Diag is the University’s hub for off-campus renting information. Their website offers educational resources like guidelines for finding housing and roommates, student safety precautions and even courses for landlords. These two resources are crucial for keeping U-M student renters safe and informed, but they are dramatically underutilized. I, for one, was not aware of either SLS or Beyond the Diag when I signed my lease two years ago (which I then had
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SHANNON STOCKING AND KATE WEILAND
to cancel in January). The process was about as smooth as it could have been but, looking back, I realize how uninformed I was on what the University could offer for offcampus students. Many more students, especially those in more drastic situations than I was, could benefit from that knowledge and support. A key barrier to that legal advice is a lack of resources. SLS, for example, only lists one housing attorney despite most of the University’s 32,695 undergraduates living off campus. The University should therefore invest more deeply in its existing housing resources and expand its reach and impact on student renters. With increased money and attention from the University, SLS and Beyond the Diag, direct improvements could be made: hire more attorneys and staff, create more resources, share more knowledge and advertise their services more broadly. These specific boosts would all contribute to the University’s presence in the housing market. Management companies would have to contend with a larger share of students who are aware of their rights and who have access to legal counsel. It would obviously take a lot of time and resources to litigate each and every squabble between a renter and a landlord, a scenario that I don’t foresee as reasonable or necessary. Instead, the presence of an entity as powerful as the University could preempt many of the problems caused by landlords who know more about housing law than their young tenants. The University could, for example, endorse or criticize certain management companies based on their track record of treating student renters fairly (a practice that the University has so far avoided). The University might have a conf lict of interest or overstep its bounds in getting involved in off-campus renting. It’s important to have housing options independent from the University but, as the main employer and largest nongovernment entity in Ann Arbor, it has the responsibility to ensure its students are taken care of in and out of the classroom. The University’s main role at present and, hopefully, in the future should be to ensure accountability and transparency among the dominant source of student housing. Such a proposal, while providing novel benefits for student renters, is at its core an expansion on a familiar precedent set by the University and government programs. The Department of Housing and Urban Development offers a list of resources not unlike those on the SLS and Beyond the Diag homepages. A boost to the University’s protection of its student renters would bring those resources to the foreground and make the community a safer place to learn, work, rent and live.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Content warning: this article contains mentions of violence. n Saturday, Oct. 7 — a Jewish holiday known as Shemini Atzeret — the world saw horrific news of the launch of an attack on Israel by Hamas, a group designated by the U.S. and other Western powers as a terrorist organization, leading to thousands of casualties and hundreds of kidnapped civilians. Following the attacks, dozens of news organizations began widely reporting on what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has deemed a “war” against Hamas, while terrifying images and videos of atrocities being committed against civilians began to circulate online. However, at the University of Michigan, the Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter shared a statement from the U-M group Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) that refuted the notion that Israel was a victim. Rather, SAFE chose to portray these attacks as the brave resistance of the Palestinian people against a repressive apartheid state — under which they’ve suffered for decades — and placed the blame for the violence solely on the State of Israel. After this, YDSA asked readers to follow SAFE in order to “support the Liberation.” It must be unequivocally stated that the anger of those undergoing incredible suffering within Palestine is justified. However, a minutely nuanced situation is being actively trampled on in favor of retribution against innocent citizens of Israel for the policies of their government. These attacks are not in the interest of the Palestinian people. They simply unify the government of Israel behind Netanyahu and the most hard-right Israeli governing coalition in history, who are currently joining forces
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to unleash “hell” — in the words of Israel Defense Forces Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian — on trapped and helpless civilians. These attacks do not benefit the development of civil rights nor advance a durable solution within the region. Instead, they further a cycle of destructive and vindictive violence that serves only to perpetuate death and hatred across generations. These attacks do not further the agenda of a prosperous Palestinian state. Rather, it’s possible that by the end of this incursion, hopes of a stable state for the Palestinian people will be entirely in ruins, as we see Israel substantially reoccupying the Gaza Strip for the first time since they unilaterally withdrew in 2005. Despite this, SAFE and other student groups still fail to even condemn a systematic murder campaign that has been declared to be the most lethal single attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. No one on this campus who has hopes for peace in the region should support the agenda of what is labeled by most Western nations as a terroristic, antisemitic organization, and one that certainly does not represent the best interests of the Palestinian people, given that they haven’t held elections since 2006. Keep in mind that those perpetrating these attacks have initiated a campaign that has given Israel the justification it needs to launch a brutal counteroffensive. An IDF military campaign on this scale — with this level of multi-partisan support — could flatten Gaza with missile strikes, and see thousands of innocent caught in the crossfire. This is not a good day to be either an Israeli or a Palestinian. This past weekend is just another step away from peace. To imply that the brutal and heinous killings of Palestinian men, women and children excuses the barbaric treatment and execution of Israeli men, women and children is morally reprehensible. In order for a conversation around the advancement of civil rights
within the region to be had, there needs to be an agreement that organized murder is still, in fact, indefensible. Murder is not justice, nor will it contribute to the easing of tensions, regardless of which side of this discussion you fall on. While we as a campus can’t correct the centuries of history within the region, we have a responsibility as students of a university that includes those on both sides of this conflict to honor a common respect and dignity for life. What SAFE calls “resistance rockets” have targeted civilian centers. SAFE has proclaimed that these acts of murder are just Palestinians exercising their “right to liberate and free themselves.” In fact, the statement by SAFE doesn’t mention Hamas by name even once, instead choosing to use general terms such as “the Palestinians in Gaza.” In a situation where words must be chosen extremely carefully, conflating the crucial difference between the broader plight of the Palestinian people and the operations of Hamas carries significant consequences. The Palestinian people should in no circumstances be defined by the actions of a murderous regime, and utilizing vague terminology only furthers the potential for prejudice. One represents genuine aspirations for peace, while the other wants only death and destruction. Organizations such as SAFE should be clear that Hamas does not represent progress nor resistance, but only the rogue actions of those uninterested in a solution. Using terms such as “the Palestinians in Gaza” erroneously implies that this attack is the result of the struggles and the subsequent opinion of all Palestinians, rather than just a concentrated effort by Hamas. Whether intentionally or not, SAFE is dangerously and falsely shifting the blame for those killed in Israel onto the broader population of Palestine, rather than holding solely Hamas responsible.
Opinion
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Thursday, October 19, 2023 — 9
Here’s how ChatGPT could impact the college admissions process TATE MOYER
Opinion Columnist
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hile for some, October signals the arrival of fall and the holiday season, for high school seniors, it indicates something else: college application season. This process has historically been the subject of overwhelming controversy. From major admissions scandals to ongoing debates on affirmative action, the application cycle continues to be riddled with issues. With the introduction of artificial intelligence chatbots and the upsurge in AI technologies in recent months, it appears that the application process is about to become more complex. An increasing amount of students are utilizing AI softwares to complete homework and draft essays, causing many universities to question the extent to which AI will impact admissions. Admissions officers have already started discouraging the use of chatbots, with two senior admissions officers at Yale University devoting an entire episode of their podcast series to the matter. Aside from maintaining that chatbot
generated essays would result in a violation of Yale’s admissions policy, they also argued that content generated by AI lacks the same quality as unique, personalized responses. Despite these concerns, certain applications of these technologies could help combat inequalities in the admissions process — a long standing drawback of how universities have evaluated applicants. One of the most common criticisms of the admissions process has revolved around the fact that it disproportionately favors the wealthy. According to an article released by CNBC, fewer than one in five Americans currently believe the college admissions process is fair. However, AI could be a key contributor in efforts to correct these disparities. Juan Espinoza, director of undergraduate admissions at Virginia Tech, expressed these sentiments in an interview with The New York Times. Rather than viewing the technologies in a negative light, he shared anticipations that AI could assist in simplifying such a complex admissions process. “If there’s a way this tool can help those that have a different starting point catch up, or narrow those discrepancies, I think that
shows a lot of promise,” Espinoza said. And indeed, for students of lower socioeconomic backgrounds, the presence of these technologies could offer access to previously inaccessible resources. Companies such as Khan Academy have already begun to probe this new arena, with their recent announcement of Khanmigo, an artificially intelligent tutor. Khanmigo comes equipped with a college admission and financial aid function, offering students advice similar to what college counselors would normally provide. With the average college counselor typically charging between $150 to $200 per hour, the high costs of these services have traditionally given wealthier students a competitive edge in the application process. The numbers serve as a testament to this reality: Students with college admissions counselors have been shown to be 4.5 times more likely to be accepted by their target schools, suggesting that the ability to visit a counselor makes a significant difference. In light of these discrepancies, this addition to Khan Academy’s website will offer a free and effective way to offset these
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economic disadvantages. Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, argues that universities ought to begin recognizing the constructive power of AI. He asserts that the use of AI tools like Khanmigo does not constitute cheating, but rather can streamline the admissions cycle for students. Rather than hindering the college process, these platforms offer the
potential for a transformative shift in the way we approach college admissions. These lowcost resources will likely level out the playing field among applicants, allowing future admissions to be determined more by academic merit and less by financial means. Despite these benefits, however, there is lingering uncertainty about the extent
that AI should play a role in admissions. As some admissions offices have begun using AI to automate application reviews, public opinion remains split on whether this will reduce or reinforce biases. Algorithms are not neutral, and the possibility for coded bias to affect decisions remains.
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Sex and the City of Ann Arbor ANGEL AKOURI Opinion Columnist
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ollege: The time when kids finally go out into a new world, one with unlimited freedoms. If you’re like me, you’ve mastered the art of time management (barely make it to class on time) and maintain a healthy lifestyle (gained the freshman 15 from South Quad dining and late-night Joe’s Pizza runs). If you’re like some of my friends, the physical changes that came with the start of your college career were a result of … other forms of exertive activities. Let’s not beat around the proverbial bush (pun intended): When it comes to the lives of college students, there’s one thing that lives in our heads rent-free during our excruciatingly long 8 a.m.
lectures … and trust me, we’re not contemplating the political and economic state of the world. Sex! That’s what most students think about when they forget to focus on their professors — or when they maybe focus a little too hard on them. Now, don’t get me wrong, college is a place of higher education and academia. But, let’s face it, how are the future leaders of the world expected to maintain such innocence when sex is so casually integrated into our everyday lives? So, I wonder: If hookup culture is so normalized and easily accessible, what does this mean for the emotional intimacy of our future serious relationships? Everywhere we look, we see that our favorite celebrity’s “adult film” has been leaked, or that one influencer is getting a little too cozy with their ex in public.
But we talk about the hot topic and then forget it happened not long after because the latest and hottest sex-crazed drama has flooded our inbox. We see sex when we sit down for a movie night with the girls.“Gossip Girl” continuously exposed the romantic relationships and sex lives of one particularly popular, though fictional, group of Manhattan’s elite. Carrie Bradshaw from “Sex and the City” based her weekly sex columns on the scandalous stories of her friends and their most recent conquests. “The Sex Lives of College Girls” was created with the intention of showing how the new millennium is progressing in a way that allows otherwise inexperienced young women to explore their sexual preferences. So, as the girlies finish up their wine and shut off
the TV, we do just as the show told us to do: talk about the hot topics — which include, more often than not, sex. For starters, physical intimacy is not the issue here. People should be able to express themselves through their physicality without being shamed for their choices. The issue that arises is how the increase of casual physical intimacy desensitizes people to emotional connections that may be right in front of them. The rise of social media apps, more specifically, has been harmful to forming real relationships. Sometimes when my friends and I don’t have anything to do, we “play Tinder.” The game is played exactly how it sounds: We treat Tinder as though it is a game, engaging in rapidfire swiping without a thought behind what we’re doing, other
than whether or not we find the person attractive, of course. This kind of mindset — that blurs the lines between genuine love and a mere game — not only prevents people from truly matching with the person on the other end of the screen, but also enables people to justify not putting themselves out into the world to create genuine connections. Because we have these resources at the tips of our fingers, we also see more and more people putting off serious relationships — not because they don’t want one, but because continued casual “situationships” that remain unlabeled leave too much room for wandering minds and unrealistic expectations. What started off as a fun and lowcommitment situation often gets twisted into more when physical intimacy creates a false sense
of a deep emotional connection. Such confusion can breed frustration and disappointment when one party realizes that they will not get as much out of the other as they were expecting. Though a lack of understanding between the “situationshipers” in itself is harmful, it can be even more detrimental to a person’s well-being, as the lack of communication and understanding — things typically reserved for long-term partnerships — are nowhere to be found, ultimately leaving people vulnerable with unrealistic and unfulfilled expectations. The answer to all of these questions comes down to one thing: Physical satisfaction is important, and there is a reason it is so normalized today.
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Who deserves credit for the economic turnaround? LUCAS FELLER Opinion Columnist
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n the past few months, the United States has experienced an unprecedented economic recovery. Inflation, which once measured as high as 9.1%, has since fallen to 3.7%, but without the dramatic increase in unemployment predicted by many prominent economists. Months ago, predictions of a deep recession seemed ubiquitous in popular economic discourse. Consumer sentiment about the state of the economy has increased steadily since June, despite remaining relatively low compared to the years preceding the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this good news for workers, consumers and policymakers alike, evidence is mounting that President Joe Biden — the individual responsible for this dramatic reversal of fortune — is not receiving the credit he deserves. Before analyzing the disconnect between commendation and popular sentiment, we must first consider how the economy managed to recover so drastically without the expected surge in unemployment. Traditional economic doctrine supports the notion of a linear Phillips curve, the idea that the relationship between unemployment and inflation remains relatively rigid, and that steep disinflation requires an equally substantial increase in unemployment. Recently, however, some economists have adopted the concept of a nonlinear Phillips curve, implying that the relationship between unemployment and inflation is flexible based on conditions in the labor market. When jobs are scarce and workers abundant, inflation and unemployment don’t seem to have much effect
on one another. But when the job market is tight (as it has been recently), a minor increase in unemployment can engineer an immense downturn in inflation. Recently, inflation has come down substantially, but the strength of the job market has prevented massive unemployment, potentially even averting a recession. One culprit for such robust job growth is Biden’s expansive industrial policies. One of Biden’s keystone pieces of legislation has been the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a $550 billion investment in transportation and water infrastructure, shipping, warehousing, construction and manufacturing. As the investments from this bill have passed to firms, these sectors have experienced a substantial boom in both production and labor, which led to Morgan Stanley upgrading its forecast for U.S. Gross Domestic Product
growth. The Inflation Reduction Act has also spurred job growth and investment in green energy. Although it is too early to assess the full impact of Biden’s climate law, the Department of the Treasury has estimated that overall research and development spending has increased during the post-COVID-19 recovery thanks to the IRA, with the World Economic Forum citing the creation of more than 100,000 new jobs in renewable energy. With 13 months until the 2024 presidential election, the Biden administration has attempted to inform the electorate of its economic achievements. The president has made “Bidenomics” the subject of recent speeches in Chicago, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and South Carolina — touting job growth as the economic hallmark of his presidency. Biden placed specific emphasis on manufacturing jobs, mentioning over 14,000
created in South Carolina alone. With such a consistency of message across multiple events, it’s clear the president is dedicating a significant segment of his reelection campaign to his economic success as a means of garnering more support. Voters, however, do not seem to be getting the message. Voters seem to understand that the economy is getting better, but not that this improvement is Biden’s doing. According to recent polling conducted by The Wall Street Journal, voters are beginning to acknowledge the economy’s improvement, but don’t seem to hold Biden responsible. Consumer sentiment regarding the economy’s health has improved among all political affiliations, but roughly 60% of voters still disapprove of Biden’s handling of the economy, with a particular emphasis on inflation. Interviewed voters seem to blame Biden for the inflationary surge following the COVID-
19 stimulus package while failing to give Biden credit for the job growth that followed. Political division is likely one reason for this disconnect, as registered Republicans and fiscal conservatives are less likely to give Biden credit for much of anything, much less a rebounding economy. The Pew Research Center notes that in 2020, upon the election of Joe Biden, Republican positive views on the state of the economy dropped sharply, indicating that the new president’s political party has much to do with the opposing party’s perception of the economy. While the proportion of Democrats and Independents who view the economy in good or excellent condition has increased by 17 and 13 percentage points, respectively, since December, the number of Republicans who feel the same has remained stagnant. Conservative political messaging has also played a strong role, convincing voters
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that economic conditions are far worse than they actually are. The first Republican primary debate featured constant attacks on the president’s economic policies. Former President Donald Trump recently referred to Bidenomics as a “burning records” and an “economic catastrophe,” erroneously claiming that any positive statistics regarding the Biden economy are the result of Trump-era policies. When notable Republican candidates and commentators disparage the current state of the economy, often by selecting misleading statistics that support their predetermined goals, voters will be hard pressed to overcome the narrative being presented to them. The 2024 presidential election will be one of the most consequential in our nation’s history for the future of economic policy. Assuming Biden and Trump will be facing off once more (as nearly all reputable polling seems to indicate), this next election will be a fateful clash of two diametric economic visions. A vote for Trump would be for a tax– and regulation-cuts, tariff-imposing, former president with a slew of legal problems. Voters will have another choice, however, in placing their faith in Biden’s impressive economic record. Investments in transportation infrastructure, manufacturing and clean energy have created remarkable job growth, likely staving off the recession that seemed inevitable a few months ago. Yes, inflation inflicted some harm on the economy, but the likelihood that massive government stimulus will be required in the near future to prevent tragic economic downturn is relatively low. Ultimately, voters should judge candidates based on their visions for the future, and the outcomes those visions are likely to create.
Opinion
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In a divided America, popularity is impossible HAYDEN BUCKFIRE Opinion Columnist
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t is often said that the American presidency is the hardest job in the world, partially because of how often it is criticized. As we approach the end of 2023, I have a hard time believing that any national political figure will enjoy high popularity in the foreseeable future. Increasingly biased cable news coverage and media polarization have fractured the media landscape, so much so that it no longer makes sense to judge presidents or their election prospects based on popularity alone. An approval rating tracks how well the American public (often confined to registered and likely voters) approves of the job that a politician is doing. As of Oct. 6, 2023, President Joe Biden is polling at 39% in FiveThirtyEight’s polling aggregate. Biden has not deviated much from the high 30s and low 40s in the past two years. A 50% approval rating is seen as the benchmark for evaluating with winning prospects of an incumbent president seeking reelection. Biden’s predecessor, former President Donald Trump, also spent most of his term hovering at around 40%. President George W. Bush, however, commanded an astounding 80% approval rating after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 while his father, President George H.W. Bush, reached similar heights during the culmination of the Gulf War. Moreover, there was a general volatility in approval ratings that is not observed today: Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, for instance, saw higher highs and lower lows that went with the general ebbs
and flows of the presidency. The American public is simply less receptive nowadays to the successes and failures of their elected leaders than they were in the past. Social media has been partly responsible for this, with algorithms behind social media services pushing voters down into increasingly radical and vast echo chambers. There is much less overlap in values between Republican voters and Democratic voters than there was decades ago. At the same time, studies have shown that mainstream news sources like Fox News on the conservative side and CNN and MSNBC on the liberal side have become increasingly polarized as well. Both of these in combination have spawned a culture where supporters of parties find it increasingly difficult to cross the aisle in their praise of the opposite party’s leader. U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., who has been perhaps the most vocal in-party critic of Biden’s 2024 campaign, cited Biden’s unpopularity as a reason for challenging Biden’s incumbent position. Mainstream media outlets run with headlines of Biden’s unpopularity and contribute to the narrative that a different candidate is needed to oppose Biden in the Democratic primary. This is despite the fact that incumbents are thought to have many advantages when running for reelection, such as name recognition. On paper, Biden should be doing rather well — his major policy actions and positions thus far are rather popular. Unemployment is low. His $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill was broadly popular, with even some Republican congressmen taking credit for it. Biden’s abortion rights stance is the same one that drove voters to the polls, staving
off expectations of the usual midterm defeat of the ruling party. Even the stock market has had a good year, despite fears of a recession. However, Biden is still polling in the high 30s and low 40s. The quality of the job that a politician is doing plays less and less into their overall popularity. It is worth noting that some dissatisfaction among voters can be attributed to Biden’s age: At 80 years old — 82 when he is set to finish his first term and 86 when he would finish his second term — Biden is the oldest president in history. However, younger replacements probably wouldn’t fare much better. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is 58 years old, is also polling at 39%. On the other side of the aisle, 44-year-old Ron DeSantis is polling at 34% while 64-yearold Mike Pence is polling even lower at 28%. No one can unite the public in modern America. The 2016 election was a turning point in the American political sphere and was seen by many voters as a battle of the lesser of two evils, Trump and Hillary Clinton. The 2024 election is shaping up to be similar, at least in the eyes of the American public. As long as America keeps becoming more and more divided, it is hard to see this historic trend reversing. The American presidency, once seen as a pinnacle of leadership, has become a much less legacy-ensuring position in an era of media polarization and political fragmentation. Traditional measures of success, such as approval ratings, no longer capture the complex reality of governing in a nation where no one can quite agree on anything. The path to widespread approval is fraught with obstacles that may be insurmountable in the current political climate.
Design by Emma Sortor
Thursday, October 19, 2023 — 10
Is FOMO stealing your college experience? TÉA SANTORO Opinion Columnist
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n the age of social media dominance, where the highlights of everyone’s lives are plastered online for all to see, many college students grapple with a looming shadow — the fear of missing out, more commonly known as FOMO. Traditionally, FOMO has been associated with social events. Maybe your friends went on a road trip together but you had to work that weekend. Maybe they went out last Thursday and you couldn’t because you had an exam the next morning. But what if FOMO isn’t just about missing the weekend’s hottest party? What if it extends to all of our life choices, including our careers? When you scroll through LinkedIn or Instagram, it’s hard to escape the barrage of updates. Your former lab partner just landed a coveted job at a Fortune 500 company. That acquaintance from freshman year? They’re f launting a glamorous internship in New York. As notifications f lood our screens, it’s not unusual to feel a hint of insecurity. Maybe you start questioning your major, the clubs you’re involved in or even the career path you’re so confidently pursuing.
and potentially stif ling their true potential. Failure is an almost taboo subject in our modern, success-driven society. From a young age, we are conditioned to equate career success with self-worth and are given the impression that wrong turns are signs of inadequacy. This stigma is only exacerbated in a college setting, where the pressure to excel is everywhere. Students are surrounded by peers all chasing dreams, by parents with high hopes and by a society that emphasizes the importance of landing that perfect job or internship. Rather than exploring opportunities that genuinely align with their interests or values, students may opt for paths they perceive as more “secure” or “lucrative.” This might mean choosing their college major not out of passion, but because it’s seen as marketable, or pursuing a particular career solely because it’s in demand, regardless of personal fit or fulfillment. In a 2022 study conducted on bachelor’s and master’s students, only 43% of respondents claimed that they were pursuing their passions as a career choice. Out of the remaining 57%, 90% of the students stated their desire to switch career paths to something that truly interested them. Ironically,
Ask yourself: Am I making this choice for me, or am I trying to keep up with everyone else? On paper, the college experience is advertised as a journey of discovery, growth and pursuit of one’s passions. However, with the increasing overlap between our digital lives and reality, it’s becoming harder to differentiate between individual aspirations and collective expectations. Every time a classmate brags about their packed schedule, constant club meetings or the high-profile internship they secured, it becomes a measuring tape for selfevaluation. Am I doing enough? Am I involved enough? Lurking beneath the excitement and opportunity of college is an undercurrent of anxiety, an intrinsic fear of failure that is shaping the decisions of countless students. This fear, often unspoken and unseen, is taking the form of FOMO, leading many to make decisions about their future for the wrong reasons
in an attempt to avoid stereotypical failure, students might be inadvertently setting themselves up for a different kind: a life of unfulfillment and untapped potential. In no way do I want to undermine or belittle the achievements of my peers. Their accomplishments are laudable. I’m proud of my friends who know exactly what they want to do with their lives and have companies fighting to hire them. But when these achievements become the standard by which we measure our own worth or success, we walk a dangerous tightrope. Brown University student Melis Gökalp discussed imposter syndrome in an article published by the university. “Although it is inspiring to see what my peers are achieving, the impostor phenomenon is real and can be
often discouraging,” Gökalp said. While we should look to our friends for support and inspiration, it’s important to not compare ourselves to them. Many college students, already under immense pressure, find themselves grappling with pervasive FOMO when it comes to charting their own career trajectories. Embarking on a path just because it’s the “in-thing” or because everyone else is doing it can lead to burnout and regret later in life. The weight of a decision made from FOMO can turn an exciting college experience into years of self-doubt. I’ll use myself as an example. As a recently declared economics major, I’ve voiced my plans to attend law school to my peers and professors alike. But in the few moments when I find myself alone, I question: Is this truly my passion or am I merely satiating societal expectations and avoiding the fear of missing out on a career of prestige? The allure of being able to answer the dreaded “What are you doing after college?” with an answer as respectable as attending law school is undeniable. But is it my genuine aspiration, or am I merely trying to not fall behind in the race for prestige? It could very well be the former, but in the increasingly competitive collegiate atmosphere distinguishing genuine passion from fear of missing out is a challenge. It’s crucial, now more than ever, for students to recognize and combat the pervasive inf luence of FOMO in their academic and professional choices. College should be a time of exploration, making mistakes and, most importantly, understanding oneself. Making decisions based on what others are doing or what appears glamorous in the digital sphere can rob students of authentic experiences and true fulfillment. While the world today is interconnected and constantly updated, it’s essential to occasionally disconnect. Ask yourself: Am I making this choice for me, or am I trying to keep up with everyone else? It’s high time we redefine FOMO. Let’s not fear missing out on what everyone else is doing. Instead, let’s fear missing out on discovering ourselves, our genuine interests and the unique paths that could bring us unparalleled happiness and satisfaction. Let’s make choices rooted in passion, not pressure.
Why I’m against sexy Halloween costumes LILA DOMINUS Opinion Columnist
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very weekend when I go out — whether that be to tailgates, bars or house parties — a quick survey around the space always reveals a certain gender disparity. The average man in any of these contexts looks like they’ve spent maybe five minutes getting ready and is wearing something they could easily wear to class, think a bagg y t-shirt and a pair of jeans, track pants or shorts depending on what the weather allows. On the other hand, the average woman in these spaces, myself almost always included, is not in attire that would be professor approved. Our final looks are a product of hours spent doing our hair and make up, and methodically choosing between different f lattering outfits, looking for the one that will leave us feeling the perfect balance of pretty, sexy and secure. This difference in effort and display, however, is never more evident than in the
final weekend of October, when the University of Michigan campus erupts with Halloweeen parties, festivities and, notably, costumes. As one walks to their destination, they will inevitably come across a myriad of women freezing in the biting cold the precipice of November guarantees, donned in expensive, lingerie-esque costumes. So too, will one encounter swaths of men in lazy, haphazard and unsexy costumes, made with what’s lying around the house. These are, of course, massive generalizations. There are plenty of women who forego sexy costumes for more gorey or wholesome alternatives, and there are men who put time and effort into their costumes and some who even choose to make theirs sexual. But beyond individual choice, there is an undeniable expectation on women, that men are not subjected to, that halloween should be a sexy holiday. Dressing sexily for Halloween, as a woman, can be a positive experience. Wearing something sexy or revealing can be conducive to confidence,
and there’s a certain fun in wearing something that would typically be frowned upon in other social contexts. Where the waters around costume culture begin to muddy, though, is in our particular framing around the practice. There’s nothing wrong with liking the way a sexy costume makes you feel. It’s been socially prescribed to women that one’s sexual desirability is directly correlated to their value in its entirety. So, it makes a lot of sense that on a holiday which champions women dressing sexually, many women feel empowered. But are sexy halloween costumes really empowering? Or is that sense of empowerment far more tied to validation and patriarchy than one might think? It hasn’t always been the norm to dress provocatively on Halloween. People have been dressing up for Halloween since the 19th century, with original costumes typically being of the creepy variety, such as bats and ghosts. In the 20th century, costumes were more varied, the holiday less ghoulish, but costumes were
still relatively tame. When Halloween costumes would see the greatest shift would be during and immediately following the sexual revolution. The sexual revolution, an era spanning the 1960s and 1970s, called for a reframing of sexual attitudes in the U.S., which then conceptualized sex for women as something that should only happen in the context of marriage for reproduction. It normalized more casual sexual attitudes, and resisted the shame and judgment women faced for being sexually active and partaking in casual sex. At the same time, the queer community, particularly Black, trans women, spearheaded the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, a space for people to feel truly free in their expressions of self and be as outrageous as they desired in their costumes. This was particularly necessary for the trans community, as at the time of the parade’s conception, draconian laws targeted people dressing as the opposite sex. These parades encouraged general outrageousness,
and encouraged people to see Halloween costumes as an outlet for liberation and resistance. For women at the time — whose ability to exist as sexual beings was constantly being denied and stif led — dressing in sexy, provocative costumes was a bold rejection of a culture attempting to box them in. In the 1970s, wearing sexy, daring Halloween costumes was an act of rebellion against what patriarchy prescribed. The same cannot be said now. The pendulum of sexual expectations has swung, and while women can definitely still be shamed for their sexual prowess, being overtly sexy has become the norm In the context of Halloween, it’s how it’s marketed. Adult Halloween costumes are a massive industry, grossing 1.7 billion dollars last year, and many of the costumes targeted towards women are hypersexual. There are sexy versions of quite literally everything, from the characters you watched as a child, to religious figures and prisoners. As a sheer result of existing as women, we are constantly
being sexualized. The results of this are realized on campus everyday, and there’s no reason the disparities in sexualization evident every weekend in Ricks, Skeeps or any frat basement should be replicated on Halloween tenfold. Of course in actuality, this isn’t as simple. Because the pressures and expectations to dress sexually are very real, so are the consequences of opting out. It would be one thing if all the women on this campus collectively decided to forego sexual costumes, but it’s hard, on an individual level, to voluntarily make yourself an outlier. Particularly when this means relinquishing the validation and confidence your peers will receive that’s entangled in dressing sexily. So even if the costumes don’t immediately change, our understanding of them at the very least should. Halloween, even if for now it’s just aspirationally, should be a day where we can rid ourselves of the sexual expectations we are constantly beholden to, and get in touch with a more gleeful, ghoulish side of ourselves.
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Thursday, October 19, 2023 — 11
FOOTBALL
Donovan Edwards pries an ‘olive’ free by breaking touchdown slump against Indiana CONNOR EAREGOOD
Managing Sports Editor
Apparently, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh thinks about olive jars often. And maybe, Donovan Edwards does too. “You got the big screw-on top. It’s wide, and you unscrew it and you turn the olive jar over — nothing can come out because they’re packed in so tight,” Harbaugh said. “But if you can just get one — one to get shaken loose — then they all just start plopping out. And that’s what I said to (Edwards).” It’s a timely analogy, because the once snake-bitten junior running back finally pried an olive loose in the No. 2 Michigan football team’s 52-7 romp against Indiana. After a year filled so far with failed attempts to break the plane, Edwards scored his first touchdown of the season. It wasn’t his first time sniffing the end zone. More than five times this season, Edwards came within a yard of scoring his first touchdown. That figure excludes the times he was open
on a passing route, too. Yet every single time, his first of the year proved too elusive to grasp. Whether senior running back Blake Corum came in to relieve him on those goal-line looks, or the Wolverines chose to kick a field goal, Edwards stood on the sideline empty handed. All the while, he maintained an outwardly positive attitude and promised that the icebreaker would come soon enough. Opportunities to make that happen piled up against the Hoosiers. None characterized his struggles better than the last offensive drive of the second half, when the Hoosiers tackled Edwards feet away from paydirt with the clock winding down. Coming up short yet again, Edwards had enough. As Harbaugh tried to sub in senior running back Blake Corum, Edwards waved off the change. In response, Harbaugh called a timeout to pull Edwards out, and one play later Corum punched in the score. Edwards, sullen, got a talking-to from running backs coach Mike Hart on the sideline.
“(Edwards) was rolling. He wanted to stay in, and I wanted Blake,” Harbaugh said. “… I understand the competitive nature of “The Don,” and he helps us in so many ways. But that was his competitive fighter nature, and he wanted to finish it off.” As he and his teammates walked to the tunnel at halftime, Edwards lagged near the back,
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FOOTBALL
Timely turnovers let Michigan rest easy in win over Indiana JOHN TONDORA
Daily Sports Editor
As Indiana marched down the field on its second drive, things looked uneasy. It wasn’t supposed to go like this. At least, not in the eyes of the No. 2 Michigan football team’s defense. After stifling opponent after opponent, the lull of easy victories had seemingly lured the Wolverines to sleep. As quarterback Tayven Jackson peppered Michigan’s defense for short gain after short gain early in the first quarter, the Hoosiers were in an unlikely spot — striking distance. That is, until Jackson misplaced a 3rd-and-12 pass short and into the grasp of graduate defensive back Mike Sainristil, who conveniently bobbled it into the hands of junior safety Rod Moore. With the tip of a ball and a sigh of relief, the Wolverines’ defense woke them up. Time and time again on Saturday, Michigan’s defense forced timely turnovers that kept the Hoosiers’ hands tied in critical moments. “Since the offseason and since last year, we felt like we didn’t do as good as we wanted with the ball disruption, so it was a big emphasis in the spring and also during camp,” sophomore defensive back Keon Sabb said. “We preach that every day. Every meeting starts with ball disruption and it showed up on the field for sure.”
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FOOTBALL
It wasn’t just the defensive backs getting in on the action though. Throughout nearly the entire 52-7 win, the Wolverines had the air and ground under wraps when it mattered most. Wherever Indiana attempted to move the ball in key scenarios, they found a nightmarish scene. Midway through the third quarter, as the Hoosiers attempted to regenerate their offense, Jackson dropped back on a 3rd-and-9. As he surveyed the field, he didn’t notice graduate linebacker Mike Barrett racing through the A-gap. A tumble and tossed ball later and the Wolverines had recovered possession in striking distance of the goal line. Though the game had run amuck for Indiana by the third quarter, Michigan’s defensive presence continuously elevated in key moments. These turnovers had twofold implications. Not only did the Wolverines gain possession, they acquired meaningful field position. In more ways than one, Michigan’s defense supported its team in nifty ways. And as the defense came through in timely moments, its offense took notice. “It’s good to know the defense, they’re getting three and outs, they’re getting stops, turnovers and I think we just bounce off each other so great,” sophomore tight end Colston Loveland said. “The momentum switches when they have big plays and that just feeds right into us and we take advantage of that.” Following Barrett’s forced fumble, Michigan’s defense refused to let up. On the ensuing
speaking with junior running back Tavierre Dunlap and getting cheer-up hugs from other teammates. Frustrations might’ve boiled over on that play, but the nearmisses continued. In the third quarter, Edwards lined up as a receiver while his corner played well off of him. Wide open, Edwards watched as the ball
drive, as Indiana clawed its way to a midfield 4th-and-3, the Wolverines stepped up once again. Ripping open the pocket, senior defensive lineman Jaylen Harrell slammed into Jackson, coughing the ball up and into the hand — singular — of sophomore defensive tackle Mason Graham, who rumbled, bumbled and stumbled for a 15-yard return. That sent the Hoosiers into desperation mode on the next drive. Heaving up his longest shot of the day, Jackson threw to single high safety coverage, testing Sabb. Adjusting as the ball came down, Sabb undercut the route, snagging his second interception in as many weeks. In three offensive drives, the Wolverines’ defense came away with three turnovers in a row. Those timely turnovers ensured that the game was already effectively over. However, as became apparent throughout the contest, the Wolverines’ defense refused to let off the gas, especially in the biggest moments. “We always emphasize it every day,” Barrett said. “Every time we go into meetings. That’s the first thing we talk through. Our four pillars, and it’s just the importance of (how) as quick as we can get them the ball back, the quicker we can get points on the board. Go from there and just take that to heart.” Down 7-0 early, a sleeping giant awoke in Ann Arbor on Saturday. Just as the Wolverines rattled off score after score, it was their defense that came through in clutch moments to secure victory. Michigan’s defensive ability rose to the occasion, making Indiana’s offense look like it should and allowing the Wolverines to rest easy.
sailed instead to freshman wide receiver Semaj Morgan, who ran a designed screen pass through contact on the other side of the field for a touchdown. But despite the saddened demeanor to end the half, Edwards instead exuded joy. He and Morgan celebrated the score together, hitting an air guitar solo and high fiving each other. Finally, in the fourth quarter, Edwards broke through. He lined up for a 2-yard, goal-line run. As he powered forward, his teammates carved up a hole to relieve the curse. Even graduate quarterback Jack Tuttle got in on the action, slamming behind him just to make sure he crossed the plane. As the officials signaled a touchdown, Edwards had relief at long last. The ensuing scene captured the emotions of what scoring meant to Edwards. Corum threw off his helmet to celebrate. Hart effused sideline praise with a smile. Junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy giddily skipped off the sideline to congratulate his teammate. And Edwards gave
himself a little fist pump. “He was excited. I was excited for him. I think everybody was excited,” graduate linebacker Michael Barrett said. “You know, trying to get that olive out the jar. Slowly, slowly start getting more.” After coming so close yet so far before, Edwards finally got the monkey off his back. The timing matters, too. If Michigan can get both Corum and Edwards contributing to the high levels expected entering this season, that adds even more playmaking potency to the offense. For a Wolverines squad that has hung 45 or more points on the past three Big Ten opponents, getting another dangerman going only adds another weapon. While one score doesn’t change the nature of his slow start, Edwards can use this to wipe the slate clean. After so many close calls, so many failures, so many questions — he finally got his touchdown And because of that, Edwards doesn’t have to think about olives anymore. He just has to shake more loose.
FOOTBALL
J.J. McCarthy leads explosive offense past Indiana after slow start CHARLIE PAPPALARDO
Daily Sports Editor
On the first two drives of the No. 2 Michigan Football team’s contest with Indiana, J.J. McCarthy looked discombobulated. Ten minutes into the game, the junior quarterback’s offense had yet to gain a first down, he hadn’t thrown a completion and he’d been sacked twice for losses totaling 17 yards. But then, with Michigan trailing 7-0, McCarthy flipped a switch. And for the remainder of the game, he was nearly flawless. In the five ensuing drives that McCarthy conducted, he threw only one incomplete pass, notched three touchdowns and finished the contest with an equal three touchdowns to incompletions. As a result, the Wolverines rattled off 52 unanswered points in a game where McCarthy was the X-factor. He threw accurate passes, he hit his receivers in stride to extend plays and he evaded pressure by scrambling effectively and improvising on broken plays. “He’s one of those once-ina-generation type quarterbacks at Michigan,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. “It’s perfect, it’s perfect when you’ve got a quarterback like that.” After a lackluster start, McCarthy flashed that potential that Harbaugh praised for the rest of the game. On the very next possession, McCarthy passed for 55 yards on a methodical, marching drive that resulted in a rushing touchdown. And on the drive after that, it was McCarthy again who took the reins. With his arm and his legs, he picked up 80 of Michigan’s 87 yards, and delivered on fourth down with a two-yard touchdown
pass to give the Wolverines their first lead. “People ask me, ‘Fourth-andtwo, tie ballgame on the two yard line, what goes into that decision (to go for it)?’” Harbaugh said. “I know the ball’s gonna be in (McCarthy’s) hands. … It comes down to, No. 9’s gonna make it right. I just have great confidence that the odds are in our favor.” Repeatedly against the Hoosiers, McCarthy made things go for Michigan, even when the odds weren’t in his favor. Early in the contest, Indiana’s pass rush overwhelmed Michigan’s offensive line and totaled four sacks — doubling the previous highest number McCarthy has taken in a game this season. But McCarthy remained composed. As the game wore on, his offensive line gave him more time, and he found success in scrambling away from pressure. On a broken play early in the third quarter, McCarthy flushed right to avoid pressure and saw a streaking sophomore tight end Colston Loveland running toward him. But McCarthy improvised,
pointing upfield and yelling at Loveland to alter his route. Loveland listened to McCarthy, and 10 seconds and 54 yards later, the two were celebrating in the end zone. “I saw it was cover-zero so I knew I either had to find someone quick or get out of the pocket,” McCarthy said. “… It was just two on one with that defender and me and (Loveland), and I told him to go upfield so (the defender has) gotta pick his poison. He picked the wrong one.” But it seemed that nothing Indiana picked throughout the contest was successful in knocking McCarthy off balance. Pressure couldn’t contain him, nor could the Hoosier’s secondary. Michigan’s offense soared as a result — scoring on every single one of McCarthy’s drives after the first unsuccessful two. Poisoned by McCarthy’s accuracy and improvisational skills, Indiana searched desperately for the antidote. But they never found it.
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SportsWednesday: Michigan has moved on from the tunnel. So should you.
CONNOR EAREGOOD
Managing Sports Editor
Nearly a year ago, a group Michigan State football players assaulted Michigan football players Ja’Den McBurrows and Gemon Green in the Michigan Stadium tunnel. After 60 minutes to take out their frustrations on the field, a few Spartans instead resorted to violence off of it. Since then, the scene has dominated external discussions of the rivalry on both sides. But the Wolverines have moved on. “That seems like a long time ago,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday. “I like what (junior quarterback) J.J. (McCarthy) said last week: it’s a goldfish mentality. So it’s onward.” Let’s be clear here, I’m not making excuses for the Spartans involved. Whether they got off on charges or not, the beating was a blatant lack of sportsmanship. The incident represents the worst of the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry. For a feud that
splits households and workplaces maturely. throughout the state every Off the field, the fanbases October, the tunnel fight only should also aspire to be that galvanized hatred on both sides. mature. There’s even less excuse But as the second-ranked for spectators to be vile. Last Wolverines travel to East season’s skirmish doesn’t give Lansing this Saturday, they free license to pick fights and see the tunnel as a footnote. It bash the other fan base. Because doesn’t define the rivalry, even if even if this is an intense rivalry, the scars are still visible. each side is full of colleagues and “We’re not going to hold a grudge on what happened last year,” senior running back Blake Corum said Monday. “Always keep it in the back of the mind, you know what I’m saying, but we’re not going there being ‘Oh we’re gonna rough them up or anything like that,’ if we’re going to fight or anything like that. That’s part of the past. We’re gonna go in there and handle business and come out victorious.” There’s no palpable sense of bloodlust among Michigan’s players, even when they have every right to be bitter. The Spartans assaulted its teammates and breached any sense of respect. Yet, at least outwardly, the Wolverines are handling this ANNA FUDER/Daily
neighbors, family and friends. As much as the rivalry is about proving which team is best, it’s also a time to come together. Just a few months ago, both schools and communities came together over men’s basketball in a time of mourning to honor the victims of a shooting on Michigan State’s campus. Regardless of collegiate
fandoms, each side proved they can transcend the basic loyalties that have created polarized factions regarding the tunnel. Even further, the MichiganMichigan State feud is one of college football’s historic ‘state championships,’ with 115 installments full of entertaining drama. It’s important enough to be a protected rivalry in an age when conference expansion is destroying rivalries. By focusing in on the posterchild of the rivalry’s toxicity, you’re obscuring what makes it so special. With another game scheduled this Saturday, the Wolverines’ are locked in on keeping Paul Bunyan in Ann Arbor — not on revenge. The stakes make it easy to act that way. The Wolverines are national juggernauts that have rattled off blowout wins all season long. The Spartans are limping through a lost season after firing their coach for misconduct. Maybe if these foes were closer comparisons, it would be easier for animosity to
exist. But that isn’t the case this season. Because even if this game could get ugly in its score, it doesn’t have to get ugly in its play. If both teams — and both fanbases — treat each side with sportsmanship, then the tunnel can, in fact, become nothing but a bad memory. “Coach Harbaugh says a faithful man forgives, a smart man forgets, the Harbaughs remember,” graduate cornerback Mike Sainristil said Tuesday. “We remember what happened last year in the tunnel. We remember what happened in ’21. But none of that matters on Saturday. What we can do is just focus on where we are right now in this moment, and what we can do to be the best team.” Sure, it’s easy to get caught up in any ill will the tunnel conjured up. The assault of Green and McBurrows was an abhorrent act. But its toxicity shouldn’t take over. Because the tunnel doesn’t have to define the rivalry, so don’t let it.
Thursday, October 19, 2023
The Michigan Daily — 12
HOO S HOOS NEXT? MICHIGAN 52 | INDIANA 7
SPORTSWEDNESDAY
Michigan shrugs off slow start to handle business against Indiana, 52-7 PAUL NASR
Managing Sports Editor
W
hile the No. 2 Michigan football team’s matchup with Indiana featured a team that fired its offensive coordinator two weeks ago and a team riding an undefeated start, it was hard to tell which side was which early on. Because the Hoosiers, who came to Ann Arbor with a shambolic offense adjusting to a new coordinator, marched down the field at-will early on, controlling the line of scrimmage and efficiently hitting quick passes with tempo. Meanwhile, the Wolverines netted just 17 yards in a sloppy first quarter characterized by missed passes and poor protection. But a slow start doesn’t need to become a slow game, and Michigan (7-0 overall, 4-0 Big Ten) took that
to heart. Surviving Indiana’s (2-4, 0-3) early gashing plays, trickery and an uncanny ability to get to junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy, Michigan eventually settled in. It scored two touchdowns in the last four minutes of the first half and never looked back, pulling away en route to a 52-7 victory. “What I knew about Indiana, we talked about this as a team — they’re fighters,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said postgame. “They take their swings … but we’re fighters too. … It was a real calm, real understanding that when we get punched in the mouth, we’re going to respond. That’s what’s going to happen.” At first, the role reversal looked deceptively short lived. The Hoosiers cruised down the field on their second drive, working their way into the Wolverines’ red zone and looking dangerous. But an errant throw by quarterback
Tayven Jackson ended the threat, with junior safety Rod Moore picking it off for a 38-yard return. Michigan was suddenly on top of its game. But the role reversal lived on, as the Wolverines still couldn’t get their feet under them. A second straight Michigan three-and-out got Indiana back on the offensive, and the Hoosiers coupled more efficient plays with some sleight of hand. New offensive coordinator Rod Carey dialed up a lateral pass late in the first quarter, resulting in wide receiver Donaven McCulley throwing a touchdown to a wide open receiver from his own backfield. Sure, even with Indiana being a Big Ten bottom feeder this season, it often takes a little time to gain separation. But it took Michigan more than a little time to gain anything. For an entire quarter, the Wolverines were sluggish, and
down 7-0 by the end of it. “We just had to settle in a little bit,” senior edge rusher Jaylen Harrell said. “We knew it was going to be, we call it a ‘training camp game,’ because we knew they had a new OC coming off a bye. So (there were) some things that we probably weren’t going to be fully prepared for, but we try to do our assignments and lock in. I thought we got off to a slow start, but we clicked when we needed to.” A slow start doesn’t have to define a game, even if it kept the Hoosiers hanging around for much of the first half. When it was time to get to business, the Wolverines responded with a nearly six-minute touchdown drive punched in by senior running back Blake Corum. Michigan entered as the heavy favorite, and from then on it started playing like one. On offense, the Wolverines strung together four touchdown
drives in a row to follow Corum’s initial one, losing that streak to a field goal with five minutes left in the third quarter that made it 38-7. They then tacked on another two touchdowns after that, scoring on each of their last eight drives. The score that perhaps got everything clicking was back in the second quarter. Still tied at seven, Michigan went for it on 4th-and-goal from the two-yard line. McCarthy hit senior receiver Roman Wilson on a play action pass and opened the floodgates for what became an unstoppable offense for the rest of the game. “Like Coach (Harbaugh) always says, we’re in the asskicking business, and business is booming,” graduate linebacker Michael Barrett said. “So we gotta keep it going.” Barrett and company helped ensure business was booming by eventually reminding the Hoosiers
why they had to make a midseason offensive coordinator change. Michigan’s defense tightened up in the second quarter, and by the third quarter it was giving Indiana nothing. Barrett and Harrell both forced quarterbacks to fumble the ball for the Wolverines to recover, making the Hoosiers’ earlier offensive success a distant memory. By the time rain-soaked Michigan Stadium cleared out, Michigan’s slow start was a distant memory too. It may have started sluggish, but the Wolverines got back to business and took over the game for yet another lopsided result. A result that eventually made it easy to tell which team was riding an undefeated start, and which one was spiraling down the standings.
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