2024-10-17 by The Michigan Daily

KATE LEVY

Staff Reporter

The University of Michigan Central Student Government met in the East Room in Pierpont Commons Tuesday evening to discuss Assembly Initiatives 24-001, The Wolverines’ Budget Act and 24-002, the Rebuilding Education in Gaza Act.

The meeting began with community concerns, during which over 30 U-M students and a professor from Birzeit University shared their thoughts on the Rebuilding Education in Gaza Act. The petition sought to set aside a donation to Rebuilding Hope, a Birzeit University initiative aiming to support and resume higher education in Gaza, funding student education and assisting in rebuilding educational infrastructure.

Birzeit University Professor Ala Alazzeh expressed his support for the Rebuilding Education in Gaza Act, which included setting aside $440,000 for the initiative. Alazzeh discussed how the Israeli military campaign has led to the destruction of many institutions for higher education in Gaza.

“Around 88,000 students are now without education,” Alazzeh said. “The Rebuilding Hope Initiative of Birzeit University, which is located in the west, is providing online education for students right now.”

Engineering senior Jenin Alameddin shared her intentions to discuss the testimony of a child in Gaza who cannot go to

CSG passes Wolverines’ Budget Act

Education in Gaza Act

school. Instead, she expressed her outrage toward others in the meeting for silencing students’ voices.

“I was going to come up here and talk about a testimony of a child that can’t go to school, but I’m kind of disgusted with everybody here,” Alameddin said. “It’s hard to say that I can respect any of you guys as you silence the voices of our students here at Michigan, we are asking you guys to send money to fund education for students that don’t

have school.”

LSA Representative Anthony DiMeglio said he believes the temporary student organization funding provided by the University goes against the wants of the student body, and that it was important for students to vote on this issue directly.

“The University administration already circumvented the will of the people and the will of the study body in providing

alternative funding for student organizations,” DiMeglio said. “So now you have the opportunity to do something bold and transformative, put something onto the ballot, to put the voice and the decision back in the hands of the people of your student body that you’re here to represent, to choose on this important issue.”

CSG then transitioned to voting on The Wolverines’ Budget Act and Rebuilding Education in Gaza Act.

Ono said the federal government was unbalanced in questioning how universities are combating antisemitism, but not Islamophobia

or context of the audio.

The Michigan chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations announced Wednesday they filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights against the University of Michigan.

Monday evening, the TAHRIR Coalition — a group of more than 90 pro-Palestine organizations — posted a leaked audio recording of University President Santa Ono to their Instagram. In the recording, Ono said the federal government was asking questions about how universities are combating antisemitism, but not Islamophobia. The Instagram post does not identify the source

The CAIR complaint requests an investigation into whether the University is abiding by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Conflict Resolution agreement it entered into with the Office of Civil Rights on June 17. In August, Ono submitted a transcribed interview to the U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee about the University’s response to campus tensions about the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. Ono was originally slated to appear for a hearing in person but was later asked to provide a written response.

In the leaked recording, Ono said he believes universities are forced to treat Islamophobia and antisemitism on campus in an

unbalanced way due to pressures from Congress and interest groups.

“The government could call me tomorrow and say, in a very unbalanced way, the University is not doing enough to combat antisemitism,” Ono said. “And I could say it’s not doing enough to combat Islamophobia, and that’s not what they want to hear. So, the whole situation is not balanced.”

Ono also implied in the audio clip that the government threatened to withhold federal funds if the University did not address antisemitism on campus.

“And so, you can see (Congress is) a very powerful group who are not shy to say that they will hold the whole institution accountable for not addressing antisemitism,” Ono said. “To have

semester.

In an email to The Michigan Daily following the meeting, LSA senior Mario Thaqi, speaker of the Assembly, wrote that the petition would resume funding for student organizations and other programs.

“The petition effectively puts into place a budget for the Fall Semester, resuming student organization funding and all the other programs CSG offers like disability advocacy, sexual misconduct prevention and survivor empowerment, Airbus transportation, elections, student organization funding, and any projects or programming the Assembly has in mind,” Thaqi wrote.

The Assembly then voted on the Rebuilding Education in Gaza Act. The petition failed, with 16 in support and 22 against. The vote would have amended the Compiled Code — the document listing all regulations affecting CSG — and enacted a budget to support low-income U-M students and students in Gaza.

The Assembly passed The Wolverines’ Budget Act with 21 votes for and 15 against. Previously, CSG President Alifa Chowdhury vetoed the last two CSG budgets. The Wolverines’ Budget Act establishes a budget for student programs, services, operations and discretionary costs for the fall 2024 semester.

Student organizations will also receive their regular funding, but must repay the University for any temporary funds used since the beginning of the

GOVERNMENT

the government say something like, well, we will withhold your $2 billion dollars in funding if you don’t address antisemitism.”

In a press release following the audio release, the TAHRIR Coalition said the recording indicated that the University was focusing on antisemitism in order to repress pro-Palestine campus activism.

“This only confirms what we know to be true: the University regents and administration, in collaboration with the federal government, are stifling dissent and public pressure to divest from “israel’s” genocide in Gaza under the guise of combating antisemitism,” the press release reads. “The weaponization of antisemitism is being tactically used to repress the pro-Palestine movement on a national scale, with protesters routinely getting brutalized and attacked by militarized police forces.”

In an email to The Daily, University spokesperson Colleen Mastony wrote that the University is dedicated to fighting both antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus.

“The University of Michigan is steadfastly committed to ensuring our community remains a safe and supportive environment, where all students – regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or other identities – have the opportunity to learn and thrive,” Mastony wrote. “President Santa J. Ono has spoken out repeatedly against antisemitism and Islamophobia, and he will continue to do so, as any form of discrimination or hate is an affront to our community.”

After the passage of The Wolverines’ Budget Act and failure of the Rebuilding Education in Gaza Act, CSG cut the meeting short after meeting attendees reacted negatively to the outcome, according to Thaqi.

“After its passage, multiple members were met with harassment, intimidation, assault (spitting and touching people) by people associated with CSG President and VP / Tahrir Coalition,” Thaqi wrote. “Members were followed home and had to be escorted out by police for their safety.”

JD Vance holds rally in Detroit

Vance visited Michigan for the second time this month as the Nov. 5 general election approaches

For the second time this month, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, the Republican vice presidential candidate, visited Michigan to rally supporters in a key swing state expected to help decide the 2024 presidential election. About 300 people gathered in Detroit to see Vance speak, a city that has long been considered a Democratic stronghold in the state.

Many attendees wore paraphernalia of former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, and Vance, including more than a dozen who sported T-shirts reading “Auto Workers for Trump.” According to The Detroit News, at least six of those wearing the shirts were not auto workers.

Detroit has historically been known as one of the biggest hubs for auto manufacturing in the country. In his remarks, Vance said the Trump administration would prioritize Michigan-made vehicles.

“Instead of forcing Americans to buy electric vehicles manufactured in China, we’re going to let Americans buy whatever the hell they want to, because this is America,” Vance said. “And of course, my friends, when they do pick the automobile that they want and that they choose, we know they’re going to buy something made in the great state of Michigan.”

When asked by reporters whether the Trump-Vance administration would honor

President Joe Biden’s $11.7 billion plan to convert 11 gas-powered vehicle plants to electric vehicle plants. Vance said the BidenHarris administration’s plan would ultimately cause more harm than good.

“Kamala Harris is offering table scraps,” Vance said. “I think that Michigan auto workers deserve more than the table scraps of Kamala Harris.” In response to a question from the press about climate emissions, Vance said he thinks high carbon emissions worldwide are due to a lack of American manufacturing.

“The most important thing that we can do to ensure clean air and clean water is to build more and make more stuff in the United States,” Vance said. “I would be lying to you if I told you that carbon emissions was my number one issue — it’s not. But if your number one issue is carbon emissions, look at the two countries that have emitted the most carbon in the last 20, 30 years. It’s China and it’s India.” In recent years, the U.S. and China have emitted the highest levels of carbon dioxide emissions of any country. Since 1850, the U.S. has had the largest cumulative amount of carbon emissions, distantly followed by China, then Russia. In terms of cumulative carbon emissions, India ranks seventh. Vance’s patriotic message was particularly resonant for Karin Dziamski. Dziamski is a member of Trump Force 47, a volunteer group that goes door-to-door campaigning for Trump.

Jessica Watson visits Ross School of Business

Watson, the youngest person to sail solo, nonstop around the world, discussed her sailing experience and lessons learned

The Ross School of Business hosted Jessica Watson, the youngest person to sail solo, nonstop around the world, for a talk attended by approximately 100 University of Michigan community members at the Tauber Colloquium Monday. The Business School hosted Watson as a part of the Handleman Lecture Series, a series focused on emerging challenges and opportunities in business.

At age 16, Watson became the youngest person to sail worldwide on her own, nonstop and unassisted. The voyage took 210 days and upon returning, Watson was named Young Australian of the Year. To document the experience, Watson wrote two books. Her first book, “True Spirit,” has since been adapted into a Netflix film. Watson also wrote a second book titled “Indigo Blue”, and filmed a documentary on the voyage called “210 Days.” Today, Watson works as a senior manager for Deloitte’s Human Capital consulting team.

In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Andrea Perry, senior director of operations and campaign management at the Business School, said speakers for this series are carefully selected to best enhance U-M students’ educational experiences.

“We have a committee that thinks about all of our lecture series we have and then lines up who they think would be very interesting, insightful and engaging for the students,” Perry said. “These series and lectures are open to the public, but the

main focus is on the students and providing them an opportunity to hear from someone who is either cutting-edge or someone that we think the students could learn from and gather insights from.”

In her lecture, Watson explained that her idea to complete a voyage around the world was first sparked by a book her mother read to her.

“One book, a seemingly innocent bedtime story, did the damage,” Watson said. “It was the story of another young Australian who sailed solo around the world in 1818. As the story went on, everything changed for me because I realized something pretty simple but very powerful: that as extraordinary as this sailor was, he was also just an ordinary person. That set me thinking: if he’s a normal person and he can do that, what is it that I can do? It gave me the audacity to picture myself on one of these adventures in these stories.”

From there, Watson explained how a first failed attempt to sail the world gave her the confidence to set sail again and complete the voyage.

“After these years of preparation and all this intensity, first night out to sea I ran into the middle of a 63,000-ton freighter,” Watson said. “The mast was snapped, and there was this incredible amount of damage to the newly finished boat. But worst of all was having to go back the next day to face this scene of flashing cameras and reporters demanding to know what happened. But I do look back at this and say ‘it happened for a reason.’ As the rest of the world understandably lost confidence, I knew I’ve got this.” Watson said that through her

experience, she learned about the importance of appreciating the beauty of life. She also said she has learned that vulnerability is a show of strength.

“One of the best things I learned early on is it is actually okay to cry and be completely vulnerable, and at the same time you are still strong and capable,” Watson said. “There’s a great amount of power and strength in vulnerability. I also learned to celebrate the beautiful things out there and to really actively seek and let myself feel it.”

Watson said that upon returning from her worldwide voyage, she knew she needed to push herself in a new way, leading her to her current career.

“It would have almost been the easy thing to sail around the world again or sail it backward against the stronger winds or something similar,” Watson said. “What I found instead was that I needed to put myself out of that comfort zone in new, different ways. So for me, that meant things like going back to studying, getting my MBA and finding myself a career, all of which have a very different environment and different types of challenges.” Watson said she sets time set aside for both sailing and work to create a healthy work-life balance.

“I certainly learned how powerful work-life balance is as I get up and on the water on a Saturday and absolutely blast work out of my head,” Watson said. “Having something consuming time outside of work can be certainly one of the most restful and best ways to balance work.”

Emily Schwartz/DAILY

CAMPUS

MARISSA CORSI Daily Staff Reporter

ALYSSA TISCH Daily Staff Reporter

Ford hosts former governors John Kasich and Steve Bullock to discuss moderation in politics

More than 100 University of Michigan students and community members gathered in Annenberg Auditorium for a conversation between John Kasich, former Republican governor of Ohio, and Steve Bullock, former Democratic governor of Montana. The conversation was moderated by Celeste Watkins-Hayes, dean of the Ford School of Public Policy, along with Jenna Bednar, professor of political science and public policy. The former governors discussed political polarization, the 2020 election and the importance of state governments in policymaking.

Kasich, a self-described moderate Republican, was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1982 and served for 18 years before he was elected as the 69th governor of Ohio in 2011.

Left of the political aisle, Steve Bullock served two terms as Montana’s governor from 2013 to 2021 after serving as Montana’s attorney general for four years.

Daniel Rivkin, senior public affairs manager at the Public Policy School, said it is important to have conversations between moderates in an increasingly polarized country.

“The idea of having two governors talking about this — we thought — was relevant because even in divisive times, people have to get things done, and sometimes that gets lost in the national dialogue,” Rivkin said. “John Kasich is a moderate Republican and Steve Bullock is a moderate Democrat. … It’s important to show people how differences can be discussed.”

The event began as a conversation between the governors and moderators. Watkins-Hayes asked Kasich and Bullock about the historical context of the current state of political polarization in the U.S. Bullock compared the

current political landscape to professional sports.

“What’s happening now is that people care about politics in the same way that they care about professional sports,” Bullock said. “If you’re a Lions fan, I hate you, and I hate your aunt, there’s not much more thought beyond that.”

Both governors said they believed U.S. politics haven’t always been as polarizing as they are now. Kasich recalled how little he considered differences in political parties when he was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1983.

“When I went to Congress, Democrats were in charge,” Kasich said. “As a Republican, I had some commitment to the party, but the party was never my master, it was only my vehicle.”

The conversation then moved to discuss the 2020 election and its consequences for democracy. In response to a question about popular proposals to remove the Electoral College from the U.S. election process, Bullock stressed that his priority is to

include everyone in elections.

He said he believes abolishing the electoral vote would reduce the voice of less populous states like Montana.

“I’m not sure I like the idea of going to just the national popular vote because it diminishes more rural states,” Bullock said. “If we’re not already irrelevant, we would be totally irrelevant by that point.”

A majority of Americans are in favor of moving away from the system, according to the Pew Research Center. A presidential candidate must win 270 delegates in the Electoral College to win an election, but the outcome may not be representative of the popular vote.

Critics of the Electoral College argue it provides disproportionate power to voters in less populated states and leads to undue focus on a handful of key swing states in the election as candidates are not competing for individual votes but rather statewide outcomes.

Engineering freshman Kevin Chou said he attended the event

because he was curious to hear more about their experience in government and their opinions on today’s political landscape.

“I’ve read about governors Kasich and Bullock before and it’s really cool to get to hear from them in person,” Chou said. “As for what they talked about, it was great for us as students to be able to hear from people who have had experience in government and get their thoughts on the political landscape today.”

The floor opened up to the audience for questions. Bullock responded to a question about the future of moderate politics and bipartisanship in government by discussing his support of politicians who use bipartisanship as a way to put differences aside and focus on taking action.

“We need to figure out ways to reward bipartisanship and moderation — like I always said, I was the most progressive governor ever because the core word of progressive is progress,” Bullock said. “We actually figured out ways to get things done.”

American multicultural lounge reopens in South Quad

The Ambatana

A community of more than 100 University of Michigan students, faculty members and families gathered throughout the newly renovated Ambatana Afro American Multicultural Lounge Tuesday evening to celebrate its grand reopening after two years of renovation. The event started with a performance by the Amala Dancers, an African dance team, followed by a remembrance of Jon Onye Lockard, the late artist and Afroamerican and African Studies professor.

The grand reopening highlighted art in many other forms, including poetry and music. A handful of members from the African Students Association spoke on their relationship to the lounge by reciting poems and singing songs together. Outside the lounge on the lawns of South Quad Residence Hall and West Quad Residence Hall, balloon inflatables, stuffed animals and treats were displayed at a student resource fair.

LSA and Music, Theatre & Dance junior Tomilade Akinyelu, African Students Association member, began the ceremony by defining ambatana, a Swahili word meaning to stick together. Akinyelu discussed the meaning behind the lounge for U-M students and community members.

“Even this lounge serves as a monument to our unbreakable,

inimitable, sophisticated spirit,” Akinyelu said. “And yet, even through our struggle to greatness, no one was ever alone. Through every step, we had each other. We stuck together.”

Art & Design senior Elsa Olander had several of her visual art creations displayed in the lounge. In an interview with The Michigan Daily, she explained the concept of unity in an art piece she had created with different fabrics sewn together in the shape of Africa.

“The whole thing is to just tie together, to show that each fabric is different, but they blend between each other … borders are just borders, they don’t separate us as Africans,” Olander said. “We’re very different but (the) same.”

LSA senior Sunidhi Majalikar and Engineering senior Aminata Ndiaye, both of whom are third-year Diversity Peer Educators through Michigan Housing, held an information booth at the resource fair outside the lounge. The pair informed students about the history of multicultural lounges at the University. Majalikar gave background on the events that took place prior to creating the lounges.

“In the ’60s and ’70s, there was the Black Action Movement that happened on campus led by a lot of the Black organizations … pushing for diversity, inclusion (and) support for Black students and students of Color in general,” Majalikar said. “Out of that came the multicultural lounges.”

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Ndiaye also discussed the Black Student Union’s role in the Black Action Movements, explaining the More Than Four campaign, which aims to support and advocate for Black students at the University, and its effect on multicultural lounges.

“The Black Student Union led the More Than Four campaign which was trying to bring awareness at the University … for more than 4% of the population to be Black students to increase the diversity,” Ndiaye said. “I think that’s really cool that we have these spaces to pay homage to those movements and a lot of them talk about movements that have happened on campus, or leaders that are associated.”

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BEN

About 40 years ago, Francis Ford Coppola (“Twixt”) had a brilliant idea. After wrapping up the nightmarish production of “Apocalypse Now,” Coppola began working on a script set closer to home. As a lifelong lover of Ancient Rome, Coppola refused to pass up the opportunity to direct a story about the Roman Republic. He thought of the politician Lucius Sergius Catilina and the statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero, and his mind raced at the relevance of their republic-ending rivalry to the American Republic. “Megalopolis” would be Coppola’s astute commentary on the political theater of America. No longer would he limit himself to the American Dream or the Vietnam War. He saw in Rome the state of the Union itself. However, struggling to attract producers, “Megalopolis” failed to materialize in the ’80s.

Now, in 2024, Coppola has finally realized the film of his dreams — though not without great personal and financial sacrifice. Unfortunately, even with the most charitable interpretation, “Megalopolis” is a disastrous spectacle, with an enormity of inane philosophy, technical incompetence and auto-fallacious filmmaking. Traditionally, this is the part of the review where I would confidently summarize the plot. Horrifyingly, I can’t guarantee that I can confidently

‘Megalopolis’: A disastrous riot

piece together the plot of “Megalopolis.” I left the theater dazed and confused, but it does seem that the film centers around four characters. Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver, “Ferrari”) is a supposedly brilliant architect whose vision of a utopia — built of the unbreakable material Megalon — requires the demolition of homes and buildings. This puts Cesar in hot water with Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito, “MaXXXine”), the mayor of New Rome — a Rome-ified version of New York which some characters call “New York” several times in the film, seemingly not on purpose. Cicero has a personal vendetta against Cesar, and before becoming the mayor, he had investigated the death of Cesar’s wife. On top of that, Cicero’s beautiful but rowdy daughter Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel, “The Killer”) often goes clubbing with the incestuous entourage of Cesar’s rela-

tives. The plot comes to a head when Julia falls in love with Cesar while one of his cousins, Clodio Pulcher (Shia LaBeouf, “Padre Pio”), gains tremendous popularity as a “Make Rome Great Again” politician. If this web of details makes you wonder how the plot will untangle itself, then you’re already off the film’s wavelength: Over the 138-minute runtime, Coppola only spins a more convoluted web, trapping the film in the

the Irish,’ Notre Dame is Sacred

the university and team, and how the “Notre Dame brand” of today came to be. But what exactly is that brand?

For a documentary series about the Notre Dame football team, “Here Come the Irish” doesn’t show a whole lot of football. The Peacock original is much more focused on the culture, the emotion and the faith that the team has come to represent than anything that might happen on the field. If the in-house production team (led by Notre Dame’s own John Fornaro) wants the viewers to take anything from the documentary, it’s that Notre Dame is special, it’s different and — most of all — Notre Dame is sacred. The 30-minute premiere “Choose Hard” doesn’t do much beyond setting the stage for the six episodes to come. Filmed during the spring season, “Choose Hard” acts as a prologue, using historical footage, interviews with Notre Dame figures and shots of the players in their everyday lives to establish the university as, well, more than a university. In “Here Come the Irish,” Notre Dame is an important American institution more than anything else. While the show as a whole is clearly made to service fans of the Fighting Irish, “Choose Hard” argues that everybody should care about Notre Dame football as they play their way to a 2024 national title. It’s not as though Notre Dame is an underdog — far from it. Archival reels particularly highlight the upward trajectory of

As Lou Holtz, Head Coach from 1986 to 1996, says, “Those who know Notre Dame, no explanation’s necessary. Those who don’t, no explanation will suffice.”

Now, I should be at least somewhat qualified to answer the question of brand. Coming from a big Irish Catholic family, full of Notre Dame alumni and superfans, I’ve had an acute awareness of not only the football team but the Midwestern, faith-filled values of the university since birth. Though it was clear early on that the University of Michigan was more my style than Notre Dame, I still just can’t shake the reverential feeling that the Fighting Irish evoke in me, no matter how hard I try. Despite this, I found the definition of Notre Dame in “Here Comes the Irish” to be, frankly, too self-indulgent to be interesting to a wider audience.

Notre Dame wants you to believe in its humility while simultaneously insisting upon its greatness — as if producing a seven-part piece on why it’s the best football team on earth was a duty bestowed upon it by God. When Marcus Freeman, current Head Coach since 2022, mentions his hunger for a national title — the underlying drive of the episode — it isn’t sat with long enough to create intrigue. Instead of jumpcutting to yet another segment basking in the glory of Notre Dame, I would have found it much

more interesting to juxtapose this yearning with Freeman’s occasionally troubled coaching history (Freeman was the first head coach in Notre Dame history to open a season with three losses).

This constant contradiction leads to a flat storyline full of never-ending ups, leaving “Choose Hard” feeling more like an overstretched advertisement than a premiere. From the shots of the iconic Touchdown Jesus overlooking the field, to showcasing the service work done by both Freeman and his players, to the constant distinction of the Notre Dame spirit — the viewer is never allowed to see Notre Dame and its football team as anything other than sacred.

That said, it’s impossible to ignore just how beautifully shot and scored this documentary is. The visuals in particular are peaceful, with soft coloring and ambient shots of fall leaves surrounding campus landmarks — a far cry from the typical sports documentary. “Choose Hard” is serious and earnest rather than action-packed and punchy, setting up Notre Dame as a “small, midwestern Catholic school” that the everyman can, and should, root for. While those adjectives are technically correct, they don’t exactly cover the reality of the internationally recognized, extraordinarily expensive private institution that Notre Dame has become.

mess of his half-baked ideas. In the opening scene, Coppola introduces Cesar’s time-stopping superpower which, beyond being unexplained, barely has any thematic relevance. But “Megalopolis” gets even better. In the next scene, Mayor Cicero holds a conference in some indistinct warehouse for Cesar to explain his future plans. We are introduced to TV presenter Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza, “My Old Ass”), who happens to be Cesar’s mistress as well as the only reporter on the scene. After some political fist-waving, Cesar makes his grand entrance in a black trench coat, and like Dracula, unveils himself to the cheers and boos of many. “To be or not to be, that is the question,” Cesar loudly bellows, as he begins reciting the iconic monologue from William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” The entire monologue. The whole thing. The scene feels like a moment straight out of a spoof, but it’s nearly impossible to discern Coppola’s intentions. Later in the film, a scene involving a bow and arrow brings into question whether Coppola is working at a level of hyperself-awareness or total obliviousness. A few viewers have drawn comparisons between “Megalopolis” and the satirical “Annette,” both cartoonish films starring Driver. However, the key difference is that Leos Carax (“Holy Motors”) is (perhaps annoyingly) hammy while Coppola seems to believe in the film’s message. When

CAROLINE CAHILL Daily Arts Contributor

Considering the variety of streaming platforms these days, new TV shows seem to try harder and harder to capture the zeitgeist of our modern culture’s social issues. However, these shows usually have just a splash of humor mixed with C-SPAN levels of politics and social commentary. “English Teacher” is yet another such attempt. Hulu’s new series plunges viewers deep into the world of the mundane struggles that modern teachers face as they adjust to an ever-changing youth culture. But, while the show has its comedic moments and manages to offer some world-savvy observations, it attempts to insert modern social commentary falter in every scene, making the show feel less like a cohesive series and more like a millennial-produced TikTok skit roasting Gen Z. From the very beginning, “English Teacher” establishes itself as that kind of show — self-aware, even meta, in its commentary. The premise? An English teacher (Brian Jordan Alvarez, “80 For Brady”) fumbles his way through the pedagogical complexities of the digital age and Gen Z culture. Within this rich premise lay fertile ground for exploring generational divides, educational challenges and social justice as it intersects with everyday life. As the epi-

The ‘English Teacher’ teaches … something?

sodes progress, though, there is something awry in the manner of its engagement with these topics. With a few exceptions, this show is often tipped into excessive stereotypes of wokeness, more interested in hitting all the right buzzwords than in constructing a genuine, thoughtful narrative.

The show portrays the “meanest” generation ever: Gen Z. At least, that’s how the writers feel. The show paints them as the generation that doesn’t take ridicule well and gets upset with anything that could hurt someone’s feelings, even by accident. Rather than treating an entire generation with the nuance it deserves, “English Teacher” caricatures Gen Z, hewing closely to exaggerated tropes of “oversensitivity,” an obsession with political correctness and an annoyingly constant social media presence. These characters come across as superficial, as if the writers (likely millennials and Generation Xers) are painting Gen Z with broad strokes. It feels like there is someone in the writers’ room constantly saying, “This is what the kids think nowadays.”

The show resembles some sort of skit created by millennials who don’t quite understand or respect Gen Z, but are trying desperately to imitate their mannerisms. The satire feels misdirected, more mocking the younger generation rather than delving into the deeper issues it faces.

In no way is a 20-minute-epi-

sode sitcom required to provide groundbreaking theories on social justice, but “English Teacher” could have been a clever, sharp critique of the real challenges both educators and students face in an ever-evolving cultural landscape. The premise alone is fraught with possibility. Digging deeper into what it means to be a teacher in this age of social media, cultural sensitivity and political correctness should provide endless fodder. Too often, though, the show relies on surface laughs rather than digging into more salient issues with any real depth.

That said, “English Teacher” is by no means devoid of strong comedic moments. The show’s over-the-top character interactions can sometimes be side-splittingly funny, particularly when they tap into certain absurdities of modern life. When it works, the humor is quick, sharp and understated positively. There are these subtle, witty moments where the show excels — drawing laughs not from some broadly exaggerated joke but from the awkwardness and uncertainty of real life.

One of the show’s strengths indeed has to do with the ensemble cast and the different personalities that come along with it — things that ensure many different outlooks on various topics. Despite sometimes heavy-handed dialogue, actors manage to conjure up a kind of realism in their performances that makes the most

The Michigan Daily Crossword

outlandish scenarios somewhat believable. Brian Jordan Alvarez deftly portrays the titular character of the “English Teacher” as full of sarcasm, frustration and empathy, becoming relatable even when the writing doesn’t support him. The inner battle of a teacher to stay relevant in an increasingly digital and socially conscious world feels very genuine and is, in fact, very real for many educators these days.

Still, these redeeming qualities don’t save the show completely from all its flaws. “English Teach-

er” tends to either reduce complex social issues to punchlines or employ them as plot devices to push the story forward. From getting “canceled” for not respecting a student’s fake illness, to bringing in a drag performer (Trixie Mattel, “RuPaul’s Drag Race”) to coach boys for a Powderpuff dance, there are so many punchline plots in the show that are so absurd they take away from the real issues they were supposed to address.

“English Teacher” is a bit of a mixed bag. It has moments of witty humor which make an enjoyable watch when you’re not taking it too seriously. On the other hand, the show prevents itself from being the incisive and poignant commentary it could be by oversimplifying Gen Z and making the comedy less funny and more uncomfortable. While it may not be the most profound or groundbreaking show out there, it’s still worth checking out if you’re in the mood for something light and occasionally funny — just don’t expect it to offer too much more than that.

sense"

23. Parting words when leaving a job

27. *Brown sugar?

32. Wild hog 33. Less common spelling for a pastoral poem 34. Other, in Oaxaca 35. "Compromise?" or what happens in the middle of this puzzle's starred clues

41. Goals

42. Sunburn soother

43. "Aw shucks!"

44. *Part of a musical ensemble

50. Bachelors may have them

52. Otherwise

53. *Served well with "cool beans!"

58. Meat in an intersection?

61. Adhesive resin

62. Dorm supervisors, in brief

63. Forehead-covering hairstyle

64. Campground dwellings

65. Imitate

66. The apple doesn't fall far from it

67. Fracture fixer

68. Ideal answer on a Magic 8 Ball

Wattpad work

Fourth of July chant

Track star

Fitzgerald of jazz

Wander

Suffix with kitchen or major

British WWII weapon

Medieval arrow shooter

Cause of inflation?

Understood

Chapter in history 14. "Big Papi" of the Red Sox 15. Ashen, as skin

20. Antinarcotics org.

21. "___ we there yet?"

24. Tiny bit

25. Spongebob's pet snail

26. Gun lobbyist grp.

28. "Good Will Hunting" sch.

29. Rave music genre

30. Soap chemical

31. Congresswoman Omar

35. Swampy ground

36. Some online reading, for short

37. Alienate from someone

38. City council rep.

39. Herbert of the "Pink Panther" franchise

40. Charge for admission

41. Sum (up)

44. Honeycomb constructor

45. A plus?

46. "Cry ___ River" (Justin Timberlake hit)

47. DVD alternative

48. Flee the scene

49. Puffs and Pieces, for two

51. Rams' partners

54. Crude cartel

55. Da Vinci's "___ Lisa"

56. Tel. number add-ons

57. The "S" of GPS: Abbr.

58. Hashtag for nostalgic pics

59. Like The Brown Jug or Rick's in Ann Arbor, for example

60. Washington's bill

I’m not exactly sure what the original inspiration for the sparse but memorable collection of “games where you navigate an unimaginably large concrete structure” is, but I’m very happy they’re here. Drawing on “BLAME!” and early entries like NaisanceE, Rubeki Games’s Lorn’s Lure offers a sturdy new entry to this genre. The game follows your ice-pick-assisted pursuit of a digital ghost through massive, hour-long first-person platforming levels.

The concrete pillars, catwalked towers, stone brick castles and walled-in dunes are the first thing you’ll see and for good reason. An immaculate attention to detail supports the incomprehensible scale imparted in a game like this. Every vista needs a subtle ceiling. Each hallway must feel both easy to traverse and incidental — a mere consequence of tectonic activity. I’m happy to report that Lorn’s Lure nearly always nails this. The game’s eight levels are diverse, each one centered around a visual motif that’s developed and subverted in equal parts. The second level covers your ascent, descent and then re-ascent of three towers, each jagged and messy but perfect for climbing. The surrounding area is thick with an orange atmosphere, and it looks different from each successive angle, first framed against the cavern’s ceiling, then against the open pit below. The visual atmosphere is lonely and haunted. Setting and story go hand in hand here. Like many games in this subgenre, there isn’t much of an overarching plot, and that is a good thing. The silence serves to build both tension and comfort when applied correctly.

Throughout a playthrough, you’ll also collect new movement abilities that run the gamut from janky to excellent. The game’s emphasis on speedrunning is not to my tastes and subtracts a bit from the loneliness and weight of the game, but it only rarely punches through. For the most part, it is deliberate and slow as you identify the next foothold and puzzle out how best to make it there with your limited stamina. Interestingly, the game also contains dispersed platforming challenge collectibles, which I have nothing kind to say about. They are distracting, unappealing and unnecessary. The gameplay kept me engaged throughout its entirety, and it certainly didn’t need collectibles to do it. The problem that runs the deepest into the game is a slight, persistent mismatch between setting and play. It puts entirely too much energy into quality-of-life features, giving checkpoints after every jump and offering an optional but grating hovering waypoint indicator. Both of these reduce the impact of the harsh setting and fail to engender respect for the lovingly constructed environments. To work best, an inhuman superstructure demands the kind of level design which you barely know where you’re going. It should keep a bit of an edge to it — that “should I really be able to get up here” energy. That’s where Lorn’s Lure

The gameplay draws from both boomer shooters and first-person speedrunning games like Neon White and Mirror’s Edge, albeit tuned down to maintain the scale and the mood. Moving slowly in a game like this is a good thing. Speed and size aren’t entirely interchangeable, but it lends those distant goals the gravity they deserve.

TIFFANY MCKALKO Daily Arts Contributor

This image is from the official trailer for “English Teacher,” distributed by Hulu.

Fatherland

MUNA AGWA MiC Columnist

A tattered cloth hangs from the lowest branch

Of the mango tree: a newfound flag, lost and billowing, Rising and falling like the sleeping baby’s coconut stomach, And I am reminded of why we rise–Lifting ourselves, like bread on the back patio, Catching and releasing the punishing mountain heat.

Don’t forget how we raised our fists in defiance yesterday; Kicked up the yellow dirt-dust in the salt-orange air.

Don’t forget the shouts– louder than the crack of machete against sugar cane– ringing out in the streets.

How the day stood still– filling every corner of itself– while we all watched. How the humidity ate up our shadows before the darkness did,

And the food went limp in our mouths. How Fire danced between the night’s legs, mingling among the trees; Burning up our beloved mangoes and blackening our flag.

The P-word, M-word and the uncomfortable silence in between

“Students, faculty and staff: This past year, there have been innumerable events locally and globally that have felt overwhelming and unsettling to many in our community. As tensions in the Middle East have escalated in recent days, it is more important than ever that we work collectively to offer solace and safety to one another,” University of Michigan President Santa Ono began in his letter written to University students, faculty, and staff on Thursday afternoon.

فَإِنَّ

.” “Verily, with hardship comes ease,” an inscription from the Quran, and

,” my name in Bangla

— both inscribed in gold metal and sitting above my heart at all times. Not only do they form essential components of my necklace stack, but they also serve as an indicator of two key facets of my identity, reminding me of who I am and where I come from.

Whenever I meet someone new, I wonder what they think of me: Has media consumption led them to be innately predisposed to hate me? Do they think I’m in a 21st-century form of “The Handmaid’s Tale”? Do they think I need to be saved? Do they think that I’m trapped in a constant patriarchal, rigid belief system against my will, that I need to be set free like a dove trapped in a steel cage?

Or do they look at the brown of my skin, the beautiful and rich accents of my parents, the colorful bangles around my wrist, the hijab wrapped around me and dump me into a category of the distasteful “they”?

“They’re coming to steal our jobs.”

“They’re bringing terror into

our country.”

“They’re infiltrating our homes.”

I was born July 5, 2004, in a hospital in southeastern Michigan. I am a U.S. citizen under birthright. I was raised in typical American suburbia, went to typical American schools, and now attend a typical American university. Yet the rhetoric still stands — “them” versus “us.”

“The university is absolute in its pledge to do whatever it can to protect and care for our students, faculty, staff and visitors. I also urge each of you to be proactive in prioritizing your mental health and well-being, and to take time to reach out to friends and colleagues,” Ono’s letter read.

2015. The year I began sixth grade and also when I started wearing the hijab at 11 years old. It was worn by the majority of the women in my family, and I always thought of it as beautiful. I was apprehensive — unsure how my new look would be received by my peers. I transferred school districts from elementary to middle school, so sixth grade would be the perfect time, I’d reasoned. I saw myself as the same as before, just with a hijab. That wasn’t what the world saw, though. Despite loving my faith and my identity, as soon as I began to wear the hijab, I truly began to learn what hate was.

“Why the fuck can’t you just look normal, like everyone else? Does your God hate you, or something?”

Taunts and teases from my classmates filled my ears as I had to be taken out of my sixth-grade math class in tears by my teacher. She constantly reassured me that she didn’t stand for this type of behavior, that I could call my parents if I wanted to or switch to a different class. I said no. I deserved to be here as much as everyone else.

2017. Seventh grade, and the year Donald J. Trump became the 45th president of the United States. I’d brushed off the entire election because it seemed like something straight out of a “South Park” episode, that an individual so public in his hate and bigotry towards multiple identity groups could become President. The day after the presidential election results were announced, my English teacher gave our class a tearful speech about the importance of holding on to and believing in the truth of your identity, despite people trying to wrest it from you.

I was terrified for my future, and for my immigrant family’s future, but I still had hope. Two months after that, I had my hijab ripped off me by a boy in my grade who thought the greatest insult that he could do to me was to take a physical component of my identity. I reassembled my hijab and my demeanor alone in a school bathroom stall while all he received was a stern talkingto.

“Late last night, a group of Jewish students had gathered for dinner at the Southfield home of a local rabbi when, shortly before 11 p.m., an armed individual entered through an open backdoor, stole a bag and fled. No one was injured and law enforcement officials with the Southfield Police Department are investigating this as a home invasion and a crime of opportunity,” Ono’s letter read.

2022. The year I graduated high school and started college as a freshman at the University of Michigan. I was born and raised in Michigan, a state home to the fifth largest percentage of Muslims in the country.

Although I was actively aware of my differences from my peers, my upbringing in Michigan had ensured that throughout my childhood, even those who

propagated hateful remarks toward me were aware of Muslim practices and knew other Muslims. That provided me some ironic, paradoxical type of comfort — although you may hate me, at least you know of me.

However, the University was diverse in the way that it was my first time encountering individuals who did not know of me, so for them, I was their “first Muslim” and initial exposure to anything Islam-related. It was extremely common that I heard statements such as “you’re the first Muslim I’ve ever met,” “I’ve never met a hijabi before” and “you’re not what I thought you would be.” Although many of these statements were said in earnest, I felt like an appetizer — to be poked, prodded at, inspected; the measure that you would use to predict whether you find the rest of the restaurant’s food palatable.

Thesve types of statements, despite being said with good intent, were a see-saw of sorts — they had the potential to go either way, like a “choose your path” novel. For many of my peers, I was the first introduction to Islam that they’d ever had, aside from what they’d learned about “me” on the news, which detailed wars, bombings and bloodshed in excruciating detail. They had the option to progress beyond that — to know me — or, the option to stick with what they knew and see me under a peculiar and oppressed lens.

October 2023 was the start of what many students would describe as a “split campus” due to escalated “tensions in the Middle East,” as President Ono puts it. “Us or them,” a binary split that I was used to growing up with as an ethnic and religious minority in America, now became an actual physical split, with tensions riling up between supporters of Palestinian and

Israeli sides. Wearing keffiyehs to class became a silent show of solidarity in the face of the University administration, who laughed and jeered at students advocating for divestment from investments related to Israel.

Hatred once again became comfortable to express without fear of reprimands. On Oct. 13 2023, pro-Palestinian students were verbally assaulted by School of Information board member Carin Ehrenberg while staging a peaceful sit-in protest at President Ono’s house. Exclaims such as “Are you going to send one of your terrorists after us?” and “rapists and murderers” were shouted at Arab and Muslim students.

On Nov. 17 2023, 40 students were arrested at the Ruthven Building while protesting the University’s investment in companies linked to Israel and profiting off of its military campaign. The University responded to this protest by calling in law enforcement from more than 10 different departments and denying protestors access to water and restrooms.

No action was taken and no “mass email of condemnation” was sent out in either case, in response to physical and verbal attacks against Muslim and proPalestinian students on campus. An email was sent out, however, in response to a home invasion 40 minutes from campus that had no political motivation and that even the Southfield Police Department solely recognized as a “home invasion and crime of opportunity.”

“These are challenging times, but there is enormous strength in our community. Resolve with me to join together in solidarity, and help everyone feel safe, protected and empowered to live and learn at the University of Michigan.”

All individuals, regardless

of religious belief, deserve to be able to hold their religious activities and practice their beliefs without fear of physical violence and intimidation. However, what good is a campus “joined together in solidarity” when the attacks against one side are not recognized at all? What good is this, when a mass email is sent out to students concerning a petty crime not committed on grounds of religious or political discrimination? Does that not stoke more flames of fear-mongering and incite more division?

Campus administration is completely silent when it comes to expressing outrage for the issues faced by people of color on campus, tiptoeing around using the P-word and M-word: “Palestinian” and “Muslim.” Condemning the actions affecting one side while remaining silent on the issues affecting the other feels like an indirect condemnation of the latter.

University administration loves to use us in campus advertisements and showcases of “Look how diverse we are! Look at all the organizations we have on campus!” However, when it comes to actually supporting the students of those identities, all of a sudden the excited chatter falls flat, to be replaced with an awkward silence. The P-word and M-word — never to be expressed in any mass campus condemnation email except in a derogatory fashion. President Santa J. Ono and the University of Michigan refuse to acknowledge me or my Muslim peers, despite promising us “a sense of belonging and empowerment to participate in our community.” But my existence and my identity as a proud Bengali Muslim woman is not up for debate — nor will it be silenced.

Muna Agwa/MiC

MUNTAHA RAHMAN MiC Columnist

SAMANTHA

Mateo

Unsigned

ZHANE

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS

Independence is a skill worth building

I had always envisioned my time abroad as a deeply independent experience. But, having anticipated it for nearly my entire junior year, I’d painted a slightly romanticized picture. I envisioned taking long walks along the Amsterdam canals, exploring the Van Gogh Museum and Vondelpark, and having Dutch men pull their bicycles to the side of the road to inform me of my beauty and ask me to dinner.

I’ve managed to make most of those things happen for myself — aside from stopping the Dutch in their tracks — but the image I anticipated was much more easy going. Having about a month of my school year abroad under my belt, I can say with certainty that I’ve been having a good time — but I can also be honest with myself and admit that I’ve had a harder time than I was prepared for. While growing more independent had always been a part of my vision for myself here, I didn’t anticipate it being something I’d struggle with so much. I’ve always been selfsufficient, but I’ll also always opt for company. The knowledge of the romantic setting waiting for me had clouded my understanding of what alone time could offer.

I’ve adapted to having so much time by myself — but not without difficulty. While this sense of independence is a mountain I feel confident I’ll climb, I can’t help but wish that independence was a skill I’d attempted to actually hone while in a more familiar environment. I would have been slightly more prepared, but also would have tapped the beauty in finding how to enjoy time by myself earlier.

It’s not that I’ve spent the past month entirely solitary; I’ve been making friends, slowly but surely. We make plans for the weekends, sometimes convene on our shared balcony on weeknights and occasionally check out new bookstores together.

But, in comparison to my University of Michigan experience, these plans often feel few and far between. At

the University, particularly in my third year on campus, socialization was constant. My junior year was spent living in a house with five other girls — some of whom started as complete strangers, all of whom left as some of my best friends — and alone time meant collectively rotting in our living room in front of comfort shows. Between my roommates, my then-long-term boyfriend, other dear friends who lived just a 10-minute walk away and the combination of schoolwork and extracurriculars, I was always busy, and always accompanied.

I don’t wish I had regularly forgone that time with my friends — particularly knowing that my world will never quite fit into my pocket the same way it did at the University — but, looking back, I don’t know if I ever made the active choice to spend a night, or even just a few hours, entirely alone. Had I done so, I doubt my nostalgia for the traditional college experience would have changed at all; instead, perhaps my sense of independence would be more honed and my personal sense of identity less fraught. We all know more introverted people for whom alone time is a necessity and independence is simply a born personality trait. But for those of us for whom independence isn’t innate, it can — and should — still be a learned skill. The benefits of independence are myriad. Even in our infancy, alone time is recommended. It teaches children how to calm themselves down, hones their imaginations and takes the panic out of alone time. When we can self-regulate and independently make ourselves feel better, we’re better off — even when just months old. These are traits that follow us, and can benefit us, our whole lives. While strong relationships are imperative for our well-being, so is a strong sense of self. And our relationships are all the better off when we turn to them out of want and love, not pure need. There are plenty of ways that we can build independence and make our alone time feel more natural. Sometimes opting into a night of self-care or indulging in a personal passion is necessary.

It also helps decouple alone time with a sense of rejection — something I’ve struggled to internalize on multiple teary-eyed occasions in my dorm room. But it gets easier! This is something I’ve both been reminding myself of and learning day by day. And while it’s hard, it can also be beautiful. I’ve struggled with my newfound independence, as this article has made clear; but, it has also provided me with endless opportunity. I am successfully making my way through my list of museums, exploring all that Amsterdam has to offer — by foot and by taste buds— and picking up hobbies I intended to throughout my U-M experience. I’ve become a collager, creatively writing, my journal has no longer been going months without entry. While my Daily articles normally come out of a deadline-induced panic, this one was entirely self-prompted. I’ve had lovely interactions with strangers I wouldn’t have had if I’d been occupied with company. I’ve been getting to know myself more personally, in a way that at times is challenging but ultimately good — something that will serve me well when building relationships with others. Make no mistake, I certainly hope that my year ends with new friendships I will carry with me for years to come. I also hope it comes with a much-improved and transformed relationship with myself. While not everyone’s U-M experience will take them abroad, postgrad and big life changes await everyone. We will all have to leave the comfort Michigan has provided us. For many, postgrad jobs or curiosities will take us to unfamiliar places, often away from support networks and intimate friendships. While diving into the deep end of independence is possible, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. Maybe it’s worth occasionally forgoing a night at Rick’s or on your shared couch to spend some me time, as cheesy as it sounds. Your future self will not only thank you for it — you’ll be better off.

Weekend Plans

Balancing plans and passions while abroad

After being in Germany for more than a month, I can finally say I’m starting to settle in. The past few weeks have been filled with new people, new plans and new, wonderful experiences. I’ve also faced my fair share of logistic and emotional challenges. Only recently has it begun to sink in that I’ll be here for a year. Pair that with the culture shock of the grocery store, “the German stare” and a lack of iced coffee and it becomes clear that cultural adjustment is an unfortunately long and arduous process

Although I was prepared for a cultural shift prior to departure, I find myself only now dealing with the emotions that come with living in a foreign place. I had, of course, experienced bouts of anxiety, but those were often tied to my worries of missing out on happenings back home. When I imagined Germany, I imagined an idealized version of myself where I’d be speaking fluent German, becoming close friends with locals and living one of the most impactful years of my life. I still have many months ahead to experience all those things; they just haven’t happened yet, and won’t for at least a little while.

And that’s OK.

I’ve since realized that in imagining what could only come from months of living here, I was solely thinking of the end product and not the actual time I would be spending abroad. I was more focused on what I wanted to have done as opposed to what I wanted to do, experience and learn. I also realized that I had a similar problem with learning the German language. For years,

I simply wanted to know the language; but to know, you have to learn. It was only after years of working at it that I came to (for the most part) enjoy the process of actually learning the language.

That’s not to say that wanting to have done something automatically pales in comparison to pursuing something you enjoy with no endpoint. Everyone has passions and goals, things they want to do and things they want to have done. We grow up hearing truisms like “it’s about the journey, not the destination” and “setting a goal is the first step to achieving it,” so we might expect people to fall into two categories: people who plan or people who go with the flow. Though these two schools of thought may seem opposed to one another, a combination of the two can make any given journey — abroad or not — less aimless and more enjoyable.

At first, it might seem counterintuitive to combine two mindsets focused on unscriptedness and preparedness. Wouldn’t a go-with-the-flow attitude distract a planner? Wouldn’t goals or structure take away the intrinsic motivation out of something that’s otherwise enjoyable? In my experience, not necessarily.

For the more goal-oriented individual, an approach that takes the journey at hand into account means finding what makes you tick. Given that I hope to walk away from my study abroad experience with better German skills and comfort adjusting to new places, I first need to set smaller goals I enjoy achieving. For me, that means getting out of my apartment — whether it’s to a different city or simply a part of Freiburg that’s new to me. Instead of dwelling on the fact

that I’m not where I expect myself to be, I’ve allowed myself these smaller steps that are both fun and achievable. Adaptations of this approach, no matter the goal, make striving toward something more sustainable, and therefore more likely to be achieved. As for those who more often prefer to go with the flow, having a goal of any level of specificity can bring new life to hobbies and interests. Although I’ve come to a place where I generally enjoy learning German for the sake of it, setting specific goals for this coming year has reinvigorated my efforts. I’d like to, for example, improve my professional German and start writing in German as regularly as I do in English. In combining my passions with concrete goals, I’ve set myself up for extended personal growth. Having a goal or something you want to have done — not for extrinsic validation, but for the fun of the game — can challenge you and further develop the intrinsic motivation you get from an activity you already love. The way you balance your plans and spontaneity are ultimately up to you; the point is that both philosophies empower you to pursue your goals while enjoying the process of reaching them. Do you love to craft just for the fun of it? Consider challenging yourself to learn about five new methods and test them out yourself. Have you always wanted to run a marathon, but felt unsure where you should even start? Think about certain methods you could implement in your life that would make running something you love to do. Whatever it is you want to do (or want to have done), plans and passions can go hand-in-hand to make both the journey and the destination worthwhile.

Evelyn Mousigian/DAILY

LILA DOMINUS Opinion Contributer

Rumaisa Wajahath/DAILY

AUDRA WOEHLE Opinion Columnist

Layla Salaheldin/DAILY

DANIEL BIRCHOK & CHRIS SNIDER

Opinion Contributors

Last week, the University of Michigan-Flint American Federation of Teachers-American Association of University Professors began negotiating our first contract with the University of Michigan. We are a new union at the University of Michigan-Flint, just recognized this past April, and we represent tenured and tenure-track U-M Flint faculty. While a range of issues brought us together, our overarching concerns can be summarized as follows: We maintain that our labor has been undervalued. We further hold that, for the University to realize its mission to serve the public good, it must make a broad commitment to the U-M Flint campus that includes recognizing the value that our members bring to the institution and our community. We have thus developed the following campaign slogan: Value our labor, recognize our value. We are not alone in such a vision. A growing movement among workers in higher education has called for a national re-

U-M Flint AFT-AAUP’s contract campaign is part of a movement for the public good

newal of the University’s public good mission. This movement understands higher education to be a good that benefits society, and not simply individuals, through developing an educated citizenry, providing access to employment and social mobility, and supporting research, the arts and economic prosperity for society at large. Most recently, 11 unions representing employees in higher education — including faculty, staff and hospital workers — issued a statement in support of such a vision. Co-signed by our own parent unions, the AFT and the AAUP, the statement calls for full public funding of comprehensive higher education, sustainable working conditions for all higher education employees and increased access to institutions of higher learning for the public. As the first tenure-track faculty union at the University, we vigorously endorse this vision and view higher education as a public good.

What does this look like as we embark on our first contract campaign? Our membership works with some of the most promising students in the state, but many of these students struggle to pay tuition or find time to devote to

school while working part-time or full-time jobs. Others face challenges related to family care or related responsibilities. Treating the University as a public good means supporting these students through generous financial aid and robust support services. Because our success in the classroom is intertwined with the success of our students, providing this kind of support to them is a way to value our labor. This is especially the case given that our primary role in the classroom is to enable our students to progress along paths of social mobility and engaged citizenship.

Treating higher education as a public good also means supporting a wide range of opportunities for students across science and technology, liberal arts and professional programs. It means ensuring that our bargaining unit members have the funding and time they need to carry out their research and creative work, thus enabling them to better serve our students and community. It means compensating us fairly, even though our students generate fewer tuition dollars than students on other U-M campuses. And it means providing the institutional stability we need — after

President Biden: Yes we are stronger together, but America is driving the world apart

Columnist

In his final address to the United Nations a couple weeks ago, President Joe Biden was optimistic about the future of global affairs, even as things appear more dire than at any point in his presidency. This optimism paved the way for his central thesis: Things can and will get better. Although the world is presently embroiled in global conflict, no obstacle is impossible to overcome when the world holds together. He remarked that, unlike in prior times of crisis, the center has held: America and its allies remain stronger than ever against tyranny and the challenges they’ve faced. Biden built a strong argument in favor of leveraging international cooperation to overcome global challenges and uphold democracy; but, his speech glosses over the real state of the world. The center has held, but the fringes have moved. Biden’s foreign policy decisions might have strengthened America’s ties with its allies, but those same decisions have pushed our greatest adversaries further away — to incredibly harmful effect.

The U.S. has catastrophically failed to enforce redlines with Israel in its military campaign in Gaza, resulting in massive civilian casualties. Failure to procure a ceasefire deal amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iranbacked militia groups has now culminated in Israel conducting a full-scale invasion of Lebanon, with the aim of eradicating Hezbollah. This follows 11 months of platitudes and reluctance from the Biden administration regarding Israel’s military campaign, and therefore, the now vehement call for a ceasefire is easily ignored by Israel and its opponents. At every step, the Biden administration failed to contain the scale of the war, directly contributing to its atrocious present outcomes. Israel’s war of annihilation has

sent a ripple effect across the region, and the U.S.’ already shaky relationship with Iran has reached nearly unsalvageable proportions. To be fair, both nations are at fault. Beyond boasting a government ripe with human rights abuses, Iran’s support of various militia groups has contributed to regional instability and made it a key player in Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, arguably as Israel’s greatest adversary. In 2020, the U.S. encouraged Iran’s adversarial stance when it assassinated a prominent general responsible for coordinating with Iran’s various proxy militia groups. Since then, it has failed to defuse hostilities between Iran and Israel, which have now climaxed at a time when a multi-front, regional war appears likelier than ever. By unequivocally backing Israel, the U.S. distances itself further from Iran, making a diplomatic solution to the conflict almost impossible. By repeatedly failing to deter Israel from striking Iran itself, the U.S. has allowed the two bitter rivals to place themselves on a collision course. No matter how much the Biden administration bargains for a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, Iran will continue to subvert their proposals by supplying funds and weaponry to its proxy militias, to keep threatening Israel and ensuring it sees no reason to halt its ruthless conquest of Gaza and Lebanon. This feedback loop, which has escalated the situation to its present magnitude, shows no signs of running its course anytime soon. Foreign policy decisions in Ukraine have procured similarly disastrous results with Russia. The Biden administration’s loose restrictions on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have resulted in Ukrainian forces striking increasingly deeper into Russian territory, crossing a boundary that was previously unthinkable. Similar to how Biden has attempted to restrain Netanyahu, Zelenksyy has taken advantage of the U.S.’ loose conditions on its military aid packages to do whatever it

years of austerity and near-constant administrative upheaval — to support these students in their educational journeys. Making U-M Flint into a public good also means cultivating a more democratic workplace. While organizing our union, our colleagues regularly noted that they perceived a steady decline in a once robust democratic culture that previously defined our campus and the University as a whole. Supporting greater administrative transparency, protecting academic freedom and increasing the quality of shared governance at the University are therefore among our top priorities as we prepare for further bargaining. Indeed, part of recognizing our value is heeding our voices as we work collaboratively to make our campus a space that serves our students and community. The public good mission described above is best served when our universities are bastions of democratic practice, thereby supporting the broader democratic fabric of our society.

Our commitment to a democratic workplace is a value we share with our union siblings across the University’s three campuses and Michigan Medicine. As

we organized, we learned much from our fellow union workers and reaffirmed our understanding that demonstrating solidarity with each other is vital to the collective success of both the labor movement and the University.

Indeed, three unions in Michigan Medicine — United Michigan Medicine Allied Professionals, United Physician Assistants of Michigan Medicine and SEIU Healthcare Michigan — are all currently involved in contract negotiations with the University. University Staff United, which represents U-M staff who carry out the essential work that allows our three campuses to thrive, is currently working towards recognition. We support these unions not solely because we are part of a shared labor movement, but also because we know that — for our university to achieve its highest ideals as a public good — everyone’s labor must be valued, everyone’s value must be recognized and everyone’s voice must be heard.

In short, conceiving of our university as a public good trains our attention on how we value the contributions of all of those who work across the University. We advocate for this approach be-

cause we know that a more democratic university is one that is sustainable far into the future — a precious resource for which we are all responsible and in which we all have a stake. Our campaign insists on investments in compensation and improved working conditions for our members. But beyond these fundamental issues, we want to be valued and for our students and community to be supported by a public institution. Leadership at the University has sometimes conceived of the U-M Flint and U-M Dearborn campuses as marginal to the University’s success. We ask the administration to reflect on what it would mean to consider our campus as central to what the University does best and to view our work as emblematic of public education’s unique promise. If we embrace higher education as a public good, the U-M Flint campus emerges as a vital part of that mission, reflecting a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact on our state and its people. In order to do this, however, the institution must value our labor, recognize our value and listen to our voices. We will be working tirelessly over the next few months to ensure that it does.

This November, your hometown election will remake America

ALVAREZ

MATEO

Opinion Columnist

Evelyn Mousigian/DAILY

sees as militarily advantageous for the country, embroiling Ukraine and Russia deeper into a war of attrition. Incursions into Kursk and strikes all the way into Moscow further escalate the war, making a peace treaty even more elusive. To make matters worse, according to the U.S. Department of State, the reward of such strikes heavily outweighs the risk of further inflaming the nation with the world’s largest nuclear arsenal. Beyond Russia and Iran, our deteriorating relationship with China may be the most consequential. China is a global economic powerhouse, far outweighing the scale of Russia or Iran. Complicating matters, China also holds a significant portion of the U.S.’ national debt, and the debts of many other countries around the world. Along with its souring relationship with the United States, China is increasingly refusing to forgive its loans to smaller nations. Even in the face of ramping tariffs, our trade deficit with China continues to increase. Apart from economic concerns, the U.S. military is spread increasingly thin due to expanding commitments in the Middle East, lowering its capacity to restrict the Chinese military’s sphere of influence around the world. Despite these concerning developments, the Biden administration has grown more distant with China, ramping up Trump-era tariffs and attempting to restrict China’s access to the United States as a whole on the basis of security concerns. While these concerns are genuine, our increasingly adversarial relationship with China threatens to bloom into a new cold war. By diplomatically distancing itself from Russia, China and Iran, Biden has opened the window for our three greatest adversaries to forge greater ties among themselves. This further polarizes the global diplomatic landscape — akin to the Cold War era landscape when Biden entered politics. Bridging the diplomatic gap is even hard-

In less than a month, voters across the country will make their voices heard as Vice President Kamala Harris faces former President Donald Trump in the race for the presidency. This election season has been highly tense, and many have meticulously followed the state of the race. However, along with the presidential election, there will be thousands of other small battles being fought at the ballot box across all 50 states this November. Everything from minor legislative tweaks to generational regulatory statutes will be voted on as the nation discusses a path forward. This November, voters will decide much more than who ends up at the Oval Office, and as the country continues down an unprecedented path of political turmoil, it has become more important than ever for Americans to focus on every race on the ballot.

Eight states have been dominating conversations about the presidential election. Arizona, located along the Sun Belt, and the statesmaking up the Rust Belt — Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin — have historically had the largest impact on the results in November.

Being situated in the Rust Belt means that Michigan has consistently topped the list as one of the key toss-up states. As such, voting in Michigan might be more impactful, given that polling has indicated such a tight race in the state. Furthermore, the state’s accessible voter registration laws, as well as the resources provided by the University of Michi-

gan, make it easier for outof-state students to cast their ballots in the Wolverine State.

The University has had a high student turnout rate in recent years. In the 2022 midterms, more than 52% of students cast a ballot. This is way more than the 30% turnout seen at other national institutions. Furthermore, 2021 was the first year that out-of-state U-M students outnumbered their in-state counterparts. Michigan’s importance in the national race has made voting in the state more appealing. However, its significance on the federal ballot doesn’t always mean that voting in Michigan will be the best option for everyone. In many cases, proposals and policies in your home state could impact you or your family, and it is important to know what new policies matter most to you in order to make the most out of your vote.

In California for example, Proposition 36 will seek to raise the statewide penalty for theft and drug possession, reversing a previous proposition voted on in 2014. In New York, Proposal 1 seeks to make rhetorical changes in the state’s constitution in order to protect marginalized groups from discrimination on the basis of race, identity or sexuality. The proposal also works to codify state-level protections for abortion, which have been jeopardized by the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Propositions in Ann Arbor are, of course, still consequential. For example, Proposal C will seek to restructure the city’s election process by eliminating primaries and making candidacy more accessible for

nonpartisan candidates to participate in local elections. Even though these aforementioned policies are only being directly disputed at the hyperlocal level, they still have national implications. Both presidential candidates have frequently addressed local issues in their individual campaigns, giving them priority in their agenda and speeches. There isn’t necessarily a division between a local referendum and the presidential election; the two work in tandem.

All of this goes to show how many of the issues relevant to us are being deliberated and discussed at every level of the democratic process, from local elections to presidential races. Problems that are important to voters are being discussed in state legislatures, and many state-level proposals could still find ways to impact you or your family in the state, even as you attend the University of Michigan. As Nov. 5 inches closer and closer, voting in federal races can seem like the foremost way to make an impact. As the U.S. continues down a path of political turmoil, it reaches an ideological crossroads with two different visions of the country’s future competing for the population’s support. These two visions are being implemented in many places far beyond the executive office, and it is important to recognize the ways in which voters can see the change they want for the country. Local races work to determine the course of the country just as much as the federal ticket, and we should all take this into account as we decide where we’ll cast our ballot this November.

MAXIMILIAN SCHENKE Opinion

self to play hockey with Brett and his friends. His parents, Tara and Lee, never needed to push him to work harder, because he did that for himself.

on every roster he is a part of. Throughout that process, Ethan has learned the importance of patience in bettering his game.

ward when necessary.

When he was 2 years old, Ethan Edwards was dragged to rinks around Northern Alberta, Canada to watch his brother, Brett, learn to play hockey. Wide eyed at the whole spectacle, Ethan yearned for the day he could finally lace up his own skates and get on the ice himself.

He just needed to be patient and wait his turn.

However, as a kid with a competitive drive, Ethan was far from patient. His brother was four years older than him, but that didn’t matter. He just wanted to keep up and challenge him-

“When he would come to the rink and watch me play and be surrounded by that atmosphere, he wanted to do the same,” Brett told The Michigan Daily. “ … Just being around it, being around the older group of guys really pushed him to compete at that level and try to get better.”

Patience was something Ethan had to learn along the way. But now, in his senior year at Michigan, he doesn’t have to wait patiently anymore. His hockey career has been defined by his goal to become one of the best

Growing up with Brett, Ethan quickly became comfortable on the ice, eventually taking his talents to AAA hockey with the St. Albert Sabres. There was one major setback in his game, especially as a defenseman — his size, or lack thereof. Just 5 feet tall and less than 100 pounds at 13 years old, Ethan was undersized and often overlooked.

He didn’t start out as a go-to player for St. Alberts, but his versatility quickly made him one. He overcame his size deficit and learned how to be an asset all over the ice, even playing for-

“He was very, very small for his age,” Jason Nicholetts, Ethan’s AAA Bantam coach, told The Daily. “ … But he never played small. He was always an elite brain, very strong skater, and very tenacious for a small player. … He was just hunting pucks and was so tenacious and lifted the team when we needed at times. So he was kind of our spark plug.”

For Ethan, his innate competitiveness made it important to become the best in each league before moving onto the next one. However, that required taking time with each team and being patient while his game progressed. Following his time in AAA, he played for Northern Alberta Xtreme Prep for two seasons, fine-tuning his skills and developing as an on-ice leader.

When his teammates chose to follow up their U-18 years by playing junior hockey, Ethan chose not to. This isn’t to say he wasn’t interested in going to juniors, or that teams weren’t interested in him — they were. But Ethan was still undersized, and Tara often got comments from WHL scouts that she needed to feed him more.

He was ultimately drafted by the Portland Winterhawks in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, but after long consideration with his family and coaching staff, he decided to continue his development at home with the Spruce Grove Saints in the AJHL. Ethan knew he could better himself while patiently working hard in Alberta, and juniors would still be there when he was ready.

“As hockey players, we always want to chase the highest level,” Matt Tassone, Ethan’s Xtreme Prep coach, told The Daily. “ … Sometimes you really have to take a step back and really think that it is a marathon, it’s not a sprint. Too many people that try to sprint to where they want to go in this game tend to burn out and tend to just rush and make mistakes along the way. … That’s what Eddy was smart about.”

With Spruce Grove, Ethan got the rare chance to live at home with his family and graduate with his friends from high

school. Following his time with the Saints, his patience came to fruition as he was drafted in the fourth round of the NHL Draft to the New Jersey Devils, and when he was 18, Ethan uprooted his life for the first time. He moved to Iowa to play for the Sioux City Musketeers in the USHL.

Ethan soon learned with Sioux City that he wasn’t a starter, and he would have to earn his playing time. On all of his previous teams, he may have been overlooked and had to work harder because of his size, but he never needed to fight for playing time.

The Musketeers were a whole new beast, and the defensive coach at Sioux City didn’t let Ethan get off easy.

“He went through trials and tribulations during his time in Sioux City with playing time,” Lisa Hall, Ethan’s billet mom, told The Daily. “Normally, the kids that are brought to those teams are used to being number one players on the teams they’re coming from. … So they battle a lot for time. So there were conversations that (his billet dad) Ron had with him on controlling what he can control and being patient with the process.”

With Ron guiding him further in the virtue of patience and trust in the process, Ethan put in the work and increased his playing time. Sioux City had a more defensive style of play, but this allowed him to work on his role as a two-way defenseman and run the Musketeers’ power play.

By the end of the season, Ethan tallied the most points among defensemen and the fourth-most points on the entire team. And by going to Iowa and living away from home for a year before college, he was more prepared for the life of college hockey in America.

Every school Ethan visited, he left feeling like it was the one. From Ohio State to Boston University, each visit somehow got better. He even spent over $200 on Terriers merchandise after his Boston visit. But once he was in Michigan, he realized he maybe should’ve saved that merchandise money.

Toured around campus by future teammates Nick Blan-

kenburg and Jimmy Lambert, Ethan fell in love with the university and team atmosphere. He was also coming in after a powerhouse class filled with first round draft picks — Owen Power, Matty Beniers and Kent Johnson, to name a few — and that was exactly why he chose to become a Wolverine.

“We thought, ‘Holy man, that is going to be one hell of a lineup to crack,’ ” Lee told The Daily. “But that was part of the reason he picked it, too. He said, ‘You want to be the best, you have to play with the best.’ … He definitely had to work his butt off to make that squad.”

Sioux City taught him how to fight for ice time. Even though he was prepared for that, it still stung to be a healthy scratch in many early games. However, his patience and drive to better himself allowed him to play in a defensive pairing with the player who toured him around campus four years earlier: Nick Blankenburg.

Ethan knew he would get the chance to play, he just had to work hard in practice, show up in big moments and wait until his talent was recognized — as frustrating as that was for him.

But nothing was as frustrating as what was to come.

Ethan suffered an ankle injury early in his sophomore season, missing out on a month of play. And while that might have seemed bad at the time, things took a turn for the worse, as a shoulder injury and surgery prior to his junior year kept him out of competition for the entire first half of the season.

For someone who has yearned for the ice since he was 2 years old, being told he couldn’t lace up his skates and get back out there was a harsh reality. He endured months of rehab and recovery before he could even wear skates and a non-contact jersey, and months more until he could play in his first real game. Watching from the stands as his teammates donned the block ‘M’ was extremely difficult for him. He wanted to continue his growth on the ice, but he simply couldn’t.

Garrett Schifsky’s hat trick leads Michigan to commanding 4-1 victory against Arizona State

TEMPE, Ariz. — As the lamp lit up for the No. 10 Michigan hockey team for the fourth time Friday, the puck laid alone in an empty net. But on the other side of the ice, sophomore forward Garrett Schifsky raised his gloves in the air — he’d just put the nail in Arizona State’s coffin while notching his first career hat trick.

Led by Schifsky, the Wolverines (2-1) were a step ahead of the Sun Devils (1-2), finding passing lanes and open shots throughout the ice in a 4-1 victory. Schifsky’s positioning set Michigan up for success, as he kept Arizona State’s defensemen on their heels.

“(Schifsky) buried his chances,” Wolverines coach Brandon Naurato said. “Like I said, he’s so predictable on what he does. He’s always (playing) hard. He’s always in his spots. And he’s a guy that you love to play with, because you know exactly what he’s going to do.”

As the puck dropped, the Sun Devils came out blazing and kept Michigan on its heels. Though Arizona State’s pressure afforded it numerous opportune chances, Wolverines graduate goaltender Logan Stein turned the Sun Devils away at every moment.

While Stein’s rock-solid play kept the game even early, Michi-

ICE HOCKEY

gan needed to break out of its own defensive zone to take the weight off its back. And when the Wolverines did, they capitalized. Junior forward Josh Eernisse found Schifsky in front of the net, who pocketed his first goal of the game between the post and Arizona State goaltender Gibson Homer’s blocker.

“We knew that they were going to collapse down low,” Schifsky said. “So beating them in the high spots, (they’re) going to be open. Just being in the middle of the ice too, that’s where we’re going to score.”

Though he was adept at finding an advantageous position in the offensive zone, Schifsky also created offense early in the second period while short-handed. After a turnover at the blue line by the Sun Devils, Schifsky and junior forward Jackson Hallum blazed out of Michigan’s defensive zone with an odd-man rush. As Hallum decelerated as he approached the net, he found Schifsky on the opposite side of the crease, who shot a one-timer by Homer while careening into the boards. On the board for his second goal of the game, Schifsky’s chemistry with Hallum paid dividends, handing the Wolverines a 2-0 lead. Just a few minutes later, freshman forward Michael Hage added a goal of his own to extend the lead to three. Behind with a period to play,

Arizona State sped up its pace of play, but wasn’t able to control the puck. With the lead solidly in hand, Michigan was more than happy to slow the game down and control possession. Though the Sun Devils led the third period in shots, they failed to generate meaningful opportunities due to their own errors.

Though the game was out of reach, Arizona State forward Ty Jackson responded with a goal of its own in the third period. But Schifsky got that goal back late, firing the puck down the length of the ice into the net devoid of its netminder. Not only did this goal clinch Schifsky’s hat trick, it was his second while short-handed.

“It’s just a huge momentum (booster) for us,” Stein said about Schifsky’s hat trick. “When our penalty kill can get those kills plus those goals, it really sucks the life out of the other team. So it’s something we’ve got to keep doing. Credit to (Schifsky). I mean, he had a great game tonight, and it’s something I’m sure he wants to keep building on with his hot start.”

Supported by strong play from Stein and the defensemen, it was the Schifsky show inside Mullett Arena Friday. Spurring his team on with stellar awareness and positioning, Schifsky powered the Wolverines to victory, leaving the Sun Devils in the dust behind.

Hayden Evans and Michigan’s defense secure 1-0 victory over Notre Dame

STEPHANIE CORREDOR For The Daily

Coming into Tuesday night’s contest with Notre Dame, Michigan had two unfortunate distinctions it was looking to change. The Wolverines were seeking their first road win of the season and first win over the Fighting Irish since 2019.

On Tuesday, the Michigan men’s soccer team (6-1-4 overall) defeated Notre Dame (5-3-3 overall). Thanks to relentless goalkeeping and defensive prowess, the Wolverines withstood the fight and earned their win. With a total of eight saves, Michigan senior goalkeeper Hayden Evans and the defensive line in front of him secured the 1-0 win over the Irish.

From the moment the game began, it was a defensive battle, as neither team could find the back of the net in the final third. Just seven minutes into the first half, graduate forward Beto Soto released two shots that were easily squashed by the Irish defense and goalkeeper. On the other end, Evans was continuously backed against a wall, managing several high-press situations and most notably saving a shot headed to the near post in the 13th minute.

In the first half, Evans stopped three shots to keep the half scoreless and ensure the Wolverine’s energy did not falter. While there were glimpses of solid possession

for both teams throughout the half, the ball never seemed to remain with the same team for too long.

“When your goalkeeper is having such a positive evening on the field, you don’t want to let him down,” Michigan coach Chaka Daley said. “There is a pep in everyone’s steps to protect the ball.”

Following a standstill first half, it was only a matter of time before one team would make its first defining move. And, the Wolverines made sure they were that team. After 47 minutes of intense back-and-forth play, Soto broke through the last lines of Notre Dame’s defense. He forcibly dribbled the ball down the left sideline, providing fifth-year midfielder Bryce Blevins the opportunity to deliver the decisive blow. Despite deflecting off a Notre Dame defender, Blevins’ shot made its way into the back of the net, giving the Wolverines a moment of relief.

But this moment of peace didn’t last long.

This once standstill game completely flipped as both teams brought on the pressure. Although the Irish were down 1-0, they began an intense attack to find their equalizer. But that equalizer never came for Notre Dame despite seven shots and several corner kicks. Evans was relentless in goal, stopping four of those attempts. As the clock wound down, Michigan maintained its composure, regained possession and sealed the 1-0 victory that kept Michigan on top.

“A win like this is an important one, especially against a team like this,” Daley said. “Now, it’s time to get back to business.”

In this fierce battle, Michigan not only survived the might of the Irish but proved they do in fact have what it takes to emerge victorious – largely due to Evans and the defense.

Mackenzie Mielke: Michigan needs to define its new brand of hockey

In recent history, the Michigan hockey team has become notable for the stars it has brought in. The Wolverines have lost big names each year to professional hockey, but they’ve found a solution each of the last three seasons to earn a trip to the Frozen Four.

But for this year’s roster, it’s going to take more than just one player to fill the gap. It’s going to take a new identity — and a new definition of Michigan hockey.

Wolverines coach Brandon Naurato has leaned on the reliability of star players since his assistant coaching days. From Owen Power to Adam Fantilli, these players made their mark in Ann Arbor before continuing their dominance to the NHL. Just last season, Naurato and Michigan had to say their goodbyes as five of their starting players left their eligibility behind to pursue the league.

This season, freshman forward Michael Hage stands alone as the only first-round draftee on the roster. While Hage’s notoriety is a welcome presence for the Wolverines, he hasn’t had the game time to be considered a star. That absence of a star alone is a new feeling Michigan has to embrace. With a heavy freshman class moving into Yost Ice Arena, Naurato turned to the transfer portal

knowing he needed veteran players to balance the lines out.

He started with graduate goaltender Logan Stein, the first player to join the Wolverines in the offseason. His four years in collegiate hockey for Ferris State offer support and guidance in the cage for Michigan. And while freshman Cameron Korpi might see the ice soon too, the decision for starting netminder has yet to be made, and might not firmly be for a while.

Another noticeable gap to be filled was up top with some of the Wolverines leading scorers leaving. Players already in the program need to develop to be ready to start, but this can’t solve all the problems. And for that Naruato looked for the experience his roster craved.

Coming from Wisconsin, sophomore forward William Whitelaw knows the level of play expected from him in the combative Big Ten conference. Naurato also grabbed an additional transfer from Arizona State with graduate defenseman Tim Lovell. Being a Hobey Baker Award nominee in his senior season sets an expectation in the locker room. While Michigan doesn’t currently have one specific name to bring in the recognition, Lovell knows what a player needs to do to make it to that level.

With a variety of transfers, freshmen and the returners from the Wolverine squad, it’s a brand new team entering the season. But the expectations of Michigan hockey remains — it wants to win.

Lack

alty, allowing Arizona State to come back and force overtime.

Yet, if the Wolverines want to land another trip to the Frozen Four, they need to realize they can’t be limited to one player. There’s no star in the locker room waiting to come out and save the day, and that alone should redefine Michigan’s style of play. Only a combination of the returners and the transfers can equate to the level of stability that a big player usually provides. And with Naurato pulling the schedule strings, he didn’t hold back from putting challenges in the Wolverines path.

With early trips to Boston University and Western Michigan, all players will be expected to perform immediately when given the opportunity. The Michigan freshman will be getting early tastes of high-level competition that normally the Wolverines face a little farther down the road — a perfect scenario to define a growing team.

“We’ve got a lot of crazy competition,” Naurato said Sept. 24. “Lines will probably be juggled a lot more early, and then we’ll kind of see where the chemistry is.”

This level of pressure can turn some into diamonds and others into dust, but at the end of the day, it’s not just one person who needs to step up. The Wolverines need collective team power to make up for a lack of a star.

To build that foundation, Michigan must rely on its returning players. With no single name to call on in time of need, the veteran Wolverines have to step up collectively and early.

Two returners who could lead that charge are junior forward

T.J. Hughes and sophomore forward Garrett Schifsky. Both flew slightly under the radar last year, but still rallied in crucial times for Michigan. Their performances in the intense moment showed the possible glimpses of stability that the Wolverines can rely on. With Naurato looking for dominance up top, Schifsky and Hughes already know what’s needed of them to step up — they’ve done it before. For Michigan, the beginning of the season will be a system of trial and error as Naruato figures out the lines. With players like Schifsky and Hughes working together, and routinely rising to the occasion in the past, that can bring out the best in the team.

“I just keep going back to Michigan State and North Dakota last year, basically two one seeds,” Naurato said. “Our guys didn’t flinch and we ended up winning. It could have went either way, but they found a way in the end based on the schedule we had in the Big Ten last year.”

For the veteran Michigan players to meet these projections, they are going to be forced out of their comfort zone. From switching to their off-side to rotating lines in search for the chemistry the Wolverines need, its versatility and adaptability will continuously be tried. Michigan can’t solely rely on stardom any longer, and for this season to be successful, all players

have to accept challenges ahead. While experienced players are expected to rise to the occasion, it can’t be done with just them. The seven freshmen donning the Wolverines’ sweater for the first time are anticipated to have a quick turnaround. Even with Hage being a big name in the class, college hockey is a new beast that each of the freshmen will have to tame. This Michigan roster is full of players waiting for their opportunity. In the current program, Naurato is orchestrating different levels of experience and players to create a new brand of Wolverine hockey.

TEMPE, Ariz. — The importance of discipline down the stretch is often forgotten when nearing a commanding victory and a weekend sweep.

As the regulation time clock wound down and the No. 10 Michigan hockey team was looking down the barrel of an overtime caused by its mistakeriddled final frame — it faced the reality that its discipline was the reason. In a back-and-forth battle between the Wolverines (1-21) and Arizona State (2-1-1), the win wasn’t going to come easy for either team. But with a lack of discipline in a crucial moment, Michigan committed a late pen-

Despite taking a two-goal lead, Michigan settled for a 3-3 tie that ended in a shootout in the Sun Devils’ favor While the shootout doesn’t mean anything in the records and the game counts as a tie, the sentiment remains — had the Wolverines kept their discipline in check, they likely would’ve won the game.

“I just think it’s not good enough,” graduate forward Philippe Lapointe said. “Great teams find a way to close games. Four minutes left, had a power play, take a penalty, and then they go down, score. … Great teams find a way to shut that down, and we just have to find a way to come out with that win.”

From the draw, Arizona State

was hungry for a goal, putting a spotlight on the Michigan defensemen. While the first frame ended scoreless, junior defenseman Tyler Duke delivered some big hits and stymied the Sun Devils’ chances before they could reach freshman goaltender Cameron Korpi.

Driven by his success in the first period, Duke was ready to make a big move in the second. With a long-range pass from sophomore forward William Whitelaw to graduate defenseman Tim Lovell on the blue line, Lovell sent the puck to an unmarked Duke, who skated to the point and scored a slap-shot goal. However, the Sun Devils didn’t let that lead last for long.

After a delayed penalty on senior defenseman Ethan Edwards, Arizona State forward Noah Beck

shot the puck in the slot, where it ricocheted off the right pipe and into the goal, tying the game at one. Nearly halfway through the third period, Lapointe scored at the net front, giving the Wolverines the leverage they needed. Quickly after, freshman forward Michael Hage followed suit with a goal off of a turnover. While these moments were the original highlight of the period and Michigan was planning to skate away with a win, its discipline started to crack when it mattered most, and the final four minutes decided the Wolverines’ fate. Michigan was riding the high of Hage’s goal when Sun Devils forward Ty Jackson received a cross-checking penalty, sending Michigan onto the power play. Despite having the man advan-

tage, senior forward Mark Estapa made a crucial error, taking an offensive penalty for interference.

“You can’t have those hiccups late in the game,” graduate defenseman Jacob Truscott said. “I think we had a couple hiccups that cost us. … We got away from it at the end there.”

Playing 4-on-4, the Wolverines won the initial faceoff but iced the puck. Quickly after, Michigan cleared the puck off of another faceoff. However, the Wolverines on the bench were leaning over and the puck hit one of them, forcing another faceoff in the defensive zone. With one minute left, the Sun Devils capitalized, making it 3-2.

The Wolverines just needed to hang onto their lead for one minute. But with 46 seconds left, Arizona State forward Cullen Porter

sealed the deal. With an empty net man advantage, Porter, unmarked by any Wolverines, sent a slapshot from the point, getting the puck past Korpi and forcing overtime.

“The little details matter,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato said. “And discipline matters. Can’t take penalties in the offensive zone, not being ready on the bench and a puck hitting you versus being cleared is the difference in potentially winning or losing a game, potentially making the tournament or not.” Neither team was able to capitalize on their chances in overtime, marking the game as a tie in the national rankings. When the Sun Devils won the shootout, it only added salt in the wound for the Wolverines — lack of discipline when it mattered most had already cost them the game.

ANNA MILLER Daily Sports Writer

Jenna Hickey/DAILY

Lila Turner/ DAILY

MIDSEASON TEST

| SPORTSWEDNESDAY

SportsWednesday: Illinois is a measuring stick, and that reflects poorly on Michigan

in the first half of the season, but they’re still just the fifth highestranked opponent on Michigan’s schedule.

At the start of the season, when talking about the No. 24 Michigan football team’s brutal schedule, no one was referring to now-No. 22 Illinois.

Rather, most were referring to three games: Texas, Oregon and Ohio State. Even if the Wolverines played those three teams and

Yet the Wolverines have put themselves into a position where a game that should have been a reprieve is now another test added to a growing list. This Saturday’s contest will serve as a midseason measuring stick for Michigan, but only because the Wolverines failed to measure up in recent weeks.

weeks to prepare. Illinois, meanwhile, just needed overtime to barely eke past a Purdue team without a win over an FBS opponent. Those narratives seemingly wouldn’t make Saturday’s game feel like a key test for Michigan at this point in the season, but it is.

“We know it’s gonna be a tough battle down there,” Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore said Monday. “It’s a physical team that (Illini coach Bret Bielema) does a great job coaching.”

ule, he ranks fifth in total QBR, behind Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Ohio State’s Will Howard and even Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke.

And as Michigan continues to face talented quarterbacks — like Altmyer — that test its defense, the Wolverines’ own quarterback situation looks worse in contrast. Now on their third starting quarterback, they’re yet to figure anything out at the position. Maybe graduate Jack Tuttle will finally

itself up a bit better for the home stretch. But it matters less whether the Wolverines actually pass the test, and more the fact that it’s even a test in the first place.

Even if Michigan wins, its ceiling still looks like 8-4 with the Ducks and the Buckeyes looming. Not terrible, but nowhere near the Wolverines’ preseason goals. If Michigan loses, a 6-6 finish seems overwhelmingly likely, as beating the Hoosiers on the road won’t be any easier.

ule at the start of the season, Oregon and Ohio State should have been the key second-half tests for the Wolverines. Now, both games are very probable losses, likely with Michigan as touchdown underdogs or more. And instead of the top-five teams on the Wolverines’ schedule serving as those key measuring sticks, Illinois is taking that position this week. No matter what the outcome of the game is, that’s not good for

NOAH KINGSLEY Managing Sports Editor

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