THE STUDENT PUBLICATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-DEARBORN Editor-in-Chief: Kyla Bazzy | umd.mj.editorinchief@gmail.com Vol. XLIX, No. 14 @MichiganJournal | michiganjournal.org January 28, 2020
NBA Legend Kobe Bryant dead at 41
Photo//Facts Chronicle
By RAYVON DELMONTA Copy Editor @rayvondelmonta
The city of Los Angeles and the entire world mourns the tragic and sudden loss of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, 41, who died in a helicopter crash Sunday morning in Calabasas, CA. Investigations are underway as authorities work to determine the cause of the fatal accident. Among those aboard were Kobe’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant, Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri, and their daughter Alyssa. Gianna’s teammate Payton Chester, 13, her mother, Sarah Chester, and basketball coach Chrsitina Mauser were also onboard. Officials report there were no survivors. Ara Zobayan, 50, has been identified as the pilot flying the S-76 helicopter. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records show that Zobayan obtained his commercial pilot certificate in 2007. Online documents indicate that “Zobayan was an instrument-rated pilot, meaning that he was qualified to fly in fog conditions.” The crew was reportedly headed to Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy, where Gianna and teammates were set to play in the Mamba Cup Series. Bryant co-founded the academy for professional and amateur athletes in 2018. After 20 years of an illustrious NBA career, Kobe Bryant retired in 2016. He decided to focus on coaching his daughter’s basketball team as his way of giving back to the game. A few weeks ago, Bryant appeared on the “All the Smoke” podcast hosted by Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson where he spoke about post-retirement life. “Coaching the kids is fun,” Bryant said. “It kind of came out of nowhere because my daughter [Gianna] just decided to play about two-and-a-half years ago. [When I] started coaching her a little bit and she made the local All-Star team- that’s where we met the rest of the girls that are now on the team. They all enjoyed playing so much, it just kind of grew into what it is now.” Outside of coaching, Bryant didn’t appear to be retired one bit. In fact, his already tremendous work ethic only amplified off the court. Nicknamed the “Black Mamba,” Bryant is revered globally for his “Mamba Mentality.” It wasn’t just about basketball. It was a mindset required in order to achieve excellence in life and inspire others along the way. He did exactly that in 2018 when he broke new ground winning an Oscar Award for his animated short film, “Dear Basketball.” Bryant operated a multimedia production company called Granity Studios where he produced podcasts, short films and children’s novels. In a 2017 sit down interview alongside rapper Kendrick Lamar, Bryant revealed the impetus behind his motivation. He said: “If basketball is the best thing I’ve done in my life, then I’ve failed. It’s a very simple mission, very simple quest, very simple goal. These next 20 years need to be better than the previous 20. It’s as simple as that, and that is what drives me.” Thousands of fans gathered outside the Staples Center to pay tribute, while celebrity friends and millions of others weighed in via social media. Among those included Lakers legend Jerry West, who traded for Bryant in the 1996 NBA draft. He says he looked at Bryant as a son. Magic Johnson reacted via Twitter saying: “My friend, a legend, husband, father, son, brother, Oscar winner and greatest Laker of all-time is gone. It’s hard to accept. Kobe was a leader of our game, a mentor to both male and female players.” Dwyane Wade called the news “one of the saddest days in my lifetime” via Instagram. UMDearborn alumna Raiven McDaniel said she heard the news while visiting a friend. “By him being an icon in our culture, it hits home,” McDaniel said. Southfield Christian assistant basketball coach Earl Swift said as it felt like “the world stopped” when he heard the news. “He was one of the reasons I picked up a ball in the first place,” Swift said. “He was a real life superhero and superheroes not supposed to die.” He said his favorite quote from Kobe is, “I want to be the best, simple and plain.” As of Jan. 27, a petition has been started to ensure the NBA retires both #8 and #24, the jersey numbers that Bryant wore in his career. Honoring Bryant’s legacy would mean no other players would ever be allowed to wear those numbers. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has already retired the number for future use with his team. In less than a month into the new year, the NBA community has been rocked with the untimely deaths of former NBA commissioner David Stern, 70, and now Kobe Bryant. In 20 seasons, Kobe Bryant’s career achievements include being a 5x NBA champion, 2x Finals MVP, 2008 MVP winner, 2x Olympic Gold Medal Winner, 18x All-Star, scoring 81 points in a game and 60 points in his final game. He now sits in fourth place on the all-time scoring list. LeBron James passed Bryant for third place on the all-time scoring list just one day before Bryant’s passing. Sentimentally, James surpassed the mark in Bryant’s hometown of Philadelphia against the 76ers. Bryant made sure to send his congratulations to James in his last tweet ever, saying, “Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother #33644.” The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will fully induct Kobe Bryant as part of its 2020 class in August, according to Shams Charania of the Athletic. Bryant’s legacy cannot be summarized by his statistical outputs on the court or even his career milestones. His legacy will be the feeling and the ‘Mamba Mentality’ that he instilled in all those who were inspired by him. Bryant entered the NBA as a 17-year-old kid straight out of Lower Merion High School. As a true warrior, he has fought hard to overcome rape allegations and a negative reputation as a selfish teammate. In his retirement, he appeared to be happier than ever while spending more time with his wife and four daughters. Mamba Mentality means never giving up in the pursuit of excellence, no matter what arises. Thank you Kobe Bryant for inspiring us all. Mamba Forever.
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Kobe Bryant gave the world so much, but had so much more to give By ZIAD BUCHH Former Editor-in-Chief @zabuchh
As a die-hard Pistons fan growing up, I can count on one hand how many games I rooted for Kobe Bryant to win. In my world, the Black Mamba was the ultimate villain. Yet yesterday, as the news broke, I found myself numb, teary-eyed and hooked to a Twitter feed that only served to remind me that I lived in a world without Kobe Bryant in it. I don’t need to remind anyone the impact Kobe had on the game of basketball. He was much more than just his five NBA championships, two finals MVP awards or 17 All-Star appearances. Kobe Bryant was a cultural force. He could be found on the bedroom walls of millions of children across America. He was the proclamation of anyone shooting a turn-around jumper or a paper ball into a garbage can. He was the feeling of acing a test, finally landing that dream job or waking up a couple hours early to get started on your work because whatever goal you were chasing, you wanted it that badly. For a generation that never watched the 90’s Bulls, he was Mike. This loss doesn’t bite because we lost Kobe the ball player. We lost that Kobe in 2016, when he dazzled the world one last time with a 60 point performance that reminded us why he captured our imagination in the first place. That loss, while sad, was softened by the fact that, as a basketball player, he had given us all he had. But Kobe the man had so much more to give. In retirement, the player who had been maligned in his early career as selfish, a “ballhog,” became a statesman of the game like very few have been able to do. Kobe remained connected to the game and the young players who idolized him, encouraging and challenging them to achieve their potential. Players across all levels of the game, from bonafide veterans such as Demar Derozan and Kyrie Irving, to young budding stars such as Trae Young and Luka Doncic attested to his mentorship. The morning of his death, he had texted Shaquille O’Neal’s son Shareef, to make sure he was okay. Perhaps his most important mentee was his daughter, Gianna. Kobe often said that 13-year-old aspiring WNBA player Gianna had been the one who rekindled his love for the game. He often boasted videos of his daughter’s exploits on social media and nicknamed her “Baby Mamba.” A week before his death, he was seen courtside at a Nets game alongside Gianna, breaking down the game for her. On January 26th, as Kobe’s helicopter went down, Gianna was among the nine on board. Kobe’s final tweet is perhaps the most emblematic of the man he had become. The day before his passing, Lebron James had passed him for third on the all-time NBA scorers list. A few hours later, Kobe, the ultimate competitor, tweeted and congratulated him for “moving the game forward.” It’s fitting that our final glimpses of Kobe weren’t of him decimating defenses or celebrating accolades, but rather of him mentoring, parenting and being the finest exemplar of sportsmanship. And that’s the Kobe I want to keep with me, and the Kobe I want to become. Make no mistake, every ball of paper shot into a trash can will still be preceded with “Kobe!” But every long night spent working, and selfless moment dedicated to family and loved ones will have a little Mamba in it too.
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NEWS
Editor: Kinsey Burnett | umd.mj.news@gmail.com 2 @MichiganJournal | michiganjournal.org | Vol. XLIX, No. 14
January 28, 2020
Multiple deaths from new coronavirus spread panic By ZEENA WHAYEB Staff Writer
China has recently implemented travel bans and issued lockdowns for millions of people after a newfound virus from the coronavirus family continues to expand its deadly reach out from the country to neighboring Asian countries, Europe, Australia, and the U.S. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the first cases of this pneumonia-like disease were found on December 31. A day later, the Hua Nan Seafood Market in Wuhan—the capital of Central China’s Hubei province—was suspected to be where the viral disease was likely passed from animal to human. The market has been closed since then, and the city has been quarantined. This outbreak, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), marks the third in the last 20 years “that a member of the large family of coronaviruses (CoVs) has jumped from animals to humans.” The newly identified disease, now being temporarily called the 2019nCoV, is one of seven known coronaviruses— a family of viruses that cause infections in the respiratory system. These infections can range from the common cold to pneumonia. The Pharmaceutical Technology reports that on January 6, “initial investigations into the outbreak ruled out bird flu, seasonal flu, SARS [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus] and MERS [Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus].” It was then that health officials realized this virus has never been seen before. In mid-January, there were over 830 confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV and 26 deaths, according to The Washington Post. The virus has already spread to Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, United States, and recently, Australia and France. How this particular virus is easily being transmitted is not yet clear. However, the CDC states that
Missile strike in Iraq on U.S. embassy By KINSEY BURNETT News Editor @kinseyburn
On Sunday, Jan. 26, three missiles were fired at the United States Embassy compound in Baghdad, Iraq. According to multiple news outlets, one person was severely wounded in the attack. According to CNN, there have been several incidents in recent weeks involving rockets in Baghdad’s Green Zone, where many western embassies are located, including the United States embassy. The “Green Zone” in Baghdad was created by the U.S. after the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and was meant to designate a peaceful area. Tensions in Iraq have been rising, specifically with the death of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. This is particularly due to the fact that pressure between the U.S. and Iran have been heightened and war could be on the horizon. So far, the countries have been instigating each other with cold war tactics. Here is a brief record of US-Iran relations in the last few years according to the BBC; In May 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump quit the nuclear deal and began imposing economic sanctions on Iran, threatening to do the same to other countries who trade with Iran. Iran’s economy has fallen drastically. Several oil tankers were hit with explosives in the Gulf of Oman in May, and the U.S. has blamed Iran. Iranian forces shot down a U.S. military drone in June, and Iran slowly began to back out of the commitments made in the nuclear arrangement in July. The assassination of Iranian’s top military commander, general Qasem Soleimani on Jan. 3, 2020 was what seems to be a tipping point for Iran. Now most of the tactics are playing out in the middle of Iraq, which is a major problem for its citizens. The Baghdad Green Zone now means nothing, and the fighting will continue to play out in Iraq. On Jan. 7, 2020, Iran fired ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. A Ukranian plane that took off from Tehran was shot down on Jan. 11, landing in Iraq. Iranian officials claimed that they are responsible for the incident and that it was an accident.
coronaviruses are generally transmitted from an infected person to others by air, physical contact, touching an object or surface with the virus on it and then touching one’s face, and fecal contamination. The symptoms are also still being investigated: for most people who are infected, the symptoms include a fever, cough, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. While for others, the symptoms proved to be far more deadly, especially to people with weakened immune systems. On January 22, officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) met in Geneva, Switzerland to discuss whether to declare the coronavirus a global health emergency but postponed the decision. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated, “Make no mistake, this is an emergency in China, but it is not yet a global health emergency.” The committee members believed it is simply too early to declare the virus a global issue. Nevertheless, the director made it known that WHO is “completely committed to ending this outbreak as soon as possible. And I will not hesitate to reconvene the committee at a moment’s notice,” assuring a close watch on the fast-spreading virus. The scientists at NIH are currently working on a vaccine to combat 2019-nCoV, and last Wednesday, said that human trials for the potential vaccine could hopefully begin in about three months. In the meantime, China has expanded travel restrictions as millions went home on January 25 for China’s most joyous holiday—Chinese New Year—increasing the risk for the spread of the virus. Despite the day’s usual celebrations, this year’s biggest events have been canceled, and face masks in China are selling out. Chris Buckley from The New York Times reported, “The emergence of the mysterious coronavirus could hardly come at a worse time for China, turning its biggest holiday into
Passengers wearing face masks wait in a train station in Hong Kong. Photo//Kin Cheung, BusinessInsider a time of deepening fear, restrictions and frustration.” In China’s seventh biggest city, home to the coronavirus, the celebratory festivities have turned somber when 15 people died on January 24—swelling the death toll from 26 to 41. Over a hundred new cases of the coronavirus have also been found. In the U.S., two patients have been confirmed and dozens more are being closely monitored for symptoms. While investigations are still ongoing, the U.S., followed by other countries, have put measures in place to combat the spread of 2019-nCoV, which includes health screenings at major airports for people travelling from Wuhan. In addition, many health officials have emphasized points to follow to prevent further transmission of the disease: Dr. Todd Ellerin, director of infectious diseases at South Shore Hospital, posted
47th annual March for Life in D.C. By KINSEY BURNETT News Editor @kinseyburn
The 47th annual March For Life, a pro-life march, returned on Jan. 24, 2020. In Washington D.C. Donald Trump actually gave a speech to the thousands of attendees. He is the first U.S. president to attend the March for Life. Last year the main speaker was political commentator Ben Shapiro, an avid pro-life advocate. Vice President Mike Pence addressed the march over video, stating “I couldn’t be more proud to serve as vice president to the most pro-life president in American history.” Donald Trump stated in his speech that “Every life brings love into this world, every child brings joy to a family, every person is worth protecting.” Thousands of people from across the country went to D.C. on busses to march for the unborn. One student who showed up is Nick Sandmann; The Covington Kid. Last year at the national March for Life, “Covington kid” Nick Sandmann broke news for staring and smiling at a Native American protestor on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Sandmann filed a lawsuit against CNN, The Washington Post, and NBC for defamation involving media coverage over the video footage of the incident. This January, CNN settled on the lawsuit. The final amount has not been disclosed. A year later, Sandman returned to the March for Life in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 25, 2020.
Photo//CNN
Picture and Tweet posted by @N1ckSandmann
in Harvard Health Publishing that “basic infectious disease principles are key to curbing the spread of this virus. Wash your hands regularly. Cover coughs and sneezes with your inner elbow. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with your hands. Stay home from work or school if you have a fever. Stay away from people who have signs of a respiratory tract infection, such as a runny nose, coughing, and sneezing,” Dr. Ellerin also mentioned, “In the U.S., the average person is at extremely low risk of catching this novel coronavirus… We should not panic, even though we are dealing with a serious and novel pathogen. Public health teams are assembling.” With the virality of 2019-nCoV, the CDC, NIH, and WHO are combining their efforts to find the antiviral drug as fast as possible.
Memes of the week:
STUDENT LIFE
Editor: Jasmine Sizemore | umd.mj.studentlife@gmail.com 3 @MichiganJournal | michiganjournal.org | Vol. XLIX No. 14
January 28, 2020
27th Annual MLK Day of Service takes place at UM-Dearborn
Photo//University of Michigan-Dearborn
By JASMINE SIZEMORE Student Life Editor @jazzmomoney
On January 20, 2020, students, faculty and staff participated in University of MichiganDearborn’s 27th annual MLK Day of Service. This day consists of on and off campus opportunities for people to sign up and participate in activities that will benefit others within the event or people and animals who are in need of care. The three on campus opportunities that were presented in an email by Patricia Schlaff, the special events manager, included Knitting and Crocheting, Polar fleece
Photo//University of Michigan-Dearborn blankets, and pet blankets for The Friends of Animals of Metro Detroit. Leah Higgins, the Opinions Editor for Michigan Journal, was one of the many volunteers that participated in this event. Leah stated that she has participated for the last three years. “Everyone from my sorority gets together and signs up for volunteering opportunities together so we can spend the day helping those in need. What I like most about MLK Day of Service is that it is such a simple way to give back and help out the community. Everything that MLK stood for is shown in the Day of Service and it’s really cool to know that I helped do something for someone else, no matter how big or small
Photo//University of Michigan-Dearborn
the commitment is.” The annual MLK Day of Service consists of speakers that are from UM-Dearborn and from Henry Ford College. The dean for the College of Education, Health and Human Services, Ann Lampkin-Williams helps to put the event together. People who have volunteered then proceed to their designated spots for their service, which takes place in Dearborn and Detroit. According to Leah, sign ups for this day/event start in November, but points out that there are always opportunities to serve the community and many people are welcomed. When asked how she felt the people being served were benefiting from this event, Leah
Photo//University of Michigan-Dearborn stated, “I think those being served get help in ways that are a little hard to describe a blanket term for. As an example, some people travel to Gleaners food bank and they help package and clean food for those in need. So in that way, the people being served are ensured good, clean food that they may not have access to otherwise.” This event is only one of the many opportunities that UM-Dearborn provides for the community to particpate in service events. Most opportunities can be found on VictorsLink. Any further questions about this event for the future can be asked to Patricia Schlaff.
‘Halal Metropolis’ College Textbook Exhibition Hacks showcased at Stamelos Gallery By FRANZ KNIGHT Photo Editor
By KRISTIN ORR Arts and Entertainment Editor @dullgirlkrist
The Stamelos Gallery Center held their opening reception for Osman Khan, Razi Jafri, and Sally Howell’s exhibition “Halal Metropolis” this past week. “Halal Metropolis” is a travelling series of exhibitions showcasing Muslim visibilty, and for the Stamelos Gallery installation, it’ll be geared towards Muslim visibility in the Metro Detroit area. The exhibition includes pieces by artist Osman Khan, photographer Razi Jafri, and historian Sally Howell. The trio are also hosting the exhibit in Ann Arbor and Mount Clemens. They also plan on doing a series of lectures engaging diverse audiences. “Halal Metropolis” will be showcased at the Stamelos Gallery Center now until April 3. There are also four remaining lectures at the Stamelos Gallery Center from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m: “Culinary Pioneers” on Feb. 6, “Fashion Influencers” on Feb. 20, “Dearborn Foodies” on March 12, and “Innovating the Halal Holiday” on March 26.
Photo//Kinsey Burnett
You’ve signed up for classes, bought some notebooks, pens, and other supplies to make sure you’re prepared. You’re already likely not excited about the ridiculous tuition bill that you owe soon, and the next semester is almost here. And then you get the syllabus before the break is even over. What next? More money needs to be spent. Textbooks. The final beatdown on a wallet that’s already taken a pounding from the tuition, those new tires due to Michigan roads, or the ridiculous cost of ever rising utility and phone bills. How can an institution expect you to pay, after already having spent thousands, hundreds more to just be able to properly access the class that you’ve already paid for? It seems asinine to many, especially those who have to pay $200+ per book because there’s a special edition that’s required. But fear not, there are some ways you might be able to save yourself some cash, or even make it back! Some of the basic options that everyone knows about include the following: Buy a used copy Buy an older edition (Check with your instructor first) Rent instead of buying Buy and resell at the end of semester. Search for a PDF version available online, or purchase a digital copy. There are several ways to save even further while following these options!
Use coupon codes. Add-ons like Honey provide discount codes that others may have found, and randomly tries all available codes to save you money, and often, you may save a small percentage! You can also just google coupons and a lot of websites exist literally just to share coupon codes. Use a payback service or get gift card bonuses. Ebates, and similar services give you cash back for using their links to purchase, and Ebates is a partner with Amazon, one of the most commonly used websites for purchasing books. If you can’t find cheaper deals, at least you can earn cash rewards. Websites like Amazon allow you to purchase gift cards or load them online. Often, you can load $100, and get a free $10! That’s $10 towards books, impulse purchases, anything! Go to the Library. Often, school libraries will have a few copies of every textbook available, but hurry, as it’s almost always gone before the first week of class! Don’t buy it. Talk to your instructor. Often times, professors make their own slides and presentations based on the book to use for lecture, and reading those with some light online research may be enough to slide through. You may not need the book for as much as you thought, so you could potentially take pictures of it from a friend.
OPINIONS
Editor: Leah Higgins | umd.mj.opinions@gmail.com 4 @MichiganJournal | michiganjournal.org | Vol. XLIX, No. 14
January 28, 2020
Should the Mardigian Library close its doors to non-students? By NATHAN LAWRENCE Staff Writer
It has come up more than once over the years. Wayne State and other surrounding college (or high school) students will come and invade the second floor of the library on campus several times a semester. They are loud and generally make everyone upset. And here’s why: 1. They take up our already crowded parking situation. I understand that a lot of students from other colleges probably have friends here on campus - that’s absolutely fine. Just don’t take OUR parking spots. As most of you know, half of our biggest parking lot is closed due to the ELB construction. So a good 100-200ish people cannot get a parking spot when they need it. It’s obvious where our visitors should have to go: the third floor of the parking structure - that happens to be the designated visitor parking on campus. Still, Campus Safety isn’t exactly cracking down on these students stealing our parking spots since they have
hundreds of other cars to be protecting in the meantime. 2. Spoiler Alert: They’re loud. Sure, I understand that the second floor of the Library is the student collab floor where it’s okay to talk at a normal leveled voice, like an inside voice. Often times, these people take up space that is needed for groups to meet up and go over things, or to continue working on projects. If our visitors are there to study or collab with a student on campus, that should be fine. But don’t come on campus expecting a party. Many people go to the library to STUDY. If you’re being really loud on the second floor, the noise will distract people on the first floor. You’ll also push a lot of students to go on the upper floors, which are meant for the more serious studiers. Group projects can’t be completed the third and fourth floors - where you can get removed for being loud. 3. Often times, it’s not just college students. I understand that high school students from surrounding high schools will also invade our library, sometimes at the same time as the
other college students, making it even louder than it already is. I understand that the library is technically a public library, but tons of students that actually go to UM-D don’t like that this is happening. While I’m all for high school students getting a slice of life from college students, they certainly can do this without taking our parking spaces. SUGGESTIONS: Access to the upper floors requires students to use their student ID. Some areas on campus already use a scanning technique to track how many students use certain facilities. Would it be hard to put a station on the second floor requiring you to simply scan your M-Card and then go about your business? It would open a new job or two for the library, and keep our unwanted visitors out of the library’s second floor. But what about the parking situation? Well, that’s up to Campus Safety to take care of. They are already doing a fantastic job of keeping our campus safe from thieves and other issues. But, I suggest that Campus Safe-
ty could add a section on their website to report the students that are invading our parking spaces. They already have a ticket submission for lost and found items, so what’s so hard about adding something like this to keep our campus both safer and more efficient for the students paying for it? We each are required to have a sticker in our window to indicate that we are current students, but as I said, Campus Safety doesn’t have time to go through every car and make sure that a little sticker is in the window of every car. Still, I think it would help out a little. What do you think UM-D could do to crack down on non-current students in the library?
Power over history By ZEENA WHAYEB Staff Writer
On January 17, Joe Heim, reporter for The Washington Post, reported that National Archives’ officials blurred images from the 2017 Women’s March targeting Trump to “avoid political controversy.” Mr. Heim details in his Twitter account how this discovery was due to chance — he happened to notice a display of the Women’s March at the Archives with some of the signs blurred. The National Archives is the U.S. government’s recording of important happenings in American history. The fact that some of the signs at a major event in history were blurred because they were critical of Donald Trump was a frightening discovery to many, including myself. History should never be altered to please our current political climate, yet it is oftentimes, unfortunately, subjected to it. Many like to believe that history is an objective concept. However, it is objective until it is told. Its fragility results in dents from those who hold it; this National Archives’ alteration best exemplified how even a photograph’s full context can be broken to display only what is pleasing to those who are in control. Erasing criticism
of Trump is the same as subjecting history to a political side, altering the context of the photograph to suppress some of the voices in the largest single-day protest in American history. The alteration was obviously a form of political censorship to manipulate the perceptions of those who see the displays, but many people are reluctant to use the word “censorship,” which is often found in the guides of running a dictatorship. Expression is an essential form of democracy, and the discovery of censorship to such an extensive degree is like a glitch in the matrix — a crack in our illusion that we live in a society that values the complete “truth.” Moreover, the fact that this was discovered due to chance, and the National Archives only apologized and admitted to their “mistake” after the outrage shows the importance of oversight in how history is told. It was quite hypocritical of the National Archives, the organization in charge of recording history, to attempt to erase and manipulate it as they pleased. However, this incident certainly confirms the power politics holds, and that unlike in a dictatorship, politics’ only weakness is the collective outrage of its subordinates.
Here’s why everyone should celebrate the Chinese New Year By MUSTAFA AL-ASADI Staff Writer
Nihao! (Hello in Chinese) The Chinese New Year --globally known as the Lunar New Year -- is happening in East Asia. It’s a great idea to embrace a global mindset where people acknowledge and celebrate each other’s customs. So let’s start with China. The Chinese have their own lunisolar calendar to determine the exact date of the Lunar New Year. Each year in the Lunar New Year or Chinese zodiac corresponds with twelve animals: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. This year is the “Year of the Rat,” which began on Saturday, January 25 and lasting for 15 days. Since the lunisolar has 12 cycles, the zodiac goes through a full revolution every 12 years. During the celebration, fireworks and festivities are a major part of the spectacle. It is also traditional for people to clean their homes for every family member, to sweep away illfortune and to make way for good luck. After the 15 days, another festival called the “Lantern Festival” takes place. Lanterns are put up for decorations and fly up or even let loose in the river. The Chinese culture strongly emphasizes the importance of family and values. It is not
Year of the rat sign // www. amazon. com/2020Year-Rat-Diary-Chinese/
The unaltered photo of the Women’s March in January 2017 that displays anti-Trump signs. Photo//Mario Tama
easily, which is a bad omen. There’s also a service that’s recently been going in China. If you’re single during Chinese New Year, you can “rent” a boyfriend/girlfriend.
The popular dish in China - Nian gao // chinesenewyear.net/food Spring rolls - typically served as a side dish // chinesenewyear.net/food Spring rolls - typically served as a side dish During the first day of Chinese New Year, Spring rolls are eaten. During the Jin Dynasty (approximately 264-400), when the Chinese New Year (back then it was known as - Spring Festival) was held, emperors would award officials with Spring rolls.
uncommon for Grandparents to live with their children, even after marriage. Festivals are an essential aspect in Chinese culture because they serve to bring families together in celebrating tradition. The Chinese New Year was originally was meant for prayer to the harvest gods. A red envelope in the Chinese New Year Festival symbolizes wishing good luck. The color red Dumplings - A favorite dish throughout is everywhere during the Festival. In addition, China // chinesenewyear.net/food anything that deals with garbage is forbidThere’s also well-known dish - Dumplings den. Doing laundry is not allowed during the 15 days. If you were going to gift a pear or a are also served to send away the old and welmirror, it is considered taboo. In China, ‘pears’ come the new. In certain regions of China, the are the same as ‘parting’ and mirrors since it is daughter-in-law is required to make a dumpling in order to be part of the family. believed that it attracts evil ghosts and breaks
For desert, Nian gao or rice cakes, is served during Chinese New Year. It was used to be part of an offering to the Gods and the ancestors. Nian gao was popular during the Wei and Jin Dynasty. The Lunar New Year is a good reminder that if you have a friend or if you live in an area that’s different than yours, then perhaps it is time for some cultural exploration. It’s time that we open our doors to new things and new situations. Whether it be a movie about a foreign country or reading interesting facts about an unfamiliar place, hopefully it results in planning a trip to go visit that country. You won’t come back the same, but that might just be a great thing.
A&E
Editor: Kristin Orr | umd.mj.artsandentertainment@gmail.com 5 @MichiganJournal | michiganjournal.org | Vol. XLIX, No. 14
Recap of the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards
Photo// Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images By KRISTIN ORR Arts & Entertainment Editor @instagramhandle
terday” with Boyz II Men after delivering an emotional monologue.
Sunday night the 62nd Grammy Awards were hosted at the Staples Center in LA. While music’s biggest stars gathered inside for the awards, fans of Kobe Bryant gathered outside mourning.
“Right now, Kobe and his daughter Gianna, and all of those that have been tragically lost today are in our spirit,” said Keys. “They’re in our hearts. They’re in our prayers. They’re in this building and I would like to ask everybody to take a moment and just hold them inside of you.”
Prior to the awards, the death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant shocked the nation. Bryant died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas with his 13-year-old daughter and a reported seven others. As stars took the stage, many of them paid tribute to Kobe Bryant with emotional performances. The night started with Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter and host Alicia Keys singing “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yes-
The Grammys had several emotional moments, including the return of Demi Lovato since her overdose last July. DJ Khaled, John Legend, Meek Mill, YG, Roddy Rich, and Kirk Franklin gave a tear jerking tribute for rapper Nipsey Hussle who was tragically killed last year in March. At the end of the performance the audience applauded as the images of both Nipsey and Kobe projected on the screen.
January 28, 2020
Photo// Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Photo// Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Top winners Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Lil Nas X, and Tyler, The Creator also took to the stage with amazing performances.
for “Old Town Road.” He also gave a stellar performance of the song, bringing out Billy Ray Cyrus, Diplo, Mason Ramsey, Nas, and K-Pop boy band BTS.
18-year-old Billie Eilish made history as the first woman and second artist to win the top 4 awards. She won Best New Artist, Song of the Year for “Bad Guy,” Record of the Year for “Bad Guy,” and Album of the Year for “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” She also received a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album, earning 5 Grammy awards total. Lizzo took home 3 awards for Best Pop Solo Performance for “Truth Hurts,” Best Urban Contemporary Album for “Cuz I Love You,” and Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Jerome.”
Tyler, The Creator won his first Grammy for Best Rap Album for his fifth studio album “IGOR.” Tyler gave a fantastic performance of songs “EARFQUAKE” and “NEW MAGIC WAND” with Charlie Wilson and Boyz II Men singing backup vocals for both. While it was exciting to see musicians take home awards, it was hard for everyone to hold back emotions after hearing of the death of a beloved NBA legend. It was definitely a somber evening for music’s biggest night.
Lil Nas X won 2 awards for Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Review: ‘1917’ on several stories that Mendes’ grandfather told him, who was a WW1 veteran. So while the story might be accurate in its historical descriptions, it isn’t based on something that actually occurred. “1917” includes universal themes like friendship, loyalty and perseverance. Schoefielf and Blake share a few moments where they question why Blake had chosen Schoefield as his partner. An incident happened in a German barracks and instead of running to save his own life, Blake saved Schoefield. Perseverance is seen throughout the whole film. At any point, the soldiers could’ve just turned tail and left, leaving 1,600 troops that they were sent to save.
Photo// Universal Pictures By NATHAN LAWRENCE Staff Writer
War: A terrible battle between two sides in opposition; filled with blood, gore and death. Our recollection about the trenches and graves and memorials from the only two World Wars primarily exists through books, black and white photos and generational tales. Documentaries and films take us beyond the world of our imagination. “1917” is a film successfully written and directed by Sam Mendes. The story follows two Lance Corporals in the British army in the 8th Battalion, Corporals Blake and Schofield. Both are brought to General Erinmore and given a suicide mission. The Germans have pulled out of the “Deadman’s Land” area and are getting ready to set up the British 2nd battalion (the “Devins”). The 2nd battalion was given orders to stop their assault by the next day. Their task was to cross Deadman’s Land and cross into a city on the other side. Blake is deeply invested in the mission due to his brother being in the 2nd battalion. The two soldiers go off and attempt to finish the mission, despite the dangerous
risk. An interesting aspect of the film is that it appears to have been shot in one take. The film is about two hours in length. According to Mendes, he wants people to watch the film for what it is as opposed to watching for cuts. Among the few A-list actors, Benedict Cumberbatch makes a brief appearance in the film. In total, his screen time was 4 ½ minutes, with him appearing closer to the end (spoiler alert).
In one scene, a group of trucks attempting to get through a road were blocked by the Huns (former name for German army) had cut down trees on the side of the road to block them. After a group of soldiers moved the tree, the tree mysteriously disappeared when the shot changes (one of the few cuts). This was one of the few unexplained mishaps Mendes made the entire film.
Photo// Universal Pictures my Awards, including: Best Motion Picture of the Year, Directing, Original Screenplay, and Achievement in Cinematography. “1917” has won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture and Director. It was also nominated for Best Original Soundtrack. All in all, this is an intense, historically accurate film that everyone should watch. 10/10 rating.
So far, the ratings have been massively positive across the board. IMDB has a rating of 8.6. Rotten Tomatoes has given the movie an 89% fresh rating. “1917” has been nominated for 10 Acade-
The cinematography was excellent, especially because there was great attention to detail. At times, it was almost too accurate. But that was the closest thing to reality during WW1. All the bodies, explosions and action are definitely appreciated along with all the gruesome visuals. Since most of the scenes appear to be done in one shot, there is almost never a “look away” moment. The whole two hours of the film are intense, as it left me on the edge of my seat while gripping my attention. Never a dull moment throughout the entire film. One thing to note is that while it retells events of WW1, the movie is actually based
Photo// Universal Pictures
A&E
Editor: Kristin Orr | umd.mj.artsandentertainment@gmail.com 6 @MichiganJournal | michiganjournal.org | Vol. XLIX, No. 14
Blatant Racism in the Music Industry
By FRANZ KNIGHT Photo Editor @captainfranz
Ghostwriting. What are the names that first come to mind? No doubt Drake, and his feuds and publicity after being ‘exposed’ for having ghost-writers come to mind. But did you think of: Britney Spears, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Kelly Clarkson, Elton John, Taylor Swift, among many others? Why is it that when it comes to ghostwriting, hip hop and rap artists get the majority of the hate?
others seem to tell a story about how they are ‘better’ than the ‘others.’ Essentially involving something along the lines of “I got money, I got women, I got (insert expensive things accessible only to the wealthy and bourgeois).” And that’s okay. People are quick to dismiss these songs and claim that “rap is dying”, or that it’s sad what state hip-hop has come to today. Enter Drake. One of the few artists who holds immense dominance in the music industry as a whole and happens to be a storyteller. He’s been compared to Biggie, Tupac, and has also been named the best hip-hop artist alive
today by some. He’s equally well known for recent feuds regarding having used the help of a ‘ghostwriter.’ Taylor Swift owns similar notoriety when it comes to the pop and country music industries, however, she’s never faced such criticism. Even one of the greatest jazz musicians and singers of all time, Frank Sinatra, or proclaimed king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley, has used ghost writers, and they’re never criticized. While everyone who is engaged with hiphop and rap would appreciate the songs by Drake that were ghostwritten, he is impaled on
Looking back at the origins of rap, it was all storytelling. Artists and groups like the Sugar Hill Gang, Grandmaster Flash, Tupac, Rakim, and Notorious B.I.G. all told stories. The stories were about the hood, their struggle, and the life they faced. Since this was still fairly new and fresh, the story could be told often, in multiple ways, and a lot of different styles.
January 28, 2020
a figurative record cross for having accepted help. He decided that he needed to brainstorm, get creative inputs and help from other artists, and got help writing a song, however, everyone is ready to sentence him of a musical crime. Since when did it become unacceptable to collaborate? Eminem nearly maintains all of his relevance by featuring other popular artists in his music. Ed Sheeran receives praise for himself being a ghostwriter! It’s easy to see that it’s not about the purity of music, the originality of the lyrics, or even the captivating beat that many care about. Why is a hip-hop and rap artist the only one to face staunch criticism, simply for working together with other artists to create his art? I think you know the answer.
Flash forward a few decades, and that story has evolved, and has been told in hundreds of thousands of different ways. The story has been told of the plight, the struggle, the journey to better times, and in many ways poetic, and in activist tones. However, that story has been told so often, and has been lyrically dissected and synonymously re-told, that it’s extremely difficult to re-write in different ways. As such, we have fewer storytelling rap artists. Only a few seem to carry on the style of old, in the sense of using rap as a platform for activism and awareness campaigns. Many
Photo// Getty Images
Review: ‘Parasite’ out the movie I was confused, laughing, and on the edge of my seat as I watched what became an innocent action turn into something more unexpected.
Novi Home Show brings renovation ideas to homeowners
Besides the actors giving great performances in the film, I think that the production crew also did a phenomenal job. Production designer Ha-jun Lee made sure that the environment and the buildings told a story. Costume designer Se-yeon Choi demonstrated that you can tell a story with subtle things, like the clothes you wear. Cinematographer Kyungpyo Hong made sure that the shots and angles were set up to give the characters and settings were the main spotlight.
Photo// CJ Entertainment By MUSTAFA AL-ASADI Staff Writer @mwofasa
“Parasite” is a very complex movie, from beginning to end. It’s a film that is definitely worth repeating because it’ll keep you on your toes and make you think. My overall rating of the film is a 5 out of 5. I was caught off guard at first with it being a foreign film and questioning it’s premise, but that question didn’t matter by the end of the film.
The film has 6 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Director. It has also received widespread critical acclaim, earning an 8.6/10 on IMDb, 96% on Metacritic, and a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. I highly recommend seeing “Parasite.” The film is still available in select theaters nationwide.
By KYLA BAZZY Editor-in-Chief @kylajustineb
The Novi Home Show took over the Suburban Collection Showplace this past weekend, bringing home renovation and improvement ideas to homeowners and contractors in Novi, MI.
Vendors included jacuzzi and spa companies, kitchen and bath design companies and flooring companies, among many others. The show’s website said that it aimed to “help you save money, time, and stress on all types of home projects, big or small.” Laurie Smith of TLC’s “Trading Spaces” was featured as a guest speaker at the event. Some vendors offered special pricing to those who attended the showplace, offering good deals and one-time offers for homeowners interested in their services.
Directed by Korean filmmaker Bong JoonHo, the film was first released last year in South Korea on May 30, and then in the US on Oct. 5.
Most vendors also offered “enter to win” stations where event-goers could sign up to win four-wheelers, home makeovers and even vacations.
“Parasite” is about the Kim family, who are poor and live in a small basement apartment with dreams to become rich someday. When the opportunity to get more money arises, the family devises a plan to pose as the wealthy Park family. The film touches on the idea of socio-economic classes, and how it affects the Kim family. The film meets the criteria of being a good movie with an amazing director, great actors/ actresses, and a terrific screenplay. Through-
Photo// Kyla Bazzy
A “Kid’s Zone” was also offered for the younger attendees, featuring play areas and bounce houses.
Photo// novihomeshows.com
The Suburban Collection Showplace has lots of events scheduled throughout 2020. Check out their website for more information.
SPORTS
Editor: Drew Dykowski | umd.mj.sports@gmail.com 7 @MichiganJournal | michiganjournal.org | Vol. XLIX, No. 14
January 28, 2020
Wolverines end losing-skid, blowout Cornerstone
By RYAN HOULIHAN Staff Writer
The University of Michigan-Dearborn women’s basketball team entered the second half of Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play with two games this week. Both games were important as the Wolverines were middle of the pack in the WHAC standings and had a chance to move closer to the top four teams. Aquinas 60, UM-Dearborn 55 On Wednesday night the Wolverines traveled to Grand Rapids, MI to take on Aquinas College. UM-Dearborn was looking to avenge their earlier season home loss to the Saints 5246 back in November. The Saints (12-8, 8-3 conf) came into Wednesday’s contest on a three-game winning streak, making a run as a contender for the conference crown. The Saints were in control and held a double-digit advantage for most of the contest. The Wolverines were down by 12 at the end of the third quarter, but battled to make a run at the Saints late in the fourth. Down five with under two minutes to play, junior Ro’Zhane Wells came up with a steal and converted a layup inside with contact for an and-one to cut the deficit to 55-53. Junior Cydney Williams had a chance to give UMDearborn the lead, but her three-point attempt drew iron and the Wolverines sent the Saints to the line to stop the clock with under a minute to play. Aquinas’ Camaryia Williams split her two attempts at the line and, with the Saints lead
Junior Mariah Taylor was impressive in both games for the Wolverines. Photo//UM-Dearborn Athletics.
at three, UM-Dearborn was unable to convert two chances to score at the other end. Wells was forced to foul the Saints to stop the clock with 32 seconds left and Marissa Brady knocked down two free throws to push the lead to 58-53. The Saints were shaky on their next few trips to the line, but were able to escape with a 60-55 win. The Wolverines went cold at the worst time, missing four of their last five shot attempts in the last minute. Credit Aquinas’ defense, who currently ranks second in the conference in scoring defense, for holding the Wolverines well below their average of 76 points per game. Wells led the Wolverines with an efficient 16 points on 6-11 shooting to go along with seven assists and two steals. Junior Mariah Taylor and Cydney Williams contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively. The Wolverines
Proudlock shines, but No. 5 Wolverines win one of three
Freshman Brandon Carr-Ansah scored in the first game of the week for UM-Dearborn. Photo//UM-Dearborn Athletics.
By DREW DYKOWSKI Sports Editor @drew4636
The No. 5 UM-Dearborn men’s hockey team concluded a four-game stretch against top-10 teams and then played a two-game series against No. 19 Aquinas over the weekend. The Wolverines played No. 10 Stony Brook University on Monday at the UM-Dearborn Ice Arena to open the week. They were coming off a 4-3 loss to the Sea Wolves on Sunday in the series opener and a series split against No. 8 Indiana Tech last Friday and Saturday. Although they were tired entering their fourth game in four days, the Wolverines came out strong against Stony Brook by scoring two goals in the opening period. The Sea Wolves battled back as they scored a goal in the second and third to tie the game and force overtime. Neither team found an advantage in overtime and the contest ended in a 2-2 tie with the Sea Wolves winning the shootout 2-0. Stony Brook outshot UM-Dearborn 42-29 and would have won the game in regulation had it not been for the heroic efforts of Thomas Proudlock. The senior netminder made 40 saves and kept the Wolverines in the game. Sophomore Sterling Cooper opened the scoring at 10:47 in the first off an assist from junior Billy Brock. Less than eight minutes later, freshman Brandon Carr-Ansah capitalized on a scramble in front of the net to extend the Wolverine lead. Brock and freshman Anthony Davis earned the assists. After the strong start, UM-Dearborn began to tail off and Stony Brook took control. The Sea Wolves outshot the Maize and Blue 34-21 after the first period and kept consistent pressure on Proudlock. Devin Pepe scored late in the second and Michael Conlin scored the game-tying goal midway through the third. In overtime, the teams battled hard and neither was able to earn the game-ending goal. Stony Brook won the shootout to hand the Wolverines their second tie of the season. Following the tie, UM-Dearborn traveled to Grand Rapids, MI on Friday to open a two-game series against Aquinas. Against the No. 19 Saints, the Wolverines rallied from a 2-1 second period deficit to win 4-2. Davis and senior Justin Dunn each recorded two goals to lead the team. Freshman Brendan West
and senior Nic LaBurn each earned two assists, while Proudlock was again spectacular with 38 saves. Dunn got the Wolverines on the board midway through the opening period, but Aquinas controlled most of the frame. The Saints outshot UM-Dearborn 16-6 in the period and found the back of the net when Ryan Wolfe tied the game with less than a minute to go before intermission. Penalties cost both teams in the second period as they combined for five penalties with two being assessed to the Wolverines. The Saints were the first to capitalize as Mike Curran scored a power play goal early in the period after a penalty by senior Kyle Schnettler. Ten seconds after the goal, Aquinas picked up a penalty and Davis scored a minute into the subsequent power play to tie the game. West and LaBurn assisted on the score. Under two minutes later, Davis scored his second goal of the night off of assists by West and Schnettler after another Saints penalty. The score remained 3-2 entering the third period. Dunn scored his second goal of the night at the beginning of the third and the Wolverines had to hold off a strong Saints attack the rest of the way. Aquinas outshot UM-Dearborn 11-8 in the period and 40-23 for the entire game. Fortunately, Proudlock and the defense were able to keep them at bay and earn the victory. The Wolverines then returned to the UM-Dearborn Ice Arena on Saturday looking for the series sweep. After a scoreless opening period, freshman Mikhail Khudenko gave the Wolverines a 1-0 lead in the second. Although UM-Dearborn took the lead into the third period, Aquinas dominated most of the second period and continued in the third. The Saints outshot the Wolverines 55-13 over the final two periods and 68-22 for the game. Despite Proudlock’s Herculean effort of 65 saves, Aquinas scored three goals in the third to win 3-1 and earn the series split. Each team came out hard in the first and did not let the other get any advantage. Aquinas narrowly outshot UM-Dearborn 13-9, but neither team found the back of the net. After Khudenko scored off an assist by junior Silas Johnson, the Saints took control of the game and never looked back. They outshot the Wolverines 34-5 in the period and were aided by four penalties assessed to the Maize and Blue. UM-Dearborn killed off all four power plays and took a 1-0 lead into the final period. In the third, Aquinas remained unrelentless in their pressure and it eventually became too much for Proudlock and the Wolverines backline. Darren Johnson scored a power play goal early to tie the game and Brandon Rozema added another midway through the period to give the Saints the lead. Alex Klekotka scored the final goal of the game with under two minutes remaining to cement their 3-1 victory. The 1-1-1 week moves the Wolverines record to (17-6-2, WHAC 12-3). They will look to return to the win column at the UM-Dearborn Ice Arena on Friday at 7 p.m. against Davenport University.
finished 8-28 (28%) on three-point attempts and 20-56 (35%) overall. Aquinas was led by Brady’s 13 and Daz’Sha Day’s 12 points. The Saints were a force on the boards, out-rebounding the Wolverines 4229. Conference leading rebounder Camaryia Williams did her part with 13 boards from the guard position. Aquinas shot 30% from three, 40% overall, and their bench outscored the Wolverines 17-5. UM-Dearborn 69, Cornerstone 41 The Wolverines returned back home to UMDearborn Fieldhouse on Saturday to take on Cornerstone University. Saturday’s matchup was a good chance for UM-Dearborn to end their current losing streak of three games and complete the season sweep against the Golden Eagles (3-19, 1-12 conf), whom they beat 75-
67 back in early December. The Golden Eagles kept the game close for most of three quarters until the Wolverines closed out the third quarter on a 13-5 to build up a ten point lead. UM-Dearborn started to pull away in dominating fashion with a 15-0 run to begin the fourth quarter and outscored the Golden Eagles 22-4 for the entire frame to complete a 69-41 blowout win. Everyone was able to join in on the fun as five Wolverines finished in double figures. Wells and junior Lauryn Carroll each finished with 11 points, while Cydney Williams chipped in 10 to go along with seven rebounds and five blocks. The Wolverines bench outscored the Golden Eagles 35-14, including ten points from Taylor and senior Sade Lemons. In contrast, the Golden Eagles did not have a single player reach double figures on the afternoon, as Rebekah Crosby led the team in scoring with nine points. Cornerstone only made 13 field goals in the contest. The stat that jumps off the box score is UMDearborn’s 74 shot attempts to Cornerstone’s 46. The team rebounding stats were even at 40 a piece, but it was the 23 turnovers the Wolverines forced that led to the large disparity in field goals attempted. UM-Dearborn was able to convert a solid 20 points off the turnovers. With last week’s split, UM-Dearborn moves to (12-10 overall, WHAC 5-7). The Wolverines are currently tied for six in the WHAC with Rochester, whom they will face off against next Wednesday at 5:30 PM in the UM-Dearborn Fieldhouse.
Houston Astros cheating scandal rocks baseball world
A.J. Hinch, left, and Jeff Luhnow were both stepped down following the MLB’s investigation. Photo//Bob Levey/Getty Images.
The Houston Astros celebrate after winning the 2017 World Series. Photo// Harry How/Getty Images.
By ANDREW HANANIA Staff Writer @andrewhanania
The MLB world has just been hit with a major cheating scandal. Earlier this month, Commissioner Rob Manfred announced severe punishments for the Astros after evidence was found that the team used cameras to cheat during their 2017 championship season. Both the Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch were suspended for the 2020 season and subsequently fired. The team was fined $5 million and stripped of its first and second-round draft picks for 2020 and 2021. Houston used an elaborate system to execute its cheating. They had cameras pointed where the opposing team’s catchers made their hand signals, while team officials watched closely on monitors in the home clubhouse. Then, they would relay this information to the rest of the team. When certain pitches were thrown, the team would bang on a trash can in the dugout to let hitters know what type of pitch was coming. The masterminds behind this scheme were reportedly bench coach Alex Cora and veteran hitter Carlos Beltrán. In addition to the trash can system, reports also indicated a buzzer system the Astros put underneath their jerseys to alert them about what kind of pitch was coming. Another rumor surfaced recently, although it has been disproven, that it is photographic and video evidence that suggests otherwise. Including a video of star José Altuve telling his teammates to not take off his jersey after hitting a walk-off. This scandal is unlike anything ever seen in the history of baseball, and if the buzzers turn out to be true, it will leave an even larger stain on the Houston Astros franchise. Manfred also announced that the league would be investigating the 2018 Boston Red Sox after allegations and evidence of them cheating came to light. Although the accusations are not as egregious as the Houston Astros’, they still used cameras to read opposing team’s signs too. Cora was the manager for the Red Sox during their 2018 championship season. After being the bench coach in Houston, he stepped down from his position with Boston. Cora is considered to be the mastermind behind both cheating scandals and Manfred implied that he would be punished more for his role in the scandals. Beltrán, who was just hired as the new manager for the New York Mets, also played a major role in organizing the system in which the Astros cheated. Since then, he has stepped down from his new role. This is one of the biggest scandals in all of sports history. Many people applauded the league for their punishments, while others said that the league should have stripped the Astros and Red Sox of their titles. Whether or not the MLB chooses to rescind those World Series titles, the 2017 and 2018 seasons will forever be tainted.
RIP Kobe Bryant
Photo// Matt Sayles/Invision/AP
SPORTS
Editor: Drew Dykowski | umd.mj.sports@gmail.com 8 @MichiganJournal | michiganjournal.org | Vol. XLIX, No. 14
January 28, 2020
Wolverines in free-fall as losing streak extends to four
Zavier Simpson’s 18 points were not enough, as Michigan dropped their third straight. Photo//Mike Mulholland/MLive.com
By RYAN HOULIHAN Staff Writer
Fresh off last Friday’s hard-fought 90-83 loss in Iowa City, Iowa, Michigan returned to Ann Arbor for an important two-game home-stand. The Wolverines were 1-3 to start the new year and were sorely missing star junior Isaiah Livers, who had been out since late December with a groin injury. Livers’ absence was felt on both sides of the ball, but especially on offense as Michigan’s three point shooting plummeted to under 25% in January. While Livers’ return to action was imminent but still unknown, the Wolverines had a chance to veer back on track after losing two straight. It started on Wednesday night for the Wolverines (11-6, 2-4 conf) against Pat Chambers’ Nittany Lion ball club (13-5, 3-4 conf). Penn State came into the game following Saturday’s 14-point home win against Ohio State, but were struggling on the road like every other team in the Big Ten this season. The home court advantage did not seem to matter on Wednesday night as Michigan’s shooting struggles continued and the Wolverines trailed for most of the game. Down 62-52 with a little over four minutes left in the game, Michigan clawed back to within five off a Jon Teske jump shot and a three-pointer from senior Zavier Simpson. The next possession down the floor, Simpson gave up a good look to Penn State’s Curtis Jones, who was able to convert a layup off the glass to push the lead back up to seven points. Michigan came back with two great looks on three-point attempts, but both hit iron. Jones secured the defensive rebound off junior Eli Brooks’ second chance
attempt and went coast to coast to convert the layup and drew a foul for an and-one. Jones was able to convert the free-throw attempt to push the Nittany Lion lead back up to ten. It proved to be the final nail in the coffin as Penn State finished with a 72-63 win. The sequence was indicative of how the night went for the Wolverines- whenever they needed to hit a shot or force a stop on defense, they could not execute. What was most frustrating perhaps from Wednesday’s result was that Penn State’s lead hovered around single digits for much of the second half. That left the door open for Michigan, who would’ve had a chance to come back and win the game had they made just a few more shots. Speaking of the poor shooting, Michigan finished the night shooting 5-28 (17%) on three-point field goals and 24-68 (35%) overall. Simpson led Michigan in scoring with 18 points on 8-23 shooting to go along with six rebounds and six assists. Much of the offensive load fell on Simpson, which led him to struggle with turnovers (6) and his shot (2-7 on three pointers). Sophomore Brandon Johns Jr. scored a career-high 14 points filling in for the injured Livers, while Brooks added an inefficient 12 points. In contrast, Penn State shot at a 42% clip from behind the arc, including a 3-4 night for Myeron Jones (16 points) and almost 50% shooting from the field. Future NBA player Lamar Stevens led the Nittany Lions in scoring with 19 points, including 14 in the first half. Curtis Jones took over in the second-half with 16 points and three threes to finish the game with 18 points.
Scores and Upcoming Games Scores January 20th Men’s Ice Hockey- Stony Brook 3 UM-Dearborn 2 (SO) Women’s Ice Hockey- Sault College 6 UM-Dearborn 5 January 22nd Women’s Basketball- Aquinas 60 UM-Dearborn 55 Men’s Basketball- Aquinas 78 UM-Dearborn 67 January 24th Women’s Ice Hockey- UM-Dearborn 12 Concordia 0 Men’s Ice Hockey- UM-Dearborn 4 Aquinas 2 January 25th Women’s Ice Hockey- UM-Dearborn 12 Concordia 1 Women’s Basketball- UM-Dearborn 69 Cornerstone 41 Men’s Basketball- Cornerstone 65 UM-Dearborn 64 Men’s Ice Hockey- Aquinas 3 UM-Dearborn 1
By ANDREW HANANIA Staff Writer @andrewhanania
Coming off their second loss of the season to Sault College, the No. 2 UM-Dearborn women’s hockey team took on Concordia on Friday. UM-Dearborn took control of the game and never looked back, winning by a score of 12-0. Junior forward Claudia Maguire and sophomore forward Brooke Spiegel each notched a hat trick. Freshman forward Kim Primeau scored two goals in the win. Freshman forwards Kaylee Keledjian and Clare Murphy each added a goal as well, while freshman defenseman Alexandria Robinson and freshman Isabella Welke got on the scoreboard as well.
onds left to play. Illinois held for the last shot and put the ball in the hands of their star player Ayo Dosunmu, who knocked down a jumper over Simpson with 0.5 seconds to play and gave the Illini a 64-62 victory. Simpson had to shoulder the load offensively again and led the Wolverines with 17 points on 7-12 shooting to go along with three rebounds and three assists. Teske and Wagner each scored 12, but each did it on just 4-14 shooting from the field and 1-6 on threes. Michigan finished the game shooting at almost 40% overall, but shot a horrid 4-17 on threes (23%) and 12-21 (57%) at the free throw line. Meanwhile, Dosunmu gave NBA scouts plenty of film with his 27 point performance on 11/18 shooting. He was able to score from all areas of the floor and made several tough contested shots. Andres Feliz put up 15 points off the bench, scoring 12 in the second half, but star bigman Kofi Cockburn was held in check with only five points before fouling out late in the game. The Illini finished the game shooting almost 45% overall from the field, and a respectable 36% on threes. Both home losses move Michigan’s record to (11-8 overall, 2-6 conf.), which is good for 12th place in the Big Ten. As far as the NCAA Tournament goes, the Wolverines are on the bubble. This season is close to going off the rails with the uncertainty of Livers’ health going forward and a daunting Big Ten schedule remaining. Fortunately, the Wolverines have a chance to land back on track against a struggling Nebraska squad in Lincoln next Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. on ESPNU.
Softball vs. Roosevelt at NAIA Leadoff SoftUpcoming Games ball Tournament 8:45 p.m. February 1st January 29th Women’s Bowling at WHAC Jamboree No. 4 Women’s Basketball vs. Rochester 5:30 p.m. Men’s Bowling at WHAC Jamboree No. 4 Men’s Basketball vs. Rochester 7:30 p.m. Softball vs. Judson (IL) at NAIA Leadoff January 30th Softball Tournament 9:30 a.m. Softball vs. St. Xavier at NAIA Leadoff Softball Tournament 2:30 Women’s Basketball vs. Lawrence Tech 1:00 p.m. p.m. Softball vs. Olivet Nazarene at NAIA Leadoff Softball Tournament Men’s Basketball vs. Lawrence Tech 3:00 4:45 p.m. p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. Washtenaw CC 7:00 p.m. Softball vs. Goshen at NAIA Leadoff Softball January 31st Tournament 11:45 p.m. Women’s Ice Hockey at Miami-Ohio 11:15 a.m. Softball vs. St. Francis (IN) at NAIA Leadoff Softball Tournament 3:15 p.m. Men’s Ice Hockey vs. Davenport 7:00 p.m.
No. 2 Women’s Hockey keeps rolling
Freshman Kaylee Keledjian led an explosive Wolverine offense against Concordia. Photo//UM-Dearborn Athletics.
Isaiah Livers consoled by teammates after suffering another injury. Photo//Kirthmon M. Dozier/Detroit Free Press
To someone who did not watch the game, the reason for Michigan’s loss could be summed up simply: Penn State hit their shots, Michigan did not. You will not win many conference games, especially in this year’s loaded Big Ten, shooting as poorly as the Wolverines did. Wednesday night’s loss was quickly forgotten as Michigan received confirmation that Livers would return to the court on Saturday morning after missing six games. It was perfect timing for the Wolverines, who were set to take on a very hot 21st ranked Illinois team that was on a five-game winning streak entering Saturday’s contest. Unfortunately, Livers’ return was short-lived as Isaiah came down in pain following a dunk attempt. He left the game not even five minutes into the second half and would not return. At initial glance, he appeared to reaggravate his injury, but multiple team-sources refuted such claims and head coach Juwan Howard listed him as day-today in his post-game press conference. Things then went from bad to worse for the Wolverines. With less than two minutes left in the game, Michigan held a 62-60 lead and senior Austin Davis had the chance to put the game away at the free throw line, but missed the front-end of a one-and-one. Freshman Franz Wagner then missed both of his free throw attempts and Illinois’ Trent Frazier made his pair of free throws at the other end to tie the game at 62 with under a minute to play. The next possession down the floor, Teske missed an easy bucket from in-close with 29 sec-
Goalie Tala Peladeau made eleven saves as her team helped her get her second win of the season. UM-Dearborn improved to (14-2-0) while Concordia remained winless and fell to (012-0). On Saturday, the two teams faced off again. Concordia was hoping this game would end differently and it did in the sense that they lost 12-1 instead of 12-0. Sophomore forward Odisoula Argyris scored three goals to help lift UM-Dearborn to another win. This was her first career hat trick. Spiegel, Keledjian, and Maguire each scored a pair of goals, while Primeau scored a goal as well. Freshman forward Piper Keranen and freshman defenseman Madison Ryszewski each scored their first career goals. Peladeau made sixteen saves in her second straight win. UM-Dearborn outscored Concordia 24-1 in the two games. UM-Dearborn improved to (15-2-0), while Concordia fell to (0-13-0). The Wolverines will next travel to Oxford, Ohio on Friday to take on the University of MiamiOhio at 11:15 a.m.
Wolverines fall to 13-9 after losing a pair
Senior Cody Kegley dribbles around his defender. Photo//UM-Dearborn Athletics.
By CHRIS CHEETAM Staff Writer @chris_cheetam27
The UM-Dearborn men’s basketball team entered the week looking to bounce back from a 65-39 defeat last week against Indiana Tech. Their first contest was on the road against Aquinas University. The Wolverines struggled to score again in the first half, trailing 37-25. They were able to turn around the offense in the second half, but still lost 78-67. Junior Jason Gigliotti led the Maize and Blue with 21 points and 10 boards. He was 9-14 from the floor and chipped in two blocks. Sophomore Elwood Tomlinson added 13 points off the bench, despite shooting 1-7
from beyond the arc. Sophomore Zach Lattimer was the only other Wolverine in double digits with 11 points on 3-8 from three. Aquinas was led by Jesse Hillis with 17 points. Taking on Cornerstone at home in the second game of the week, the Wolverines competed until the last second of the game. They held a 36-32 lead at halftime, but quickly found themselves down by 10 after a three point barrage by Cornerstone. They were able to battle back to within one, but could not hit a game winning layup as they fell 65-64. Junior Mathew Mignault was a red hot 4-6 from three en route to a game leading 16 points. Freshman Damian Forrest and Senior Cody Kegley chipped in a respective 11 and 10 points to round out the double digit scorers. Gigliotti nearly has another double-double with 9 points and 10 rebounds. The Wolverines have now lost five in a row. They have gone through some cold outside shooting halves during this stretch, but have remained in most of these games. They’ll look to end the skid in a home contest against Rochester University at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the UM-Dearborn Fieldhouse.