WSU develops Google Glass app for students See page 6
Research Center will redefine how WSU does research See page 17
NEW Business. Your Technology. SPECIAL EDITION | WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1967 | THESOUTHEND.WAYNE.EDU | DETROIT, MICHIGAN | FREE
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STAFF CONTACT LIST EDITOR-IN-CHIEF TIM CARROLL • TIMOTHY.CARROLL@WAYNE.EDU MANAGING EDITOR DANIEL A. WASHINGTON • WASHINGTONDANIEL22@YAHOO.COM DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR MICHAEL LEWIS II • MICHAELLEWIS1095@GMAIL.COM ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR ALANA WALKER • ALANARENEEWALKER@GMAIL.COM SPORTS EDITOR JORDAN BRAZELL • JBRAZELL.JB@GMAIL.COM FEATURES EDITOR SPENCER GENRICH • SPENCER.GENRICH@WAYNE.EDU COPY EDITOR SUSAN WOODS • SUSANWOODS@WAYNE.EDU
A letter from the Editor-in-Chief TIM CARROLL Editor-in-Chief I used to hate sports, so bear with me for the sports metaphor if you’re not a fan, I understand the pain. I play fantasy football and I just clinched my spot in the playoffs this year after coming in dead last the previous year. My feelings about clinching my spot, and my feelings about The South End are pretty much the same. The South End has made it to the playoffs this year. We’ve been working hard
all season, starting back in April to redefine how you read your campus publication, reminiscent to a coaching change. We’ve been moving towards our online publication, where we post content every day Monday through Friday. We’re getting our content out through our Twitter page, our Instagram and Facebook in new ways. Our Instagram has taken the top spot among other student newspapers in Michigan with nearly 3000 followers. Our Twitter impressions reach 40,000 a month regularly. Our fans aren’t like football fans,
they need some encouragement to read, like and share us. But it’s working. We’re interacting with our readers through these outlets more than we ever have. On to the offense, our content. We’re starting a whole new series of stories that every student can relate to. That’s our new Weekly Wayne Stated series where we take a closer look at why all these students say they’ve been “Wayne Stated.” The new series is being developed by our incoming managing editor Michael Lewis, who speaks more about the project in his own
letter. With sharp, intriguing content, our offense is on point. Finally, we are getting some new players. Our writers are really shining after a semester of experience and our star players are coming up. Some will be moving up to the editorial staff while others are continuing to back us up on the field, sending in excellent stories for you to read. The South End has made it to the playoffs. Now it’s really time for us to shine. We’re a championship team. See you at game time.
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LETTERS TO THE EDITORS
The South End welcomes letters to the editors regarding all inquiries and concerns from the Wayne State community. Please limit letters to 500 words. All submissions are subject to editing and may be published. Please email timothy.carroll@wayne.edu
CORRECTIONS
The South End corrects all factual errors published online or in print. Please email timothy.carroll@wayne.edu
ONLINE POLICY
The South End publishes articles online and in print. Visit our website at thesouthend.wayne. edu. While we support the right to free speech and expression, there are guidelines for morally and socially acceptable content. Comments and feedback deemed offensive are subject to editing or removal.
PUBLICATION
The South End is a daily online publication during the fall and winter semesters by Wayne State students. Copies of the print edition will be available free of charge at various locations throughout campus. The Student Newspaper Publication Board, established by the Wayne State University Board of Governors, acts as the publisher of The South End. The board establishes and ensures compliance with publication, editorial and news reporting guidelines. All complaints, comments and suggestions concerning the student newspaper should be directed to doso@wayne.edu.
PHOTOS BY SARAH RAHAL/THE SOUTH END
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A letter from the Deputy Managing Editor MICHAEL LEWIS II Deputy Managing Editor Watch out Wayne State, The South End is growing stronger and yall ain’t seen nothin yet. We have dedicated our time and resources to cover stories close to our readers. For example, our new Weekly #WayneStated segment came from the feedback of unsatisfied readers. Some felt as if we were not doing our jobs as journalists by not reporting on issues close to the hearts of all Wayne State students. Well, we heard you, and we will continue to listen as long as you hold us accountable. Now we have a means of informing readers of the ongoing issues within the university and tracking the journey to improvement. We are reinventing our mission and focus to be your watch dog on Wayne State issues. Investigative Journalism There are a number of widespread issues that we feel aren’t talked about enough. We are looking into every shady spot Wayne State might overlook. One spot was the wifi that students complain so much about. We were able to present you with an answer to a troubling question and now you can hold those responsible accountable. This story is a prime example of what good in depth journalism can do. We were presented with an issue, we looked into it, then gave our readers a reason and possible solution for the issue. We felt that this was a huge
step in the right direction. Now, we can continue to step away from doing the feel good fluff stories that hold no value to our readers. Now, with consistent writers and a seasoned editorial staff, we can dig deep into the heart of Wayne State University and present our readers with consistent productive content. Now, we can focus on an assortment of other rarely talked about issues. Those issues include the fountains in the middle of Gullen Mall, Wayne State’s food contract with the company Aramark, club funding and more. We’re doing so by building relationships with well-informed members of the Wayne State community. They keep us up to date with what our readers are buzzing about. Think of them as our own personal informants and they take the form of any concerned Wayne State member. The next one could be you. Moving Forward We are excited to be picking up so much momentum as the academic year progresses. We will not be satisfied until we meet all of our reader’s needs, but we can’t do it without your help and involvement. Continue to tell us your concerns as members of the Wayne State family. Also, continue to give us feedback. Keep up with TSE and hold us accountable as your watchdog. Snoop around and tip us off at any time when you find something out of place. We need all hands on deck to hold our University accountable to us as students.
Teachers Wanted for Hazardous Occupation
Talk to us:
AskCOE@wayne.edu
Small wages. Demanding parents Long months of long hours Constant pressure from parents and administrators Safe retirement doubtful.
Satisfaction and good feelings in cases of success
Undergraduate & Graduate Office: 489 Education (313) 577-1601
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Student Center renovation excites students, snubs alumni
PHOTOS BY DANIEL A WASHINGTON & SARAH RAHAL/THE SOUTH END
DANIEL DUMAS Contributing Reporter Wayne State’s new $26.5 million Student Center is expected to include a number of technological upgrades. Andrea Gerber, director of the WSU Student Center, said a substantial amount of the construction budget is dedicated to technology installation efforts. Gerber said she hopes these changes will spark student pride. “I hope students are proud of their student center when it’s finished, it’s been an embarrassment for a long time,” Gerber said. “Our tour guides on campus even sometimes avoid it and we want it to be the ‘wow’ factor that students look at and are proud to bring their friends.” WSU utilizes event management software to control its meeting room scheduling system. Last month Gerber attended the Event Management Software 2014 Conference in Denver, where she tested the latest version of the scheduling software. The new EMS system will be compatible with touch tablets and will eventually provide an online room scheduling service. “The door sign will reveal the name
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of the group reserving it. You can touch it to check in and out of the rooms,” Gerber said. “If you see a room that’s empty and you want to book it, you can do it from the room.” Gerber said other new features including smart tables and monitors will replace the need for projectors. Students will be able to connect their laptops and other devices for planning, presentations and entertainment. Digital and interactive signage will be installed in the Student Center, and will run promotional information on student organizations and events, as well as a building directory to help guide visitors. Student Senator Madhumeeta Sanam, a WSU senior majoring in anthropology, said she believes the new technological advancements in the student center are the end of a long overdue process. “With the new technology-dependent age, our current student center is 20-30 years too old, which is why this new Student Center is exciting,” Sanam said. “It is a definite improvement to the old ways, and I hope it will be utilized well by the student population. The WSU administra-
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tion and Student Senate is working very hard to bring the best possible services and resources to the students and faculty.” But some alumni believe it’s unfair how late these updated services have come. Wayne State alumnus Brandon Thompson graduated in May 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and food science. He said he feels snubbed. “I’m happy for the incoming students and students that are still there. However, I think it’s unfair that students like myself, who spent a lot of tuition dollars, had the terrible student center we had, Thompson said. “I spent five years at WSU and tuition increased every year. There was virtually nothing in the basement (of the Student Center), and it was boring because there wasn’t much to do.” Renovations will include other features like dance studios, stages and student charging stations for electronic devices. The Student Center director hopes these features will cultivate student entertainment and activity within the center. “There’s going to be quiet study spaces in the building and there are
going to be some really loud spaces,” said Gerber. “We are putting a stage in the lower level so students can do performances and open mic nights. We have two new dance studios coming in with a special floor, the auditorium will have a new surround sound system and there’s gaming stations where students can plug in their Xboxes.” Michael Seaton, a WSU sophomore studying electronic art and the vice president of the Midtown Gaming organization, said the addition of a gaming station in the student center would establish a haven for gamers. “I see it as a sanctuary, that’s what it would turn into. This will help us locate people to join our discourse community,” Seaton said. “I envision people looking up at a screen and looking to it for a release, an outlet or get away. Before the construction, the student center was dead, dreary and the colors of the wall would make you want to throw up. It was lifeless.” According to Gerber, the first phase of the student center’s construction is slated to be complete before students come back for winter classes and will be ready for use. The entire project is expected to be completed July 2015.
Technology shapes student’s education now more than ever
SARAH RAHAL/THE SOUTH END
VALON JAKUPI Contributing Writer Turning back the clock 25 years, students would find themselves learning in classrooms without many of the daily fixtures they take for granted, like smartphones and laptops. The onset of these technologies has irreversibly changed the classroom, to be sure, but is it for the better? Kenneth Jackson, associate dean for WSU’s graduate school, noted 70 percent of the change brought on by modern technology has been positive. “[Computers] have allowed me access to my material far more quickly. It’s been very useful in displaying images and videos,” Jackson said. It can be hard to imagine an era when students didn’t have presentation tools like Microsoft PowerPoint, or word processors like Microsoft Word; both are tools, which Jackson has listed among the most valuable for students.
He cautions that technological change is always uneven, a point with which Molly Hilton, anthropology graduate teaching assistant and Ph.D. candidate agrees. “I believe that technology has made the education experience different. I do not believe that it has improved education, and I certainly do not find that it has improved the quality of education for students. In my opinion, advanced technology has adversely affected the quality of education students receive,” Hilton said. Tools such as laptops and smartphones have become popular note-taking tools, though it raises the question of whether these tools are more helpful than they are harmful. Laptops are not pure note-taking tools in the same way as a notebook is. Within a single click, a student can go from taking notes to checking their Facebook page, Twitter feed or email inbox. It’s possible an entire class period can go by where a student keeps entertained, but takes no notes. Clay Shirky, an NYU professor who
studies the effects of Internet technologies, recently banned all smartphones, laptops and electronics from his classroom. In a recent PBS article, he explained his rationale, noting the negative effects multitasking can have on declarative memory and showed that laptops and smartphones are a form of multitasking even when they aren’t fostering distraction. Studies such as “The relationship between multitasking and academic performance” by Reynol Junco and Sheila R. Cotten, have found a strong correlation between students who text or use applications such as Facebook with uniformly lower GPAs. Despite data showing that increasing the amount of technology found within the classroom lowers the quality of education, there has been an undeniable rise in the prevalence of high-tech devices used by universities, which is indicative of a new industry on the rise called Ed Tech.
Ed Tech is a hybridization of Internet and computers within the classroom with the intended goal of facilitated learning, and Jackson said there is increasing pressure on both professors and school administrations to use it. “Ed Tech comes with a marketing push…increasing the amount of technology used within schools can lead to things increased grants,” Jackson said. “People aren’t getting just how much the profit need is driving Ed Tech.” A recent article by Curt Guyette of the Metro Times revealed a scandal where a Detroit Public School implemented a comprehensive online learning program in which they altered the stats in an attempt to cover up worsening test scores across the board. Technology is expanding at an exponential rate. It stands to reason that as a result, the amount of apps that are available to students will increase at an exponential rate, but it remains to be seen just what changes are ahead for the classroom in the next few years.
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WSU gets into Glass with new app for campus navigation
SARAH RAHAL/THE SOUTH END
JASMINE ESPY Contributing Writer The latest Wayne State app Wayne State Campus Explorer was created specifically for Google Glass by Library Systems Dean Sandra Yee. The app aims to help freshman and current students better find buildings on campus. The app includes features run by GPS satellites, which give students the ability to look directly at buildings and get the name, open hours and distance. “The thought is we provide information about each building within the app, either on the (Google) Glass or on the companion Android app,”
Elliot Polak, Assistant Director of Discovery and Innovation at WSU said. The app creators hope that the app is able to work not only outdoors but indoors as well. Students are able to see office numbers, as well as room and computer availability for buildings such as the Undergraduate Library. Polak and his team said they felt they received positive feedback from students when the app was tested Oct. 22. Along with wanting to demonstrate the app, students wanted to know what the app could do for them. “Some were like, I already know Google Glass, but when we asked
them to try this app they said, this is cool man,” said student assistant Vinay Potluri. The app’s developers are also looking to expose students to knowledge on how the app works and how Glass functions for those who may not have the opportunity to buy Google Glass. “I think what was interesting is that people wanted to learn more about the Glass,” Polak said. “I think it would be pretty interesting to not just demo the app, which is awesome, but demo the Glass for a wider audience because students don’t necessarily have access to this, so it gives them a more hands on idea of what’s going on in technologyt.” Even with the positive responses
the app is receiving, Elliot and his team are working to adjust a few features for the new version of Google Glass coming out. The aim is to extend the battery life and to fix the delay between phone footage and what is being showed on Glass. “The Android App is functionally identical to the Glass App,” said Polak. “One of the benefits of building this app was that we did not use any completely Google Glass specific functions, that way we could have a glass app that could be easily translated to mobile phones.” The Wayne State Campus Explorer is now available for download and is also available for Android users.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF WSU LIBRARIES
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Better helmets designed at WSU protect athletes from concussions JORDAN BRAZELL The South End Wayne State played a major role in the design of football helmets that reduce the chance of traumatic brain injuries like concussions. The WSU biomedical engineering program has been studying designs for football helmets that better prevent player concussions in the NFL. “…We started a project with the National Football League to try to predict how much impact would cause a concussion,” said Albert King, a distinguished professor for WSU’s biomedical engineering program. The professor said his biomedical research team’s work with the NFL lasted three years.
King was one of five authors credited in “On the accuracy of the Head Impact Telemetry System (HIT) used in football helmets,” an article published in the Journal of Biomechanics in July 2013. The HIT System is a software system used to help detect concussion type collisions by measuring the degrees of impact between players in game speed. According to the article that King was featured in, the system “has been used in youth and collegiate football since 2003 and over 1.5 million hits have been recorded.” The research was done first using 63 out of 75 qualifying volunteers. Those volunteers wore special helmets that allowed researchers to record the impact locations, like the facemask (top, middle and bottom of the facemask), top, sides and back of the helmet. The results of
their testing were then compared to the results accumulated by the HIT system. “It was a team effort between Duke University, a company in Quebec… and us,” King said of his portion of the research. “We teamed together to reconstruct the concussion impact from the [football] game videos and use our computer model to find out what’s happening to the brain under these impact conditions.” The article concluded that the HIT system was flawed and because of those flaws, it would cause a risk of concussion ranging from 56-89 percent, with cases of player concussions being missed as well as non-concussions players being excluded from play. WSU-led tests found that for each response parameter, or location being
tested on the helmet, the error from the HIT system was more than 15 percent for over half of the impacts. “The measurements made by the HIT system are not comparable to what we did, because it measures helmet, not head acceleration, and it assumed it was the same…,” King said. “We found out that this is not true, and therefore HIT data are not reliable for predicting concussion.” King said his research team didn’t proceed in the construction of another helmet, however their research was made available to the NFL for future endeavors. “We did submit the data to the NFL and suggested that a better helmet be designed to lower the incidence of concussion,” King said.
THE SOUTH END FILE PHOTO
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An online resume might be the only thing that lands you a job CHRIS EHRMANN Contributiing Writer According to careerfinder.com, businesses look at resumes as a first impression of someone applying for a job, in addition to, never underestimating how important a good resume should be. Emily Kravetz, Director of the Career Planning and Placement Office at Wayne State’s School of Business Administration said resumes are a calling card for students. “It helps potential employers understand their background and their achievements. They’re pretty essential in the job searching process,” Kravetz said. Both Kravetz and WSU Associate Professor, Fred Vultee, agree that when they are reviewing resumes, little mistakes like spelling errors are a key example of
how to get a resume thrown out, even if the experience and other accolades are on the resume. “Something as simple as spelling or grammar errors can really get that resume tossed in the garbage right away,” said Kravetz. The online aspect of employment has also grown to challenge traditional ways of resumes. Kravetz said websites like LinkedIn are being used by more frequently by businesses as a way to meet potential contacts and glance at previous work done by a potential employee.. The advantages to online resumes are apparent, and WSU junior Joseph Lombardo is a student who said he prefers online resumes. “I’m a total fan of online resumes,” Lombardo said. “You can make it look good and you’re not wasting paper.”
Traditional in desire, Trevor Kirsch, a civil engineering student at WSU, said he prefers print. . “Print is better because you get more of a visualization and it’s laid out better,” Kirsch said. While some people debate over which one is better, Vultee believes that it is a good idea to have a combination of both a print and online resume to cater to different employers. “That really depends on what you’re trying to demonstrate and whom you’re trying to demonstrate it to,” said Vultee. “If you’ve done a lot of multimedia work, you’d be really silly to just present an online resume. If you’ve done primarily text based or single imaged based stuff the most convenient thing in life is probably a piece of monochrome or colored paper.” Vultee also said that when he reviews
resumes, about 90 percent of them, he would see a resume online beforehand. “In a way I see it all online, but when I think about print, I think it’s something either I can print out or I can dump a PDF onto my iPad and read it,” Vultee said. “I don’t think [print resumes] will ever go away, I need that really quick reference of where were you last year, when did you get there, what were you doing before that.” The preferences of online and print will likely never become unison amongst employers and applicants. Regardless, the industry standard is simple – have both. “I think they both have a place.” said Kravetz, “I think a lot of employers, when you’re actually applying, need a paper document to hand off to somebody, but an online resume is great for people to potentially find you and try you out before the interview.”
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Go Commando app puts extra cash in student’s pockets JAMIE LIMBRIGHT Contributing Writer Looking for extra cash, or work experience for a resume? There’s an app for that now, too. These two demands for college students will become accessible by “going commando,” but not in the usual way. Go Commando is a mobile app developed by Adam Grant of Northville and New Jersey-native Mickey Katz. Their Detroit-based company, Campus Commandoes, has been working over a year towards its future launch. Go Commando will become accessible to colleges all over the country, but has made Wayne State one of the first
schools to test it. The app allows certain brands to reach out to college students to complete simple on-campus marketing tasks. Companies like DSW, eBay and HP have already jumped on the Go Commando bandwagon. “Our product allows students to take on simple marketing tasks on behalf of brands. Within the app, the students have a dashboard or toolkit, which helps them prove their work. When they complete their task they will get paid within 24-48 hours by the brand,” said Katz. “The Go Commando app provides all of the experience and none of the commitment.” With students juggling work, school, internships and a social life, campus
activities and events can be almost impossible to attend. Yet this app gives students the chance to obtain work experience on their schedule, while getting paid. “My vision was to create a strong management tool to work with students on campus, and Adam’s was to build a tool that took it to the next level,” Katz said. “A mobile app built to help students build experience and generate income and a product for brands to really connect with their customers.” The app works by notifying students with a text message when tasks become available and allows users to accept or decline offers on a first come, first served basis. Once a task is accepted, users must document their activity
with photos, videos or GPS check-ins. Once the duty is complete and approved by the brand, users receive compensation directly to their bank account. “The app is in beta test mode, which means we are ironing out any of the bugs which might result in a less than expected user experience. We can’t provide a release date until we are comfortable with our testing results,” said Katz. Learn more by heading to www. GoCommando.com. Potential users can enter their email and learn when the app becomes available for download. The Go Commando app will be available soon for iPhone and Android devices.
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EDM thrives at the Department of Music Technology
PHOTOS BY SARAH RAHAL/THE SOUTH END
BRIAN GILLOW Contributing Writer Whether you’re a music student, enthusiast, artist or just an unfortunate sleep-deprived neighbor, you have heard electronic dance music. If you live in Detroit, you probably have not only heard of the popular Detroit Electronic Music Festival, or Movement, but have literally felt the earth rattling bass from blocks away. Techno is a form of electronic dance music with Detroit origins. Techno made light radio rotation and could be heard in Detroit, but did not have much industry support, compared to the exploding support it received in the UK. Today, people everywhere associate Detroit with electronic music, and people everywhere are spending money on it too. According to a report issued by the International Music Summit, the global EDM industry is estimated to be worth $6.2 billion. While the timeline of Techno music’s history has many different interpretations, the basics remain the same. Ancient EDM theorists believe in the 1980s, the American music industry still dissociated EDM with
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mainstream music. Rock music had its deities and icons with a firm grip on mainstream. Early EDM “house” music upon having commercial success in Europe started emerging at nightclubs in places like Chicago and New York, setting the stage for techno to become a significant genre in the US. It is important to note that while techno has clearly visible roots in Detroit, many of the genre’s origins are not clear. There is a lot of controversy over the history. According to Thomas Court, Music Technology Lecturer here at Wayne State, “Genre names are often regional and describing a mood.” The fact is, EDM can be considered a derivative disco, however, the use of electronics to make music even pre-dates “Saturday Night Fever.” “My earliest memories about dance music were listening to the radio late at night on the various Detroit stations 89x, 97.9, 96.3, hearing different sounds house like and techno. I would hear about raves in warehouses on TV and from older friends in my neighborhood and it would intrigue me,” said James Wood, co-founder and event coordinator of NightSneak Entertainment. “I never really expe-
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rienced anything like that. The lights, the sounds, everyone being friendly, was a new vibe to me that I really enjoyed. I was kind of shy and it took awhile for me to open up to complete strangers, But once I did, I realized I was home.” Techno music culture today is different than it was in the past. Events today are much larger with bigger acts and promotion. With some thanks to social media and text blasts, it’s easier to spread the word about upcoming events. “In the ‘90s, events were promoted mainly by word of mouth, information hot lines and fliers,” Wood said. “Today it is much more about money, because the artists want outrageous amounts of money to perform,” said Wood. “In doing so that has driven up admission prices, cost of production, etc. The events in the ‘90s, while production was kind of simplistic, the vibes and rawness that were experienced in Detroit were by far world renowned as well as highly respected. Today there is no way to mimic the past, but with the events we do at NightSneak Ent, it is by far the closest thing you are going to find to re-cre-
ating that magic,” Wood said. One stigma the genre can’t seem to shake, is its association with heavy club-drug usage. “People put an emphasis, and want to attach techno music to drugs, which is a fallacy.” Wood said. “Huge amounts of people enjoy and are passionate about the music in itself, completely sober. Just because a small percentage of people get high at events, doesn’t mean it is the norm or prevalent throughout. Some people do drugs and enjoy the music. However people are doing drugs at every music event in the world… People are getting high at Disney on ice events for Pete’s sake.” So what makes techno worthy of our long and distinguished list of music originated in Detroit? The fact it’s on that list. Having clearly visible roots in Detroit; makes techno less arbitrary or controversial among subgenres of EDM. Techno went from being a local underground subgenre; to a global mainstream phenomenon. The intelligent design of techno culture is directly credited to; Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May, notoriously dubbed “The Belleville Three,” on account they all
WSU Lecturer shares story of EDM history in Detroit went to Belleville High. This is common knowledge and the reason why techno is revered within the EDM industry; however, outsiders may not feel the need to differentiate one genre from the next. EDM is constantly spawning subgenres, and then those subgenres evolve and create subgenres of their own. Subgenres like; house, acid house, electro, trap, trance, dub step— Tomorrow there will be something new. In the post-internet era; music is digitally uploaded, then downloaded on the other side of the planet almost instantly. New compositional techniques, engineering equipment
and software are developed to expand creativity. As the scope of EDM grows, the lines begin to blur. The unreliable raver recollection does not help these already obscure genre origins either. “Detroit being the birthplace of techno has instilled a passionate love for the particular genre into most dance music fans in the area. The complex process in putting together a techno song showcases each producer’s creativity and imagination. In my opinion techno can be appreciated way beyond the simple sounds of cheesy big room ‘house’ that most dance music fans around the world are into. Techno, Detroit techno, acid,
minimal, or hard techno, it stands out as the superior, most respected genre in music. Nothing is comparable,” said Wood. “I bought my first pair of turntables when I was 17 from a friend for $100 and it all started from there,” DJ Chuck D of 98.7 AMP Radio said. “I got started from watching other DJ’s making it; then I went out and bought all the equipment. Now I have a full studio in my house. I’ve made all different types of genres, from top 40 to house music. Right now I’m currently working on a few projects. The solo one I’m doing right now is, Storm Queen - Look Right Through Remix.
Also, I’m working on projects with DJ Jinx from 97.9 WJLB and with DJ Godfather.” Some popular area venues to take in some Techno music include The Works nightclub in Cork town, TV Bar in Detroit, Club Bleu in Detroit, Grasshopper in Ferndale, Elektricity in Pontiac, and 3Fifty Terrace in Detroit. “Detroit is Techno,” Woods said. “In the same sense, the raw sounds of techno that move the body and soul that bring you to the dance floor, have a profound impact on the way you live your life. Without music, we’re nothing.”
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WSU students aim to improve public transit with new app
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HASSAN KHALIFEH Contributing Writer Wayne State students Erica and Jamarr Hill are currently developing an app called Transwer that would make it possible to avoid overcrowded buses and know the exact location of any bus on campus. Erica and Jamarr said that Transwer would give users input from the community to make public transportation friendlier. The husband and wife duo said the motive for the app was hearing a lot of complaints that other related apps only displayed schedules, which tend to be inaccurate due to buses never being on time. The two developers admit they had originally not planned on including community involvement, but while finalizing the nuisances of the app de-
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cided to develop the interactive feature. “We didn’t even want that at first, we had no community involvement. We just said we wanted to give them an estimated time of arrival with something that was more accurate than what was currently out there…we wanted to give them a product that actually works,” Erica said. To help make this app a reality, the students are undergoing training for student entrepreneurs at TechTown, WSU’s business incubator, to help turn their idea into a business. Located in Detroit’s “Technology Corridor,” TechTown was established in 2004 to empower Detroit’s visionaries with powerful tools to create startups and turn them into sustainable businesses. Aimed at college students seeking to launch their successful technology startups, DTX Launch Detroit, a tech-
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nology accelerator under the Detroit Technology Exchange program is an intensive and competitive 10-week training camp. “If they have really high potential, and we see a mutual benefit in us continuing to work with them, we will bring them on as incubation clients, which means that we will continue mentoring them, coaching them and working with them through whatever business problems they have as they move forward with their company,” said Marielle Temkin, TechTown’s marketing and communications coordinator. The Hills said that they have learned a lot about their product’s strengths and weaknesses while undergoing this program. They say they not only have a better product, but an almost completely different one since its conception.
Erica said she enjoys the intensive nature of the program. “If you’re a glutton for punishment like most entrepreneurs are, then it’s fun,” she said. For 10 weeks, the students meet at TechTown, form into groups and prepare to make their weekly pitch in front of other students and their mentors. Then they are critiqued on their features, ideas or new research. “We are not learning theory anymore,” Jamarr said. “[They] are here to tell you everything that is stupid about your idea.” Erica and Jamarr are now halfway through the program, and they say the signs of progress are showing, as they have a better understanding of what, where and how their app could succeed and fulfill a need on the marketplace. “[The DTX program is] the most valuable thing that I’ve been a part of,
New restaurants and bars take over Metro Detroit
PHOTOS BY SARAH RAHAL/THE SOUTH END
JUSTIN HENDERSON Contributing Writer Eateries are popping up in many areas around Detroit, from Indian Village, along Michigan Avenue, downtown and even near campus. Craft Work Located in Detroit’s West Village, Craft Work brings a creative twist to American cuisine. With prices ranging from $4 to $18, Craft Work offers affordable prices. The dinner menu features six entrees in addition to appetizers, salads and a featured soup. Co-owner Hubert Yaro said the fish and chips, fried chicken and grilled trout are the best sellers. “I think our main focus is being rooted in traditions of chefs like Alice Waters. By using quality and fresh ingredients, we are able to elevate some of that food. That is our focus here,” Yaro said. “(Chef) Matt has backgrounds in Japanese, French and Italian cooking, so we are able to do fusion while still being American.” Yaro said picking the location was easy, since West Village is his favorite part of Detroit and is reminiscent of his old home in Brooklyn. He said he likes being off the main street and being tucked away while still in the city, but without the city feel. “There is a lot of diversity – black, white, gay and straight,” Yaro said. “I love the diversity and want to embrace that.
(There are) just all kinds of people hanging out and making new friends, getting to know each other in this location.” Ottava Via Open for a little over a year, Ottava Via is located west of downtown on Michigan Avenue. General manager Heather Seal said the restaurant’s staple Italian cuisine, like antipasti, calamari, funghi pizza, ragú alla bolognese and the seared branzino, range in price from $5 to $25. Seal said the restaurant is housed in a former bank building and that it has a lot of history. “(The owners) wanted to build on that historical look with rustic Italian themes,” Seal said. “We have the original floor plans from when the building was first built as well as tables and chairs that have lasted the test of time.” Seal said the restaurant has various positions ranging from busser to executive chef. “We employ many servers and bartenders, as well as local chefs from the Detroit area — about 30 people,” Seal said. Wright & Co. Wright & Co. is a new bar and restaurant perched on the second floor of the historic Wright-Kay Building on the northeast corner of John R and Woodward. The well-lit space has a good view of what’s happening on the street below.
The restaurant features small contemporary dishes ranging from $6 to $17 with one of the top dishes being the tuna tartare. The second floor, where the restaurant is located, used to be a ballroom. It still has the vintage look of the ballroom, but it now features a more modern design. Staff claimed they are no longer accepting reservations and that diners are seated on a first-come, first-served basis. Two James Spirits —Tasting Room Managed by Sean McCarthy, Two James Spirits —Tasting Room is located in a former doughnut factory just north of Michigan Central Station. McCarthy said Two James’ focus is more on spirits than food, but so far the restaurant has been really well received by new patrons. After being open for just under a year, McCarthy said the owners are already planning to expand into the nearby vacant 4000 square foot space, to have a full-fledged restaurant in the future. “There is currently food, but that food is catered by Brad Greenhill, who does Thai street food,” McCarthy said. McCarthy said in order to maintain variety, bartenders meet every season to develop two or three new drinks. The tenders make all their own syrups, some with flavors like cinnamon and nutmeg. The bar is stocked with imported bitters
and even some locally made ingredients from Royal Oak. “The bar features house-made bourbon, unaged white whiskey and vodka and is waiting on final approval for the federal government for selling absinthe,” McCarthy said. The Grille Midtown Opened late last year, The Grille Midtown, located on Woodward Avenue, offers contemporary cuisine for lunch and dinner. “Our one year is coming up and we have a special menu planned that will have set prices for one week aside from a regular menu which starts below $10 and up to $29,” Manager Greg Michael said. The Grille Midtown menu features steak dinners, as well as pasta dishes like lobster ravioli. “There have been renovations of the entire block (that have taken) 15 years, and we have provided 35 or more jobs directly in the building,” Michael said. “Plus, we have a separate staffing agency for events that we do outside of the restaurant, such as the theaters or sporting events in the area.” Once the M-1 Rail project is finished, Michael said he thinks people will use the streetcar to commute more between downtown and Midtown, and he thinks The Grille Midtown will be near one of the stops.
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Detroit goes denim–selvage denim
SARAH RAHAL/THE SOUTH END
ALEXANDER FRANZEN Staff Writer Founded four years ago in Corktown, the Detroit Denim Co. handcrafts selvage denim jeans from exclusive, American-made materials. Unlike pretreated, pre-washed denim that is used to make the majority of jeans in stores today, the selvedge denim that the company’s founder, owner and tailor Eric Yelsma uses is raw and not distressed. The denim is sourced from Cone Mills in Greensboro, North Carolina, which opened in 1905 as the jean company Levi’s first contracted supplier and is the only raw selvedge denim manufacturer remaining in America. The fly buttons are solid copper, as are the rivets, which are hand-set and hammered in the jeans. Don’t expect to find a pair of jeans at the Detroit Denim Co. that are already gently worn-out and effort-
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lessly “vintage.” Yelsma believes that when it comes to this fresh, durable denim, it’s the customer’s job to break them in. “We really promote that people wear them hard,” Yelsma said. “It may be cliché, but our care instructions are: Wear often. Work hard. Wash rarely.” Although the company has international customers in Australia, throughout Europe and even more in the U.S. — including Chicago, New York, Washington D.C. and elsewhere — in Detroit, buyers are treated with a custom fitting. Wayne State media studies grad student Matthew Morley enjoyed the treatment. “It was just really cool to have a one-on-one experience with Eric where he answered all of my questions, and I talked to him about [how to care for] raw denim,” Morley said. “He had me try some jeans on and do measurements. He wanted to see what they looked like.”
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At first, Morley said he experienced a bit of a price shock, because he wasn’t used to spending $250 on a single pair of jeans. However, after doing some research, he said the cost did not turn him off. “I feel that this is an investment, where I’m going to be wearing these for several years. They’re made really well, and I have a relationship with Eric — I’ve been back [to the shop] since I bought them. He tailored them a bit for me, which he did free of charge, and he gave me a free T-shirt when I bought the jeans.” Detroit Denim Co. initially began as Yelsma’s obsessive hobby in his garage, but the motivation to start a business came when life threw him a curveball. “I had this corporate job — I worked at a chemical company. They did away with my division,so I was out of a job,” Yeslma said. While working at the chemical company, Detroit Denim Co. was a
dream, and he fought with the idea for two years until 2010. “It was this realization of ‘if I don’t do it, I’ll regret it. If I do it and I fail, I had a good time.’ That gave me the motivation to actually make it happen,” Yelsma said. “I now work harder than I ever have, and I’m happier than I ever have been,” Yelsma said as he finished the hemming on a pair of jeans for a customer and started on a project of 150 custom-made denim aprons. Over the past four years, the company has grown to a total of seven employees. Yelsma’s goal is to have a company with 20 to 25 employees. In the past, Wayne State business students have toured the Detroit Denim Co. shop and have questioned Brenna Lane, the company’s director of production, about its business model. They felt it was not lucrative. “It’s not about the economies of scale,” Lane said with a laugh. “It’s about the quality.”
$93 million MBRB to redefine WSU research
COURTESY WSU FLICKR
FATIMA TAYEBI Contributing Writer Wayne State is approaching completion of the largest construction project in its history—the Integrative Biosciences Centre (IBio). The research center will be located at the former Dalgleish Cadillac Building spreading 200,000 square feet. The $93 million project commenced the summer of 2012 and is set to open July 2015. “The state of Michigan is providing one third of the money for the building. Thirty million dollars is coming from the state of Michigan,” said Daniel A. Walz, Associate Dean for research. “The university is either seeking donors or using university resources.” Nearly six years ago, planning and development on the centre began; nevertheless there was nowhere to place it. Walz said the concept for the building has been dubbed as a “building on wheels” because
building locations are constantly being switched. “We thought it was going directly across the street from where we are now,” said Walz. “We put it on wheels and it moved down to the concept building that we were jointly developing with the Henry Ford Health System and considered at one time putting it on their campus.” To help design the building, fifteen investigators from the University were brought in to participate in dialogue with the architects. Investigators were first interviewed and asked a variety of questions about the nature of their research, willingness to work with other teams, and what they looked for in a research facility. Designers also visited newly built research centres at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University to see “what worked well and what didn’t.” According to Walz, the centre is deliberately designed to be an open space. Most of the offices are located near the Woodward side of the building which will be
made of glass. The majority of the people working in the building will have access to an abundance of natural light. The word “integrative” is a focal point of IBio’s vision. People working in the centre will have open seating in order to interact with people who are not their immediate colleagues. Architects refer to these areas as “common collision points.” “As you go from point A to point B, it’s inevitable that you’re going to bump into other people and start a conversation,” said Walz. “Hopefully, new science and technology can be formed because of these interests and shared expertise.” In order to accommodate all the different types of sciences that will be living under its roof, IBio has been designed to be very flexible. Unlike traditional laboratories, any room in the centre can be completely emptied and repurposed for a different use within 48 hours. IBio will be hosting a variety of research teams. Among them will be the Henry Ford Health Systems. Their Bone and
Joint Research Centre will be on the first floor of the building facing Cass Avenue. A small component of the University’s biomedical engineering research team will be adjacent to the Henry Ford researchers. “This way, both The Henry Ford Health Systems team and the Wayne State research team can share interests and learn together,” said Walz. The state of Currently the area around IBio doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic despite the presence of TechTown and the University’s Public Safety Building. Dr. Walz doesn’t think it will stay that way for long. “I would predict that within 5 years of opening, you will see all the land around the building built up.” It is certain, he continues, that IBio will do its part in reviving this part of Detroit’s Midtown into a thriving populated area. “It will be the most innovative bio science research building at the university,” said Walz.
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EDITORIAL BOARD TECHED OUT
TIM CARROLL Editor-in-Chief @Tim__Carroll
SPENCER GENRICH Features Editor @ shzDayuncin
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DANIEL A. WASHINGTON
MICHAEL LEWIS II
ALANA WALKER
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Arts & Entertainment Editor @ alana_renee
JORDAN BRAZELL
SUSAN WOODS
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Opinion
Terms and Conditions are annoying and inescapable
SARAH RAHAL/THE SOUTH END
SPENCER GENRICH The South End Technology has made it easy to share information with practically anyone and at the speed of light, but this has caused companies like Facebook and Google to make news headlines for their lack of privacy. Due to the criticism, this causes the sites to update their policies so often, but according to the documentary “Terms and Conditions May Apply,” it would take one month out of every year to read the policies for every site someone uses. After an hour of reading, I managed to make it through the Google and Facebook terms and conditions as well as their privacy policy. Between the gibberish and jargon, there a few things users should know about where their info is going. According to Facebook, “…you permit a business or other entity to pay us to display your name and/or profile picture with your content or information, without any compensation to you.” This exact issue is what caused an uproar in the Instagram community two years ago when the company released a statement that they were going to allow all photos available for advertisement without notification or compensation to its users. However, due to user reaction, Instagram decided to change their contract and let its users know that the
photos were users’ property. But how does that policy work when Facebook is Instagram’s parent company? A few days after pulling their original policy, the company still revised it to make the policy more applicable to sharing data with Facebook. So if Instagram is sharing more info with Facebook, and Facebook’s policy allows it? Hmmm…. Another stand out statement in the Facebook contract is this: “When you delete IP [Internet protocol] content, it is deleted in a manner similar to emptying the recycle bin on a computer. However, you understand that removed content may persist in backup copies for a reasonable period of time (but will not be available to others).” If the content is apparently not available to others, then why keep it? Google also has a similar rule: “…after you delete information from our services, we may not immediately delete residual copies from our active servers and may not remove information from our backup systems.” Some countries have found ways around this policy. In “Terms and Conditions May Apply”, they interview Austrian law student, Max Schrems, who inquired about what information Google was keeping on him. Due to Europe’s e-Privacy Directive and the “Right to be Forgotten” act, social networking users can acquire the information tech companies have on them. After some struggle, Schrems was able
to get some of his information. Within the giant stack of paper, he was able to see records of everything he posted and deleted. “If you hit the remove button, it just means it’s flagged as deleted. So, you actually hide it from yourself,” Schrem said. “Even if you hit the delete button, and they ask you three times if you really, really want to delete it, it’s not actually gone.” Although Europe takes Internet security seriously, the United States has no measures in place. Many bills similar to the E-Privacy Directive that privacy advocates have tried to get passed in the US have been shot down. To try and ask for withheld information would be almost impossible to receive here, as Google “reject[s] requests that… would be extremely impractical (for instance, requests concerning information residing on backup systems).” Yet the scariest terms in their contract are not only that Google is storing info from Google Plus accounts and computers, but also they have practically taken over all cell phones. As many devices today come with Google integrated in their system, the company can look over almost everything. According to Google: “When you use our services or view content provided by Google, we may automatically collect and store certain information in server logs.
This may include: details of how you used our service, such as your search queries. • Telephony log information like your phone number, calling-party number, forwarding numbers, time and date of calls, duration of calls, SMS routing information and types of calls. • Device event information such as crashes, system activity, hardware settings, browser type, browser language, the date and time of your request and referral URL. • Cookies that may uniquely identify your browser or your Google account.” Search inquiries? Duration of calls? Calling-party number? Not only is Google storing users’ information, but potentially information of people who aren’t users of Google services. The worst part is that at this point, disagreeing with the terms and conditions is basically unavoidable. Even if someone does not have Facebook, does not have a smart phone, or does not have a specific Google account, everyone in this day and age has turned on the computer and used a search engine for some piece of information (except for maybe the Amish). To refuse to accept any terms and conditions for a product means that you can’t use it, but that’s impossible to do in our tech-forward world. Why are these sites keeping this information? Who knows if there is a chance that someone’s Internet history will be used for the worst?
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How to Access The South End online As The South End transitions towards a new online frontier, it becomes increasingly difficult to bring our print readers along for the technological ride. Not wanting to leave anybody behind, it’s important to make sure everybody knows exactly where and how to satisfy their TSE craving. Below is a picture guide to how to navigate The South End on the web, through social media and on the go.
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Visit our Twitter account by searching @thesouthendwsu and following us for daily headlines, photo galleries and live coverage on www.twitter.com/thesouthendwsu
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