The South End PDF Edition April 3-9

DAN GILBERT’S HOPE FOR DETROIT

NEWS, Page 6

PHOTO MANIPULATION BY JON ADAMS/THE SOUTH END

COMMUNITY

CAMPUS

Students speak up about WSU advising blunders

TSE person of the week: Shawn Blanchard NEWS, Page 5

FEATURES, Page 18

CULTURE

Same-sex marriage debate continues in courts NEWS, Page 4

APRIL 3- APRIL 9, 2013 I WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1967 I THESOUTHEND.WAYNE.EDU I DETROIT, MICHIGAN I FREE

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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 emilymorman@ gmail.com.

CORRECTIONS

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I

Dear The South End editors,

am writing this letter to inform you of the many positive things going on at the Wayne State University Call Center, primarily the implementation of our third annual senior student-calling program. The purpose of the program is to inform graduating seniors that giving back is important, especially at Wayne State.

Many students believe that the resources we use every day come from tuition payments, but that’s not true.

Our learning and campus experience is supported by the generosity of alumni, too. So we’re asking seniors to join in the tradition of giving back and get involved now to help the next group of eager students.

The Call Center is making calls now until graduation, and it is not how much you give that matters — just that you participate. We are asking seniors for a gift to commemorate their graduation year. So for this year, all seniors will be invited to give $20.13.

It is important for seniors to get involved and it helps them too. The more gifts the university receives, the better it does. The better the university does, the better your degree looks. So seniors, I hope you’ll make a gift when we call!

Thanks, Barry Lewis May 2014 Wayne State University Student Caller Lewis is a TSE senior writer.

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.

COURTESY THE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH AND STUDENTS FOR SOCIAL EQUALITY, WSU CHAPTER

PUBLICATION

The South End is published Wednesdays during the fall and winter semesters by Wayne State University students. Copies are 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.

2 I APRIL 3 - APRIL 9, 2013 I THESOUTHEND.WAYNE.EDU

OP-ED

Playing the game of state, local politics decimates Detroit ‘The only group that can defend the working class is the working class itself’ THE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH AND STUDENTS FOR SOCIAL EQUALITY, WSU CHAPTER Guest Writer On Nov. 6, 2012, 2,182,504 of the residents of Michigan voted down the emergency manager law in a statewide referendum. This vote was an expression of the residents’ opposition to an entirely undemocratic law that allowed the governor to appoint financial dictators over cities in the state — men or women who would have the ability to completely usurp control of local governments, slash city services, rip up collective bargaining agreements to impose ever-greater austerity on the working masses.

And what has happened since the November elections? In December, Gov. Snyder appointed a financial review board, composed of the Michigan’s political and business elite, to assess whether Detroit required the appointment of an EFM. The result, as is well known, was the appointment of an EFM, a man by the name of Kevyn Orr, who started work March 25.

Orr, who is a Democrat, was directly involved in President Barack Obama’s auto restructuring of 2009. He played a vital role in convincing the bankruptcy court to allow Chrysler to close some 800 of its U.S. dealerships, a job for which he was reportedly paid $700 per hour. The law firm in which Orr is a partner, Jones Day law, specializes in the defense of corporations against anti-trust and product liability lawsuits. Jones Day has defended RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, Sherwin Williams and Washington Group International. In each of these cases, the companies in question were charged with shoddy work that lead to the injury or death of others.

Jones Day has also represented Citigroup, UBS AG, JPMorgan Chase and other banks that hold a large part of Detroit’s $8.6 billion long-term bond debt.

Following Orr’s appointment, Detroit’s credit rating was upgraded from negative to stable due to investor’s anticipation that he would oversee debt repayment by escalating the attack on the working class.

Perhaps Orr’s position can best be summed up by what he said in response to anger over the un-

democratic imposition of an EFM: “The concepts of reorganization, conservatorship, receivership, trusteeship have existed since good King George began granting terracing commissions in the colonies. So while I understand there’s a lot of concern and emotion behind the concept that I’m depriving people of certain rights, actually it’s very consistent with both the history of this country and specifically in this state.” What more can be said about a man who makes positive reference to the king against who this nation waged a revolutionary war?

Democratic Detroit politicians, trade union bureaucrats and their agents have raised their token objections to the EFM. However, the issue has been framed by these groups as a race issue and not a class issue despite the fact that Kevyn Orr is an African-American.

During a meeting billed as an opposition to the EFM, local National Action Network leader Charles Williams II declared the EFM a “racist antidemocratic challenge to the Voting Rights Act (of 1965).”

Williams went on to refer to Orr as an “Uncle Tom” and a “House Negro.”

This turn to racial politics by groups like Al Sharpton’s NAN comes across as absurd when one considers the fact that Detroit has been run by the black Democratic Party establishment since 1972. Mayor Dave Bing, an African-American Democrat, boasted in January that he had cut the workforce of Detroit by 25 perecent. The Detroit City Council, also full of African-American Democrats, said that in cutting the budget of Detroit by $50 million last year they had “put on the hat of the EFM.” Whatever opposition the political establishment of Detroit can offer stems entirely from a defense of their positions of relative privilege and thus the turn to racial politics.

It needs to be stressed, and it cannot be stressed enough, that what is happening in Detroit is not an isolated incident. This last Tuesday, Obama signed a bill which made $85 billion in sequester cuts permanent. The sequester includes $9.9 billion in cuts to Medicare, $2 billion in public housing assistance cuts, an 11 percent cut in federal unemployment benefits for the nearly 4 million long-term unemployed and a furlough of one million or more federal workers, which will result in 20 to 35 percent cuts in their pay.

When measured along with the attacks on the democratic rights of citizens in this country, the strikes by the NYC bus drivers in New York, the strikes by the teachers in Wisconsin in 2011 and strikes of Chicago teachers in 2012, the increasing aggressiveness of D.C. towards Iran and Obama’s anti-China “pivot to Asia,” it becomes evident that a veritable attack is being waged against the working class.

The United States, and Detroit in particular, is being decimated by the policies, not only of the Republicans, but of the Democrats as well. The unions and the nominally left organizations have joined in assisting the Democrats in their attacks, reducing all of their anti-EFM posturing to empty phraseology.

The only group that can defend the working class now is the working class itself. The Wayne State chapter of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality calls upon all students to take up the fight to defend the rights of the working class!

The International Youth and Students for Social Equality will be holding a meeting on the EFM on April 3 at 7 p.m. in Student Center room 299. All students, and anyone else interested, are encouraged to attend.

NEWS COLUMN

CAMPUS

Participating in public discourse requires being open to criticism Facebook users test limits, scope of First Amendment

TheCurrent CHRISTINA CLARK Staff Columnist When you think about marriage, marriage equality and homosexuality, what do you think of? Love? Religion? Have you ever thought of the First Amendment right to the freedom of speech?

If you have Facebook or you read or watch the news and haven’t been hiding under a rock this past week, you may have noticed that quite a bit of your newsfeed has gone red in support of marriage equality.

If you’ve watched or read the news, then you probably already know about California’s Proposition 8.

“Prop 8 was the California ballot referendum passed in November 2008 that banned same-sex marriage, reversing by popular vote the state Supreme Court’s decision just months earlier to recognize marriage equality,” according to an article published in the Huffington Post.

According to another Huffington Post article, the U.S. Supreme Court hearings on Prop 8 began March 26.

The red equal signs that took over Facebook and other social networking sites is, according to the Human Rights Campaign, a red version of the HRC’s logo, and went viral last week.

With Prop 8, gay marriage and homosexuality in the news, people have come out of the woodwork commenting on various news stories, posting status updates and tweeting their opinions on the subject.

However, this article is not about homosexuality, gay marriage, or whether those things are right or wrong, because it is likely that you can’t change my mind and I can’t

change yours.

No, this is about an idea that came to me through a comment on Facebook, in which a person thought that because they were labeled for not supporting marriage equality by other members of society, their First Amendment rights were being ignored or violated in some way.

Now, I admit that I am not familiar with all of the reasons as to why people think that gay marriage should be illegal, but this is the first time that I’ve heard someone claim this, and it got me thinking. If someone doesn’t agree with you and they call you names, does it mean that they are somehow impeding your right to have that opinion and to voice it?

I am a strong proponent of the First Amendment right to the freedom of speech and I hope that most Americans would be as well, since it is one of their most basic, fundamental rights — however, the answer to this question would be no.

When it comes to such controversial topics like marriage equality, abortion rights, or other subjects in which both sides of the coin have vastly different opinions and will probably never agree on the subject, it doesn’t matter how soundproof your argument is, or how much you agree or disagree. There will always be a person out there who does not, and will never, agree with you.

You are entitled to your own opinion, but if you can’t take the criticism that comes with voicing that opinion, then don’t voice it. There is always going to be someone out there saying, “No, your opinion is wrong because I don’t like it. I don’t agree with it.”

If there are other people out there who think this way and feel like their right to free speech is being violated, maybe now you know how the gay and lesbian people of America feel. Maybe you shouldn’t be so apt to tell them they can’t get married because you don’t like it or you don’t agree with it.

Automotive research seeks new innovations for engines, energy WSU contributes to research worth more than $2.2 million

errors on-site and developing control sensors for future issues.”

“We’re well-placed to use computing and experimentation facilities. Our laser diagnostics and research facilities are TAYLAR KOBYLAS / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER among the best in the WSU researchers conduct automotive projects specializing in nation,” Jansons said. engine combustion, emission control and alternative fuel.

In the next five to 10 years, WSU researchers hope to “reduce the consumption of fuel by improving TAYLAR KOBYLAS the efficiency of engines,” Henein said.

Contributing Writer “Last year the government announced Wayne State’s Center for Automotive Research major increases in fuel economy expectations,” team is currently leading several of the school’s Jansons said. “The expected gas mileage for most lucrative research efforts in modern auto- future vehicles will receive a sharp increase. mobile engines and alternative energy sources. There are also projects underway dealing with friction reduction in engines that aim to Among other researchers, Naeim Henein, observe and reduce heat transfer losses.

CAR director and decorated mechanical “The standards are being raised,” Jansons engineering professor, and Marcis Jansons, said.

“The technology has to be there to reach assistant mechanical engineering professor, the standards that the government has set. conduct automotive research specializing in Things like high-efficiency engines are aspects engine combustion, emission control, alternaof what we’re dealing with.” tive fuels and tribology.

Specific developments in diesel engines have Their current projects are some of the most also excited the Big Three and their respective highly valued at WSU, with annual budgets of dealership associates. over $2.2 million combined.

“I believe that these advancements will Among the research are U.S. Army-spondefinitely be ... valuable for large commercial sored projects being conducted at the Tank and military applications. Hopefully, someday Automotive Research, Development and diesel will become a staple in the consumer Engineering Center in Warren, Mich. segment,” said Jeffery Lowry, Elder Ford Troy With the contributions of WSU affiliates and sales consultant. other colleges statewide, the Army automotive WSU has become a unique center for this research seeks “improvements in the power research because it is a select national instituproduction, endurance, alternative fuel use tion that has experimental facilities specifically and fuel economy of military vehicles,” Henein designed for engine testing. said.

“Professors and researchers have also The Army and consumer clients have developed courses specialized to engine design slightly different general needs, but their hopes and perfection,” Jansons said.

“Only at select regarding alternative fuels remain universal. schools nationwide can master’s students “We’re on a quest as a nation to distribute complete all courses and research on engine our energy sources, and our transportation technology. Wayne State is one of them.” sectors are particularly reliant on petroleum “The automobile ... is not just the engine,” fuels,” Jansons said. “The biggest push now is Jansons said. “There is a lot of room for from non-food bio sources like cellulose, bioresearch and what the center (for automotive fuels and the like.” research) does is try to form an umbrella of an “We also look at the details of what happens organization where people can work with difto fuels in the combustion process,” Henein ferent aspects of automobiles and learn along said. “Wayne State has become specialized in the way.” recognizing aspects of the process, mending

THESOUTHEND.WAYNE.EDU I APRIL 3 - APRIL 9, 2013 I 3

NEWS COMMUNITY

POLITICS

Local LGBT activists High heels raise money for await same-sex WSU AMWA marriage verdict Supreme Court decision in June will affect ruling in local adoption case SARA MCKAY Contributing Writer As the United States waits for the Supreme Court to rule on two same-sex marriage cases, Hollingsworth v. Perry and Windsor v. United States, that could forever change the U.S. Constitution, Wayne State Law School professor Robert Sedler is involved in a similar case that could change the Michigan Constitution.

Sedler is not only a constitutional law expert, but also part of the legal team for the same-sex marriage case involving Hazel Park lesbian couple April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse, who are both seeking equal parental rights. According to Sedler, the case started with the couple fighting Michigan’s second-parent adoption laws, but then turned into a fight against the same-sex marriage ban in Michigan.

“Second-parent adoption” is the adoption of a child by the unmarried parent’s domestic partner. This allows a second parent to adopt a child without the “first parent” losing any parental rights.

DeBoer and Rowse, both nurses who have been together for more than a decade, have three adopted, children between them. Rowse has two adopted boys, Jacob, 3, and Nolan, 4, while DeBoer adopted a girl, Ryanne, 3. Under Michigan law, unmarried couples are not allowed to adopt together — only one of the two in the couple are entitled to adoption and parental rights.

The couple’s original lawyers, Dana Nessel and Carol Stanyar, brought the case to federal Judge Bernard Friedman. Friedman determined that the real issue in their case was the legal concept of marriage and challenged the team to fight Michigan’s same-sex marriage ban. Nessel and Stanyar then asked Sedler to come on board and argue that the Michigan same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional.

The team did just that.

The lawyers went before Friedman March 7 in federal court and argued that Michigan’s same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional because it violates the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Freidman decided not to rule on this day but rather to wait to see how the high court rules on Hollingsworth v.

Perry and Windsor v. United States before mak-

ing a decision.

In Michigan, the case will prove to be an uphill political battle. In 2004, Michigan voters adopted an amendment to the state constitution that prohibits the recognition of same-sex marriages and civil unions in any way as a legally defined “marriage.”

“Michigan has the most restrictive laws in the country dealing with same sex relationships,” WSU alumnus Sen. Steve Bieda (D-District 9) said.

Bieda supports second-parent adoption and full-class citizenship of all Michigan citizens.

He said this historic case begs the question of “why and for what valid reason does the law discriminate against a family, especially when it is contrary to the best interests of the children?”

Ken Karam, a Rochester Catholic, argues that byallowing same-sex marriage in the country, citizens are moving further away from the principles the U.S. was founded on. According to Karam, those who choose to enter same-sex relationships must understand that there are consequences. Like most other conservatives, he believes children need a mother and a father.

“Is there a greater benefit to having two mothers over one single mother?” Karam asked.

Karam also said the same-sex marriage ban in Michigan does not violate the Constitution, and while he does feel for the children involved in this case, he does not want to see the laws change.

Andrew Nichols, a member of the LGBT community who also worked on the Obama campaign, sees this case as a huge step toward equal rights in Michigan.

“It’s pretty exciting to see this. My kids will read about this in history books,” he said.

Nichols, excited by the progress in the equal rights movement, asked a rhetorical question: “Being gay is not a choice; why are we being punished?”

The case remains at a standstill until the Supreme Court rules on what Bieda calls “the most significant Supreme Court cases on LGBT issues in over 10 years.”

“Whatever decision the high court comes to will undoubtedly have an influence on this case,” he said.

According to Sedler, that decision should come some time at the end of June.

4 I APRIL 3 - APRIL 9, 2013 I THESOUTHEND.WAYNE.EDU

Race will help aid victims of domestic abuse, raise awareness JAMILAH JACKSON Staff Writer The Wayne State chapter of the American Medical Women’s Association will be hosting a race to raise awareness of domestic violence.

The High Heel-A-Thon will take place April 20 on Gullen Mall from noon to 4 p.m. Participants in teams of four will run a relay race against another team of four in at least 3-inch high-heeled shoes. Men and women can register for the race by paying a $20 registration fee.

Other organizations have been hosting High Heel-A-Thons as well.

“LIVE! With Regis and Kelly” hosted High Heel-A-Thons in New York City to raise awareness about breast cancer. Last year, Macy’s sponsored a High Heel-A-Thon to support the American Red Cross Guam Chapter.

WSU AMWA President Nitya Reddy said the group does a lot of volunteer work with the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries.

“We’ve done a lot of seminars on topics that they are interested in like hypertension, vaccinations and we did one on HIV and AIDS,” Reddy said.

WSU AMWA Special Events Chair Alka Khera intends for participants to continue awareness of the issue.

“We hope that members of the community will continue to volunteer their time and support to all of DRMM’s endeavors,” she said.

Alex Hermann, development specialist at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, said although the majority of the people they help are recovering from drug addictions, DRMM helps victims of domestic violence find shelter.

The state of Michigan defines domestic violence as “a pattern of learned behavior in which one person uses physical, sexual, and emotional abuse to control another person.” A 2004 Michigan State Police Uniform Crime Report stated that 54,258 people were reported as domestic violence victims. That same report said 30 murders were related to domestic violence.

Michigan law categorizes domestic violence as a misdemeanor and is punishable up to 93 days in jail and/or a fine of $500.

The WSU AMWA will donate all proceeds from the High Heel-A-Thon to the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministry. Last year, the race raised $500 in donations and fees. According to Reddy, the director of the Detroit Rescue Mission is expected to speak to participants about domestic violence, sharing signs to look for in a possible abusive relationship.

For more information on the race, visit www.amwawayne.org.

ALEC LINTON / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

CAMPUS

WSU taking steps to alleviate student advising concerns 45 new, in-department advisers to help with career opportunities, requirements, graduation issues NICK PIZANA The South End As May 9 approaches, many Wayne State students look forward to graduation and receiving their diplomas as a representation of their achievements. But imagine the shock a student would feel if, after four years of hard work, his or her degree was denied because they missed one class, despite repeatedly receiving guidance from the university.

This was the frustrating reality for WSU student Keely Czartorski. As it currently stands with the Office of the Registrar, when Czartorski walks across Ford Field on May 9, her diploma will only display her majors in Public Affairs and International Studies and not her attempted minor in Economics. Due to a scheduling mishap, Czartorski is one requisite — a requirement of testing into pre-calculus — short of her degree, which she says she was never aware of.

“I didn’t even find out from the economics department — I found out from the registrar’s office that my major was approved, but my minor was not because of an outstanding math requirement,” she said. “I immediately called the economics department, and the same administrator who failed to tell me about the math requirement was the same one whose decision it was (to remove the requirement). I never heard from the department head.

“Every semester I’ve been in school, I’ve seen three advisors once or twice a semester: one was my major advisor, one was my minor advisor and the other one was the general university advisor,” she said. “Even last semester, I checked in with them and they’re like, ‘Yep, you’re good to go,’ so I took the math placement test and tested into 1800.”

Czartorski thought her degree only needed to meet the general university math requirement of placing into a MAT 1800 course.

Through either bad information or lack of

information, Czartorski was unaware of the requirement of a higher-level math course. She says neither her meetings with multiple advisors nor the STARS online database informed her of the requirement.

Czartorski’s problem is not unique, representing one of many common complaints such as the university staff’s seemingly apathetic approach to helping students.

“Every time I’ve gone, my counselor, who usually is different (each time), tells me something different, and doesn’t really seem too responsive to my needs, just what they wanted,” said WSU student Fletcher Sharpe.

Other students reported long wait times for issues that could have quickly been resolved.

“One time, I needed a hold or something lifted so I could register for a class.

The hold was placed for no apparent reason, and I was told to go to an advisor to just have it removed,” said Maggie Nguyen, who graduated last year with a bachelor’s in Media Arts and Communication. “I waited in line three hours. Three entire hours, had to run back and forth to feed my meter several times. When I got to my advisor, I hadn’t even stepped foot in the room,” she said.

“I stood in the doorway, and she asked me what I wanted. I told her I needed a hold taken off. She asked for my ID and did it with two clicks. I waited three hours for something that took two clicks,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen also shared a positive experience in dealing with the advisor for her major.

“In my final semester, I needed a ton of exemptions to register since I was taking too long to change my major. I’ll never forget her name — Vicky Dallas in Communications — did all of my paperwork and overwrote all of my classes in one sitting in one day. No need to flag down the teachers or get waitlisted,” she said. “She even followed up with me to make sure I was on the right track to get out on time.

She was the man.”

For many other students, including Czartorski, changes aren’t so easily made.

“I don’t think these advisors are bad people, but there needs to be accountability,” Czartorski said.

Questions to Advising Director Cheryl Kollin and Provost Ronald Brown about accountability were deferred to Margaret

Winters, associate provost and associate vice president for academic personnel. Winters acknowledged that WSU is conscious of the issue and is working to correct it.

“It’s not just that we’re aware of individual students who have run up against problems, and have come up to the provost’s office looking for help themselves, but we know that advising has been short-staffed — that maybe the tools have not been as good as they could have been for a long time,” Winters said.

WSU has already begun a series of steps in order to correct the issues with advising, according to Winters.

“The plan is to hire 45 new advisors, and I think it’s 22 who’ve been hired already,” Winters said. “I think a good group of them will be (hired) in the next year. It has to be done by budget year,” she said.

Winters said this plan goes beyond just hiring more advisors, but placing them strategically so that they can serve students more efficiently.

“It’s not just lots more people, it’s what’s being done with the people,” she said.

“The advisors are being put into departments, or into some of the smaller colleges in the central advising. They’re there on call.”

“If you have an advisor in the department, that advisor knows the department’s programming — it’s not someone looking in a book,” Winters said. She also mentioned that these in-department advisors will be better equipped to guide students on what career opportunities their major would open for them after graduation.

“These new advisors are being trained on the Gen Ed. Requirements, so that students will not have to go running between the UGL and the department, they’ll be able to get more from one person, in one place,” she said.

In addition to this overhaul in the way students meet with advisors, Winters mentioned that the university intends to launch a new software to make scheduling appointments easier and less time consuming.

“We’re well aware of (the issues students are having),” she said, “and we’re working on it.”

Editor’s note: Since writing this article, Czartorski’s minor in Economics has been restored.

“Every time I’ve gone, my counselor, who usually is different (each time), tells me something different, and doesn’t really seem too responsive to my needs, just what they wanted.”

—Fletcher Sharpe, WSU student

THESOUTHEND.WAYNE.EDU I APRIL 3 - APRIL 9, 2013 I 5

NEWS CITY

CAMPUS

COURTESY QUICKEN LOANS PRESS ROOM

WSU SOM makes science fun

Annual event allows kids to explore medical field in depth

Dan Gilbert announces plans for new Detroit development Quicken Loans CEO wants to create livelier city with expansion projects CHRIS EHRMANN

LEAD NEWS

CORRESPONDENT Detroit has been getting somewhat of a makeover in the last few years, considering all the businesses, such as Whole Foods, that have come downtown to open up new shops and help bring people back into the city.

Quicken Loans Founder and CEO Dan Gilbert has helped create this new outlook for Detroit, and he plans to work on several projects that will help make the city great again. According to an article by John Gallagher of the Detroit Free Press, Gilbert plans to, among other things, expand and improve the Campus Martius area.

“Outlining his vision for a livelier downtown, Gilbert talked of Parisian-style sidewalk cafes, food carts, ground-floor retail that opens onto sidewalks, ice cream kiosks, pedestrian plazas and walkways, and a host of other ‘placemaking’ techniques that he said were on the way,” Gallagher said in the article.

A livelier downtown area could attract more people to spend time in the city, helping generate revenue.

This news from Gilbert has interested many

people, including two Wayne State freshmen, Joseph Lombardo and Kirk Bennett. Lombardo found out about the project from news articles, while Bennett first learned of it on the website Curbed Detroit.

“I’ve seen that (Dan Gilbert) has been buying a lot of buildings downtown, like the Z lot,” Bennett said. “He plans to buy the Z lot and plans to build a parking garage and retail space. And yesterday, at this Opportunity Detroit conference — that Hudson’s lot, I guess he owns that too — he’s offering $15,000 to whoever can come up with the best idea to put on the Hudson’s lot. It just has to include a lot of retail,” Bennett said.

Hart Plaza is one of the other areas that will be upgraded, according to Lombardo.

“I think overall it’s great, especially the part of fixing up the already existing plazas that honestly are still pretty good right now,” he said. “I think in making them great or making them really nice is a great strategy to go through. I think basically any renovation to downtown Detroit is great as long as the money going into it is used efficiently.

So, I mean, I’m not totally up and up on how efficiently his plans are going to be, but I hope they are because I am excited for it.”

“I think he’ll do a good job, but it does kind of worry me that he owns all of the buildings because we are kind of relying on him to do what’s right instead of what’s just profitable for him,” Bennett said.

The project is slated to begin next year.

6 I APRIL 3 - APRIL 9, 2013 I THESOUTHEND.WAYNE.EDU

PIERRETTE DUPLESSIS Contributing Writer

C

hildren ages 6 to 12 gathered from different cities for Wayne State’s 2013 Future Docs event hosted

by WSU School of Medicine faculty, alumni and friends March 23 from 9:15-1 p.m.

Dana Gingrich, alumni program officer for the School of Medicine, ran this year’s event. According to Gingrich, the event has been running for about 10 years. Admission was $25 for children and $15 for adults, with proceeds going toward the costs of the event. According to Gingrich, Future Docs attendance averages about 400 children and parents and 100 students who volunteer each year.

The Future Docs event is a chance for children to walk around different workshops and experience the medical field first hand.

Each workshop contained unique stations with hands-on activities for children and parents to enjoy.

The “Brain Blast” workshop enabled children to learn about the brain with a fun neuron and Plato activity, plus the opportunity to touch a real brain. Erin Shea and Kim Ottoni, first-year medical students, volunteered at the neuron station, teaching children the parts of a neuron by allowing them to construct one of their own using pipe cleaners and beads.

Seventy-five hours of volunteer work is required for first- and second-year medical students, and Shea and Ottoni thought this would be a wonderful opportunity for the both of them. Ottoni’s parents are both in the medical field.

Familiar with the field all her life, Ottoni said she decided to give it a

try herself. Shea has always liked science and felt medical school would give her the opportunity to “make a difference and help someone.”

Second-year medical student Kate Firlik volunteered at the “Brains! Brains! Brains!” workshop where she ran the “Test of Motor Skills Exercise.” Children were timed on how long it would take them to insert pegs into each hole using only one hand at a time.

“I love getting out of my books and doing something that reminds me of why I want to be in this profession,” Firlik said. After straying from her first choice of being a history teacher, Firlik’s love for science took over.

“Now that I’m here, I can’t imagine doing anything else,” Firlik said.

One of the event’s younger volunteers, Graca Gordon, a seventh grade home-school and Coves co-op school student, ran the “Parts of the Eye” station with her mother. Gordon got her knowledge from the eye model her mother has at home and her past eye condition, a premature retinal disease, which was fixed when she was younger. This is her second year volunteering for the event, but she has attended in past years alongside her sister. Gordon considers this a “substantial profession” and will someday go into it herself.

Some new things were added to the event this year. Children got the chance to meet WSU’s mascot and learn some healthy eating tips from the student group Righteous Benevolence. Other activities included a Temporary Tattoo Station and the Happy Snap Photo Booth hosted in the cafeteria during lunch.

A&E COLUMN

Hip-hop legends use Internet to hype upcoming return Mos Def, Mannie Fresh collaborate on classic album to be released independently EMMANUEL SMITH Staff Columnist

The IndieCorner In 1998, things seemed to be changing in hip-hop music. In the South, songs produced by Mannie Fresh and the new Cash Money Records were slowly building steam, forcing big time conglomerates like Universal to start taking notice. In the Northeast, Rawkus, another new label, was striving to continue the “Golden Era” of hip-hop by releasing an album by a group called Black Star. The two-man

group contained little known New York rapper Mos Def. Rapper Mos Def and producer Mannie Fresh were doing a different kind of music in 1998. Mos Def had a very strong, conscience sound, speaking mostly on the woes of the modern world and the problems within hip-hop, while Mannie Fresh built the beats for southern rappers to tell stories of bodies moving and the glorification of “bling.”

Both were the point of the sword as the world pushed into the next century, helping to change hip-hop in many ways. Now, in 2013, neither are with their respective groups or record labels anymore. They’ve both had visits to the Grammys, but still look to push the boundaries of music. And

while they played on different sides of the field in the late ‘90s, the two have come together to make an album that may be something no one would expect.

Mos Def, who’s now known as Yasmiin Bey, moved to New Orleans from Brooklyn a couple years ago. It is there, in the heart of the South, where he met up with Fresh and started working on music last year.

It was all over the Internet, with blog sites speaking on the rumors CITYof collaboration in the works. When the two began to release YouTube videos showing them in the studio and speaking on their vision as artists, everyone knew that things were actually happening.

The album will be called “OMFGOD”

and has yet been given a release date.

But one thing was announced and that was that no major record labels would be involved. The two, who’ve made obvious marks in the business, have chosen to leave the “business” side out and release their album independently through the Internet.

“Mos is a hip-hop head, so it kinda came easy,” Fresh explained in his YouTube video announcing the collab.

“And, by him being a Mannie Fresh fan, and me being his fan, it came real easy. And I think that’s the way the process should be. We should have fun. It was no stress; we didn’t have no budgets from nobody, we didn’t have nobody hanging over us, no A&Rs. It was just something that we decided to do.”

DANCE

New York dance troupe swings into Detroit Opera House Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater gives 3-day performance filled with variety JAMILAH JACKSON Senior Writer The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater took to the Detroit Opera House stage March 21 for opening night.

AADT performed as part of the Opera House’s 2012-2013 dance season.

The performance series began March 21 and ran through March 24. In true Ailey fashion, the company performed four pieces. One of the pieces was originally choreographed by Alvin Ailey himself.

Alvin Ailey founded the dance troupe in March 1958 in New York City. According to the company’s official website, they have performed “for an estimated 23 million people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents” since its founding.

The company has also reached others

through televised performances. A U.S. Congressional resolution named the company as “a vital American cultural ambassador to the world” in 2008.

The first piece performed was entitled “Another Night.” Choreographed

by Kyle Abraham, the piece included 10 of the company’s members. Just like any other traditional Ailey piece, “Another Night” included many sections in which different dancers performed in groups. The choreography blended all genres of dances, from ballet to hip-hop, jazz to breakdancing. The choreography was accompanied by Dizzy Gillespie’s “A Night in Tunisia,” performed by the Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers.

“Pas De Duke” was performed following a brief pause. The piece is a play on the term “pas de deux” which references a duet in dance. Ailey originally crafted the “ballet” to honor

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dancers Judith Jamison and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Alicia Graf Mack and Jamar Roberts performed the piece opening night, dancing to the music of Duke Ellington. The performance began with a duet between the dancers.

Each dancer received a section where they performed a solo and ended the piece with another duet.

“Petite Mort” is a vision of Jiří Kylián. Kylián not only choreographed the piece, but he also created the lighting concept and set design. “Petite Mort” was originally performed by the Nederlands Dan Theater. This piece included fencing swords and “gliding” dresses. The prop work in this dance was so seamlessly performed that every flick or twirl of the sword was done in sync. The audience could tell the company spent relentless hours in rehearsal.

The final piece of the night was

entitled “Grace.” Ronald K. Brown choreographed a six-section “ballet” that included two versions of the song “Come Sunday.” The entire piece seemed to focus around the notion of finding one’s purity. Some dancers were dressed in red, which at times is synonymous with sin, and others were clad in the color of purity: white.

By the end of the dance, all performers were dressed in white and walked through a large opening in the stage that seemed to symbolize a sort of redemption.

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dazzled the Detroit Opera House audience. Fans cheered and clapped, even awarding the performers with a standing ovation at the end of the night. The Ailey company danced with so much fluidity and grace. Each piece showed the hard work and dedication it takes to perform.

COLUMN

Timberlake offers new musical vision ‘The 20/20 Experience’ delivers range, old-school sounds

JAMILAH JACKSON Staff Columnist

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE THE 20/20 EXPERIENCE WEG, RCA

Justin Timberlake fans are seeing $10.99 through clear eyes after the release of his long-awaited third solo album. “The 20/20 Eperience,” released in March, is Timberlake’s first album since 2006.

The duo of Timberlake and Timbaland collaborated to produce the album. Timbaland’s beats fused with Justin’s vocal range is a musical treat. There’s not one song worth skipping. There is a definite possibility that this will be the album of the summer.

Timberlake really took it back to his roots on this album, channeling the old-school sound in tracks like “Suit & Tie” and “That Girl.” The influence of the roaring ‘20s big bands can be credited for the sound. “Don’t Hold The Wall” gives Timbaland fans a tingle of the spine. The oddness and peculiarity that one can expect in a Timbaland beat are all there. The song also has what some may call a Middle Eastern or belly dancing

groove to it, alongside the intricate and staccato Timbaland drum kits. It’s definitely a club banger. And a (ITUNES) Timbaland production isn’t complete without the sound of a baby cry (circa Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody”). That can be found in “Tunnel Vision.” Timberlake gave fans a little flashback on the album as well. “Mirrors” takes me back to Timberlake’s beginning as a solo artist. Beat sound familiar? Fans probably thought it was a revamped version of “Cry Me a River.”

“The 20/20 Experience” was everything I expected and more. The pop music scene was definitely missing something. JT was the perfect fit to the puzzle.

The album contains 10 songs with two bonus songs featured on CDs specially sold at Target. Fans may be yearning for more 20/20 afterward, but Timberlake has something else up his sleeve. Not only is he going on tour this summer with mega star Jay-Z but a follow-up to “The 20/20 Experience” will be released in November.

FASHION

Designers attempt to ‘spearhead’ fashion presence in Motor City PARIS GILES Contributing Writer To people who call it impractical to study fashion design, Joe Faris, 45, says, “You’re probably right.” Faris admits that had he stayed in New York City where he graduated from Parsons: The New School for Design, he would have had an easier go of things. Coming from Troy, Mich., Faris says that instead of fleeing to already established fashion capitals such as Los Angeles or New York, he has taken on the responsibility of “spearheading” an industry at home.

“Detroit” may evoke images of sleekly designed cars, but hardly ever dresses, and that’s precisely what Faris hopes to change.

“It’s because I’m from here; it’s because my children are here and my family is here that I want to pave the way for an industry to be born here,” Giles said about his choice to stay in Michigan.

Fellow designer Julie Lindsay from Montrose, Mich., shares Faris’ loyalty to Michigan. The luxury handbag creator has also chosen to set up shop locally. Lindsay said her training and love of fashion came from her grandmother, who was a seamstress and designer in her own right.

Grandma Lindsay handled all the alterations for the historic Hudson’s Department Store in downtown Detroit. Lindsay said her grandmother was also a men’s suit designer, and her clientele included many “very wealthy” Detroiters from back in the day.

As risky a business as fashion design may be, Faris cites a meeting with the reps from Ralph Lauren in which they “ripped apart” his designs. Like Lindsay, he has creativity in his blood. His father was an interior designer, he said, and when faced with his son’s decision to pursue fashion design, he told him to “go be the best designer you can be.” Faris hopes to provide similar support to young designers and others who want to start a career in fashion — and want to do it in Michigan.

A fan of Faris’ efforts is Ly’Kenda Marshall, 31. A former fashion merchandising and marketing major, Marshall was never interested in moving to New York.

“Everybody goes there,” she said.

In her opinion, it’s more of who you know versus what you know that decides whether you make it in fashion, especially

in New York.

“Every place has its own style,” Marshall said. She connects to the colors and edgy, street style of places like Tokyo. This true fashionista wears red, wide-rimmed glasses, reminiscent of those popular in the ‘80s, and a busily printed blouse. Marshall said she thinks it would be sensible to take influences and inspiration from places like Milan or Tokyo, bubble wrap them, stuff them in UPS boxes and ship them home.

She wants to see Detroit develop its own unique style, perhaps only borrowing from other places.

“Nobody wants to give a chance to a new place,” Marshall said. “There are so many things going on in fashion in Detroit, but people just don’t know about.”

She believes that the runway light needs to be focused more steadily on Michigan.

She has not faltered. though. When questioned whether fashion is still her lover, her response is as transparent as black tulle.

“Of course!,” she says, “Come on, now.”

Faris says despite the current state of the economy, now is one of the best times for fashion. This is in the midst of the age of the trend, he said. He brings up the public’s love affair with the skinny jean, and he believes the relationship has far from fizzled.

The current generation differs from past eras, in Faris’ opinion, because there isn’t just one great trend — there are many. Design students, and anyone interested in this deceptively tough world, have the unique opportunity to attach themselves to one of these trendy waves and ride it out, he said. But Faris says designers must define themselves early on. They should carve out their niche and then perfect it.

“Fashion is constantly changing,” Faris said. And whether doing it in Detroit or elsewhere, designers have a responsibility to take inspiration and influence from other eras, like Marshall’s beloved ‘80s, and update it.

“Copy is the mother of all inspiration,” he says. But when the ruffles have fallen and the glitter has settled, you have to believe in yourself and just go for it, Faris said. He recently heard a quote that he likes to share: “More businesses fail by doubt than by economy.”

Faris assures that he, and others like him, will continue their efforts to create a fashion industry in Michigan in which others can succeed.

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FEATURES KRISTEN SHAW / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

CITY

Detroit newspapers to find new home

Original building built as factory, not meeting current needs ELI HOERLER C o n t r i b u t i n g Wr i t e r The building at 615 W. Lafayette is one of only two on the short block. Its outdoor lighting fixtures are stained green with oxidation and the inscriptions along the parapet relate loosely with journalism, but in a pinch could be applied to anything. The names of The Detroit News and The Detroit Free Press adorn the entrance, though soon they will be gone.

The Detroit Media Partnership, the company formed by the cooperation of the two newspapers, announced in January that the papers will leave the nearly century-old building in favor of another, more manageable location. According to Rich Harshbarger, DMP vice president of consumer marketing and communications, the move will happen in 12 to 14 months.

Though the newspapers have not yet found a new home, they are committed to a location in Detroit.

“We’re committed to the city of Detroit. Detroit is in the title of our product. It’s included in our DNA,” Harshbarger said.

Harshbarger said downtown is ideal, although they are open to locations in other neighborhoods such as Midtown and New Center.

“We’re looking at any and all space that will be able to accommodate what our work goals are,” he said.

Harshbarger also said the DMP has between 600 and 700 employees, and even though the new space may be smaller, the number of employees will remain the same.

Like the Free Press building, which has been bought but is not currently occupied, the News building was designed by Albert Kahn, a renowned industrial architect whose credits include the Packard Plant, the Fisher Building and the Belle Isle Conservatory. Like those locations, the News and Free Press are designated as historical sites.

The Detroit News, started in 1873 by James E. Scripps, was once called The Evening News and operated out of a building on Woodbridge Street, near Griswold. Kahn designed the News building specifically for the paper, which occupied it shortly after completion in 1917. It was once the largest newspaper printing plant in the world, according to Hawkins Ferry, author of “Buildings of Detroit.” Its cavernous rooms once accommodated printing presses capable of producing 432,000 papers every hour and used up to 1.2 million pounds of ink in a year, according to an article featured in the Detroit Public Library’s Burton Historical Collection.

The headcount at the paper has dropped dramatically since those days, and the machinery moved to the suburbs long ago, leaving behind large empty rooms. The Detroit News building was built as a factory, not as office space. Rich Harshbarger, as well as Sheila

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Tomkowiak, principal and creative director at Grayton Integrated Publishing, cite this as one reason the News cannot remain there.

Tomkowiak has worked in both buildings, and mourns only the loss of the Free Press building.

“It was much more suited to what the paper needed,” she said. “The News building is just this big, gray industrial hulk. I’m not sad to see it go because I was never that enamored with it.”

Some, however, remember the building fondly. Veteran journalist Pete Waldmeir worked at the News for many years and shared his thoughts on the move in a comment left on an online News article on the subject.

“She was my home away from home,” he wrote. “Management’s explanation that she’s too old and decrepit is only half the story.

She’s virtually empty. You could fire a cannon loaded with frag grenades in the newsroom today and not hit a soul. The economies of the computer age saved her — and made her obsolete” The News and Free Press buildings were once neighbored by another Albert Kahn newspaper building: The Detroit Times building was erected in 1929 to host the newspaper of the same name. The Detroit Times, now defunct, was absorbed by the Detroit News in 1960. The News used the building as a printing plant until 1967, and it sat vacant until its demolition in 1978.

Carved into the stone façade just below the third story windows of the Detroit News Building are the insignia of early printing craftsmen, according to the same Burton Historical Collection article. Above them are stone figures depicting pioneers of printing, including Johannes Gutenberg, credited with the invention of the mechanical printing press in the mid-1400s; Christophe Plantin, a printer and publisher who was a leader in his trade; William Claxton, who brought the printing press to England; and Ben Franklin, a key figure in early American printing and newspapers. Various quotations are inscribed around the top of the building, including “Dispeller of Ignorance and Prejudice, Scourge of Evil Doers, and Voice of the Lowly and Oppressed.”

The Detroit News building is already on the market, along with the nearby DMP-owned parking facilities. Harshbarger said plentiful parking is one thing they’ll miss about the building, but it won’t be a limiting factor in their search for a new space.

The vacation of this building is not only significant to the worlds of journalism and architecture, but also to those who study Detroit’s unfolding history in this uncertain yet exciting time for the city. The building, however one feels about it, is part of Detroit’s architectural history. And though the clatter of its newsroom will die out just as that of the presses did years ago, the building will still stand, a reminder as to what was once achieved there.

COMMUNITY

New daily email service provides cup of jokes Local startup creates daily newsletters, collection of entertainment from across Web

JENNIFER CLINE The South End For many web users, morning coffee is accompanied by a mass delete session of the countless spam emails that have flooded their inboxes through the night. But for those who subscribe to Cup of Zup, the deleting frenzy can get a short interruption to enjoy a few laughs.

Cup of Zup became an official M@dison building startup company in December.

The five-member team spends their days searching the web and constructing a free daily newsletter that is emailed to subscribers each morning. Work-friendly material fills each email, including a mixture of quotes, comics, riddles, trivia, informational tidbits and more.

“People want the funny, but they also want to read the email and learn a little something, too,” said Cyndi Lareau, co-founder of Cup of Zup. The “grand finale” of each email, as Lareau calls it, is the Awesomeness of the Day; anything that is really awesome can fill this spot including cool toys, nostalgic items, Indiegogo or Kickstarter projects.

With nearly 10,000 subscribers, Cup of Zup is available on a variety of platforms to showcase their tidbits of funny. Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter share additional content.

“There’s so much funny out there, it’s hard to narrow it down sometimes. So if you do like us on Facebook, you’ll see something different than what you get in the email,” Lareau said.

Cup of Zup was originally created as a way for Lareau to get her team’s attention to various calendar items, such as birthdays and anniversaries. While working at Quicken Loans as the executive assistant to Dan Gilbert, founder of the company and Detroit mogul, Lareau learned that many of her daily emails were getting ignored. She added funny jokes in between the important information to ensure the messages would get opened.

Not only did staffers start paying attention to Lareau’s emails, they also began forwarding them to friends. Gilbert enjoyed the jokes so much that he began requesting Lareau to add his friends to her email list. Eventually, Gilbert asked Lareau to cut the information portion of the newsletters and only include the pictures and jokes. Subscription went up to more than 3,000 people, and they decided to turn it into a business.

Though this sounds like all fun and games,

a lot of work goes into maintaining Cup of Zup. Many days, Lareau wakes up as early as 4 a.m. to ensure the newsletter is ready.

“It’s a labor of love. In your first year as a startup, you’re gonna be crazy. For me, I expect that there’s going to be a lot of work, but if I put out a crap product, filled with stuff that your grandma forwarded you in 1995, you’re not gonna care. I spend a lot of time ensuring put out a quality product,” Lareau said.

Much of the team’s time is spent locating material to include and searching an array of websites throughout the day.

“To keep Cup of Zup fresh and interesting every day, it’s a challenge to find the best and newest bits of content so several times a day we share our finds with each other to see whether they’re ‘Zupworthy,’” said Paul Talpos, an intern at Cup of Zup. Growing their subscription list is another priority. Though users are still forwarding emails, which helps word-of-mouth advertising, the team is now proactively promoting itself in other ways.

“It would be awesome if we could hit critical mass where every subscriber is telling their friends and creating new subscribers so that our growth is exponential, but in the meantime it really just boils down to getting out name out there,” Talpos said.

The newsletter includes links to the content’s original website, leading viewers to click through and continue viewing that page. Cup of Zup hopes that these relationships will help increase their readership.

More than half of the newsletter’s fan base is from Michigan, but Lareau said people also subscribe from Cleveland, Chicago and as far away as India and Australia. Eventually, she’d love to have a million daily subscribers.

Now that Cup of Zup is an official startup, the team is also working to ensure it is sustainable by seeking out revenue possibilities. By placing ads on the website and in the newsletter, the company is working to become profitable.

“I don’t like to do things because I’m getting paid. We’re trying to find a balance. When I become that evil green monster, it’s time to quit. That’s not what this is about; it’s all about the fun,” Lareau said.

Cup of Zup is appealing to advertisers because 54 percent of subscribers open the daily email, whereas typical email open rates are only 14 percent.

“We definitely stand out because of that,” Lareau said.

Being in the M@dison building has also contributed to their success. Teams within the tech hub building often collaborate and share ideas.

Additionally, inspiration comes from watching fellow startups become successful, receiving national coverage on various media outlets, such as the “Today” show.

‘We’re surrounded by the top of the line everything … Everything is catered to being creative, different and cool looking,” Lareau said. “I started in the mailroom at Quicken Loans and I just wanted to be around creative people. If you have a creative idea, stick with people that have great ideas and inspire you. It’s the simplest ideas that are the next best thing.”

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FEATURES

PERSON SYDNEE THOMPSON The South End

Shawn Blanchard is a second-year student at Wayne State School of Law. A Detroit native, Blanchard recently returned to the area after five years teaching math at Holcombe L. Rucker School of Community Research in New York. While there, he helped found Men of Majesty, “an organization dedicated to mentoring at-risk young men at Rucker,” according to a WSU press release.

Blanchard is also co-founder of Networking Out, an organization that promotes healthy living and cultivating professional relationships. The South End talked with him this week to discuss his future aspirations both personally and in the local community.

TSE: WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO COME TO WSU FOR LAW SCHOOL? B: Well, there’s a couple reasons.

One thing is, it’s in Detroit — it’s in the heart of Detroit — and I wanted to come back because I wanted to make some changes in Detroit. And so I decided to go ahead and come to Wayne State Law. There’s a really great judge that gave me a call too, during the admissions process to law school and everything.

So I talked to a judge who was an alumni here, Judge Edward Ewell, and once he called and

knew I wanted to come home, he really made that decision for me. Well, I already wanted to come here, but he just solidified it.

TSE: HOW DID YOU END UP IN NEW YORK? B: Actually, I did a program out there, and that was right after undergrad, and I went there because of the high school. The thing was I couldn’t teach the high school in Detroit because there weren’t any programs that would allow me to do so. So I went ahead and applied … The South Bronx was the place that was pretty synonymous with the Detroit Public School system, so I decided to go there.

TSE: WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR SPECIFIC GOALS THAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE HERE IN DETROIT AS FAR AS IMPROVING THE COMMUNITY? B: Well one thing I wanted to do, I wanted to build — I wanted to bring out what’s already in Detroit because I think that Detroit already has a lot to offer, but I just think that we’re not capitalizing on what’s here. So I want to make sure that I can bring people together, bring a lot of

JON ADMAS / THE SOUTH END

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of the

WEEK

different organizations to light, and also just make sure that we have the same type of networking experience that we have anywhere else when you go to some big city. So I want to just bring out what’s already good about Detroit that’s already here and add to it.

people — it’s all people. It doesn’t matter everything in between.

TSE: WHAT SPECIFIC THINGS DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR LAW DEGREE AFTER YOU GRADUATE?

B: People have different motivations for different things. One thing I know for sure is to do unto others as you would want them to do unto you. And I also know that there’s a nice saying from a lot of social entrepreneurs: “We can all do better by doing good.” And I think that no matter what your motivation is, whether you’re a scholar or you’re an entrepreneur who would like to promote your business, whether it’s financial or spiritual or anywhere in between, I think that doing better by doing good is a principle that we all should live by.

B: School for business law, that’s the next step … I want to make sure that I continue to be involved in things that are in Detroit — the businesses in Detroit — and then also go into politics in the later years.

TSE: SO ONE DAY YOU WANT TO BECOME MAYOR OF DETROIT, IS THAT RIGHT? B: Yeah, that’s true. That’s years down the line, but one day.

TSE: SO COMING FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU WOULD DO AS MAYOR IF YOU WERE IN POWER? B: Well, I’ll tell you what I think is important. I think it’s important to make sure that our finances are in order in the city. What I really think we need is a great manager — a great manager will be able to make things happen for the city. So financial turnaround here, a good manager there, and I think with those two, that’s the key to really get things going.

TSE: WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS WITH NETWORKING OUT? B: It’s all about community building; it brings the people together. And the things that we’ve been able to do, in respect to having all kinds of people losing upward of 50 pounds, and people chucking their blood pressure medicine, to people actually getting jobs. There are people out there who are winning different awards ... We voted one of our members in (a competition) and he won $50,000 for his business idea. So things like that, just getting a lot of professionals from all different demographics and ages, from 19 all the way up to 70 years old, you can’t lose when you’re really getting people together and have people from all walks of life. It’s not just short people, tall people, white people, black

TSE: HOW DO YOU THINK YOU CAN INSPIRE COLLEGE STUDENTS TO BE MORE ACTIVE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES?

TSE: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO STUDENTS ABOUT SUCCEEDING AND OVERCOMING OBSTACLES? B: If I can do anything, they can do everything. I didn’t have everything growing up. I didn’t have all the tools, but I think that if you utilize all of your resources in front of you, you can do any and everything. You just have to realize who you are, what you have in front of you, and utilize, capitalize and move forward.

Everybody’s successful in their own right.

TSE: DID YOU HAVE ANY MENTORS GROWING UP THAT PUSHED YOU TO CONTINUE WITH YOUR EDUCATION? B: As a child, my grandmother was my driving force with education, but once she passed away when I was in middle school, I didn’t really have anyone that was a driving force with education. And at that point, I didn’t have anyone that I cared to listen to at all either, so even if they tried, it really didn’t matter. Not until I was in high school and I had this college counselor, her name is Ms. Champion. She’s amazing. She’s like my life angel. She wanted me to go to University of Michigan — that was her alma mater ...

I just listened to whatever she told me to do, when she’d say something positive my way, I’d listen and just do it, and ended up going to University of Michigan, and that’s my story from there ... I also had an abundance of really good bad examples. Just knowing exactly what I did not want to do helped me shape what I wanted to do.

You can learn more about Blanchard and Networking Out at www.networkingout.

COMMUNITY

Fundraising ‘4’ students

Organization to host second pub crawl for mentoring, tutoring program at WSU JESSICA SADER Contributing Writer

The days of raising money by selling raffle tickets and hosting bake sales are over.

With events such as the Spring Pub Crawl in downtown Royal Oak, Teach 4 Detroit is putting the “fun” back into fundraising.

Teach 4 Detroit is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students in Detroit get ahead and achieve success.

The organization’s Weekends at Wayne State program brings students from Detroit high schools to WSU’s campus every Saturday for tutoring and workshops run by student mentors.

“We are making a purposeful effort to give the best chance for these students to reach their career and academic goals.

Every child deserves that opportunity

to make their dreams come true,” said Clarissa Carvalho, WSU freshman and president of the WSU Chapter of Teach 4 Detroit.

The organization’s second pub crawl is April 13, and money raised at the event will go directly to funding the program.

Robby Amin, University of Michigan graduate and Teach 4 Detroit founder, was inspired to create this organization last February when the city announced that Detroit Public Schools was closing more schools due to budget cuts. After speaking with his friend who was teaching in the DPS program, Amin learned that class sizes were drastically increasing because of the school closings.

Amin initially thought that the increased class size would result in a teaching style at a higher level than some kids could understand, leaving students who need extra help behind.

After observing a classroom for himself, Amin was shocked when he quickly discovered the opposite.

“Teachers were teaching to a lower level so the students that were previously excelling are bored and learning the same concepts over and over again and not getting ahead,” Amin said.

The Teach 4 Detroit program helps those students by giving them one-onone tutoring lessons, job shadowing opportunities and access to science labs that they otherwise wouldn’t have while preparing them for a competitive college setting.

A file detailing personal goals, academic struggles and interests is created for students who drop in for one-onone tutoring in order to develop a plan suited to their individual needs and to track progress. Currently, Teach 4 Detroit works with students at Davis Aerospace Technical High School and Osborn Collegiate Academy of Mathematics, Science and Technology in Detroit.

“This impacts the community. DPS is

a part of the WSU family — it’s ingrained in Detroit, so this way when we give back to the students they can give back to the city in the end,” Amin said.

Teach 4 Detroit has partnered with NSO’s Youth Initiative Project, which provides youth leadership and advocacy training focused on gun violence and substance abuse prevention. Teach 4 Detroit aims to expand the Youth Initiative Project by providing tutoring and mentoring assistance to students currently in that program.

“Getting other groups involved is ideal. It is not realistic to do everything on your own and I want to get the word out to anyone interested in helping out,” Amin said.

Teach 4 Detroit is always seeking passionate volunteers to help tutor in the program.

These volunteers are doing bold things to help Detroit’s youth, fulfilling the Warrior motto, “aim higher.”

For information about how you can get involved, go to www.teach4detroit.

COMMUNITY

Who wants to Play?

BRITTANY PINSON Contributing Writer

The transition from college to the professional world affects every aspect of a postgraduate’s life. The Millennial Board conducted a survey of college students across Michigan about what drives their post-graduation planning in choosing where to live. A city’s nightlife, leisure activities, recreation and stable jobs were highlighted as the most desired traits.

Jillian Tines, a Wayne State linguistics student and alumnae member of Kappa Delta sorority, is graduating in May and realizes that her social life will dramatically change after she starts the next chapter in her life.

“It would be nice to have boroughs where young people who aren’t in college can kind of go and socialize with each other. I may only be familiar with the college scene, but I don’t know of anywhere that’s really ‘young professional,’” Tines said.

The lack of recreational and leisure activ-

ity in Detroit is something that Justin Jacobs, founder of ComePlayDetroit, took note of. The Bloomfield Hills native moved to Chicago four years ago, and when he returned to Michigan he began to notice that Detroit didn’t have many activities for young adults to engage in.

He seized the opportunity to create a business downtown where young residents can play sports, work out and engage in social events.

Over a year ago, Jacobs posted on his site “anyone want to play some sports,” which led to several people showing up, and ComePlayDetroit was born. Like many other entrepreneurs, Jacobs sees the potential in our city, which is the main reason he chose Detroit as CPD’s location.

“There is nowhere else where you can have the opportunity to make an impact on a major city the way you can here. As an entrepreneur, there is no better opportunity then the one here in Detroit,” Jacobs said.

ComePlayDetroit, the first initiative of CommunityNEXT, officially opened in February and provides local residents with a center

where they can join intramural leagues, work out individually and engage with each other through social events. CPD provides an alternative for young professionals to meet each other.

Even though Jacobs is serious and committed to providing young residents with social activity, he said the best part of his job is that “I get to have fun; I get to say who wants to play?”

This summer, metro Detroiters will have the opportunity to join leagues that play in some of the area’s most attractive venues, such as Belle Isle. But if playing co-ed kickball, softball, volleyball and tennis on a beautiful beach doesn’t appeal to you, CDP offers six other intramural sports.

The fitness studio, located at 110 Clifford St., is a lovely addition to the area’s recreational options. CDP’s fitness studio offers a wide range of classes including yoga, Pilates, personal training sessions and Zumba. There is a recommended donation of $10 per class, but if you can’t afford it, CPD will not turn you

away. The studio also offers free Powerade beverages and KIND bars to enhance the experience.

Through hosting multicultural events and partnering with community development organizations, ComePlayDetroit has been able to provide unique social opportunities for young adults.

Jacobs’s contribution to revitalizing Detroit by creating a strong sense of community in the city has received a lot of buzz, and he’s thankful for the support he’s received.

“The truth is, anyone that is willing to try something new that benefits the community will receive the same amazing support that I have been so fortunate to have received,” Jacobs said.

Interested in the opportunity to work out for an affordable price, participate in fun sporting events or meet new people? Check out ComePlayDetroit’s website. CDP is currently accepting registrations for their Summer Leagues — sign up at www.comeplaydetroit.com.

THESOUTHEND.WAYNE.EDU I APRIL 3 - APRIL 9, 2013 I 13

SPORTS SOFTBALL

Softball back at home Warriors go 2-2 over weekend home games, next travel to play Lake Erie April 3 ZEINAB NAJM Staff Writer

The Wayne State Warriors softball team returned from the road to play its first games at home this season.

WSU faced Urbana University March 29 in a doubleheader. The Warriors earned a split on the day, losing the first game and winning the second one.

In game one, the Warriors jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with a single from Amanda Burnard. In the fourth inning, the Blue Knights tied the game with a hit from Bridgette Barney.

Urbana took the lead and didn’t

give it back after a two-run homer in the top of the sixth. WSU scored another run in the seventh inning but the comeback attempt came up short.

The Warriors fell 2-3 to the Blue Knights.

The second game of the day was a better one for WSU. They defeated Urbana 7-1 behind the pitching of Mackenzie Boehler.

The Blue Knights scored early on but didn’t score again. WSU scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. A double by Logan White helped lead the Warriors to the victory.

On March 30, WSU began its GLIAC conference games against Saginaw Valley State.

It was another doubleheader for the Warriors, and they finished with a split in the twinbill. Similar to March 29, the Warriors lost the first game but rebounded to win the latter.

The opener went into extra innings where WSU lost 10-4 to SVSU. After being down most of the game, the Warriors tied the score in the bottom of the sixth inning. The game was still tied after seven and went into extra innings.

The Cardinals took advantage and score six runs in the eighth inning off WSU pitcher Briana Lee. The Warriors failed to score in the bottom of the eighth inning, which led to their loss.

WSU turned things around in the second game of the doubleheader.

They beat the Saginaw Valley State, 6-4.

The Warriors were led by Jade McGarr’s three hits and the pitching of Boehler. It was a back- and-forth game all afternoon.

WSU scored first, then SVSU answered with two runs in the second and the Warriors regained the lead in the fourth. WSU tacked on more with a hit by Lee to make it 5-2.

The Warriors won by a final of 6-2 and improved their record to 10-12 for the season.

WSU plays Lake Erie College April 3.

BASEBALL

Verlander becomes highest paid pitcher of all time with new contract Tigers’ ace pitcher hopes to remain Tiger for remainder of his career ZEINAB NAJM Staff Writer

All through training camp, Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander had been asked by the media about his next contract. He kept quiet until March 29.

Around 12:30 p.m., Verlander tweeted, “Today is going to be a great day. Big news coming!” making fans anxious for what the news would be.

It only took a few minutes after that tweet for the news to break about his new contract extension with the Tigers.

Verlander’s deal would keep him a Detroit Tiger until 2019, with an option for 2020. His new deal is worth $180 million and an extra $22 million if the option is picked up.

This new deal makes Verlander the highest paid pitcher of all time. Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez’s $175 million,

seven-year deal was the highest for a pitcher before the Verlander contract.

The deal for Verlander covers seven years with the option for the eighth year. Verlander will have to finish in the top five of the CY Young voting in 2019 to earn the option.

Over those years, Verlander will make $20 million in 2013 and 2014 and $28 million every season until 2019, when the vesting option for 2020, worth $22 million, comes into play.

Verlander has always wanted to be a Tiger for life and this contract is a good way to guarantee that will happen. His next tweet said, “I love this city & the fans - couldn’t be more excited to spend my career here! We’re going to bring a World Series to Detroit!!!”

With his new contract, Verlander is now on his way to becoming “Always a Tiger.”

14 I APRIL 3 - APRIL 9, 2013 I THESOUTHEND.WAYNE.EDU

law.wayne.edu

“

I loved my experience at Wayne Law. Professors are dedicated to promoting critical thinking and lifelong learning, and students are strong advocates in the community. I enjoyed the many diverse perspectives brought to the classroom and am confident that the experiences I gained at Wayne Law will be invaluable in my legal career.”

— Eleanor Ung 2011 Law Student of the Year, National Asian Pacific American Law Student Association Wayne Law Class of 2012 We are proud of our outstanding students, and welcome your application to join them. Visit law.wayne.edu by April 15 to complete our free online application.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Injuries hold back Warriors from reaching potential WSU gets off to hot start, but stumble to finish line with 4 straight losses to end year JORDAN BRAZELL Senior Writer

In the season preview by gliac.org, the Wayne State men’s hoops squad was selected by the GLIAC coaches to finish second in the GLIAC North Division for the 2012-13 season. In these respects, the Warriors exceeded expectations. However, injuries and inconsistencies played a huge factor in WSU not having a bigger year.

“It was really tough from the standpoint that, toward the end of the year, Ian (Larkin) was pretty much running on fumes.

He’s had some hip surgeries and basically his practice time is limited,” WSU head coach David Greer said. “Mike Hollingsworth’s shoulder popped out in that game (against Southern Indiana). Hopefully he’ll get some medical attention in the offseason, so he’ll be ready to go full speed next season.”

This WSU team, who won their first GLIAC regular season title since 199899, finished the season with a 17-10 mark, including going 16-6 in conference play.

They also garnered a seventh-seed in the NCAA Midwest Regional tournament, but unfortunately their season was halted in the first round by Southern Indiana on March 16, losing 79-70.

“First of all, we were playing a really good team. Then we were playing a team that we really didn’t match up very well against. We were right there, then they went on a run there at the first half, then in the second half they just came out and did everything right and we did everything wrong,” Greer said.

Greer’s squad began the season 12-2, with the only losses coming from national powers Bellermine and Drury University. A 90-56 thrashing of Saginaw Valley on Jan. 12 was WSU’s largest victory this season and it gave the Warriors their fifth consecutive win in a streak that totaled a season-high of seven.

After an 11-0 start in GLIAC play, WSU hit a road-block going up against rival Ferris State. In that contest, the Warriors were defeated 72-68 in a double overtime thriller, but what hurt more than that was the loss to guard Mike Holling-

sworth, which Greer says deeply affected their season.

“We were undefeated until we played Ferris and lost that double overtime game, that’s when Mike Hollingsworth got hurt,” he said. “Mike Hollingsworth missed four games, and then it took him two to get back in stride. He basically never really recovered, he had some 20-point games here and there, and that tells you how important he is to our basketball team.”

Mike Hollingsworth, despite injuries, led WSU in scoring with 14.6 points per game, and he earned the GLIAC North Player of Week honor three times, which led to him being a unanimous first-team All-GLIAC selection.

Junior Chene Phillips, who averaged 11.5 points per game and 3.5 assists per game (8th in conference), was voted to the GLIAC All-Defensive Team after finishing seventh in the league in steals (1.8 spg).

Phillips was once voted GLIAC North Player of the Week after a 29-point performance (WSU season-high) at Tiffin on Nov. 29, however, the Liberty University transfer saw his offensive efficiency go down significantly between the two halves of the season. This is something that the coach partly attributed to the loss of backcourt mate Hollingsworth.

“I think that was a combination of a couple things. First of all he quit attacking the basket, which he was good at. Early on in the year, Mike Hollingsworth was actually injured and was slowly working his way in so he (Phillips) took on more of a scoring role,” Greer said. “Then Mike got going there and hit his stride, then Mike got hurt again against Ferris State and I just don’t think he (Phillips) could ever make that transformation.

“But Chene is a multi-talented player and he can play defense, he’s good offensively, so I expect him to have a great year next year.”

WSU sent seniors Cole Prophet and Ian Larkin out properly with a 56-53 win over Ferris State Feb. 21 on Senior Night.

Cole Prophet, in his final season, averaged 11.8 points per game, as well as a fifth-best 3.9 assists in the conference.

COURTESY WSU ATHLETICS

RON HARPER / SPECIAL TO THE SOUTH END A healthy Ian Larkin would have made a difference for WSU.

For his efforts, he was chosen as a second-team All-GLIAC selection, as well as a member of the All-GLIAC Defensive Team.

Forward Ian Larkin averaged 13.7 points and 6.2 rebounds in his final season, even while enduring injuries and lingering hip pain. Larkin was voted to the NABC All-Midwest Region second team, All-GLIAC first team, and he finished his career as only the third Warrior to total over 1,000 points (1022), 500 rebounds (550) and 100 blocks (115), according to wsuathletics.com.

WSU closed the season out with four straight losses, including two against Lake Superior State (one of them in the GLIAC tourney).

Before this season, the Warriors hadn’t been ranked in the national top 25 since the final poll of the 2011 season (accord-

ing to wsuathletics.com), but this season, WSU spent much of the season in the rankings, landing as high as 19th in the NABC poll. WSU also ranked as high as No. 4 in the regional polls. That along with winning a conference title made it a formality when Greer was voted GLIAC Coach of the Year.

This season, Coach Greer became the all-time leader in GLIAC wins and moved up to third all-time on the WSU wins list and it marked the team’s third straight season with at least 14 conference wins.

Greer acknowledged that coming into the season, his team had made certain goals, like winning the GLIAC regular season and tourney titles, as well as making a deep run into the NCAA tournament.

While they didn’t accomplish all their goals, the coach looks favorably at the direction his program is heading.

THESOUTHEND.WAYNE.EDU I APRIL 3 - APRIL 9, 2013 I 15

SPORTS NHL

CAMPUS

NHL players should accept mandatory visors Players’ safety has to be top priority for NHL moving forward DARIUS MERRIWEATHER Contributing Writer If you go back and watch an old vintage hockey game, then you would notice that all the players, including the goaltender, didn’t wear any helmets or goalie masks. According to Mike Virgintino of eHow.com, the NHL didn’t require all players to wear helmets until 1979. NHL president at the time, John Ziegler, stated it was mandatory that all new NHL players going into the 1979 season had to wear helmets. On the other hand, players who were already in the league or had signed a waiver form before June 1979 didn’t have to wear helmets. However, today, all players are wearing a helmet, but not all of them wear visors.

Recently, the NHL general managers held a meeting in Toronto to discuss making visors for all NHL players mandatory. This came about when New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal got hit in the face by a puck. Unfortunately, Staal had a concussion as a result and has been out of the Rangers lineup ever since. According to Shawn P. Roarke of NHL.com, visors would be grandfathered into the league by general managers, meaning that current players would not be required to wear a visor. However, all incoming players would be required to wear one.

“Our managers are for grandfathering visors to all players coming into the league,” said NHL senior executive vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell in an NHL.com article. “We are at about 73 to 75 percent visor use amongst our players. The (National Hockey League Players’ Association) said they had some traction in that area. They approached their players about that and they said they gave us a stat of a few years ago where the majority of their players were not for grandfathering, but now they feel like there is some sentiment toward going in that area. Our managers are for that.”

Brendan Savage of mlive.com reported

from a New York Times story that the NHL players voted back in 2009 on making visors mandatory. The report said only 30 percent of the players favored the idea of making them required. Since the Staal injury, there have been other players experiencing similar injuries like Detroit Red Wings player Todd Bertuzzi.

According to Savage, Bertuzzi got cut in the eye by the stick of Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn earlier this season.

Bertuzzi does not wear a visor. A former Red Wings player, Mathieu Schneider, now the special assistant to NHLPA executive director Don Fehr, says even though he didn’t wear a visor throughout his 22-year NHL career, he now believes that visors should be mandatory for all players.

“I think by the sheer number of players you see wearing them, you’re seeing a big change in visors,” Schneider said in a New York Times story written by Dhiren Mahiban. “Guys come in to the league now having had to have worn a visor before. We’re definitely going to look at talking to the guys about grandfathering them in.”

Before it is all said and done, the NHL Board of Governors and competition committee must approve in order for the league to grandfather visors. In addition, the Players Association must vote before the competition committee meets again.

That won’t be until the Stanley Cup Finals.

This should be a no-brainer vote for the NHL. It makes perfect sense for the league to finally make visors mandatory, especially with the rise in concussions — even though not all the concussions are a result of pucks or sticks hitting the face.

In saying that, it would certainly help if the NHL comes to its senses and stops living in the past. The days of not wearing helmets are over. They must realize that it is a new age and more players are getting hit in the face by pucks while not wearing visors. In the end, they will have more head injuries that will result in possible long-term concussions.

16 I APRIL 3 - APRIL 9, 2013 I THESOUTHEND.WAYNE.EDU

New triathlon club team set to join WSU Team will participate in Mideast Collegiate Triathlon Conference RYAN RAGER Contributing Writer The Wayne State Warriors now have a triathlon club team that will participate in the Mideast Collegiate Triathlon Conference against the likes of Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Indiana University. According to Chris Rourke, who formed and will coach the team, they will be ready for conference competition, and the Scarlet and Grey Triathlon hosted by Ohio State University,

by June 23.

Races will be Olympic distance, which is a one-mile swim, 24 miles by bike and a 10k run (approximately 6.2 miles). The scoring system is modeled after cross-country and track, in which individual runners are scored by their placement in the race, thus contributing to the team’s total.

Rourke, who is 23 years old and a first-year graduate student in the WSU music program, competed in triathlons for three-and-a-half years at the University of Dayton and wasted little time bringing the sport to his new school. He put the word out last semester and has begun practicing with four to five students this winter.

Forming the team fulfilled a lot wishes for Rourke.

“The experience I had the past four years racing … plus it’s just an awesome group of people, the network, the triathletes, it’s a lot of fun. I wanted to open up the experience for anyone else who wanted to try it,” he said.

As coach, Rourke sends out optional practice schedules and suggested workouts weekly to anyone interested.

As a club team, any full-time WSU student can join, and nothing is mandatory, leaving the amount of participation up to the individual. All travel, uniforms and other team expenses will be self-funded.

But why run triathlons?

“It’s great for health, discipline,” Rourke said. “You’re doing it on your own; it depends on your individual effort, so it’s a really beneficial thing.”

He said, “a lot of people think it’s a bigger thing than it really is, but anybody can do it. It’s one of the best adrenaline rushes you can ever get.

It’s more of a journey, a long endurance challenge. It’s a great way for people to challenge themselves, a great goal to have.”

According to the official website of the MECTC, it is recognized as “the governing body for the sport of triathlon at the collegiate level in the Mideastern United States of America by United States of America Triathlon.”

Triathlon competition recently made it to the organized collegiate level in the spring of 2006 with the West Coast Collegiate Triathlon Conference. After a successful first season, a Midwest conference was formed and split into two conferences in 2010, the Midwest Collegiate Triathlon Conference and the MECTC. The MECTC will hold races for the 2013 season beginning in early June and finishing with a series of conference championship races through September before the USAT Collegiate National Championship in Arizona the following April.

Conference races will take place in various locations throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.