Statement Issue Archive
January 11, 2012
The Statement
Henderson House, a co-op for the cooperative
- Alden Reiss/Daily
BY KATIE STEEN
What comes to mind when you think of a co-op? Tofu? Mason jars? Red Solo cups in peculiar locations? During my visit to the wholesome Henderson House Co-op, however, there wasn't Mason jar or Solo cup in sight. Maybe there was some tofu in the fridge, but I didn’t check.
Project for Awesome: Linking philanthropy with new media
BY LUCY PERKINS
Positive online interaction through events like Project for Awesome are made possible through YouTube by its very nature, giving viewers (whether they consider themselves to be Nerdfighters or not) the opportunity to contribute to something bigger than themselves.
Experts share tips on how to vlog
BY LUCY PERKINS
Video blogging isn't so difficult when YouTube Partners are showing you the ropes. Tips dictated to Lucy Perkins by Tyler Oakley, Dan Brown and Chellie Carr.
Random Student Interview: Working hard with Mike's Hard
- Illustration by Jeff Zuschlag
BY KAITLIN WILLIAMS
Welcome to the Random Student Interview, where we laud your accomplishments to the point of self-deprecation. So do you give care about the Iowa caucus results?
Not really.
Do you know who won?
I don’t know anything. I should care because it’s the first year I’m going to be able to vote in a presidential election, but ...
Behind the cover story: Lucy Perkins discusses the appeal of YouTube
- Todd Needle/Daily
BY JENNIFER XU
Lucy Perkins is an Arts Writer and wrote today's cover story on a curiously close YouTube community known as the Nerdfighters. We learn more about her motivations behind writing the article in this one-on-one interview.
January 4, 2012
The Statement
Peter Hammer: Prejudice on the track
- Courtesy of Peter Hammer
BY MARY HANNAHAN
Hammer was the first openly gay male to go up for tenure in the Law School, and subsequently, the first male to be denied tenure at the institution in 39 years. After the University refused to allow him to view the documents that detailed the tenure decision, Hammer brought the case to court.
The Statement
Racing against the clock: A run on the tenure track
- Photo Illustration by Terra Mollengraf
BY MARY HANNAHAN
Who is the Lamberto Cesari Collegiate Professor of Mathematics? What sets him apart from a recently hired assistant professor in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literature? While such distinctions may seem meaningless to University students, they denote a complex process of faculty standing at the University. But the process of actually landing tenure is no walk in the park.
Letter from the editors
BY DYLAN CINTI AND JENNIFER XU
As its name suggests, The Statement is geared toward the kind of hard-hitting coverage that will get people thinking and talking. For us, this means coverage that’s backed up by evidence and interesting stories.
Stashu Kybartas: Why can't films get you tenure?
- Courtesy of Stashu Kybartas
BY MARY HANNAHAN
Stashu Kybartas makes film documentaries — or rather, he would like to. Lately, he hasn’t had the time. A production senior lecturer in the Department of Screen Arts and Cultures, Kybartas typically teaches three classes a term and takes on a range of duties, from serving on committees to advising students.
Lecturers, off the beaten track
BY MARY HANNAHAN
Lecturers, who comprise 16 percent of faculty in LSA, are not hired on the tenure track. According to Herold, most lecturers have the same qualifications as professors, in that they have Ph.D.s and are experts in their field. But there's a huge gulf between lecturers and professors in terms of job security, responsibilities and salary.
Random Student Interview: Resolutions and the ‘Real World’
BY LAURA ARGINTAR
Welcome to the Random Student Interview, where we learn how to bring the farm to the big city.
So what's your New Year’s resolution going to be for this year?
I think it’s time I come to terms with reality, and being in the real world. But more specifically, it’s to experience Ann Arbor for all its worth. I want to explore and go on adventures at Michigan.
December 7, 2011
The Statement
Ten for Two: Forty years ago, one man's imprisonment would forever change Ann Arbor
- Courtesy of Ann Arbor Public Library
BY JOSEPH LICHTERMAN
It was past 3 a.m. — more than eight hours after the show started — by the time John Lennon and Yoko Ono took the stage at Crisler Arena wearing matching magenta T-shirts and leather jackets.
The Statement
How Michigan alum Raoul Wallenberg took on the Nazis and saved thousands
BY BETHANY BIRON
Among the Arthur Millers and Gerald Fords to graduate from the University, it’s easy to overlook a young Swedish businessman who single-handedly saved the lives of thousands of Jews in the Holocaust.
Personal Statement: The little blue book
BY MONICA KUSAKA HERRERO
I’ve been fortunate enough to have not only traveled out of the country, but to have come from an international family (as crazy as they are) and live abroad. In 2003, my family made our first big move to Tokyo, Japan. I was in seventh grade, and in my middle school prime — not the ideal time to move halfway across the world.
Random Student Interview 12/07
BY KAITLIN WILLIAMS
Welcome to the Random Student Interview, where we push the boundaries of desperation.
Hey do you have a minute?
OK.
You don’t sound too convincing. Do you really have a minute?
Yeah. I mean, I should be doing everything else.
What do you mean by “everything else?”
Oh, you know. Finals are next week.
November 30, 2011
The Statement
Romance 2.0: Instead of picking up dates at bars, students are trying their luck online
- Jed Moch/Daily
BY JENNIFER LEE
For most college students, opportunities to meet potential significant others are presented on Friday nights at the bars, in the classroom or through the suggestion of a mutual friend.
The Statement
The difficulty with dispensaries
BY ADAM RUBENFIRE
Chuck Ream was not happy when the Michigan State Police’s Livingston and Washtenaw Narcotics Enforcement Team raided his Arborside medical marijuana dispensary on Aug. 25.
Random Student Interview 11/30
BY LAURA ARGINTAR
Hey there, you look like you just went through a serious monsoon. Doesn’t it suck to be cold and wet?
Depends who you ask. I’d rather be walking in the rain than walking in the snow.
Personal Statement: Nursing a dream
BY PAIGE PEARCY
“The baby had what?! I didn’t think that was possible.”
“Oh yes, we see it all the time with the preemies. Their intestines are outside of their bodies when they are born, and then they undergo an operation to put them back in.”
November 23, 2011
The Statement
Personal Statement: Swedish Meatballs
BY MARISA WINTER
5:01 p.m. “Hop on the phones. Do a great job. Raise lots of money. Sound enthusiastic.” Greeting me with those simple lines, managers start each night shift of the semester. At the Michigan Telefund, I call alumni to fundraise on behalf of the Office of Development. I see these managerial words as nourishment, a protein providing some energy for the work before us.
The Statement
Random Student Interview 11/23
BY KAITLIN WILLIAMS
Welcome to the random student interview, where sex strikes are shockingly ineffective.
Hey there young man, I notice you’re quite clean-shaven. Why aren’t you participating in the famed No-Shave November?
I like to stay casual during the school year.
Would you like it more if everyone called it Novembeard?
The Statement
Getting paid for social networking
BY RAYZA GOLDSMITH
Social media has created a new set of career possibilities for college graduates and has changed the character of existing fields like marketing and advertising. It has even changed the way people who would otherwise prefer to have nothing to do with social media network and apply for jobs.
Space, Time & Football: Two of Team 132
- Marissa McClain/Daily
BY MARISSA MCCLAIN
When I watch Michigan football games every Saturday, it’s through a telephoto lens. This very small window into the game allows me to capture moments that go by too quickly to appreciate in real time. Every game, my aim is to get “the shot” — the image that sums up hours of action in one still frame. And though I think there is something beautiful about the way a single image can tell its own story, something is lost in the transition from event to image.
November 16, 2011
The Statement
The Job Hunt: Wolverines remain optimistic in tough times
BY PAIGE PEARCY
During the four-year college experience, students refine their skills and interests so that after they walk across the podium and throw their mortar board, they know how they are going to define their success. But with a dismal financial outlook, students don't always think about what they want to do when they "grow up" as they did when they were in first grade — instead it's what they have to do to get by.
The Statement
Standing out in the stack: Tips for résumés and cover letters
BY THE STATEMENT
The Statement has 10 pointers for the two most important pieces of paper in your job hunt.
Personal Statement: More than work experience
BY COURTNEY MURPHY
After completing fall semester of my junior year, I decided to change things up a bit. I was lucky enough to get a job offer, and instead of registering for classes to complete another semester in Ann Arbor, I decided to take the semester off to gain some work experience.
Random Student Interview 11/16/11
BY KAITLIN WILLIAMS
Welcome to the random student interview, where the official language is English.
So Molly, what are you studying?
I’m undecided right now. I’ve got to figure that out.
No kidding. You’re a freshman. Get on that. So what are you taking right now?
November 9, 2011
The Statement
Random Student Interview 11/9/11
BY KAITLIN WILLIAMS
Welcome to the random student interview, where we existentially debate your validity as a person.
The Statement
Personal Statement: The love of politics
BY BRANDON SHAW
Bullets were fired. Blood was lost. And a 5-year-old boy nearly lost his life. Mine was changed forever.
In August 1999, I was at summer camp at the North Valley Jewish Community Center when my five best friends were shot. I was 10, entering fourth grade, and had no idea what was going on, why there was mass chaos or what this man’s motive was.
The Statement
Women on Wheels: Rolling into Ann Arbor's roller derby scene
- Courtsey of Farzin Montazersadgh and Andrew Potter
BY LUCY PERKINS
On the shiny wood rink, painted lines gleam and direct a swarm of fishnets, leopard print kneepads and neon roller skates in continuous circles. The sound of a whistle commands skaters to jump or stop – a warm-up to practice skills essential for the team to win a game.
The Statement
Praying, Preaching and Teaching: How the role of religion has changed at Michigan
BY JACOB AXELRAD
Despite a lack of concrete affiliations, in practice and thought, religion still plays an important role on campus, whether in the classroom, a synagogue, mosque or church, the Shapiro Undergraduate Library reflection room or the steps of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library where Diag preachers loudly voice their beliefs.
• VIDEO: Exploring religion on campus with three student leaders
November 2, 2011
The Statement
Random Student Interview 11/2/11
BY KAITLIN WILLIAMS
Welcome to the random student interview, where we hold one student hostage for four minutes for your enjoyment. Do you have a minute?
The Statement
The University of Michigan Flyers taking off the past 100 years
- Chris Dzombak/Daily
BY ANDREW SCHULMAN
The genesis of the University’s aerospace engineering programming — and, according to the Flyers’ current officers, the club as well — was a letter from the Polish émigré Felix Pawlowski to 18 of the United States’s most prominent colleges.
The Statement
Is this what democracy looks like?
BY TIMOTHY RABB
Dozens of ideas compete for the movement’s attention, but they are not easily categorized. So, the media’s attempts to do so were not convincing to me. I had to see it for myself.
October 26, 2011
the statement
The Main Street Allure: There are more nightlife options than the South U bars
BY SETH SODERBORG
In the 70s, a plate of spaetzle at The Heidelberg was the late-night snack for hungry undergrads. These days, the cheap burritos and beer available on every block of South University Avenue have taken its place, and Main Street serves a different crowd.
Random Student Interview 10/26/11
BY KAITLIN WILLIAMS
So, you’re a freshman. I take it you’re not 21.
No. Not at all.
Too bad, I was going to say we should go do the interview in a bar. It’s cold and windy and it’s Monday and a beer sounds really good right now.
Brewing a Business: How two college buddies created Founders Brewing Company
- Photo illustration by Jed Moch and Sarah Squire
BY JOSH HEALY
Yet it seems Founders, located in Grand Rapids, Mich., shouldn’t still be around. Craft brewing started as a hobby for Engbers, co-founder, vice president and director of marketing, and Mike Stevens, co-founder and president of Founders Brewing Company. The hobby became their passion, turned into their business and for a time, dissolved into a nightmare.
• BEST BREWS: The winners of the 2011 Homebrewing Competition
• VIDEO: Behind the scenes with the judges
2011 Homebrewing Competition Winners
- Erin Kirkland/Daily
BY STEPHEN OSTROWSKI
The Russian Imperial Stout by graduate students David Fick, Matt Fojtik, Nick Collins and Nate Pinckney took first place in The Statement's third annual homebrewing competition.
October 19, 2011
the statement
The 21st Century Library: Books may gather dust in the stacks, but librarians are busier than ever
BY JOSEPH LICHTERMAN
While it's possible to go through four years at the University without ever checking out a book, libraries are hardly irrelevant. They are evolving, and in some cases even thriving, in the face of technological change.
The Statement
Easy 'A' abroad
BY CAITLIN HUSTON
Studying abroad is a popular college experience, but students may not be academically challenged overseas.
• VIDEO: Why are students studying abroad?
Random Student Interview 10/19/11
BY DYLAN CINTI
Welcome to the Random Student Interview, where the reporter sometimes wants to talk more than the subject.
I ran into one other person, this girl, but she seemed to be in a big hurry and turned me down for an interview. Do you think I should take that personally?
Personal Statement: For want of a burrito
BY ELLIOT ALPERN
I can’t imagine most people would be able to answer immediately when asked: “What was the most exciting weekend of your life?” In fact, I’m not sure many people have such a weekend, the one you’ll never forget. But seriously, shut up about that one time at whatever camp you went to in high school. Nobody cares that you drank beer from insert-piece-of-equipment-here.
October 12, 2011
Struggling with Legitimacy: Wikipedia is still looking for its place in academia
BY ROBIN VEECK
“Wikipedia is not a source” has become a familiar refrain in academic settings — but that doesn’t stop many students, and professors, from referencing the crowd-sourced encyclopedia on a daily basis.
The Commerce of Coffee: A look at fair trade brew in Ann Arbor
BY CASSIE BALFOUR
The organic movement has driven hordes of customers to the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market in Kerrytown to check out locally grown food and has influenced the first everwildly popular MFarmers’ Market where locavores cleaned out the make-shift market’s supply. However, fair trade has maintained a lower profile despite an increased awareness of the effects of globalization and corporate influences.
• VIDEO: Fair trade and direct trade coffee
Personal Statement: The Facebook friend purge
BY TODD NEEDLE
About a week ago, I received a text from a friend from high school: “Did you unfollow me on Twitter?!” I had to laugh because I had in fact “unfollowed” her, as she had fallen victim to over-tweeting.
Random Student Interview: Oct. 12, 2011
BY KAITLIN WILLIAMS
Welcome to the random student interview, where rejection hurts worse than a kickball to the face.
So, do you have a girlfriend?
No.
Are you looking for one?
Yeah, well kind of.
October 5, 2011
The Statement
Those who stay will be SuperFans
- Marissa McClain/Daily
BY DANIEL WASSERMAN
If you asked, you’d probably get about 540,000 answers as to who is the Wolverines’ biggest fan — but can they go toe-to-toe with superfans like John Levinson, Dottie Day, Jeff Holzhausen or Patrick Brown? Probably not.
Random Student Interview 10/5
BY KAITLIN WILLIAMS
Welcome to the random student interview, where we ask complete strangers to validate their lives.
There’s a lot of pressure on me for this to be funny …
Funny?
Personal Statement: Seven Days in Dharamsala
BY ANKIT MEHTA
After World War II, the Chinese government pronounced the unification of all Chinese descendants under one empire. It used this to collude and forcefully take ownership of Tibetan lands and perform a cultural genocide. As Chinese hostility peaked in 1959, the Tibetan government and the Dalai Lama fled Tibet for Dharamsala, India.
September 28, 2011
Random Student Interview 9/28/11
BY KAITLIN WILLIAMS
Welcome to the random student interview, where we make obvious observations to start awkward conversations.
I see you’re holding a Daily.
Yeah, it was in the Union so I picked up a copy.
Are you using it for warmth or kindling?
I actually read it.
So you’re not using it for shade?
Personal Statement: Opting for co-ops
BY MIA MARINO
After living in the University’s Luther Haus co-op last year, I can confidently say two things: First, that I loved every minute spent in the co-op and second, I praise the Lord every day that my conservative mother never set foot in that house.
The Housing Issue
- Illustration by Maya Friedman and Hermés Risien
BY STATEMENT STAFF
As the house-hunting season begins, The Michigan Daily has put together a housing guide to help you find a neighborhood you'll love. The housing information is based on an online survey of 186 students from the 15 different off-campus neighborhoods recognized by the University.
September 21, 2011
the statement
The Bridge Card Conundrum: Are students cheating the system or following the rules?
BY PAIGE PEARCY
Though LSA senior Bethany Oudersluys no longer lives with the convenience of University residence hall meals in her off-campus home, she doesn’t have to worry about paying for food. In fact, she doesn’t pay for it at all.
the statement
Walking the Line: How Ann Arbor balances old with new
- Courtesy of the Bentley Historical Library
BY STEPHEN OSTROWSKI
It could be called Ann Arbor’s odd couple. On the 200 block of South Main Street, two unlikely retailers rub shoulders: eclectic gift shop The Peaceable Kingdom and a Wireless Zone, retailer of the cellular phone titan Verizon Wireless.
September 14, 2011
the statement
Paving the Way: Dr. Karin Muraszko reshapes the medical field as the first (and only) female chair of neurosurgery
- Jed Moch/Daily
BY STEPHANIE STEINBERG
Though Dr. Karin Muraszko is the only woman leading a neurosurgery department in the country, her gender isn't the only characteristic that makes her stand out. The 4-foot-9 inch surgeon has spina bifida — a condition that prevents the spine from properly developing.
the statement
Second Chances: The University's new Collegiate Recovery Program helps students with addictions find sobriety
- Erin Kirkland / Daily
BY ELYANA TWIGGS
The University’s new Collegiate Recovery Program is helping students who have to cope with a less talked about struggle when entering the college environment: addiction.
Random Student Interview 9/14/11
BY KAITLIN WILLIAMS
Welcome to the random student interview, where we make one student incredibly uncomfortable for your enjoyment.
September 7, 2011
The Statement
The Diversity Debate: Is affirmative action still necessary?
BY BRIENNE PRUSAK
It’s been 40 years since John F. Kennedy asked Americans to "take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin.” That was 118 years after the first known African American student was admitted to the University in 1853.
Faking 21: How bouncers catch fake IDs and underage students get past the rope
- Photo illustration by Sarah Squire
BY DAILY STAFF WRITER
On the Thursday of Welcome Week, I walked into Good Time Charley’s and handed Russell Dobson, a bouncer at the popular campus bar on South University Avenue, one of my fake IDs — a driver’s license from Maine that shows I’m 22 and living at an address I never bothered to memorize. He let me in.
April 13, 2011
Joey Richter
- Todd Needle/Daily
BY VERONICA MENALDI
Music, Theatre & Dance senior Joey Richter knew from the start that he wanted to attend college somewhere outside of his home state of California. Ultimately it came down to New York University and the University of Michigan.
Allen Kim
- Hannah Chin/Daily
BY BRANDON SHAW
Running a business valued at well over $100,000 as a college student may make some people stressed, but Engineering senior Allen Kim is an exception.
Chris Armstrong
- Marissa McClain/Daily
BY ANNA ROZENBERG
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding former Michigan Student Assembly president Chris Armstrong’s term as MSA president. He was the target of verbal harassment by former Michigan assistant attorney general Andrew Shirvell. In light of this, it’s easy for people to forget everything else Armstrong has done this year.
Bhanu Chundu
- Alden Reiss/Daily
BY PAIGE PEARCY
Only a handful of filmmakers have their work selected to screen at the Traverse City Film Festival each summer and even fewer of those selected are students. Though LSA senior Bhanu Chundu has not yet received his degree, that hasn't kept him from creating films with the same cinematic quality as professional filmmakers.
Lexi Zimmerman
- Jake Fromm/Daily
BY MARK BURNS
Not many Division-I athletes can claim to be named the best all-time player in a particular sport. But senior volleyball setter and Program in the Environment concentrator Lexi Zimmerman will graduate in a few weeks as “the best all-time player in the history of Michigan (volleyball),” according to volleyball coach Mark Rosen.
Maggie Oliver and Lauren Sopher
- Erin Kirkland/Daily
BY SARAH ALSADEN
Art & Design senior Lauren Sopher and LSA sophomore Maggie Oliver are not fans of bottled water. Sopher and Oliver gained University-wide recognition this year when they spearheaded a campaign to ban the sale of bottled water on campus.
David Hines Jr.
- Alden Reiss/Daily
BY KAVI SHEKHAR PANDEY
“And now in his second year as Michigan's man-up-front, from Marietta, Georgia, Drum Major David Hines Jr.!” The 100,000-plus crowd goes bonkers. But one person doesn’t notice.
Random Student Interview: April 13, 2011
BY STEPHEN OSTROWSKI
Welcome to the Random Student Interview, where the line between journalistic integrity and personal boundaries becomes blurred.
Why don’t you start off by telling me what your summer plans are?
Um my summer plans are going to work at a canoe livery on the Huron River.
Oh cool. How’d you get that?
I just applied on A2.gov.
A.J. Holmes
- Anna Shulte/Daily
BY ARIELLE SPECINER
Students have to be extremely talented to make it into the musical theatre department at the University. But to be one of its brightest stars takes determination and a knack for teamwork, which is exactly what senior A.J. Holmes possesses.
John-William Sidhom
- Jed Moch/Daily
BY SABIRA KHAN
Engineering senior John-William Sidhom is one University student who took his coursework beyond the classroom.
Students of the Year
- Illustration by Daily Staff
BY THE STATEMENT
In a school full of the leaders and the best, it takes something extra special to stand out among the crowd. From environmentalism to acting and athleticism to entrepreneurship, these students have gone above and beyond to become the students of the year.
April 6, 2011
Personal Statement: The joy of harmonica
BY TYLER HELLNER
The standard blues progression is I-IV-V, which is to say from the root to the subdominant then the dominant and back to the root.
Random Student Interview: April 6, 2011
BY SARAH SQUIRE
Welcome to the Random Student Interview, where the line between journalistic integrity and personal boundaries becomes blurred.
What do you do on campus?
I’m like not really involved in much because I’m a senior.
So what do you do all day?
Fifteen years after Yost, Morrison still embodies Michigan hockey
- Marissa McClain/Daily
BY MARK BURNS
Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Sharp decided to take one last verbal jab at the former center of the West Coast Express.
March 30, 2011
Random Student Interview: 03.30.11
BY SARAH SQUIRE
Welcome to the Random Student Interview, where the line between journalistic integrity and personal boundaries becomes blurred.
Who is DeAndree Watson?
Uh, the new MSA president.
Who is Brendan Campbell?
The new vice president.
Can you name three things MSA does?
No.
March 23, 2011
THE STATEMENT
Multiple Majors: Ambitious students juggle several concentrations
- Courtesy of Dan Brown
BY STEPHEN OSTROWSKI
To some, it might be ironic that LSA junior Xiaoxiao Liu calls himself a “risk-averse person.”
Personal Statement: ¡Toronjas, latrinas, y Americanos!
BY ANDREW S. KOO
When I signed up for Pre-Med Club’s Alternative Spring Break, I never imagined that I could change, but from day one in the Dominican Republic, I knew that I had been completely wrong. When someone told me this trip was going to change my life, I did not anticipate what was going to happen.
The Grading Gap: Analyzing the disparities in grade distributions
- Jake Fromm/Daily
BY CAROLYN KLARECKI
Building the perfect class schedule is an art. The moment the course guide goes live, the eight-page paper due tomorrow takes second priority as students attempt to craft a four-day weekend with no classes before 11 a.m.
• MAIZE AND BLUE REVIEW: See what grades your professor gives
March 16, 2011
The Statement
Studying Students: Why Wolverines donate their bodies and minds to University research
BY VERONICA MENALDI
First-year graduate student Cailin Collins may have been vaccinated for anthrax, but she isn't sure. She might have received a placebo instead.
Random Student Interview
BY STEPHEN OSTROWSKI
Welcome to the Random Student Interview, where the line between journalistic integrity and personal boundaries becomes blurred.
Losing the Incentive: What Gov. Snyder's proposed cuts mean for Michigan's film industry
- Illustration by Jake Fromm
BY KAVI SHEKHAR PANDEY
Excitement is all around us: students talking in class, passersby chatting on the Diag, status updates and tweets — “George Clooney is filming a movie on campus!!!” (give or take a few exclamation marks).
March 9, 2011
Just a Cousin
BY ERIN CARNEY
What I will never forget is the green carpet in your room, which would later hold your vomit. And your walls. Those dark green walls. I remember staring at them for the first time, wishing I had a favorite color.
When the World Gets Wise
BY NAZIFA ISLAM
If the world gets wise
decides it does want to
fall
at
your
Tu propio
BY MAGDALENA ZENAIDA
Acercate a mi lado,
alumbrame, al dentro de mi pecho.
Mi sudor y mi sal,
de ti, los venian, igual de mis penas.
Los delfines no juegan en el desierto,
ni los camellos peregrina en la selva.
Tu propio paraíso,
existe en un rayo debajo de la luna,
y me hace desnuda, en el paraíso de ti.
Your Own
Come closer to me,
the light inside my breast.
My sweat and my salt,
Sunrise over the Sierra Nevada
BY LAURA HLEBASKO
Night sneaks slowly away
On peppermint peaks, snowy,
and painted pink by rose-cheeked Dawn.
Burton Memorial Tower
- Alden Reiss/Daily
BY ALLISON PETERS
At noon, I walk by. It rings on cue.
It swells, I swell on cue. I am going
to work, nothing idyllic.
Like the clock tower,
I am obsessed with hours.
Marking them if not with a ring
then with walking away (never
toward). When a new noon strikes,
and I walk by and away, I swell.
What am I afraid of? I asked
you minutes before sex.
Death, probably, you said, and I could
The Heart of the Matter or Doctor’s Orders
- Jake Fromm/Daily
BY CARILLON SKRZYNSKI
If you want to be done with it
(Which I’m sure you do)
My advice is surgery;
Split it open once and for all
Never to be broken again
Start with a small tear in the skin
And
Digging in your fingers
Pry it wider
To let the ruby insides
Blossom
A soft petal of flesh
Should be left at the edges
A fringe like red lace
Around the valentine heart
I'm Not Angry
- Salam Rida/Daily
BY ALLYSON SAMFILIPPO
In the mornings, I must traipse to the bathroom. There I'll be, every morning, laboriously shaving my legs or curling my eyelashes. I have twenty minutes to become in control and composed. I must be judicious about my flaws in order to protect myself.
The Statement's Annual Literary Issue
- Illustration by Jake Fromm
BY THE STATEMENT
Today’s issue of The Statement showcases some of the best poems and short stories written by University students. The annual Literary Issue gets dozens of submissions each year, from which The Statement’s staff chooses its favorites. The Statement staff believes the student voice matters, and our expression through verse and prose ought to be celebrated.
Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt
- Jed Moch/Daily
BY ANDREA TAVERNA
I quit you three or four days after I quit smoking for the first, last, and ill-advised time. The two are highly interrelated. Another three or four days and I’m standing in your kitchen in an ethereal haze of grey and blue, watching reruns of a vampire show on HBO. You come around the corner into the room, open up the fridge, and dig out a bottle of water.
March 8, 2011
AUDIO: The lives of student parents
- Marissa McClain/Daily
BY MARISSA MCCLAIN. MANAGING PHOTO EDITOR
University students Nicole Morack and John Zehnpfennig talk about their struggles of raising kids while attending classes.
• STATEMENT COVER: Kids and the Classroom: The balancing act of being a student and a parent
February 23, 2011
The cost of Facebook addictions
BY JORDAN ROCHELSON
Turn off FarmVille for a second and imagine you’re sitting in a lecture hall with 300 students listening to a professor drone on about particle physics or “The Canterbury Tales.” In any case, you are bored. However, your professor allows computers in the classroom, strictly for note-taking purposes. Well, what the professor doesn’t know won’t hurt him, and laptops aren’t transparent.
Random Student Interview
BY STEPHEN OSTROWSKI
Welcome to the Random Student Interview, where the line between journalistic integrity and personal boundaries becomes blurred.
Kids and the Classroom: The balancing act of being a student and a parent
- Marissa McClain/Daily
BY DYLAN CINTI
Students across the University face pressure every day — pressure to do well on a test, to start a research paper and to cram for that upcoming midterm. For some University students, academic pressures often fade into the periphery. That’s because these students are also parents.
February 16, 2011
the statement
The University's economic divide
BY KAITLIN WILLIAMS
The socioeconomic status of University students is often a taboo topic, but a recent YouTube video , “University of Michigan Pursuit of Jappiness,” produced by three University students, addresses this topic head-on with satirical references to JAPs (an acronym for Jewish American Princess or Prince) on campus. The stereotype depicts a person from a wealthy family background who has money to spend.
Personal Statement: The bittersweet candy business
BY ELLIOT ALPERN
Almost five years ago, my life changed in a way few would ever dream possible and even fewer could actually claim to have experienced. Everything was thrown into disarray — my very social identity was transformed, and I was powerless to stop it. Like so many before me, I fell victim to my father’s career change.
Random Student Interview
BY STEPHEN OSTROWSKI
Welcome to the Random Student Interview, where the line between journalistic integrity and personal boundaries becomes blurred. How was your Valentine’s Day, first of all?
Jobless in Justice: Will the monetary sacrifice for a law degree pay off in today's economy?
- Photo illustration by Jake Fromm
BY MARY HANNAHAN
“Watch your step, law grads. It's a dangerous world out there," warns Third Tier Reality — one of the many blogs created by angry law school graduates who feel cheated by their expensive education and shortage of legal services jobs.
February 9, 2011
Personal Statement: The Religion of Yost
BY JOSH HEALY
For me, visits to Yost Ice Arena are reminiscent of a religious experience. This sort of phenomenon is difficult to wrap your head around if you’ve never been a very churchy or religious person, but most people have at least felt the emotions that I, as a Catholic atheist, happen to associate with “religion.” So connecting with what I say might be easier than it seems.
Random Student Interview
BY STEPHEN OSTROWSKI
Welcome to the Random Student interview, where the line between journalistic integrity and personal boundaries becomes blurred.
What are your Valentine’s Day plans?
February 2, 2011
the statement
From Detroit Public Schools to leaders and best
- Anna Schulte/Daily
BY KRISTYN ACHO
Based on test scores, grade point averages, attendance records and dropout rates, Detroit Public Schools are a struggling educational system. But according to DPS alumni who currently attend or have graduated from the University of Michigan, these numbers only tell half the story.
Personal Statement: Devoted to Detroit
BY ALEXIS SMITH
A hometown is a vital aspect of your identity, and most people have pride for some place that they’ve lived. However, some cities are difficult to be proud of. Detroit, Michigan is rich in American history, both good and bad. It was Michigan’s original capitol and the original home of the University of Michigan.
Discovering Detroit: Students learn from a city many have written off
- Jed Moch/Daily
BY CHANTEL JENNINGS
“Why do we have a student program in Washington D.C., but not Detroit? Why is it so difficult for students to meaningfully engage in Detroit?” It was the fall of 2006 when LSA senior Rachael Tanner was sitting in Prof. Stephen Ward’s Urban and Community Studies course that she began asking these questions.
January 26, 2011
The Statement
The rise and fall of Greek chapters
BY VERONICA MENALDI
Similar to fashion trends, sorority and fraternity chapters cycle in and out of campus communities across the nation each year. Greek Life representatives say that the desirability of the University’s Greek system puts it on the upward end of the cycle and draws more chapters to Ann Arbor.
Personal Statement: An abusive romance and self-discovery
BY ALYSSON SAMFILIPPO
A few years ago, I was madly in lust with my abuser. Barry was 5'10" and towered over me like a sneering gargoyle. My ignorance nourished his caustic disrespect as our mutual antagonism evolved into palpable abuse.
January 19, 2011
The Statement
MSA through the ages: Former student government presidents highlight their accomplishments
BY RACHEL BRUSSTAR
At a University with a rich academic and athletic history, 1976 was a momentous year. Michigan's football team had a 10-2 season, placed first in the conference and went to the Rose Bowl. While it may be remembered for its infamous football season, few may remember that the year also marked the establishment of the Michigan Student Assembly.
Personal Statement: A summer job and harsh new reality
BY CAROLYN KLARECKI
I grew up safe and sound in a middle class bubble. I wouldn’t say I was privileged — my parents worked very hard and sacrificed a lot to give our family what we had. Still, I didn’t have a job until late in high school, and my upbringing didn’t prepare me for the culture shock that would ensue from the working experience.
Random Student Interview
BY JORDAN ROCHELSON
Welcome to the Random Student interview, where the line between journalistic integrity and personal boundaries becomes blurred.
Hello there! What is your name
Paige
What year are you, Paige?
I’m a sophomore.
And where are you from?
Charlottesville, Virginia
January 12, 2011
Random Student Interview
BY JORDAN ROCHELSON
Welcome to the random student interview where we accost and humiliate a poor student. This week’s victim: Jim. What are you studying?
Environment and political science.
Meaning you want to be a …
I want to go into a public policy school and eventually run for an elected office in my lifetime.
Fighting to be heard: The struggles disabled GSIs face are being brought to light
- Jake Fromm/Daily
BY ELYANA TWIGGS
Renée Echols is completely blind. She has a seeing-eye dog to navigate the University’s campus. She’s also a GSI.
Her stories of struggle with the current administrative system are extensive. In her first semesters as an English GSI in 2007, Echols verbally asked her department supervisor for an aide to assist her with students the classroom, but her request was ignored.
A Variety of Vegetation: An analysis of meat-free options on and around campus
- Marissa McClain/Daily
BY EMMA JESZKE
Less than 3 percent of Americans keep a vegetarian or vegan diet. Because the vegetarian and vegan population is a small minority, members claim they're often misunderstood by meat lovers.
Personal Statement: The rise and fall of a viral blog
- Photo Courtesy of Max Collins
BY MARISSA MCCLAIN
As a frequent visitor of the information superhighway, I have become quite familiar with what will garner a response from my fellow Internet junkies. Whether it involves uploading drunken or embarrassing text messages or cute cats with idiosyncratic captions, when it comes to the Internet, the more preposterous the better.
January 5, 2011
Shaping the classroom, A2 and 'U': Top administrators share their knowledge
BY RACHEL BRUSSTAR
In an era when academic scheduling relies heavily on word-of-mouth reputation and the smiley face hierarchy of ratemyprofessors.com, students are fortunate to have courses taught by tried and true Ann Arbor figureheads and some of the University’s leaders and best, including the mayor of Ann Arbor, a former University president and the current University provost.
Sailor, Soldier, Airman, Marine and Wolverine: How veterans transition from war to campus life
- Photo illustration by Daily Staff
BY RACHEL VAN GILDER
The University is home to about 40,000 students from many different walks of life. About 214 of these students have life experiences radically different from the rest of the student body: they are veterans of the United States military. After immersion in the chaotic life of wartime, they are reintroduced into the life of higher education.
December 8, 2010
Comic strip: The adventures of Superdenardman and Young Tatewalker, issue 2
BY SIMON BORST
The Adventures of Superdenardman and Young Tatewalker, issue 2. A comic strip by Simon Borst.
Personal Statement: Life through a lens
- Sam Wolson/Daily
BY SAM WOLSON
Things only became real in the Lower 9th Ward after we left.
Last summer I worked in New Orleans with a small group of students from various universities through the non-profit organization Students of the World. We were tasked with creating a video that focused on the rehabilitation work being done in the city, specifically in the Lower 9th Ward where the devastation was the greatest.
Random Student Interview
BY WILL GRUNDLER
Welcome to the Random Student Interview, a brief Q&A session about the true path to salvation in an age of blasphemy and nihilism. Today, however, with the year drawing to a close, we will continue the long-held Daily tradition of polling students about their favorite article of the semester.
The next chapter: MSA president Chris Armstrong works to re-define his presidency after Andrew Shirvell
- Jed Moch/ Daily
BY EMILY ORLEY
When Michigan Student Assembly President Chris Armstrong first applied to college, he had visions of becoming a video game engineer. His college essay was about the artistic merits of his favorite video game, and he only applied to colleges with excellent video game design programs.
December 1, 2010
The Statement
Winners of the home brew competition
BY DAILY STAFF
FIRST PLACE — AIMEE RICHARD
Fifth-year graduate student, microbiology and immunology
Dog Days of Summer Wit — Whitbier
Ingredients: turbo malt, flaked wheat, flaked oats, coriander and bitter orange peel
the statement
The culture of home brewing
- Illustration by Sarah Squire
BY JORDAN ROCHELSON
“I’m getting very low levels of banana,” Fred Bonjour says as he swirls a liquid around in a tumbler, beginning his beer analysis. He digs his nose deep into the glass and takes a large whiff.
• GRAPHIC: Six steps to brew your own beer
Six steps to brew your own beer
- Illustration by Sarah Squire
BY SARAH SQUIRE
Home brewer Chris Moline walked The Michigan Daily through his typical brewing process.
We illustrate the (simplified) steps here.
November 17, 2010
Ten hot careers for recent college graduates
- Illustration by Simon Borst
BY MALLORY BEBERMAN
A recent study published by the University of California at San Diego examined the top careers for recent college graduates. We profile the top 10 here.
Personal Statement: The year after junior year
BY ALLIE WHITE
When my roommates and I returned to Ann Arbor in August of 2009, we made one thing incredibly clear from the start: the words “senior” and “year” would not be mentioned in the same sentence. Ever. We insisted on referring to the upcoming semesters as “the year after junior year,” conciseness be damned.
November 10, 2010
the statement
Why trash?: How one student plans to live a trash-free life, and why it matters
BY DARSHAN KARWAT
Look around you — on the street corner, in the Fishbowl, in your kitchen. Waste is all around us. It can be viewed as involuntary and unconscious, as Adrianna Bojrab described in her article “Commit to reducing waste” in the Oct. 21 edition of The Michigan Daily. But at the same time, I would also argue that waste is entirely voluntary.
the statement
Random Student Interview: Green Edition
BY WILL GRUNDLER
Welcome to the Random Student Interview Green Edition! We’re in the Samuel “Treehugger” Dana Building, an environmentally friendly place that used absolutely NO paper during its construction.
An effort in sustainability: the University's plans for a greener campus
BY SABIRA KHAN
The environment has long been a concern to faculty and administrators at the University. It can be seen in efforts to encourage recycling in the residence halls or in policies that require eco-friendly construction of buildings.
November 3, 2010
Random Student Interview
BY WILL GRUNDLER
Welcome to the Random Student Interview, an exercise in existentialism in which the solution is always undefined. Please state your name and class standing for the record.
Lauren, and I’m a junior. [LSA]
Why do you think most women fail to shave their upper lip?
Because they don’t have a razor. Or the hair to do so.
Coping with trauma: how a car crash four years ago changed my life forever
BY ANNA CLEMENTS
I have a mental disability. I acquired it four years ago in a car crash. It’s a big deal.
A true divide: A look back at campus during the Prohibition era
- Map of Ann Arbor, 1869, by S. Pettibone
BY MALLORY BEBERMAN
Even before Prohibition was enacted in Michigan in 1918 and ratified at the federal level less than a year later, University of Michigan students were limited in where they could and could not drink alcohol.
A rally beyond partisanship: Examining the growing trend toward the middle in American politics
- Marissa McClain/Daily
BY CAROLYN KLARECKI
WASHINGTON — Last Saturday, 422 miles from campus, Wolverines gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in support of moderacy and rationality in national politics. Later reports by CBS News would estimate the crowd at 215,000, but the amicable atmosphere made the event seem much smaller.
October 27, 2010
Proposal 2: Prohibit felons from holding elective office
BY CLAIRE GOSCICKI
One of two statewide proposals on the upcoming November ballot, Proposal 10-2 is reconsidering the state’s current criteria for who can and cannot run for elected office or work in certain public positions.
Candidates for the 18th district senate seat focus on the state's economic revitalization
BY RACHEL BRUSSTAR
As the general election for the 18th District state Senate seat approaches, Democratic candidate Rebekah Warren and Republican candidate John Hochstetler appear to agree on one primary issue — the need to revitalize the state of Michigan. They just have different ideas on how to go about doing so.
Proposal 1: Constitutional convention to draft revision of state constitution
BY JOSEPH LICHTERMAN
Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, the Democratic candidate for governor, and Republican nominee Rick Snyder agree on very little. However, they are unified in their opposition to Proposal 1.
Dingell, Steele bring different levels of experience to 15th district Congressional race
BY MICHELE NAROV
With 55 years in office, Representative John Dingell is the longest serving member of Congress. His opponent in Michigan's 15th district, however, is quite the opposite, having never before run for office.
But despite his inexperience as a politician, Republican Rob Steele, a cardiologist, emphasizes his role as a community member and career man as attributes that will aid him in office.
Election Issue: Rick Snyder
- Anna Schulte/ Daily
BY BETHANY BIRON
On a snowy evening last January, Rick and Sue Snyder bundled up in their warmest winter attire and headed to downtown Ann Arbor for a long-awaited romantic evening. As they began eating and talking about the events of the week, Sue suddenly proposed that Rick run for governor of Michigan.
Election Issue: Virg Bernero
- Anna Schulte/ Daily
BY MIKE MERAR
Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero — Democratic candidate for governor — has been involved in politics since high school.
October 20, 2010
the statement
Comic strip: The adventures of Superdenardman and Young Tatewalker
BY SIMON BORST
The Adventures of Superdenardman and Young Tatewalker. A comic strip by Simon Borst.
michigan daily special report
Feeding the 'U': Why 16 percent of the student body comes from the same 20 high schools
- Illustration by Marissa McClain
BY DEVON THORSBY AND EMILY ORLEY
From 2004 to 2009, an average of about 16 percent of the University’s freshman classes came from just 20 high schools, though more than 1,000 high schools have sent students to the University each year during that time. That percentage ranged from 13 to 19 percent through these years.
• HOW DOES YOUR HIGH SCHOOL STACK UP? See the raw University admissions data for every high school.
Random Student Interview
BY WILL GRUNDLER
Welcome to the Random Student Interview, a brief Q&A session in which truth and beauty can be found in the strangest of places. Please state your name and class standing for the record.
I’m Emily and I’m a sophomore.
Would you rather be stalked by a T-rex or a velociraptor?
Oh, velociraptor.
October 13, 2010
the statement
A peaceful realization: Why the Peace Corps was the right decision after four years at the 'U'
BY JEREMY BOROVITZ
It was toward the beginning of my senior year, wedged in between a pair of football losses. After coming back from a semester abroad in Warsaw, Poland, I had been feeling just a bit more lost than usual, and it sort of culminated on that day.
October 6, 2010
A foreign experience: Football Saturday through the eyes of a French native
BY NASTASIA PETEUIL
When I walk in the streets of Ann Arbor, I think to myself what a quiet place it is to live. The city is actually quite large, yet the nature is omnipresent. I am always astonished by the sight of all the baby squirrels in the city, and the forestry of Nichols Arboretum surrounds one in calm and serenity despite its setting in an American city.
Random Student Interview: Oct. 6, 2010
BY WILL GRUNDLER
Hi, This is the Random Student Interview, in which we attempt to gauge the tragedy of the human condition. Please state your name and class standing for the record.
I’m Molly and I’m a sophomore and I’m majoring in Poly Sci.
What do you look for in a partner if they’re ugly to begin with? What sort of values?
I guess just friendliness…a sense of humor.
A dream out of reach: The nine-year battle to pass the DREAM Act
BY JILLIAN BERMAN
Dayanna Robelledo, a 20-year-old second-year student at Henry Ford Community College, has been living in the United States since she was nine years old. But because of one day a few years ago, Robelledo’s life is drastically different from that of other American college students.
September 29, 2010
the statement
Considering the University's party culture
- Jake Fromm/Daily
BY JOSEPH LICHTERMAN
Sixty percent of those surveyed consider Michigan a ‘party school.’ But the University doesn’t regularly appear on the top national lists of colleges with the best nightlife. Here’s an inside look into Michigan party culture.
Random student interview
BY WILL GRUNDLER
Please state your name and class standing for the record.
Melanie, and I’m a graduate student in the School of Public Health.
Wow, you’re our first graduate student for Random Student Interview!
Really?
So, in what situation would you kick a puppy?
Um, never.
September 22, 2010
A haven for the homeless
- Jake Fromm/Daily
BY SUZANNE JACOBS
Three miles from campus is a makeshift homeless shelter called Camp Take Notice. With weekly meetings, an executive board and strict rules on drug use, the camp is more for these 30 or so individuals than just a place to live — it’s a community.
Creating art from within: A profile of the Prison Creative Arts Project
- Alan Norberg
BY CHANTEL JENNINGS
Prisoners and juvenile delinquents that were once only a thing I heard of on the evening news now had faces and names that held a solid part of my heart. But after PCAP, people like Fernando Delezica were no longer inmates, they were artists.
September 15, 2010
personal statement
A rationale reconsidered: a need to ask and tell about male-on-male sexual assault
BY NOVEED SAFIPOUR
Last May, the conservative think tank, Family Research Council, released a report concluding that a repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would further increase the already abnormally high rate of male-on-male sexual assaults in the military.
Lexi Zimmerman: Setting the record straight
- Jed Moch/ Daily
BY MARK BURNS
A buzz of uncertainty and skepticism swept across volleyball message boards, blog websites and media outlets on August 24, 2007. According to the national critics, the Michigan volleyball husband-wife coaching tandem of Mark and Leisa Rosen was making a mistake.
The subject of such hotly-contested debate: then-freshman setter Lexi Zimmerman.
September 8, 2010
Twelve of the most innovative ideas to come from the University community in the past year
- Design by Sara Boboltz and Corey DeFever
BY DAILY STAFF
We've scoured Ann Arbor for some of the best ideas to come out of the campus community over the last year. Here are our 12 favorites among them.
Editors' note: Bucket list issue
BY TREVOR CALERO AND ALLIE WHITE
The thought of printing some sort of Bucket List issue first popped into our heads at the start of the winter semester. But what we originally envisioned was something almost completely different from what follows on these pages.
April 7, 2010
Personal Statement: Scott Ellsworth
BY SCOTT ELLSWORTH
Like many new teachers, I am constantly seeking ways to get my students to engage with the material and to bring the problems of the real world into the often-artificial confines of the classroom.
College activism is dead, and other myths: The evolution of a radical revolution
- File Photo/Daily
BY ROBERT SOAVE
Sit-ins. Anti-war protests. Civil rights rallies. The invention of the teach-in. These are just part of the legacy of student activism at the University of Michigan during the 1960s.
Zoltan Mesko: A journey worth smiling about
- Jed Moch/Daily
BY TIM ROHAN
It’s rare to find Zoltan Mesko without a smile on his face these days. Ask anyone who knows him — his family, teammates, current and former coaches or any of his classmates in the Ross School of Business. They’ll all agree.
March 31, 2010
Personal Statement: The photojournalist's dilemma
BY ZACHARY MEISNER
I am not, and will never be, a great photojournalist.
From the first week of my freshman year through the summer of 2009, a camera strap was as essential a piece of clothing to me as my underwear. I inhaled campus through my camera lens. The benchmark for my success was capturing spontaneous campus moments, and I was determined to miss nothing.
March 24, 2010
Students of the Year
- Torehan Sharman/Daily
BY PHOTO STAFF
A photo slideshow of the editors' picks for students of the year in 2010.
Students of the year: Yousef Rabhi
- Anna Schulte/Daily
BY DYLAN CINTI
LSA senior Yousef Rabhi got an early start on political activism when, at age three, he helped clean up Mallets Creek in Ann Arbor to raise awareness about urban pollution.
The involvement hasn't stopped since.
Perhaps it’s no surprise then that Rabhi is currently immersed in the most significant campaign of his political career: his own.
Students of the year: Derek Blumke
- Max Collins/Daily
BY JOSEPH LICHTERMAN
Derek Blumke has always stood out from his peers.
Students of the year: Meha Pandey
- Samantha Trauben/Daily
BY MICHELE NAROV
Meha Pandey is not easily confined. While many engineering students focus only on science and math courses, she makes it a point to take classes like “The History of the Partition of India” or “Science, Technology, and Public Policy.” And, when others might have been satisfied with local community outreach, Pandey took her efforts to other parts of the world.
Students of the year: Kent Caldwell
- Marissa McClain/Daily
BY NICOLE AUERBACH
Sacrifice.
It’s a word that’s certainly familiar to Michigan gymnast Kent Caldwell these days. But the way he uses the word, it doesn’t seem like such a bad thing.
Students of the year: Lauren Washington
- Salam Rida/Daily
BY ANNIE GORDON THOMAS
Hailing from Atlanta, Ga., Lauren Washington chose to come to the University because she wanted a big school that had a strong athletic tradition and also provided her with a wealth of opportunities — the fact that her entire family are University alums may have played a part in her decision as well.
Students of the year: Lauren Leland
- Torehan Sharman/Daily
BY LILLIAN XIAO
Junior Lauren Leland joined MPowered when there were only about 18 members. Now she is president of the 60-member organization, which strives to inspire innovation and entrepreneurship at the University.
Students of the year: Pascal Carole
- Sam Wolson/Daily
BY BETHANY BIRON
Engineering senior Pascal Carole never thought he would one day be President of the University’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers.
• Derek Blumke • Yousef Rabhi
• Lauren Leland • Mike Michelon
• Meryl Davis and Charlie White • Meha Pandey
• Lauren Washington • Kent Caldwell
Another kind of spring break: Building homes in New Orleans
BY BEN CRONIN
During spring break, I traveled to New Orleans with a group of 17 students — including Michigan football players Craig Roh and Jordan Reilly — from Young Life College, a student faith organization at the University, to help families displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Though it may seem like the hurricane is a thing of the past, there was still a lot of work to be done.
Hieftje's green vision: Making Ann Arbor energy independent one solar panel at a time
- Jed Moch/Daily
BY EMILY ORLEY
Four years ago, Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje built a fully functioning house entirely off the electric grid. Hieftje designed and built the house, which runs on a solar energy system, on Lake Superior with his father-in-law. It includes all the fundamentals of a normal home — a refrigerator, washer, dryer and dishwasher — and is completely self-contained.
March 10, 2010
Wednesday
BY MARK NAVARRO
i fell in love with you on a Wednesday:
you always told me that you hated Wednesdays,
that you were born on a Wednesday.
i was born on a Tuesday,
2:33am.
whereas you were born in the rays
and beaming of the West Coast,
i emerged here, a child of aluminum
smokestacks
and premature love
that only the Midwest can harbor so well
in all fairness i probably should have
David's Dead Animal Poem
BY DAVID KINZER
I like lots of animals.
I like skinny monkeys with short
hair who jump up and run up
and down with one
another like pink plastic party
cups in electric
storms. And I like wallabies
because they’re just
little kangaroos and they carry littler
kangaroos in their littler-than-a-kangaroo’s
pouch.
I even like dead animals I like
animals so much. Dead elephants
{i sit before mr.e.e.cummings}
BY MO STYCH
i sit before mr.e.e.cummings
as one sits before
any a who-artist:
naked
nervous(ly smiling.)
"paint me,” i say,
“paint me a poem
on your white canvas
waiting in your
click-
clack
typewriter,
waiting as i
for your
thud-
thump
heart."
he tries a line(tickitytacktackclick)
heaves a sigh:
"can't be done!
it must be mud-
luscious
Spring!Time
is jumping forward
too fast!too
Fists
BY ELIZABETH OLENZEK
I wish I could
fight you. Pull
over the car. Pull off
the road.
Open the windows wide so
that the oldies leap out onto the pavement
like a jerking staccato
And my fists would
sing harmony to your punches.
Afterwards,
when that tooth of yours is gone,
applesauce pit in its place,
And when my brow is
wrinkled silver with a row
of catgut stiches on my scalp,
afterwards,
Cold Water
BY MADELINE CONWAY
Hysterics are for
the worst kind
of realizations.
Like,
I live
in a house that God built
for people to be alone.
Good thing
my father left me
something more useful than money:
a head-
no, a heart-
for the road.
Because I drove
25 blocks
blurry-eyed,
screaming into the night,
foot off the pedal,
coasting
on a riptide.
Knees
BY MADELINE CONWAY
how could I end up
with my father’s bones
not in a casket in my legs in my ribcage
the way he tore down our wallpaper he was a
Missouri hick he was a
coward he was a
pretender
he was a
coin toss he was a
missionary he was a
mortar and pestle
he ground up my mother’s womb and made me
out of the dough scraps of Christmas cookies that are
supposed to make up for
the times you screamed
judith butler folds her paws under her chin and takes a nap
BY IRIS BRILLIANT
how do we undo each other?
i do up my hair,
by the end of the day
undone undone undone
i do a charade of pleasure
when complimented
that i can haul my bike
onto the rack of the bus
that happened five minutes
ago, i'm serious.
what are the politics of masturbation?
i envy the red fox that has
an entire file on its sexual
activity and where is my
goddamn file? i decide to
The Newby
BY ROBIN GOLDBERG
Your southern bob distains me-
so I’ll ignore you.
I don’t need your business cards because I won an Oscar and
I have connections (to the sandwich-maker).
I know where to find 1969 prices,
and I can sustain myself on animation and vintage tops.
“Yeah, I crochet,”
but you don’t seem to notice that I’m not a golfer.
I’m a carpooling professor
and “I’m very social.”
Insomnia Love Affair
BY JILLIAN BERGSMA
Your two-in-the-morning text message says:
I’m coming to see you tomorrow.
And all night I dream of you and all day I wait
and the parking lot claims no new arrivals.
So I put on my slinky jeans, fix my why-yes-I-just-rolled-out-of-bed hair
and prepare to forget you with the right ratio of cheap vodka to expensive friends.
Funerals are not Appropriate Places to Imagine Priests in Bunny Costumes, and Other Reflections
BY GABY MARTIN
Instead of feeling excited whenever anyone announced that he or she had adopted a new puppy or other infant pet, Ruby immediately felt a pang of sympathy, for her first thought was never of the happy life that the owner would share with the animal, but rather that the puppy or kitten or domesticated rodent would die one day.
Iowa is for Lovers
BY MAX BLOOM
We could go to the cornfields at night, maybe when the moon is full. We could stroll down the spaces between stalks like they were the avenues of Paris. The shimmering moonlight reflecting off the heads of corn could be elegant streetlights, lighting the way for us as we wandered between cafés and verdant parks.
Mixed Soil
BY IRIS BRILLIANT
A chocolate croissant? A genuine latte? On Indian soil? Oui, merci! I create a shrine at my table made of various chocolate and flaky delights, bow my head, and commence. In my bag: a baguette and generous wedge of Brie for my new, eagerly awaiting friends. But I take my time.
The Dead, Naked Woman in Your Bathtub
BY MATTHEW HODGES
Alright, don’t panic. Calm. Collected. Untroubled. Don’t breathe too fast. Don’t look down too much. Assuage. Temperance. Relieve. Rest. Reprieve. Is reprieve a befitting synonym? Is she dead? She’s dead. There is a dead, naked woman in your bathtub. And what a bathtub! An iron-clad claw foot bathtub with solid brass fixtures and a marble soap dish.
The Hypochondriac’s Dilemma
BY OLIVIA VANDER TUIG
I had planned to be home three hours and twenty-seven minutes ago. I had not planned to wait on the tarmac for an hour and eight minutes and counting. I am regretting eating breakfast now. The hotel the interviewer put me up in was shitty, and the dining room was filthy. I’m sure a rotten egg was what was causing me distress, but I can’t go to the bathroom on the airplane. I think of E.
Pickle Jars in my Trunk
- Marissa McClain/Daily
BY JANE LAWRENCE
They've been sitting back there for years,
Clear glass containers filled with brine.
(Make new friends but keep the old, they said,
And who am I if not one to comply with aphorisms?)
I drive slowly and steadily, and am so
Careful not to turn right on red or
Accidentally speed through intersections or
Change lanes without signaling.
I stop for school buses.
I brake for animals.
The Literature Issue
- Jed Moch & Allie Ghaman / Daily
BY MAGAZINE STAFF
This week’s The Statement features the Daily’s annual selections of the best student-submitted poetry and prose.
Click here to read the works.
To the girl lying naked on my boyfriend's futon
- Jed Moch/ Daily
BY BRITTNEY MILLER
Click the headline above or image to read this work.
February 24, 2010
Zipcar: surviving on campus without personal transportation
BY HANNAH WAGNER
In high school, sophomore year meant sweet 16’s and, for most of my friends, a new car — but not me.
A convoy in conflict: My trip to bring aid to the people of Gaza
BY AHMAD HASAN
Following Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip last winter, George Galloway, a member of the British Parliament known for his support of the Palestinian cause in the Arab-Israli conflict, embarked on a nationwide tour in the U.S. calling for Americans to take action and help the people in Gaza exercise their right to live freely.
Master planning: The theory behind campus landscaping
- Photo Courtesy of Ken Rapp
BY MALLORY JONES
Appreciated by most but understood by few, green spaces of campus often go unnoticed by the University community beyond the spring and summer months. But for Ken Rapp, the University’s landscape architect, these areas of refuge are more than just a comfortable place to lounge when the sun reemerges in Ann Arbor after dreary, gray winters — they are his life’s work.
February 17, 2010
Speed dating: a poor remedy for a lonely Valentine's Day
BY JASMINE ZHU
Speed dating is one of those distant, bewildering topics I had heard about vaguely through watching bad sitcoms and reality TV shows — I have never actually known anyone who has participated. It seemed like a very far-off and far-fetched thing to do, perhaps as a sort of sport for lonely thirty-somethings.
Personal Statement: A light solution, bringing affordable electricity to developing countries
BY SHAHNOOR AMIN
I was living a comfortable life, but I wanted to make a difference in the lives of others who wanted a chance to escape the wretched grasp of poverty.
Ann Arbor, Venture Capital
- Jed Moch/Daily
BY ADDIE SHRODES
The stories of startups incubating in Ann Arbor sound like the stuff of movies: some space in an office building basement, a communal pot of money in the middle of the room, tables from IKEA thrown together and a BYOC policy — "bring your own chair."
February 10, 2010
Personal Statement: Volunteering for the Beijing Olympics
BY KRISTIE SAVAGE
Though the Beijing Olympics were the world’s premiere sporting event in 2008, my experience with the games began one year earlier.
Olympic Wolverines
BY ALLIE WHITE
If the University were its own country, the total medals won by its representatives — 65 gold, 30 silver and 38 bronze — would make the ‘U’ the 24th most successful country in the history of the games.
• ALSO SEE: The complete list of University of Michigan Olympic medalists
Maize (red, white) & blue: Former Wolverine's Jack Johnson first shot at Olympic glory
BY RYAN KARTJE
Former Michigan hockey player Jack Johnson is no stranger to wearing his country’s colors.
Soviet takeover: How a pair of Russian coaches have transformed Ann Arbor into a hub for ice dancing's elite
- Ariel Bond/Daily
BY KATIE FIELD
Nobody produces figure skaters like the Soviets. That could all change this winter in Vancouver, where two pairs of skaters from the University of Michigan are expected to challenge Russia’s dominance in the sport.
Editor's note: The Olympic Issue
BY TREVOR CALERO
As you peruse the following pages of this week’s issue of The Statement, you may notice things look a little different. We’d like to offer an explanation for the sudden change to ease any anxiety you may experience with the varied content and design.
A golden opportunity: Charlie White, Meryl Davis and their quest for the U.S.'s first Olympic gold in ice dancing
- Jed Moch/Daily
BY RYAN A. PODGES
Tomorrow, White and Davis, who won the gold medal in ice dance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships three weeks ago will travel to Vancouver to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics. The U.S. has never taken home a gold medal in ice dancing, but many think Davis and White are the couple to change all that.
• VIDEO: Davis and White discuss the 2010 games
• PHOTO SLIDESHOW: 'U' pair prepares for Vancouver
