for college students by college students
Feb. 18, 2016 / 9 ADAR I 5776
VOLUME 7, NO. 1
Heart And
Passion
Group reinstitutes
Sigma Alpha Mu at MSU.
Jacob Gordon } jewish@edu writer
ast month, a group of 20 or so young
men took advantage of an amaz-
ing opportunity at Michigan State
University to recolonize the Mu Chi chapter of
the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity, a historically
Jewish fraternity.
Many of these men were not strangers to the
Greek system. They had been part of a defunct
chapter, but were eager to finally get the Greek
experience they so badly yearned for. At MSU,
many incoming freshmen interested in the Greek
community tend to set their sights on three or
four houses and can choose according to interest;
at MSU, girls are required to visit every house.
In many instances, people have images associ-
ated with particular houses. This group of young
men understood they had the opportunity to
build the image associated with their beliefs,
rather than fitting into others’ ideas.
The images associated with fraternities are
often filled with alcohol and ignorance and, for
those in the Greek community, it is a constant
battle to live outside of this shadow. The men
of SAM understand the importance of breaking
these stereotypes and have done so by placing an
inordinate amount of attention on philanthropy.
So, this brotherhood thought that entering
the scene with a big party would immediately
set them off on the wrong foot, not with the
image of community and positivity that they
wished to convey. Instead they focused all the
energy and excitement of their new presence
toward fundraising.
As philanthropy chair of Sigma Alpha Mu, Mu
Chi, I knew any house can get a little money
together and throw a party and maybe reach 200
people. We wanted to be different.
In two weeks, we had an idea, executed it
and had a successful fundraiser, all while run-
ning a successful week of recruitment, adding
nine new brothers.
The fundraiser was called “got water?” and
the goal was to provide Flint residents with
bottled water.
“I knew with the energy this group of men
had that we could exceed all expectations,” says
Hunter Strager, president of SAM at MSU and a
junior from Birmingham.
They raised more than $6,000. On Jan. 29,
some SAM brothers, along with some women
from Kappa Kappa Gamma, made the trip to
Flint to donate their time and money. Together,
we donated $5,500 to the Food Bank of Eastern
Michigan for bottled water and distributed three
L
continued on page 42
40 February 18 • 2016
Living His Dream
Filmmaker Adam Cooper probes father-daughter relationship.
Erin Ben-Moche } jewish@edu writer
Actress Julie Kline receives a costume adjustment from Erin
Ben-Moche, head costume designer for Model No. Human.
S
ome directors can bond with crew
members or work with their actors.
Adam Cooper can do both and
is willing to go the extra mile to
make sure his film is a success.
The West Bloomfield native has been mak-
ing films since age 8 and since then has been
working hard to become a great director.
“When I realized that people actually do
this for a living, that became my dream,” said
Cooper, 20, who studies film at Columbia
College in Chicago. His twin brother, Daniel,
does the same at New York University Tisch
School of the Arts. The Cooper family belongs
to Temple Israel, and the brothers were active
BBYO members who created videos for annual
regional conventions.
The brothers already have impressive
resumes that include showcasing four short
films at festivals, such as the Los Angeles Film
Festival, Seattle Film Festival, San Antonio Film
Festival and the Hampton International Film
Festival.
This year, Adam directed and wrote Model
No. Human, a film that explores a relationship
he had never experienced before.
“This is the pitch: Imagine an artificial intel-
ligent man who discovers the pain of being
a human through learning about a girl he
believes to be his daughter,” Cooper says.
Cooper is known for his sci-fi thriller films,
but this time he centered the plot on a father-
and-daughter relationship.
“I needed a relationship to contradict the
synthetic and emotionless world in which the
story is set,” Cooper said. “I chose a father-
daughter relationship because, to me, nothing
looks more human than that connection.”
Not only did he find a way to understand
the relationship, but he also was able to build
chemistry between the actors so their actions
would be genuine.
“I’m not a father so I lack experience,” he
says. “I had to rely less on the relationship and
more on the acting of the brilliant actors. We
developed a background with the actors and
a history for the characters, inside jokes and
stories they tell each other that came out on
the set while they would improvise the scenes.
It was important to me that the relationship
felt real.”
The 30-member crew watched every father-
daughter scene because they were captivated
by the genuine performances.
While filming a water sequence, which took
place at the Sports Club of West Bloomfield,
Cooper dove into the water to
direct and film the actors.
Julie Kline of Lake Orion,
who plays the daughter, 2.037,
says, “I was never a good
swimmer and have asthma,
so water is a struggle. Adam
made sure I was comfortable
and that made the scene more
easygoing.”
Motivating
Presence
Director Adam Cooper, left, on
the set of Model No. Human
Connecting with his characters
was only part of the movie-
making process. His devotion
on set motivated the crew for
the four days of shooting.
Producer Harper Shecter of West Bloomfield
enjoyed working with such a tightknit group
of filmmakers.
“Having a quality crew who I can always
trust that never fails to deliver is always a
great asset,” he says.
The hardworking crew members ranged
from high school and college students to col-
lege alumni.
Art Director Jake Ruth of Westland created
a futuristic universe by building the set and
using light gels to enhance each location.
Artificial fog hazed each location daily.
Futuristic costumes were designed using
electrical wire and black body suits, while the
set was strategically constructed to portray an
unfamiliar futuristic room. Pools were turned
into glossy lakes, and two high-definition cam-
eras were used to double the amount of shots.
“The most thrilling part of this movie was
how challenging it was,” Cooper says. “So
many teachers and faculty told me not to do
it because it was too challenging for students
with such a tight budget. I loved proving them
wrong by having an incredible crew that broke
barriers in terms of student filmmaking.”
Although most scenes took place inside the
Motion Picture Institute in Troy, a challenge
was the Michigan winter. Everyone had to
work quickly and efficiently in below-freezing
temperatures to make sure the cast and
equipment didn’t freeze and shut down.
The entire crew worked through the frigid
cold to wrap the movie.
Cooper plans to enter the film in festivals,
gaining exposure and notoriety so he can
eventually direct a feature.
“This film was one of the most challenging
films I’ve ever done,” Cooper says, “but I’m
excited to see where it will go.” @
Erin Ben-Moche of West Bloomfield is a sophomore
studying journalism at Oakland University. She was
head costume designer on Model No. Human.