Page 4A - Friday, September 19, 2014

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Page 4A - Friday, September19, 2014 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom

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Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan since 1890.
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Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
MEGAN MCDONALD
PETER SHAHIN and DANIEL WANG KATIE BURKE
EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board.
All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
The spirit ofDetroit
N ow the Lord is that spirit: "I know what you may hear about Detroit
and where the spirit of the may not be all that pleasant, but there is good
Lord is, there is liberty." - 2 here. I promise," writes one student. Another
Corinthians 3:17 elementary school student writes more bluntly,
These words sit behind "You can also come to tell everybody in Detroit
the cast bronze statue of that they shouldn't make more crimes." But
the SpiritofDetroit; when it underneath it all is hope: "If you can inspire
was first installed the stat- worldwide, you can inspire Detroit also."
ue was the largestofits kind On the east side of Detroit sits a grand Polish
since the Renaissance. It Cathedral-styled church. It has been over two
sits in the heart of Detroit, decades since the nave in St. Albertus has heard
with a bronze sphere in its an Our Father - its doors closed in 1990. But on
left hand and small cast ofa AAug. 10 some 2,500 people have come for mass,
family in its right. It sits in DAVID and the halls echoed with "amens" and "peace
between cut shots of auto- HARRIS be with you's" as the crowd filled every seat,
mobiles and abandoned every space in aisles and even out the doorway.
homes in commercials. It It started with just a small idea. At the first event,
sits adorned in an oversized Red Wings jersey 150 people showed up to St. Hyacinth. Two
year after year during playoff season in Hock- months and two mass mobs later, 900 visitors
eytown. It sits on stamps and in pictures, as the from all over the metro area showed up to St.
crest for Detroit's minor league soccer team. Joseph's. And the numbers kept growing up to
North of the town sits a football field. Years the St. Albertus mass. What began as a small
ago it was an indoor field, domed by a grand, movement to explore the historical churches of
white inflatable roof. It has since been convert- the city hadbecome so much more.
ed, unintentionally and unceremoniously, into The Detroit Mass Mob was uniquely, for lack
an outdoor one. What once of abetter adjectiveDetroit:
was the Pontiac Silverdome, the grassroots efforts that
home to the Detroit Lions, started the movement; the
the Detroit Pistons and con- It only takes faith as unwillingnesstoletgoofthe
certs of all the most famous culture behind the cathe-
bands, sits with its roof col- small as a mustard drals; the embracing of the
lapsed and the turf, with seed to move troubled past and the vision
end zones still emblazoned to make something out of it;
with "Lions," flooded. The mountains. and the resurgence of faith
80,000 seats still sat there in a city where sometimes
until they were auctioned faith is all thatisleft.
offthis past June, alongwith So, too, are the efforts to
much of the memorabilia that was left behind. In bring the Pope to Detroit. Yet there's a determi-
the Silverdome's largest event, Pope John Paul II nation behind it - a "we're still here" attitude
oncegavemasstoover93,000 in attendance. thatpersists."Therearegoodpeople,too,"wrote
The striking dome that once held a holy event another student in her letter to the Pope. "People
of the Catholic faith rests in the most unholy who actually care about Detroit and the people
of conditions. In the quarter century since in it."Because when it seems thatDetroit truly
then, much of Detroit has followed the same has nothing else, the Spirit of Detroit reminds us
pattern of leay and neglect Pope John Paul thatthere will always remainhop.r-
II last visited in 1987. From 1991 to 2010 Detroit Pope Francis is scheduled to make his first
civilian unemployment nearly doubled. Between visit to the United States in September of 2015.
1990 and 2010, the city lost somewhere around Philadelphia is on the list of cities he will visit.
300,000residents.But what it did not lose was its Detroit is not. But then again, Detroit wasn't on
hope and its faith. the list for the last papal visit either. It'll take
The Silverdome is just one example of the determination in another uniquely Detroit
how the area has changed since John Paul II way to pull it off. The movement to bring Pope
made his visit. So when students from Cristo Rey Francis to Detroit seems small and wishful, but
High School in southwest Detroit helped start a after all, it only takes faith as small as a mustard
campaignto ask the current Catholic pope, Pope seed to move mountains.
Francis, to visit the city, the reality of the strife
of Detroit was clear to them and to the many David Harris can be reached
students who wrote letters to the pontiff. at daharr@umich.edu.
MICHAEL PAUL
Play to your strengths

A con(text)ual evolution

ost of us at Michigan
spend the beginning
our semester solving the
problem of textbooks. They're expen-
sive and generally
worthless after
the class is over. As
an English major,
though, I appreci-
ate that most of
the books I need
to buy are works JENNY
of literature that WANG
I can read again
and again even
after I graduate. The required texts
section in the syllabus feels more
like the professor sharing his or
her favorite books with you than
anythingelse.
For personal and economic/corpo-
rate reasons, there is something very
anti-literature about e-books, and
I find myself stuck between want-
ing to fit in with my English major
peers (who post about their favorite
bookshelves) and wanting to save my
money. As soon as I find the Kindle
version of a book on Amazon, I turn
into your average penny-pinching
consumer. The e-books are cheap
and instant. The books will be there,
loaded on your app, ready to go.
Of course, before I make any
purchases, I ask about my professor's
policies on textbooks, which he or
she rarely specifies in the syllabus.
"What is your policy on e-readers?"
And while I'm at it, "What is your
policy on electronic devices in the
classroom?" If possible, I never print
my readings, and instead do all my
analyzing and annotating with my
tablet and stylus; same goes with
the e-book. I, among many other
consumers, quite like having all
my texts stored in a single app and
accessible anywhere via the cloud.

A survey back in 2013 ft
62 percent of young peo
16 to 24) preferred print
e-books. I don't find this pa
surprising, since we we
before electronic texts, andc
fondest memories that mya
experienced was reading t
Potter series in its origina
version. There is somethi
a physical book, people
smell, the feel of the pages
this weightiness to it that
replicated in digital texts.
however, abetter survey wi
be conducted on the genera
ours that grew up with the
and everything in digital for
I may have more in
with this:new generation t
my own. I grew up with
relationship to the scre
to the page.
Everything I
physically wrote
down or drew
or recorded, I I re,
also stored onto
my computer. rel
This summer my
mother assigned Scre
me the project
of scanning all
of our family
photos onto the
computer, because we bot
it was more "permanen
hard drive. I was also not
when I was little. My rela
with books was, for som
or other, difficult. I actual
read Harry Potter until th
high school. And speaking
school, I got through my
classes with Sparknotes (ti
something I'm proud of, tol
I know it might sound r
to say, but I feel, in the s,

sund that some people feel for physical books,
ple (ages this weightiness about digital media.
books to That almost feels comedic to say. Like
rticularly saying there is something about the
re alive heat of the laptop on the desk or the
one ofthe glow of the artificial Kindle text in
age group my eyes.
he Harry My point is that there are people
i printed - a good 38 percent of us - who
ng about approach the book business from a
say. The different angle. People who, maybe
. There's like me, have returned to literature
can't be but with a different perspective
I think, based on their upbringing. These
ll need to people clearly matter; they affect
tion after the market for literature no matter
Internet how much traditional lit lovers may
m. object. These people, whether they
common- realize it or not, are at the forefront
han with of what literature may become in
a closer the future.
en than I don't think of this as a bad
thing, though
I am clearly
biased. All art
forms change,
w up with a closer rejecting or
renewing or
ationship to the transforming
the old ways as
en than the page. the newest wave
of consumers
sees fit. Each
new generation

h agreed
" on a
a reader
ationship
e reason
Ily didn't
e end of
g of high
English
his is not
be clear).
idiculous
same way

answers for
itself, "Will this form survive?
How much longer can we keep
this going?" From my position, I
do think we can keep this alive for
at least a while longer. I believe
the e-reader invites an influx of
new readers (such as myself) who
have found a certain accessibility
with the screen that they couldn't
experience with the page.
Jenny Wang can be reached
at wjenny@umich.edu.

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Barry Belmont, David Harris, Rachel John, Nivedita Karki,
Jacob Karafa, Jordyn Kay, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald,
Victoria Noble, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm,
Matthew Seligman, Paul Sherman, Allison Raeck, Linh Vu,
Meher Walia, Mary Kate Winn, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe
Groove: making a unique ruckus

I just opened another tab on my laptop to
search for the list. Yes, the list that all of cam-
pus has been talking about. The new univer-
sity rankings have just come out. Most would
assume that I am referencing the latest U.S.
News and World Report published college
rankings (with their highly questioned meth-
odology), where the University unfortunately
continues to trickle lower and lower. While
more concentrated efforts must be taken to
ensure that we as a university push the needle
in the opposite direction, I am actually allud-
ing to the new college football poll released this
week by the Associated Press. A storied foot-
ball program like Michigan should consistently
be in the top 10 and not at number 13. Oh, I'm
sorry, the Wolverine in me saw "Michigan" and
assumed that it was us. That spot has already
been taken by the green people in Lansing -
our rivals, Michigan State.
I continue to scroll down the page, aimlessly
looking for the maize and blue, knowing damn
well we're not there. I scroll back up and go
down the list again, probing for any pattern that
might exist in the universities that are ahead
of us that might provide us with something to
emulate and provide me with an excuse to tell
my friend at the University of Notre Dame,
explaining why we didn't put up a single point
against them two weekends ago in South Bend.
I continue to scan the page, examining what I
see and come to this conclusion: The schools
that make up this list don't have tough, robust
academic programs like the University of
Michigan. This lame cop-out was short-lived
when I went over the list again and noticed the
University of Notre Dame; University of Cali-
fornia, Los Angeles; Stanford University and
the University of Southern California. These
schools are ranked 16, 23, 4 and 25, respectively,
in this year's aforementioned U.S. News rank-
ings. The University of Michigan is ranked 29.
For the better part of the last decade, seeing
auniversity known for its academic prowess in
the AP Top 25 was a rarity. Now an institution
like Stanford - which pumps out tech CEOs

faster than their alum Richard Sherman can
open his mouth -is sitting pretty in college
football paradise, consistently competing for
National Championships. With Michigan also
being an academic world power, what is hold-
ing us back from reclaiming our glory on the
gridiron while continuingto study our tails off?
It starts and ends with recruiting. Our col-
lege football program must look itself in the
mirror and realize that we aren't a stereotypi-
cal SEC school that:doesn't care about academ-
ics. At our very core, we are aresearch-oriented
school and an authority in the world of aca-
demia. This shouldn't be something we should
run away from. We should gladly embrace this.
Contrary to popular belief, strong academ-
ics will not deter quality student-athletes
from attending the University. And let's face
it, Michigan's academic standards are hard
for any high school student to meet, let alone
those who devote a large amount of time to
athletics. Although this definitely limits the
amount of talent that will be scouted, this
will not necessarily limit the quality of talent.
There is an article in The Wall Street Journal
by Darren Everson and Jared Diamond on
Stanford's recruiting methodology. Wayne
Lyons, a highly rated recruit from Florida
with a 4.96 weighted GPA who was recruited
by the top programs in the country but ulti-
mately chose the Cardinal, said, "Stanford
made the academics a huge priority." Stanford
University is the only school to be ranked in
the top five in U.S. News rankings and the
AP Top 25 concurrently. Michigan football
must use the University to their advantage
and find leaders in the classroom, as well as
the field. Success can and will be found when
this happens. The program shouldn't try to fit
in with some of the less academically inclined
schools. Michigan football should try to stand
out as aprogram where you will pushyourself
further than you thought you could go and
you will be glad you did.
Michael Paul is an LSA senior.

You've heard them banging
during Festifall, seen
them scale ladders during
Artscapade and
always wondered
how a relatively
small group of
people could
make such a
unique ruckus.
Groove has'
provided our SARA
campus with an SHAMASKIN
interesting form
of entertainment
by hitting drums and homemade
instruments. Simply described'
as a "high energy percussion and
performance group," Groove has
made a statement on our campus.
I had the opportunity to talk with
Groove treasurer John Mirandette,
an LSA junior with an international
studies major and sustainability
minor;in order to get more insight
into this group of drummers. I
wanted to see the inner workings,
how a member began and grew and
what Groove itself is like as a whole.
When John first came to
Michigan, he had plans other than
joining Groove. "I thought about
being in marching band and drum
line, but I hated marching band
in high school. I had to follow
instructions to the tee and be rigid;
I couldn't do what I wanted to do,
I couldn't have fun with it." After
finding Groove at Festifall during
his freshman year, he could tell this
was it: "It was already something I
was good at, so it was easy for me
to dive in." John always found that
he was uncomfortable playing in
front of groups of people when it
was songs about which he himself
was not passionate. As opposed to
the "cheesy and corny" songs that
were typically reserved for high
school bands, John found that he

could explore in Groove, making the common denominator is
and performing the songs he had music." Because of their love for
always wanted to during band. performance, the Groove members
Just talking about these songs, I are comfortable with themselves
could see John getting excited, an enough to collaborate . with each
instinctive reaction including big other and do what they love to do.
hand gestures, talking fast and a John told me about his friendships
tiny smile that crossed his face, withinGroove, explainingthatthey
remembering some of his favorite get together for football pregames,
pieces that he had written. to family game night, to study
I asked John abouthowthegroup sessions in the UGLi. "They're my
has grown since its inception: "We best friends; I love them all. It's
started -out as a percussion group, hard to see seniors leave, but it's
but over the lasilO years, what it great to see new people coming,
has become is a variety group. We because you can see how it's going
are still drumming, at our core, but to unfold in the next few years; it's
we have found avenues to utilize a continuous family."
other people's talents to make a This 10-year-old group has made
more complete show." John breaks a statement on campus, rising from
Groove into two groups: musicians a small group that only played in
and actors. He wants his songs to Angell Hall auditoriums to selling
be "kick-ass," wanting the crowd to out Michigan Theater. Groove has
get up and feel it expanded its
in their chests. If repertoire and
he feels that way its presence,
and can project He wants his songs to and the future
it on stage, then be' - _ n g seems prom-
the audience kiCk ass, wanting ising to John.
will feel the the crowd to get up "We're on the
same. The act- cusp of being a
ing makes the and feel it in big group ... as
show complete, in people know
with skits, gui- their chests. who we are,
tar and melody being recog-
songs, incorpo- nized without
rating drumming to remind people our Groove shirts. We have the tal-
that it is Groove at the center. ent and the fan base ... now we just
But how does the mood change got to act on it." The excitement of
when John is on stage? "When it's Groove becoming a bigger force on
in front of 20 people, that's one campus drives John to continuous-
thing. But in front of 1,000 or 1,500 ly work to make new songs. Any-
people, and you can see it across body who has been to one of their
the board, the people getting so shows can see the camaraderie
hyped for-you and the group and on stage, the energy that persists
the talents you have; it is so sick." throughout the music and the pas-
Even offstage, the chemistry sion that these drummers possess
is strong. I asked about all of when showingtheir talent on stage.
the different majors, ages and
experience of the other members: Sara Shamaskin can be reached
"It doesn't really matter because at scsham@umich.edu.

INTERESTED IN CAMPUS ISSUES? POLITICS?
SEX, DRUGS AND ROCK'N'ROLL?
Check out The Michigan Daily's editorial board meetings. Every
Monday and Thursday at 6pm, the Daily's opinion staff meets to
discuss both University and national affairs and write editorials. E-mail
opinioneditors@michigandaily.com to join in the debate.

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