2A — Thursday, February 19, 2015
News
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327
www.michigandaily.com
The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by
students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may
be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $110.
Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. University affiliates
are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must
be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.
JENNIFER CALFAS
Editor in Chief
734-418-4115 ext. 1251
jcalfas@michigandaily.com
DOUGLAS SOLOMON
Business Manager
734-418-4115 ext. 1241
dougsolo@michigandaily.com
Newsroom
734-418-4115 opt. 3
Corrections
corrections@michigandaily.com
Arts Section
arts@michigandaily.com
Sports Section
sports@michigandaily.com
Display Sales
dailydisplay@gmail.com
Online Sales
onlineads@michigandaily.com
News Tips
news@michigandaily.com
Letters to the Editor
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
Editorial Page
opinion@michigandaily.com
Photography Section
photo@michigandaily.com
Classified Sales
classified@michigandaily.com
Finance
finance@michigandaily.com
EDITORIAL STAFF
Lev Facher Managing Editor lfacher@michigandaily.com
Sam Gringlas Managing News Editor gringlas@michigandaily.com
SENIOR NEWS EDITORS: Shoham Geva, Will Greenberg, Amabel Karoub, Emma Kerr,
Emilie Plesset, Michael Sugerman
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS: Anastassios Adamopoulos, Tanaz Ahmed, Neala
Berkowski, Alyssa Brandon, Nabeel Chollampat, Gen Hummer, Emma Kinery, Lara
Moehlman, Carly Noah, Irene Park
Aarica Marsh and
Derek Wolfe Editorial Page Editors opinioneditors@michigandaily.com
SENIOR EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Claire Bryan and Matt Seligman
ASSISTANT EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Regan Detwiler, Michael Paul, Melissa Scholke,
Michael Schramm, Mary Kate Winn
BLOG EDITOR: Tori Noble
Max Cohen and
Jake Lourim Managing Sports Editors
sportseditors@michigandaily.com
SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS: Max Bultman, Daniel Feldman, Rajat Khare, Erin Lennon,
Jason Rubinstein, Jeremy Summitt
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS: Chloe Aubuchon, Minh Doan, Jacob Gase, Kelly Hall,
Zach Shaw, Brad Whipple
Adam Depollo and
adepollo@michigandaily.com
Chloe Gilke Managing Arts Editors chloeliz@michigandaily.com
SENIOR ARTS EDITORS: Jamie Bircoll, Kathleen
Davis, Catherine Sulpizio, Adam Theisen
ARTS BEAT EDITORS: Alex Bernard, Karen Hua, Jacob Rich, Amelia Zak
Allison Farrand and
photo@michigandaily.com
Ruby Wallau Managing Photo Editors
SENIOR PHOTO EDITORS: Luna Anna Archey, James Coller, and Virginia Lozano
ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS: Amanda Allen and Paul Sherman
Emily Schumer and
design@michigandaily.com
Shane Achenbach Managing Design Editors
Ian Dillingham Magazine Editor statement@michigandaily.com
DEPUTY MAGAZINE EDITORS: Natalie Gadbois
STATEMENT PHOTO EDITOR: Luna Anna Archey
STATEMENT LEAD DESIGNER: Jake Wellins
Hannah Bates and
copydesk@michigandaily.com
Laura Schinagle Managing Copy Editors
SENIOR COPY EDITORS: Emily Campbell and Emma Sutherland
Amrutha Sivakumar Online Editor amrutha@michigandaily.com
Kaylla Cantilina Managing Video Editor
Carolyn Gearig Special Projects Manager
BUSINESS STAFF
Madeline Lacey University Accounts Manager
Ailie Steir Classified Manager
Simonne Kapadia Local Accounts Manager
Olivia Jones Production Managers
Jason Anterasian Finance Manager
THREE THINGS YOU
SHOULD KNOW TODAY
The Michigan Daily’s
music columnist Adam
Theisen discusses the
the potental rivalry between
Kanye West and Kendrick
Lamar for “Greatest Rapper
Ever.”
>>SEE THE BSIDE, PG. 3B
2
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
Gifts of Art
performance
WHAT: The classic string
trio, Trio Barbuto, will
perform music that explores
classic string music
literature.
WHO: Gifts of Art
WHEN: Today from 12:10
p.m to 1 p.m.
WHERE: University
Hospital Main Lobby
Off-Campus
Housing Fair
WHAT: This housing
fair will give students an
opportunity to explore off-
campus housing options.
WHO: Beyond the Diag
WHEN: Today from
12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
WHERE: Michigan
Union, Pendleton Room
Michigan’s Got
Talent
WHAT: Watch 12 different
acts competing to win the
Michigan’s Got Talent title.
WHO: Center for Campus
Involvement
WHEN: Today from 6:30
p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
WHERE: Michigan League
Please report any
error in the Daily
to corrections@
michigandaily.com.
Twenty-two years after
his
death,
Random
House
Publishing
has
announced
the
publish
date for two new Dr. Seuss
books, USA Today reported.
The author’s widow and his
secretary found the new
stories and sketches.
1
Lunar
celebration
WHAT: Celebrate the
Lunar New Year, the
year of the Sheep. Music,
Chinese translation and
free food will be available
to participants.
WHO: North Quad
WHEN: Today from 2 p.m.
to 4 p.m.
WHERE: North Quad,
Space 2435
The NFL has found a
New England Patriots
staffer who tried to get
an unapproved football
into the “Deflategate” game,
ESPN reported. A locker
room
attendant
tried
to
sneak a “kicking ball” into the
game.
3
Conference
poster workshop
WHAT: Participants in
this workshop will learn
how to create professional-
looking conference posters.
WHO: Teaching and
Technology Collaborative
WHEN: Today from 1 p.m
to 3 p.m.
WHERE: Hatcher
Graduate Library, 206
Advertising
speaker
WHAT: Advertising
executive Jose Miguel
Sokoloff will speak about his
award-winning marketing
campaign against guerrilla
warfare in Colombia.
WHO: Penny W. Stamps
School of Art and Design
WHEN: Today from 5:10
p.m. to 6 p.m.
WHERE: Michigan
Theater
ON THE WEB...
michigandaily.com
THE WIRE
Cambridge
scholarship
BY CARLY NOAH
University student Ana
Guay was named a recepient
of
the
Gates
Cambridge
Scholarship out of 755 initial
applicants.
TUESDAY:
Campus Voices
THURSDAY:
Twitter Talk
FRIDAY:
Photos of the Week
WEDNESDAY:
In Other Ivory Towers
MONDAY:
This Week in History
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Chime master Heather O’Neal helps Ann Arbor resident Nina
Rosenzweig play the chimes during a chime concert at
Kerrytown Market Wednesday.
University alum proves that
Wolverines nationwide are still
excited about their new coach.
“I just saw an elderly Michigan
alum in a coffee shop in San
Jose. I said ‘Go Blue.’ He smiled
and replied, “We got Har-
baugh!”
“Did you know the past 5 U.S.
presidents earned #LiberalArts
degrees? Happy #PresidentsDay!
via @SmartColleges”
— @umichLSA
The College of Literature, Science,
and Arts celebrated President’s
Day by sharing some presidential
Each week, “Twitter Talk”
is a forum to print tweets
that are fun, informative,
breaking or newsworthy,
with an angle on the
University, Ann Arbor and
the state. All tweets have
been edited for accurate
spelling and grammar.
The University graduate program
congratulated students for
receiving a high number of
Fulbright honors.
“Not trying to brag, but @
UmichStudents received
more Fulbrights than any
other U.S public university.
#leadersandbest”
LOOK AT OUR
#TWEETS
(please)
CHIMING IN
THE WIRE
University tops
Peace Corps list
BY GENEIEVE HUMMER
For the 15th consecuitive
year, the University has
placed on the top of the
Peace Corps’ list of top-
volunteering
universities,
producing 51 volunteers.
DELANEY RYAN/Daily
Award-winning director Gabriel London speaks at a reception before the screening of his film “The Life and Mind of Mark
Defriest” at Rackham Graduate School Wednesday.
Lawsuit focuses on footing
drain disconnection program
Ann Arbor
residents challenge
sewage mitigation
efforts for homes
By LAURA SCHINAGLE
For the Daily
Ann Arbor residents Anita Yu,
John Boyer and Mary Raab sued
the city last year over the legal-
ity of a program requiring home-
owners install sump pumps in
private residences.
In the original complaint,
filed in February 2014 as Yu v.
City of Ann Arbor, the plaintiffs
alleged that the program inflict-
ed uncompensated burdens and
monetary costs. The plaintiffs are
seeking monetary compensation,
as well as injunctive relief and a
statement that the drainage pro-
gram violates their right to due
process.
Though a Washtenaw County
Circuit Court judge ruled last
week not to sanction the city after
the plaintiffs alleged court pro-
ceedings were drawn out unnec-
essarily, the legal battle over the
policy is far from finished.
Launched in 2001, the city’s
footing drain disconnection pro-
gram was intended to reduce
stormwater flow to the sanitary
sewer system, which had caused
sewage
backup
problems
in
homes throughout the city. To
divert water from the sanitary
sewer system to the stormwater
drainage system, the program
mandated that the footing drains
in residents’ homes be discon-
nected and replaced with sump
pumps.
The suit implies that the city
engaged in questionable prac-
tices in adopting and executing
the program. Among other com-
plaints, the plaintiff claims the
city gave favorable treatment to
certain private contractors by
granting them the exclusive right
to install the required footing
drains on private properties.
On Feb. 12, the court heard the
plaintiffs’ oral argument in which
they called on the judge to sanc-
tion the city for unreasonably
drawn out legal proceedings. The
plaintiffs sought monetary sanc-
tions for “the fees and costs occa-
sioned by the continued burden
in this case of protecting them-
selves from a seeming attack by
the City.”
In an interview with The
Michigan Daily, Anne Warrow,
the city’s project manager, main-
tained that the footing drain dis-
connection program was based
on legitimate studies that con-
sidered the welfare of Ann Arbor
residents.
The plaintiff’s attorney Irvin
Mermelstein said in an interview
that this was not the case.
“These people didn’t study
anything,” he said. “They knew
exactly what they were doing.”
The
two
plaintiff
parties
— Boyer and Raab, who live
together, and Yu — said they did
not
experience
sewer-related
problems before pumps were
installed in their homes under the
program. The lawsuit’s key com-
plaint, Yu says, is that due to a dis-
ability, cannot maintain a sump
pump without a contractor, and
the city has not compensated her
for this burden. Likewise, Boyer
and Raab cited uncompensated
burdens,
including
recurring
flooding and the necessary instal-
lation of a $600 backup hydraulic
pump.
When the case was first filed
in the Washtenaw County Cir-
cuit Court, the city attempted to
remove the case to federal court.
However, the plaintiff countered
with a motion to send it back to
state court, which was granted.
A series of motions followed,
including unsuccessful motions
to reassign the case to another
judge and to disqualify the city’s
legal counsel, Abigail Elias.
Last Thursday, Elias argued
Movie screening highlights
issues within prison system
Director Gabriel
London chronicles
life of escape artist
Mark DeFriest
By ALAINA WYGANT
Daily Staff Reporter
The
student
organization
Human Rights Through Edu-
cation hosted a showing on
Wednesday of “The Mind of
Mark DeFriest,” a documentary
that follows a prison escape art-
ist, along with a Q&A session
with the movie’s director.
The film will appear on Show-
time in March and won the Best
Documentary Feature award at
the Lone Star Film Festival.
In the film, DeFriest, a cur-
rent inmate at a Californian
prison, was originally incarcer-
ated for theft, a four-year sen-
tence, in 1981. However, due to
frequent escape attempts, his
sentence was increased.
Now with 34 years in prison
behind him, 27 of which were
spent locked in solitary, DeFri-
est has a chance at obtain-
ing parole thanks to the film,
whereas before he would have
likely stayed in prison until his
death.
In an interview, Gabriel Lon-
don, the film’s director, said
he thought the film built up
momentum around the case.
“The film itself catalyzed a
lot, and the audience catalyzed
a lot, too,” London said. “When
the film was released, his parole
date was 2085, and now I think
there’s a very real possibility
he’s going to get out of prison.”
He said he first heard of
DeFriest
while
working
on
another prison documentary.
Noticing he was one nonviolent
offender among many violent
offenders locked in solitary con-
finement, he found the letters
DeFriest had written while in
prison, and began tracking his
story.
London said his focus with the
documentary was on examin-
ing how individuals arrive in the
criminal justice system.
“We imprison very freely,”
London said. “The federal system,
for example, the majority of its
prisoners are nonviolent.”
DeFriest was first put in soli-
tary confinement while under-
going a psychiatric evaluation,
according to the film. During
his subsequent time in solitary
confinement in several prisons,
London said DeFriest was denied
clothing, and was also accosted
with water from a hose. The film
also points to torture and gang
rape DeFriest underwent at the
hands of other prisoners.
Theater and Drama Prof. Ash-
ley Lucas, director of the Uni-
versity’s Prison Creative Arts
Project, also joined London for
the Q&A, answering questions
about a slightly different issue —
the role of creativity in prison.
Prisons are boring, she said.
During
his
incarceration,
DeFriest made keys, painted,
carved soap and wrote poetry,
among other activities.
Law Prof. Samuel Gross, editor
of the Law School’s National Reg-
istry of Exonerations, also spoke
before the film screening about
the topic of exoneration. He said
the attention DeFriest’s case has
garnered from the documentary
is the exception when it comes to
Sudoku Syndication
http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/
1 of 1
11/12/08 1:08 PM
SUDOKU
HARD
7
8
5
9
4
5
2
3
4
3
6
8
6
3
9
7
2
4
1
7
6
2
8
9
RUNNING ON ICE.
puzzle by sudokusyndication.com
See LAWSUIT, Page 3A
See PRISON, Page 3A