The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
4 — Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Campus Culture is committed to 

serving the students of the University 
of Michigan and providing them with 
everything they need to know about stu-
dent culture. Needless to say, we have 
opinions that need to be aired out like 
Necto at two a.m. (so damp…). An Ins and 
Outs list is a necessity for the culture — 
Campus Culture, that is. Yik Yak barely 
begins to flesh out the essential details of 
what’s hot and what’s not. We are trying 
to do the historical work of documenting 
why Doc Martens are essential for the 
preservation of student social life (or at 
least mine).

Before we begin, we’d thought we’d 

give you a little knish (we all know the 
tea) and provide an aggregate In and Out 
list, because the best hot takes come in 
quick succession.

— Matthew Eggers, Campus Culture 

Beat Editor

IN:
Micro Niche Meme Accounts
Library Bathrooms
Froyo
Lecture Recordings
Seasonal Drinks
Sleeping on the Bus

OUT
MCards

Yik Yak
Campus Connector
Canada Goose Jackets
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Mark Schlissel
So here we are — Kaya Ginsky and 

Matthew Eggers. We have taken it upon 
ourselves to make the official Campus 
Culture Ins and Outs list for 2021. We 
will try to keep it brief, but to be real, 
the best Ins and Outs lists come by lis-
tening to the one-hour loop version of 
“Haunted” by Laura Les (why can’t I be 
like Maude Apatow?).

IN:
Micro Niche Meme Accounts —
As much as I consider myself a Cam-

pus Culture writer, at this point, I am 
basically on the Digital Culture beat. All 
I ever think about is memes. And what’s 
really devastating is that I know there 
are people who spend even more time 
thinking about the state of meme culture 
than I do. 

These micro-niche accounts present a 

curated selection of memes that best fit 
their small shared interest on campus. If 
you like belittling people who drink milk, 
so do I — and there’s an Instagram page 
for us! @umich_milkdrinkers has your 
daily dose of candid photos of people 
caught in the act. If you like British peo-
ple, I don’t. But if you do, @incellectuals_
umich provides a post-modern look into 
on-campus meme culture. And of course 

who could forget the OG @umichaffir-
mations? They paved the way for internet 
culture to become more important than 
flyers in the Diag. It was a big moment in 
2021 and will remain iconic in 2022.

Library Bathrooms —
Confession… I have IBS. Not really, but 

every time I take an exam, my sphincter 
feels like it’s about to implode. Clearly, I 
need solace, and you can’t find that when 
you’re sharing a bathroom with two 
of your BFFs. Library bathrooms have 
entered the chat. If you get it, you get 
it, and if you don’t, you are missing out. 
There is such a sense of euphoria I get 
from going to the library now. I’m excit-
ed to walk in, even when I don’t have to 
go. The library loves me. 

Who else would let me find comfort 

in a bathroom with harsh fluorescent 
lighting? Who else would ask if I wanted 
to check out a book? Of course, we love 
the library! Not to mention that their 
collection of digital resources has saved 
my behind in the academic sense as well. 
Totally recommend it, and would go 
again.

Frozen Yogurt —
When did froyo stop being trendy? 

It’s sweet, light and feels oddly healthy 
considering the mountains of cookie and 
brownie dough piled on top. While self-
serve froyo places took over the suburbs 
by the dozens in the 2010s, it feels like 

the froyo craze is over. But the under-
rated sweet deserves a comeback. As a 
froyo fangirl before and after it was cool, 
I recommend campus favorites Moon 
Cafe and Amer’s Deli. 

Lecture Recordings —
I physically can’t bring myself to walk 

into a lecture hall at nine in the morn-
ing. I don’t know whether it’s my lack 
of vitamin C, my Britney Spears alarm 
clock noise or listening to hyperpop right 
before going to bed (probably that, TBH). 
Nine a.m. lectures aren’t an option. Hav-
ing a recording ready at 10:40 makes my 
life so much easier. It’s not that I don’t 
want to go to class, but class doesn’t have 
a 1.5x speed option… just kidding! 

I am here for education after all, and 

who am I to pass up a class to learn about 
the ins and outs of logic design. For real 
though, thank you to the professors who 
provide more accommodations than a 
simple Piazza post.

Seasonal Drinks —
Students deserve the joy that comes 

from a designer drink for all of 2022. 
While it’s often mocked, ordering apple 
cider, pumpkin spice lattes or pepper-
mint hot chocolates at a coffee shop is 
not embarrassing. Seasonalizing these 
drinks only adds to the stigma. We 
deserve to enjoy the comforting tastes of 
artificial flavoring year-round and with-
out shame. 

Sleeping on the Bus —
It’s two a.m.. You just finished your 

partying 
in 
Kerrytown/Necto/Frat 

Row/wherever and you just got on the 
bus back to North. This is an experience 
few really understand, but it is a neces-
sity to me. Slouching against the edge of 
the chair, you can get five minutes of the 
best sleep ever on Bursley-Baits. Just for 
a moment, exams, homework and friend 
group drama all fade into the monoto-
nous drone of the engine. 

If anything, finding peace among the 

hectic need to do is some of the most 
restorative work you could do — so make 
sleeping on the bus in for 2021.

OUT:
MCards —
I am so tired of losing my MCard. It’s 

the same thing every time: I go to a din-
ing hall to get food one time because my 
fridge is empty. I sit down, I eat and I 
leave. Two days go by, I open my wallet 
and BOOM. Missing MCard. I have to 
shuffle on down to Pierpont Commons 
or the Student Activities Building to get a 
new one, only to lose it again two months 
later. For all of those who ask, I will never 
wear a lanyard. 

ALSO, I looked ugly in my last photo so 

… it’s an out for me.

Campus Culture’s Ins and Outs of 2021

The Best Books of 2021

MATTHEW EGGERS & KAYA GINSKY
Campus Culture Beat Editor & Daily Arts Writer

After an almost iterative year 

of unpredictability, the Books 
Beat continues to read to ground 
ourselves. Our favorites are 
divided into four categories: 
Literary Fiction, Historical Fic-
tion and Fantasy, Romance and 
Nonfiction (although our picks 
tend to fall into more than one 
category). Mostly released in 
2021 (with a few from the tail-
end of 2020), these titles defined 

our year — we laughed, cried and 
reflected more than we thought 
humanly possible while reading 
these books. The list includes 
titles from veritable literary 
giants like Sally Rooney, Kazuo 
Ishiguro and Hervé Le Tellier, 
TikTok-famous romance nov-
els and critical nonfiction that 
brings light to American con-
tributions to the War on Ter-
ror — we’ve read through it all 
this year. Without further ado, 
here is a list of books that got us 
through 2021.

– Meera Kumar, Books Beat 

Editor and Emilia Ferrante, 
Senior Arts Editor

Literary Fiction

“Beautiful World, Where 

Are You” by Sally Rooney

In our Best of 2020 article, I 

wondered when the “year-long 
wave” of the pandemic would 
finally crest and break. It turns 
out that the wave simply keeps 
going, that we learn to live on 
the wave. But life on the wave is 
still life, complex and stunning 
as ever.

“In the midst of everything, 

the state of the world being what 
it is, humanity on the cusp of 
extinction, here I am writing 
another email about sex and 
friendship. What else is there to 
live for?” says Alice in “Beauti-
ful World, Where Are You,” the 
third novel by Irish author Sally 
Rooney.

The characters of “Beauti-

ful World” expect to meet their 
high-water mark, but instead 
find that the water keeps rising. 
Nearing 30, their lives should 
be happening by now, settled in 

some way, meaningful in some 
way. They’re not. Is the meaning 
still to come, or has the moment 
passed?

The story is not as thrilling 

as “Normal People,” the tone a 
little more relaxed and patient. 
This is the pandemic novel, less 
eventful but more personal for it, 
less exciting but just as emotion-
al. Rooney reminds us that all 
the while, through every end of 
the world, we never fail to seek 
out connection. 

— Julian Wray, Daily Arts 

Writer

“The Anomaly” by Hervé Le 

Tellier

How much can a person 

change in a few months? Also, 
how would the world react to 
learning that life itself is a simu-
lation? Hervé Le Tellier’s “The 
Anomaly” asks both of these 
questions and more, weaving 
complex 
personal 
narratives 

and vast philosophical mus-
ings with ease. Its large cast of 
characters can get confusing, 
especially when the concept of 
a “time-travel doppelganger” is 
introduced. However, these dif-
ferent perspectives serve to cre-
ate a nuanced view of the central 
event of the novel: Referred to 
as “the anomaly,” a plane lands 
— with the same exact crew and 
passengers — in both March and 
June. 

Dystopian and science fic-

tion narratives can often leave 
readers yearning for more — we 
can’t help but crave the reac-
tions of the government, the 
people involved, families, chil-
dren, people from all walks of 
life to the portrayed life-chang-
ing events. This novel gives the 
reader the level of immersion 
that we desire. It follows the 
people in the plane(s), including 
the doppelgangers; it tracks the 
movements of various govern-
ments, even giving us access to 
calls between the Chinese and 
American presidents; it offers a 
seat at the table with the great 
scientific and religious minds as 
they debate what exactly hap-
pened. It is an immensely satis-
fying book, as Le Tellier is able 
to interrogate every aspect, large 
and small, of this “anomaly.” 

A 
book 
about 
something 

so psychologically and philo-
sophically slippery could not, of 
course, be fully satisfying — par-
adoxically, that would feel cheap. 
Luckily, Le Tellier ensures that 

the reader will leave with more 
questions than answers; this is a 
novel I will be thinking about for 
a long time.

Although 
“The 
Anomaly” 

technically came out in 2020, 
the English translation was only 
available in 2021, which feels 
apt — I could only recommend 
an extraordinarily colorful and 
memorable book for a year like 
this. Plus, it offers some com-
fort: At least Le Tellier’s created 
a world that is stranger than our 
own (for now). 

— Emilia Ferrante, Senior 

Arts Editor

“Klara and the Sun” by 

Kazuo Ishiguro

My pick for the best book of 

2021 is Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Klara 
and the Sun.” Following in 
the footsteps of the celebrated 
“Never Let Me Go” and “The 
Remains of the Day,” Ishiguro’s 
most recent novel embodies 
everything that is beautiful and 
unique about the Nobel Prize-
winning author’s writing. 

Set in an urban dystopian 

world, humanoid Klara just 
wants to find a home and a fami-
ly. She is for sale as an “Artificial 
Friend,” placed in the display 
window of a shop overlooking 
a busy street. From her posi-
tion, the hyper-observant Klara 
watches pedestrians passing by 
and seeks to understand human 
behavior. One day, Klara is cho-
sen to be the companion and 
caretaker of young Josie, and 
soon, human and robot form an 
unusual friendship. Later, when 
Josie falls unexplainably ill, 
Klara tries desperately to help 
her.

“Klara and the Sun” is a 

beautifully written story that 
explores a world where artificial 
intelligence plays an integral 
role in everyday human life. Like 
in his previous novels, Ishiguro 
creates a story that is haunting 
and masterfully steeped in emo-
tion. The novel makes you think 
about what it means to love and 
be human, following Klara as 
she navigates the extent of her 
ability to feel and form rela-
tionships as a human creation. 
Unique, strange, unforgettable 
and moving, “Klara and the Sun” 
is one of the best literary works 
that 2021 has to offer. 

— Emma Doettling, Daily Arts 

Writer

Design by Erin Shi

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

DAILY BOOKS WRITERS

Daily Arts Writer

puzzle by sudokusnydictation.com

By Darryl Gonzalez
(c)2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
01/26/22

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

01/26/22

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

Release Date: Wednesday, January 26, 2022

ACROSS

1 Natural sand 

bank

5 Historic times
9 Standing at 

attention, say

14 Diva’s solo
15 Meter starter
16 Cookie maker’s 

tool

17 Oxymoronic ’80s 

sci-fi film title

20 “Jeopardy!” 

contestant

21 Cub slugger
22 Paradise
23 Anasazi home 

setting

25 “__ the season 

... ”

27 Crowd no., often
28 Out-of-the-way 

access

33 It’s its own 

square

34 Nice water?
35 Lanai greeting
39 ’70s-’80s 

series about 
the Drummond 
family ... and 
what the starts 
of four long 
answers are

44 Enjoying a 

scone, maybe

45 Call to Jude?
46 RN workplaces
47 Place for a pen
52 African snake
55 Major NJ airport
56 Prepare to mail
57 Small deer
59 NYC’s __ River
61 Salamanca 

snacks

65 Seafood order
68 Frisky swimmer
69 “The Clan of 

the Cave Bear” 
protagonist

70 Fencing tool
71 Feature of Mike 

and Ike candy?

72 Pour
73 Look after

DOWN

1 Quick Draw’s 

sidekick __ 
Looey

2 Historic times
3 “Casablanca” 

hero

4 Bully’s challenge
5 Turmoil
6 Enjoys the 

beach, say

7 Canyon 

comeback

8 Afternoon break
9 Long-legged 

runner

10 Serious 

ceremony

11 Radiate
12 Roman goddess 

of agriculture

13 Stoke-on-__: 

English city

18 Plant with a trunk
19 Gladly, to 

Shakespeare

24 Old-time knife
26 Sign of surgery
28 Pop at a counter
29 Down but not out
30 Slick
31 Babe and a 

doctor

32 “Do Ya” rock gp.
36 “That’s enough!”
37 “You are __”: 

mall map info

38 Exec.’s helper
40 Big mo. for 

chocolate 
purchases

41 Steakhouse 

order

42 Established 

method

43 Work at a 

keyboard

48 Pretty pitcher
49 1994 Peace 

co-Nobelist 
with Rabin and 
Peres

50 Solemn vow
51 Brit’s Bordeaux

52 Garden recess
53 TV’s “__ Park”
54 Tom of the 

Traveling 
Wilburys

58 Stop, as a flow
60 Roy Rogers’ birth 

name

62 Plumbing part
63 “Right you are!”
64 Went too fast
66 Before, to a poet
67 Yosemite __

SUDOKU

Sudoku Syndication
http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/

1 of 1
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© sudokusolver.com. For personal use only.

Generate and solve Sudoku, Super Sudoku and Godoku puzzles at sudokusyndication.com!


“I believe data!”
“Happy 
Wednesday
everyone!”

WHISPER

By David Poole
(c)2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
01/19/22

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

01/19/22

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

Release Date: Wednesday, January 19, 2022

ACROSS

1 Breaks in 

relations

6 Update 

cartographically

11 Adorns with 

Charmin, for short

14 Basketball Hall 

of Famer __ 
Thomas

15 Sherlock Holmes’ 

younger sister 
as depicted in 
a recent Nancy 
Springer book 
series

16 Hot temper
17 Using any 

available means

20 He broke Babe’s 

record in 1974

21 Tulip-to-be
22 Kitchen protection
23 Rocks in a bar
24 “Miss Saigon” 

setting

25 Clear out
26 A college 

applicant may 
have to write one

28 City on the Ruhr
31 Roman 151
32 Ella’s forte
34 Strain
35 Swiss Army 

knife’s assortment

36 Dashboard 

gauges

39 Go for a rebound
42 Generation __
43 Opportunity 

metaphor

45 Ike’s WWII 

command

46 Heathcliff’s love
48 Future docs’ 

exams

51 Cassiterite, e.g.
53 A-lister
55 Govt. mortgage 

agcy.

56 Golf goof
57 Slangy sweeties
59 Stern’s opposite
60 Novelty piano 

piece of 1921 ... 
and a hint to this 
puzzle’s theme

63 Skater Midori
64 Old Venetian coin
65 Havana’s __ 

Castle

66 Leb. neighbor
67 Soliloquy site
68 Elizabeth of 

“WandaVision”

DOWN

1 Singer Lionel
2 Jason of “Harry 

Potter” films

3 Exercise goal
4 Thumb-pressed 

nail

5 Theater rebuke
6 Continue
7 Ltr. insert
8 Utah city with a 

Biblical name

9 __-rock: music 

genre

10 Game with 

ghosts and a 
maze

11 Tiny breath mints
12 Talk nonsense
13 Martial arts 

instructors

18 Attorney’s gp.
19 Juice box brand
24 Long-distance 

swimmer Diana

25 Perturbed
27 “Rent-__”: 1988 

film

29 Curry of the 

NBA’s Warriors

30 Warmed the 

bench

33 Senate cover-

ups?

35 Dream Team 

org.

37 Yoga surface
38 Frolic
39 Kawasaki 

watercraft

40 The U in “SUV”
41 Hall pass 

checker

44 Roof supports
46 Belief systems
47 “The Big Fib” 

host __ Nicole 
Brown

49 “And __ off!”
50 Biblical 

strongman

52 Fall mo.
54 Suffix like -like
57 Fla. resort
58 Toilets for T.S. 

Eliot?: Abbr.

59 Vodka brand that 

sounds like a 
toast

61 Trail mix morsel
62 Fall Out Boy 

genre

