Listen in, Michigan

Mike Legg: WikipediaYouTube clip: Mike Legg's historic goal, 1996Zac Bell, hockey JediRed Berenson's first champs recall winning it all in Cincinnati'The Michigan's' mighty comebackPhoto Credit: Dale MacMillan 

Newvine Growing website Your Mini Sabbatical: Quit Your Life Temporarily 

Can we handle the truth?History's most heinous dictators have long relied on disinformation to destroy free societies and claim absolute power over nations. Today's agents of chaos tend to be regular citizens, using social and traditional media as well as artificial intelligence to pollute the information ecosystem with lies and conspiracy theories. And in a sinister twist, modern-day extremists living in the U.S. are taking cues from history's worst offenders – Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini – to wreak havoc here at home, says Barbara McQuade, BA ‘87/JD '91"For American democracy to survive, U.S. citizens need to make truth our national purpose," says the professor of practice at Michigan Law. McQuade also is an MSNBC legal analyst and the author of the new book Attack from Within (Seven Stories Press, 2024). She hopes to spark a national, bipartisan discourse about how to combat disinformation amid the exponential dangers posed by the Internet, partisan media, artificial intelligence, and more.“We can't be a democracy of self-governance if we cede all our power to those who are trying to manipulate us,” McQuade says. “These almost-simplistic tools and tactics that worked in the past are still working today. But now you can spread the word with the touch of a button and reach millions of people. Not only that, you can also adopt a false persona online and use bots to amplify your message.”The author reflects on her freshman year as a sports reporter at The Michigan Daily where she learned the “most important component in news is accuracy.” That simple tenet still shapes her career, from the courtroom to the classroom.“Truth matters,” McQuade says. “And yet we live in a world where truth is treated as this almost cosmic, religious concept -- as though truth is unknowable. Maybe so. But facts are knowable. Facts are black or white. And you have to accept the facts even when they are not to your liking.”From outrage to apathyPropaganda is no stranger to politics, but the forces at play today are more dangerous ever, McQuade says. Research shows that humans are wired with the compulsion to be right -- and to win, sometimes at all costs – even when irrefutable evidence negates one's argument. In the political arena, one may be tempted to “go along with the con,” just to see the preferred candidate or party prevail. “We want to believe,” McQuade notes, which seems less painful than admitting an error in judgment or risking “cancelation” by one's peers. And while human minds are adept at identifying patterns, making connections, and simplifying complexity, these traits also make us vulnerable to conspiracy theories and “big lies” about everything from COVID to climate change, McQuade says. Consider the myriad interpretations of the First and Second Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, often invoked to justify the actions of armed people who breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The stated goal by many who have since been incarcerated was to take back a “stolen election” in response to lies propagated by partisan players. “There's a quote from Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson [1941-54],” McQuade says, “that we have to use practical wisdom to make sure we don't convert the Bill of Rights into a suicide pact. And it seems like we are on a collision course with that.”The repetitive and relentless assault on truth is designed to leave us paralyzed and passive, she says.“It's this abuse of our rights through disinformation that will lead us over the abyss.”On the edgeAll hope is not lost, McQuade says in Attack from Within. Research indicates when people are presented with opposing views and more information about a scenario, they can shift their position and moderate their views. The former U.S. attorney uses the book to deliver pragmatic solutions to defeat disinformation, noting “a little regulation could go a long way.”“This is not a partisan argument; it's about the essential need for truth. Most of America is really quite moderate and we have the capacity to appreciate nuance,” McQuade says. “But I think in our complex world, we rely too much on proxies to tell us what to think about things instead of learning all those facts for ourselves.”Regulation could force transparency online – from exposing the true identities of internet actors to revealing what entity is paying for which campaign ad. Artificial intelligence could be used to detect/debunk fake news. It could identify bots and expose fake accounts on social media. To combat the algorithms that reinforce personal bias in one's customized “news bubble,” AI could be used to flag counterprogramming, opposing arguments, and ads with a position contrary to the content one usually receives. Regulators could require websites to disclose the methodology behind their algorithms, which are often designed to push outrageous content that keeps users engaged on their platform. Such disclosure would mean users could knowingly visit a site created to “gin up” their grievances or opt for a more measured editorial experience.“Democracy is all about an informed electorate,” McQuade says. “And if we're not just an uninformed but a disinformed electorate, it becomes very difficult to make important decisions for self-governance.”McQuade says some experts even suggest media outlets eliminate paywalls and replace them with a system of user credits as a way to keep the marketplace of ideas open for low-income consumers and avoid a society of informed versus uninformed citizens. This could offset one of modern media's biggest challenges: monetizing and subsidizing robust news organizations, especially at the local level.  Perhaps the most effective strategy to combat disinformation is to focus more on the actual “town square” than the virtual one.“One of the things we need to do is invest in social capital by getting out of our little bubbles and embracing our shared humanity,” McQuade says. “It happens in faith communities, labor unions, sports leagues. Whenever we can see people from across the political aisle with whom we have more in common than we have difference, it makes it much harder for authoritarians to demonize us. The more we can get away from a world of ‘us and them' and focus on the ‘we,' the better off we'll be.”

In June 2023, the world learned that the notorious "Unabomber" Theodore Kaczynski had died At 81, the domestic terrorist was undergoing cancer treatment while serving multiple life sentences in a high-security North Carolina prison.For Julie Herrada, news of Kaczynski's death was unexpected but not surprising. What was surprising was the "official pronouncement" he died by suicide. Herrada, the longtime curator of the Joseph A. Labadie Collection at the University of Michigan Library, was dubious."I do not believe it," says the archivist, historian, and expert on political activism and social protest movements. "That was not his style at all. He would have sent a million instructions ahead of time. He would have had it all planned out. He was meticulous about everything."Herrada speaks from what can only be termed personal experience. The librarian began corresponding with Kaczynski in 1997, about a year after his 1996 arrest for a string of deadly bombings -- many of which arrived by mail -- that baffled law enforcement for 17 years.Listen in, as she describes her relationship to Kaczynski, the people he attracts, and the contents of his controversial archive.Read more at michigantoday.umich.edu 

Fifth Avenue PressUniversity of Michigan PressCinema Ann Arbor websiteThe Once GroupAndy Warhol's Chelsea GirlsIngmar Bergman 

Ward, Wife, Widow by A. ArbourMusic featured in this episode includes"The Yellow and Blue" performed by the Michigan Men's Glee Club."Sweet Leilani" by Bing Crosby, a 1937 hit for Decca Records (archive.org)One O'Clock Jump by the Count Basie Orchestra, also released in 1937 (archive.org)Music of the 20s -- "The Roaring 20s Era: Music Songs from the Top 40 of 1920"

Michigan's Well-being Collective: wellbeing.umich.eduLearn more about The Okanagan CharterRob Ernst bio

John U. Bacon at amazon.com

Campus FarmU-M's Sustainable Food Program (UMSFP)Michigan DiningMaize & Blue Cupboard, 

Artists featured in this episode, in order of appearance:Ann Arbor Street Art FairChris Roberts AntieauArmando PedrosoMark SudduthJack MaguranyJake BlokThomas WarginSchool of Rock Ann Arbor 

The Joy ChoiceMichelle Segar

Transforming Societal Paradigms: Jim Toy at TEDxUofMSpectrum Center websiteSpectrum Center Oral Histories ProjectSpectrum Center: Jim Toy's Legacy: VideoJim Toy Community CenterRemembering Jim Toy (at Michigan Today)Jim Toy: Spectrum Center Oral Histories Project

FBI Case Files: Michigan -- Tales of a G-manMusic samples are royalty-free tracks from elements.envato.com 

"Sing to the Colors: A Writer Explores Two Centuries at the University of Michigan" is published by the University of Michigan Press.Music in this episode includes:The Yellow and BlueVarsityI Wanna Go Back to Michigan 

Blog: Glass, petal, smoke TedxUofM Talk: Secrets from a trained nose 

David ZInn FacebookDavid Zinn InstagramThe Chalk Art Handbook: How to Create Masterpieces on Driveways and Sidewalks and in PlaygroundsTemporary Preserves Chalk Art by David Zinn Underfoot Menagerie: More Street Art by David Zinn

Read about Michigan's 2021 Commencement CeremonyVisit the 2021 Commencement page for videos, photos, and coverage of individual schools and colleges

University Musical SocietyRegister to view "Some Old Black Man"5 things to know about "Some Old Black Man"Post-premiere discussion with the cast & crewThe making of "Some Old Black Man"Set tourProducing theater in a pandemic

Michigan TodayClaire ZimmermanAlbert Kahn Associates

Conquering Heroines: How Women Fought Sex Bias at Michigan and Paved the Way for Title IX.

University Musical Society 

When Keith Orr and Martin Contreras refashioned their Mexican restaurant La Casita de Lupe into /aut/BAR in 1995, they sought to deliver a radically different gay-positive experience to the people of Ann Arbor. Their club would be the city’s first full-time, gay-owned gay bar. For the more than two decades that followed, Orr and Contreras created a sanctuary in Kerrytown’s Braun Court that sustained and nurtured the local LGBTQ community through myriad social, political, and legislative ups and downs. They bought businesses and buildings over time, served on nonprofit boards and other organizations, and even became friendly with one-time Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean. In March 2019, the married partners sold the business to Ann Arbor-based BarStar Group. The privately held entertainment investment company specializes in the development, design, construction, and operation of hospitality and mixed-use real estate projects. Through the deal, BarStar also acquired the Braun Court buildings that house Spiral Tattoo, the Jim Toy Community Center, and the former Common Language Bookstore. The news was tough to hear for /aut/Bar’s tight-knit community, but that was nothing compared to the announcement on June 6, 2020, that BarStar was closing the venue for good. “Despite the countless hours dedicated to building, strengthening and reimagining the bar’s future, the financial impact of the COVID-19 crisis has proved — as it has for so many small businesses across the country — to be simply too much to bear,” read the owners’ statement on Facebook. BarStar also owns the local clubs Nightcap, Lo-Fi, and Babs’ Underground. “I don’t have much to say about the decision to close because we haven’t been part of it,” Orr says. “I understand people’s sadness, anger, and frustration because we need these safe spaces now more than ever.” He remembers the day before /aut/BAR opened, when a friend asked, “So, are you ready to be community leaders?” At that time, gay bars served as places where people gathered not just to meet and party, but to launch fundraisers, find listings of memorial services, and sign up to be a buddy to someone who had HIV or needed support. “In Ann Arbor, we had none of that,” Orr says. “If someone ‘disappeared’ from the scene for a few weeks, you’d wonder, ‘Did he move? Or is he dead?’” All that changed once /aut/BAR opened it doors. Instead of a dark and secret hideway, /aut/BAR was bright and warm. The windows were uncovered, the colors were bright. And the brunch was fantastic. Its “niche” was the whole community, from the shy college student who was just coming out, to the lesbian couple with a young family. “We wanted people to know we were in it for the long haul,” Contreras says. That long haul included countless celebrations, protests, Pride events, election parties, engagements, marriages, and memorials. All the while, Orr and Contreras grew into their roles as advocates and activists for LGBTQ rights. Even now, as the club is closed and the community is dispersed due to coronavirus, Orr continues to encourage what Armistead Maupin would call his “logical family,” reminding them they are part of something bigger than just a building. BarStar turned over the club’s social media accounts to Orr and Contreras so the community could remain connected in the digital space. As Black Lives Matter protests filled the June streets that normally would be rocking Pride parades, Orr took to Facebook to point out the intersections between the groups. He changed the June mantra of “Happy Pride” to “In Pride we stand with you.’” “There are plenty of black leaders in the LGBTQ community, and let’s not forget Pride began as a riot at Stonewall, largely started by people of color and transgender folks,” he says. It’s that kind of empathy and compassion that has informed everything Orr and Contreras have done as business owners and community leaders. Success to them is hearing that /aut/BAR was someone’s first gay club after coming out; that a couple met there and has been married for years; or that a student brought their parents to brunch to introduce them to a community that celebrates the lifestyle, not denigrates it. To honor the club’s historic significance to the LGBTQ community, BarStar is returning the brand name, intellectual property, and vintage signage and décor to Contreras and Orr. They hope someone will emerge to take up the torch they carried for so long. In the meantime, listen in, as the partners reflect on their careers.

Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea

The Heritage ProjectMadelon's WorldAndrea Turpin"A New Moral Vision: Gender, Religion, and the Changing Purposes of American Higher Education, 1837-1917 (American Institutions and Society)." 

Bentley Historical LibraryCollections MagazineEsquire Classic: F. Scott Fitzgerald  

Kim Barnes Aricomgoblue.com 

This is how you 'capture space' (Michigan Today)Listen in, Michigan, Episode 19 -- Re:UnionConstructing gender: The origins of Michigan's Union and League (Bentley Historical Library.)Renovated, improved, historic Michigan Union offers intriguing features (University Record)Union project revealed surprises, reuse opportunities (University Record)Michigan Union Re:Union website 

Corey Seeman FlickrFollow Corey Seeman @cseeman on Twitter Follow Corey at cseeman3 on InstagramRead about the history of U-M's fascination with the campus squirrel: Just Nuts at heritage.umich.eduMore  Michigan Today stories about the University of Michigan 

Michigan Marching BandMichigan TodayJohn PasqualeHow we went blue Albert Ahronheim, onetime drum major of the Marching Band, deconstructs the iconic "Let's Go Blue" tune, starting with his initial conversation with George Cavender in the early '70s.Strike up the band When he was just a sophomore in the early 1950s, Jerry Bilik (who barely passed the MMB audition as 17th of 18 trombones) discovered a talent for writing and arranging that would transform the Michigan Marching Band forever.     

Music featured in this episode (in order of appearance):Circle of Life from "The Lion King"Nut -- Goddess of the Night Sky by Trevor WestonHypnos -- by Phyllis Chen  

Music samples were pulled from the Woodstock film trailer at YouTube.

The artists featured in this episode are (in order of appearance): Snarky Puppy performing "Bad Kid" Tarek Yamani Trio performing "Hala Land" [Emerson String Quartet]() performing "Bartok String Quartet No. 5" Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" recomposed by Max Richter Visit ums.org/playlists

Bassist and local jazz enthusiast Dave Sharp has found a new groove on Main Street as musical director of the Blue LLama Jazz Club. The elegant new venue already has hosted such artists as Ravi Coltrane, Joey DeFrancesco, and Kurt Elling.

Being not-rich at Michigan has been adapted by college students at other universities nationwide. It's a valuable resource for students and parents of all incomes, with great information about jobs, internships, mentors, community support, and more.

Brian Williams, assistant director and archivist at U-M's Bentley Historical Library, is a font of U-M facts and trivia. History nuts and people who like old stuff, quite literally, should enjoy this episode of “Listen in, Michigan." Here are links to some of the extraordinary items that Williams: Fielding Yost’s 1901 contract to become the first football coach at U-M https://quod.lib.umich.edu/b/bhl/x-bl017701/bl017701 The 1817 draft of the act to establish the Catholepistemiad or University of Michigania https://quod.lib.umich.edu/w/walker/874.0001.002/1#?s=0&cv=0 The original notecards Lyndon B. Johnson used to deliver his “Great Society” speech to U-M graduates in 1964 Bentley Historical Library https://quod.lib.umich.edu/b/bhl/x-hs13927/hs13927 The Bentley Historical Library https://bentley.umich.edu/

The best of Listen in, Michigan Welcome to the 25th episode of Listen in, Michigan. In celebration of the miracle that I have actually survived making 24 of these podcasts, no small feat for a print journalist working alone in a recording studio, I have cut together some of my favorite snippets from the podcast so far. If you haven’t listened or subscribed yet, I hope you will. As you’ll hear, I have a lot of fun with my subjects. Episode 23: Football's Valhalla Episode 21: I Witness Episode 20: The Best of Bacon Episode 15: Strike Up the Band Episode 13: Iconic Restaurants of Ann Arbor Episode 6: The Wind is Very Much Up

He was brilliant, brave, and curious — and his tale unspools like a thrilling mystery. Architect Raoul Wallenberg, ’35, protected thousands of Jews from the Nazis in World War II. And then he vanished off the face of the earth. Details of his disappearance remain a mystery to this day, but he likely was murdered in a Russian prison shortly after the war ended. And though he is gone, the descendants of those Wallenberg saved continue to walk this earth, thanks to his courage and ingenuity. Each year the University confers its Wallenberg Medal to those individuals who demonstrate the capacity of the human spirit to stand up for the helpless, defend the integrity of the powerless, and speak out on behalf of the voiceless. The 2018 Wallenberg Medal recognized two youth organizations working to end gun violence. Representatives for the Chicago-based youth organization B.R.A.V.E. and the student activists behind March For Our Lives in Parkland, Fla., accepted the honors Nov. 14 in Rackham Auditorium. Read full story at Michigan Today View video of the 2018 medal ceremony and speeches by the youth leaders More on Wallenberg A World War ll hero's lasting legacy Wallenberg legacy

Filmmaker Dan Chace, BA ’83, shares the labor of love that manifested as a beautiful documentary about beloved Wolverines football announcer Bob Ufer. The film is called "Footballs's Valhalla: The Bob Ufer Story." Read full story at Michigan Today More on Dan Chace 2012 Documentary: Perseverance: The Story of Dr. Billy Taylor Black Point West Films

Good news! Your 1968 photo of RFK is on the cover of a 2017 bestseller. Bad news: It’s credited to someone else. Listen in as Michigan Daily alumni Andy Sacks and Jay Cassidy take you back to Spring 1968 when RFK campaigned for a presidential bid in Detroit. As student photographers, Sacks and Cassidy captured some of the last images of Kennedy before he was assassinated several weeks later. Flash forward to 2017, and Sacks discovers one of his photos from that day is on the cover of an RFK biography by MSNBC's Chris Matthews. And the photo credit reads "Bill Epperidge." Read full story at Michigan Today View Video of Jay Cassidy as Featured Alum More on Andy Sacks & Jay Cassidy Michigan Daily Archive Andy Sacks' Work Jay Cassidy's IMDb page

Raconteur John U. Bacon, BA ’86/MA ’94, regales the listener with tales – heartfelt and hilarious – culled from a 25-year career covering sports. His book "The Best of Bacon" features “select cuts,” showcasing Michigan heroes Bo Schembechler and Jim Abbott, as well as Detroit legends Ernie Harwell, Joe Louis, and more. Read full story at Michigan Today More on John U. Bacon Best of Bacon: Select Cuts John Bacon's Website

In this episode, we chat with Susan Pile, U-M’s senior director of university unions and auxiliary services. She is managing the 20-month renovation of the beloved Michigan Union, but fear not: She is fiercely protective of its legacy. Read full story at Michigan Today Michigan Union Photos and History More on Union Renovation Renovation Website "Find It" Resource

Zingerman's Bakehouse co-owner Frank Carollo, BS ’76, celebrates 25 years in business with a gorgeous cookbook rich in history, humor, and of course, those precious how-to's. You can practically smell the bread baking as Frank shares his love of the kitchen. Read full story at Michigan Today Zingerman's Bakehouse More on Zingerman's Zingerman's Website

From dinosaurs to dioramas, U-M holds some 25 million specimens and cultural objects in more than 20 distinct museums, libraries, and collections. Listen in, as we ‘meet’ some of the explorers who amassed this expansive archive. Read full story at Michigan Today Object Lessons & the Formation of Knowledge More on Object Lessons Carla Sinopoli Kerstin Barndt Kelsey Museum of Archaeology

Student organizations at the University of Michigan range from the sublime (Solar Car) to the ridiculous (Squirrel Club). Either way, the students who manage them are extraordinarily bright, motivated, and accomplished. Meet them on the Michigan Diag in this raucous, loud, and energetic episode. Read full story at Michigan Today More on Festifall View "How to Festifall" Checklist Video Festifall Information

Composer/arranger Jerry Bilik, BMus ’55/MMus ’61, takes you inside the Michigan Marching Band. He’s the artist behind some of their most beloved classics. Plus he's a huge Beatles fan. Read full story at Michigan Today More on Bilik and the Band Jerry Bilik's website Michigan Marching Band William D. Revelli

The Michigan Theater Foundation’s Lee Berry, BA ’78/MBA ’99, previews the new-and-improved State Theatre. At the time of the recording, the theater was still under renovation. It's quite spectacular now! Read full story at Michigan Today View Michigan Theater Website

Gail Offen, BGS ’78, takes foodies on a tasty trip through A2 past and present, from the Del Rio to Pizza Bob’s, from Drake’s to Le Dog. Her book "Iconic Restaurants of Ann Arbor" is filled with local history and wonderful anecdotes. Read full story at Michigan Today Iconic Restaurants of Ann Arbor

Investigative reporter, civil rights advocate, and U-M journalism instructor Will Potter talks propaganda, dissent, and a free press that is anything but an ‘enemy of the people.’ Preach, Will. Read full story at Michigan Today [View Video of Jay Cassidy as Featured Alum][2] More on Will Potter Potter's Website Ted Talk Faculty Contact

Bentley Historical Library Director Terrence McDonald examines the creative (and often conflictual) tension that has long existed between U-M and its constituents. Read full story at Michigan Today More on Terry McDonald Faculty Contact Appointment Story

U-M’s bicentennial (2017) is upon us. What better time to celebrate the legacies and achievements that make Michigan what it is? Hear from U-M historians Kim Clarke and Gary Krenz. They will regale you with trivia that will entertain your alumni party guests. We promise. Read full story at Michigan Today View Michigan Bicentennial Video More on Michigan's Bicentennial Bicentennial Website Kim Clarke Gary Krenz

Author and U-M professor Heather Ann Thompson, BA ’87/MA ’87, delivers the first definitive history of the 1971 Attica prison uprising and its devastating aftermath. This is a phoner, so the audio is a bit rough. Sorry! Read full story at Michigan Today Blood in Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy More on Heather Ann Thompson Personal Website Pulitzer Prize Winner Faculty Contact