Student Mini-Grants Recipients

September 27th 2023
Oreoluwa Adewumi, African Students Association (ASA)

The project consisted of a mural showcased in the African Studies Center, as well as self-crafted bracelets for each participant to take home. The mural was made up of singular canvases that each participant painted and glued together at the end of the activity. Participants painted their canvas with colors that correspond to who they are as a person. (A chart will display which colors correspond to different traits [e.g. light blue = outgoing]). They then wrote their name large on their piece and wrote mispronunciations surrounding it but much smaller.

September 30th 2023
Bianca Trihenea, MEMCO

Memco’s monthly IMPULSE series started off the 23-24 school year with a Bang!! We started with our most popular theme “What the FUNK”, and booked celebrated Detroit house DJ Stacey Hottwaxx Hale to perform for the two hour peak. The party was opened and closed by UofM student DJ performances. Our IMPULSE events allow amateur student DJs to experience what it’s like to perform in a legitimate club, while drawing out artistically conscious and open-minded students who would rather not crowd in a stranger’s basement for some weekend fun.

October 6th 2023
Aaryan Shah, Michigan Wolveraas

The event we hosted was a school-wide Garba/Raas, open to all. A Garba is a traditional dance event, commemorating the 9 day festival of Navarātrī. It involves several people making concentric dance circles around a lamp/table, and moving forward and backward with the music. We celebrated Indian heritage at the Garba with our fellow students performing our dance style in a more casual setting. It involved both Garba (first 1 1/2 hours) and Raas (next 1 1/2 hours) in an exhibition.

October 12th 2023
Evalicia Chavez, Latinx Heritage Month Planning Committee

This event was the closing ceremony for the 2023 Latinx Heritage Month. The event consisted of a dinner, with student speakers, a musical performance, and a mural to then be displayed in the Trotter Multicultural Center.

5 Ayaat on Justice, in Blue and Gold

October 13th 2023
Najla Malaibari

This project highlighted 5 Quranic verses on the theme of justice. It was an exhibition built around 5 calligraphic pieces, and an opportunity for visitors to hand stamp a souvenir card.

October 16th 2023
Mirit Skeen

“Accidental Death of an Anarchist” is a 1970 play by Dario Fo and will be my senior directing thesis for my BFA in Theatre & Drama: Directing. I will be directing and producing my production in the Newman Studio from November 16 - 18 with the help of a student technical team and BFA students as actors. “Accidental Death…” is a 1970 political satire that concerns the fictionalized events following the accidental (or not) death of a supposed anarchist rail worker who fell (or was pushed) to his death from a fourth-story window of the police headquarters in Milan.

October 23rd 2023
Jason Chao, Washtenaw Rock Stars

The mission of Washtenaw Rock Stars is to provide free, sustainable musical education to under-resourced students. Our volunteers carpool to community sites around Washtenaw County to teach children how to play instruments. We offer the kids a variety of instruments such as ukuleles, drum pads, keyboards, and acoustic and electric guitars. In our second year as a club, we have made significant strides. We now have dedicated instruments for each of our three community sites. This allows kids to practice outside of our scheduled volunteering, which is very important in developing their love for music.

October 28th 2023
Roma Uzzaman, The RC Players

This was a shadowcast production of cult classic film The Rocky Horror Picture Show! We performed a stage production of the show while the film played on a screen in the background. The RC Players' production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show was entirely organized, directed, acted, and costumed by students. Our mission was to promote love and learning of theater through active participation and hands-on learning, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a perfect example of that.

UrMug

October 31st 2023
Yuchen Wu

UrMug was a pop-up art installation, housed on a small stand with wheels to move it around. The stand displayed redesigned versions of student essentials and popular products at the University of Michigan, including a UM mug that has the artist’s name in Chinese, as opposed to Mden’s mass-produced mug which only provides a limited choice of popular English names. The artist presented 12 other mugs in different languages and facsimiles of mugs to give great reach to her vision. A central part of this art project is an interactive activity called “UrMug”, where the artist learned and wrote the names of the participants/visitors in their native languages on a blue UM mug and gave them their personalized mugs for free as an momento.

November 3rd 2023
Katelyn Dutka, The Impro-fessionals

The Impro-fessionals also are a student led and funded improv comedy group! We have themed shows once a month that are open to the public; typically held in an Angell Hall auditorium. The shows consist of an hour long set of games, scenes, and newly created content all performed in a completely improvised fashion based on audience suggestions and participation.

November 3rd 2023
Xamantha Palomino, Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Incorporated

The ball began with music playing as guests walked in. When people were seated, there was a small welcome given as well as an invitation to serve themselves with authentic Mexican food. Once everyone served themselves, there were two speakers; one discussed the traditions and history of Día de los Muertos, and the following speaker talked about the theme of our event, the victims of mass and school shootings. Once the speaker had finished, there was a live performance by Mariachi Jalisco de Detroit. From there, people had the freedom to dance to Latin music, mingle, and learn more about the culture by observing altars created by our own members for their family members.

November 5th 2023
Ailin Xiong, Chinese Student Association

Celebrasia is a cultural event hosted by Chinese Student Association (CSA) that involves many other cultural organizations on campus, including but not limited to Japanese Student Association, Michigan Sahana, and Filipino American Student Association. The event is two fold, with the first part being an Asian night-market inspired festival, where all the different organizations act as vendors selling food from their culture, and the second part is a series of performances by various performance groups with a focus on the cultural aspect of the art form. Through a combination of the night-market and performances, Celebrasia serves as one of the largest events CSA holds in the fall semester, and invites students to join the different organizations and learn more about a variety of cultures.

November 10th 2023
Justin Green

The project we worked on is a pair of films titled No Vacancy and Fall From Fame. They involved the entire process of pre production to post production for the films and employed students from FTVM, STAMPS, SMTD, and others. The primary events were filming dates starting the third weekend in October and ending the second weekend in November.

November 11th 2023
Kaitlyn Fa, Helicon History of Art Undergraduate Society

The Helicon History of Art Undergraduate Society hosted its annual student artwork exhibition, this year under the theme of "Junk Drawer." We sought to uplift the various artworks that come from our student community, much like how a junk drawer is a collection of endlessly fascinating objects, though initially mundane to the eye. This exhibition was wholly curated, facilitated, and fundraised by Helicon members. We only showed student-made artworks and typically received a wide variety of submissions from across U of M's colleges. From short films, to fashion pieces, sculptures, paintings, and more, we aimed to encourage, promote, and display the creative powers of the students at the University of Michigan. We believe that every student, regardless of their major, college, or background, deserves an opportunity to exhibit their work and want to create the best space possible for these student artists.

Crochet Workshop and Discussion

November 17th 2023
Jay Petrowski

This project was a free-to-attend, artist-led workshop where participants learned the basics of crochet and received instructions (verbal and printed) on how to make a simple hat. Materials were provided to the first 36 attendees; students with their own materials were encouraged to come participate in making and engage in organized discussion about the commodification of artwork and the gendered stigma surrounding craft.

November 18th 2023
Emerson Lauster, The RC Players

We put on a full-length, student-written play called Where Orion Went! Our two show performances took place on November 16th and 18th and were open to the public. The show itself was meant to utilize the myth of Orion to give agency to those commonly reduced to narrative tools in stories. Throughout the weeks leading up to the performance, we had constant rehearsals, meetings, and workshops in order to produce this show to the best of our ability.

November 18th 2023
Andrew Ramirez, Filipino American Student Association (FASA)

Philippine Culture Night (PCN) is FASA's signature event and biggest cultural show of the year. A semi-formal to formal banquet-style event, its primary focus is to communicate, cultivate, exemplify, and celebrate Filipino culture and identity. PCN provides a space to engage in insightful discussion of Filipino culture, as well as a means for Filipino to celebrate and be proud of their heritage, empowering individuals of the Filipino American community. The event allows Filipinos to connect their heritage primarily through Filipino performances but also food, language, and attire. There is also a strong educational component of PCN. Both Filipino and non-Filipino attendees are educated through music, singing, dance, spoken word, speeches, and conversation.

GREEN EYES

November 19th 2023
Brooke Arnold

This project is my Senior Recital for my Bachelor of Music in Choral Music Education degree. This project is a cumulative representation of what I've learned in my undergraduate music degree. With this recital, I aim to explore human emotion and its expression through song: titled "INSIDE OUT," this performance is organized into four parts: 1 - FEEL. 2 - SUPPRESS. 3 - ACCEPT. 4 - RELEASE. At approx. 60 minutes with 2-4 songs per part, this recital provides an audience with a representation of how we develop, feel, and express our complex human emotions.

November 29th 2023
Renee Aliaga, ASquared

ASquared is a monthly magazine that is entirely student produced, featuring undergraduate students and their take on various fashion styles and trends. It was a way to bridge campus and the community that is interested in the arts. They have members across all UofM schools as a way to bring in new perspectives. They printed and distributed their magazine around campus.

November 30th 2023
Claire Smallwood, The Michigan Archive

The Michigan Archive is a history magazine for general audiences. This event was the publishing release of our issue for the semester, Lost and Found, which discusses various things that have been lost and found throughout history. This event was a chance for students’ writing and art to be celebrated and put on display, creating a celebratory atmosphere where the work of our team can be recognized.

December 1st 2023
Paul Silaghi, Mentality Magazine

We requested the partial funding of our Fall 2023 magazine print edition. This semester, we hope to once again create, print, and distribute an edition of our magazine, giving anyone and everyone the chance to express themselves in writing through prose, poetry, or another form, as well as visually by creating a design that matches their piece. We do not charge for our magazines in order to spread the word about the importance of mental health as far as possible. At the end of the semester, we set up a table in Mason Hall and distribute magazines to passing students, also placing them on newsstands and racks at various campus locations to reach as broad and diverse an audience as we can.

December 1st 2023
Sarah Shaw-Nichols, Amateur Hour Stand-Up Comedy

This was a comedy showcase featuring members of Amateur Hour Stand-Up Comedy. 8-12 Members of our club performed roughly 5 minute sets each containing original jokes written by them and workshopped in our weekly meetings. Comedy gives our members a great opportunity to reframe our experiences and make them something we can laugh at as well as the audience. It's a perfect opportunity to spotlight our identities and build bridges that connect us to diverse audiences. Getting someone to laugh is incredibly unifying especially when it's something you felt alone in thinking was funny.

December 1st 2023
Ndio Mitchell, 48 Frames Films

48 Frames' formative project, Happy Birthday Stefan, represents an international collaboration between BIPOC creatives across the United States, Montenegro, and Brazil. The project, which explores through a political allegory format the current crisis of democratic backsliding and populist rhetoric in the United States, equally demonstrates the capacity of recalcitrant art to be a catalyst for youth political expression.

December 2nd 2023
Avalon Litwiller, Not Even Really Drama Students

We requested funding for our musical production called A Murder Mystery Musical. It is a musical written and directed by our members that follows a group of friends caught in a haunted house. It tells the story of budding romance, community, acceptance, tradition, and friendship. It has a total (cast, crew, and production team) of about 75. This event sought to enrich the local student body and populace. By performing this show written by LGBT and racial/cultural minority writers we are putting forward ideas, viewpoints, and opinions that are often lost in art and especially lost in theatre.

Sparrows

December 5th 2023
Ligaya Galang, FTVM300 Student Crew

"Sparrows" is a short film inspired by Wong Kar Wai's evocative style in "In the Mood For Love." This project served as a heartfelt tribute to the Filipino American community, encapsulating their culture and experiences. The film explored themes of cultural identity, familial expectations, and personal passions through a compelling narrative set during a game of mahjong. We follow Lina as she tries to receive her Ate's blessing to switch majors from pre-med to music. Her Ate (older sister) uses mahjong references to express her worry that a career in the arts is a game of luck and therefore dangerous, but Lina argues that luck can be cultivated with strategy.

December 8th 2023
Lucy Koukoudian, Golden Theatre Company

This fall, Golden Theatre Company presented: She Loves Me at the Arthur Miller Theatre, December 8th, 9th, and 10th. The organization’s mission is to expand the opportunity for musicals in the classical canon while maintaining an environment that is safe, innovative, and diverse for each of the students involved. She Loves Me is a full length musical highlighting multiple voice types for a variety of actors, featuring flourishing orchestrations for instrumentalists in the pit, and telling a dynamic story that audiences will enjoy. She Loves Me was open to all University students, faculty, and residents of the Ann Arbor community. The show is both a comedy and a drama, revolving around the highs and lows of a small group of coworkers in a Budapest parfumerie.

December 9th 2023
Candace Jung, Warp

Our project, Limitless, was a two-part art exhibition at the end of the fall semester. We had events and opportunities throughout the semester for members to explore and start art projects in collaboration with other members as part of Warp, in hopes of sparking conversation, community, and collaboration as queer POC within the University of Michigan. The culmination of our members' projects were displayed in the exhibition.

Vanities: The Musical

December 9th 2023
Kate Cummings

Kate Cummings directed and produced VANITIES: THE MUSICAL to present in the Towsley Studio of the Walgreen Drama Center on December 8th and 9th. VANITIES is a musical composed by Umich alum, David Kirshenbaum and written by Jack Heifner. The musical was produced, designed, choreographed, directed, and performed by undergraduate students at U of M. The primary intention in directing the piece is to use the satirical comedy in the script to communicate bold and provocative issues that women of ALL identities face in our world. Swapping out cast members throughout the musical so that the audience must evaluate how these female stereotypes change when considering a person's racial identity or gender fluidity. The goal? To reshape the conversations we have about feminism.

Gen Zeta

December 10th 2023
Chloe Pfeifer

This project was a student-created TV pilot entitled 'Gen Zeta,' produced for the class FTVM 421. Here’s the logline!- When the most exclusive sorority on campus gets caught for promising a bid before bid day, their bid list gets flipped and the two most unlikely groups are forced to become sisters - the obnoxiously stuck-up girls of Kappa Phi Delta and the misfits and rebels who become their new pledge class. The project was entirely student-produced, and it was an incredibly valuable learning experience for everyone involved. Within this project, highly skilled film and acting students were able to hone in and focus their craft in order to create this valuable and innovative piece. Furthermore, this film addresses highly relevant topics and conversations, making it vital and important to produce.

December 12th 2023
Tiffany Xu, MDraw Art Club

As a club, Mdraw mostly holds weekly workshops and meetings with different focuses every week. Our funding went to a few events, including 3 Bob Ross paint-alongs and a few craft events. Our events include instructions and all art supplies for the members to make the art as accessible as possible for everyone.

December 15th 2023
Lucy Koukoudian, Touch of Blue

This year, Touch of Blue has made it a goal to produce various audio, visual, and multimedia projects. Our first project was Touch of Blue Presents: Come Sunday. The ensemble recorded and produced a music video and cover single of Duke Ellington’s jazz classic, “Come Sunday". The piece is a staple in Touch of Blue’s repertoire, and the ensemble hoped that in releasing a music video, we can spread the work we have done in jazz music, beyond our regular concert settings. In order to produce this project, Touch of Blue used funding to hire a studio facilitator, a camera crew, and a video editor for the single and music video recording sessions.

Pivot

January 8th 2024
Rileigh Goldsmith

My senior dance thesis project, titled "Pivot," is an immersive virtual reality exhibition designed as a sensorial walk-through experience, featuring three VR headsets for an up-close and engaging viewing encounter. This unique project aims to captivate the audience by combining 360-degree performances with interactive prompts, guiding viewers through the exhibit as we delve into the themes of forging new paths and shedding ties that no longer serve us. The culmination of our efforts was displayed at the Duderstadt Gallery from January 8th to 22nd, 2024.

January 12th 2024
Katie Studenka, Pure Dance

Pure Dance, a lyrical, jazz, and contemporary student-run dance company on campus, hosts an annual showcase open to the University of Michigan students and the Ann Arbor community. This showcase is a collaborative effort between Pure and many other guest performers, such as a cappella groups, dance companies, and other performance groups. This year, we had 6 student organizations guest perform in our showcase. We hoped for this showcase to not only share the passion for the art that Pure practices, but all kinds of art forms that our diverse student body brings to the community.

January 14th 2024
Dante Garetto, Anthro Art Association at the University of Michigan

This project was a continuation of Anthro Art Association’s ongoing mission in empowering students to learn, experience, and appreciate the art of Fursuit making. This club provides a safe space and guidance from talented Fursuit makers who work with students and teach them how to properly and safely use various tools and materials. Starting from concept art sketches going all the way through to finishing up a hand-carved Fursuit head base ready to be "furred," students learned the unique craft of bringing anthropomorphic animal characters from their imagination to life.

January 18th 2024
Shi Qi Lim, Malaysian Students Association

This year, MiMSA hosted MCN 2024 at Lydia Mendelssohn Theater. The event started off with a play with the play we called "Desa Dendam". Desa Dendam follows a journalist Juni who, while investigating an old case, finds herself tangled in a cobweb of deceit and black magic. The play incorporates diverse religious and cultural elements from Malaysia including local folklore, superstition, religious practices, traditional dances, and traditional fashion, all packaged into a murder-mystery-style dramedy. The aim of this play was to increase awareness of the cultural richness of Malaysia, especially within the university where Southeast Asian stories are still underrepresented. Throughout the show, a variety of traditional dances from different ethnic groups in Malaysia will also be showcased.

January 19th 2024
Joseph Gailey, Midnight Book Club

Midnight Book Club, our long-form improvised comedy group, hosted hour-long improv comedy shows on January 19th, February 16th, March 22nd, and April 12th 2024, all at 7 pm in Angell Hall Auditorium B. We typically host crowds from 250-300 attendees. As a student org, we perform free improv shows on a monthly basis to the University and Ann Arbor community.

January 31st 2024
Anna Wattenbach, Pages for Pediatrics

Pages for Pediatrics wrote, illustrated, and published a children's book about alopecia to help educate kids and parents about pediatric disability. After publishing, they donated the books to local Children's Hospitals, Clinics, and Elementary Schools.

February 3rd 2024
Katelyn Dutka, The Impro-fessionals

The Impro-fessionals are a student-led and funded improv comedy group. They have themed shows once a month that are open to the public; typically held in an Angell Hall auditorium. The shows consist of an hour long set of games, scenes, and newly created content all performed in a completely improvised fashion based on audience suggestions and participation. Three shows were held during the Winter 24 semester that were supported with this grant.

February 10th 2024
Rawan Antar, Arabesque Dance Troupe

Arabesque Dance Troupe was excited to be part of the Arab Student Association's annual Arab Xpressions show, where their troupe comprises 8 diverse dance teams, including an enchanting belly-dancing team, five vibrant co-ed teams, one dynamic all-girls team, and one powerful all-guys team. Their distinctive feature lie in their specialization in traditional Arabic dance, allowing them to preserve and showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Middle East and North Africa. Each of their teams represents various regions and dance forms, from the Gulf to the Levant to North Africa. Their mission extends beyond delivering captivating performances; we're committed to fostering cultural exchange, dispelling stereotypes, and promoting unity among members from diverse backgrounds who share a passion for celebrating the beauty of Arab traditions.

February 11th 2024
Ailin Xiong, Chinese Student Association

Lunar Gala is an annual celebration of Chinese Lunar New Year that the Chinese Student Association (CSA) hosts. This event was a semiformal event showcasing various chinese artforms (dance, singing, instruments, etc.), chinese foods (dumplings, egg rolls, etc.), and the opportunity for Chinese or Chinese-American students on campus to wear traditional Chinese attire if they wish. For our MC segments, our MCs announced everything in English once and then in Mandarin once, opening up the event to all students regardless of language barrier. We hope that through this event, students were able to learn more about not only Chinese culture in general but also about the history behind Chinese Lunar New Year.

February 16th 2024
Madeline Miclea, Michigan Electronic Music Collective

The Michigan Electronic Music Collective (MEMCO) is an entirely student-run collective of DJ’s, producers, visual artists, engineers, and event-goers that provides a platform in Ann Arbor for electronic music and its subgenres. This spring, we hosted our biggest event of the year, a celebration of Black History Month as an homage to the cultural roots of Detroit techno genre. Our celebration took shape into 2 phases: a daytime conformance and a nighttime DJ exhibition.

February 16th 2024
Ali Hasan Shahab, Pakistani Student Association

The Michigan Mehndi was a grand celebration of Pakistani wedding customs. From the music, lights, and dance performances, our goal was to mirror the energy of a typical "Mehndi" ceremony. The focal point of this event was dedicated to Bollywood, Traditional Pakistani, and Bhangra dances. We wanted to showcase a large performance to our community and promote this form of art.

February 17th 2024
Udoka Nwansi, EnspiRED Runway

Our runway show included a fashion show, in which models walked on the runway wearing clothing made by designers from both the U-M campus as well as the larger Detroit area. It also included musical, vocal, and dance performances from U-M students. In EnspiRED, we aim to create a transformative experience for everyone who is involved in the show, as well as our audiences. For those involved in the show (E-Board, models, creative committee), we foster a sense of ownership of our two major events, The Art Experience and our runway show. Together, we work on these two passion projects and are able to develop our skills as artists, leaders, and creative directors. For our audiences, we create a theme for each show (this year's theme being "Americana"), and we try to deliver an empowering message to our audience via this theme.

February 20th 2024
Lily Wasvary, MUSIC Matters

Michigan's Got Talent is MUSIC Matters' annual student talent show! We welcome all students in the U-M community to participate in this event with any talent they would like to share. In order to participate, interested students must submit a video of their talent, similar to the act they plan on performing at the live event. MUSIC Matters then chose a select number of submissions to be featured in our live in-person event on February 20th at 7pm EST at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre. During the live show, certain acts were chosen to receive various superlative rewards, as well as hundreds of dollars in prizes.

2024 Musical Theatre Color Cabaret

February 22nd 2024
Cortez Hill, Impact Arts

This is a musical cabaret that was performed live and had a professional recording on Youtube. Similar projects produced by us in the past have resulted in over 500, 000 views. The cabaret creates a space for students of color within a predominantly white institution to bring their unique experiences and perspectives to the creative table. It also encourages dialogue between the performers and their peers, faculty, and the greater Ann Arbor community, helping to lay a foundation of allyship from the students involved and beyond.

Legendary Ball

February 23rd 2024
Jada Maxwell, Notably Black & Gay

The Legendary Ball is a cultural dance performance created by Black and Latino queer people. This project was one part of a week-long project on educating and cultural immersion in queer culture and history. Before the performance, everyone learned how performing arts represent freedom and are a form of resistance for marginalized queer folks. This event cultivated a sense of community by creating a space for people with intersecting identities and allowed them the space to be their authentic selves without judgment.

March 7th 2024
Eleanor Halloran, DigiPaint (Digital Painting Club)

The 2023/2024 Zine Project was a compilation of specifically themed digital art pieces that our club members have worked on over this Fall semester. The project involved printing copies of zine booklets of these pieces to distribute to both members and non-members who have an interest in acquiring a physical collection of these works. Additionally, there was a gallery for this project in the Duderstadt Center Gallery that was open for about two weeks in February, and we had a reception on the opening night where artists can see their works displayed on large printed posters.

March 8th 2024
Jenna Ference-Salo, Vibrance Dance Group

Our Vibrance Company Dance Showcase is a performance held at the end of the winter semester each year. We perform about seven to eight pieces that we choreograph throughout the year. We often have guest dance performances from other dance groups. In previous years we have had RhythM, Pure Dance, and the Special Olympics.

Story of Elm: Navigating a Dying World

March 11th 2024
Nuala Kennedy

The Story of Elm is an animated short that involved digital, hand-drawn animation, music, and voice acting. The story is centered around a tree-person character who goes on a journey to find companionship and encounters tragedy instead. The themes surround nature and healing. This project showed that art has the power to inspire people and make them more aware of the natural world that we live in. It gave people a better appreciation of nature by providing an emotional connection through storytelling. This emotional connection also made it easier to discuss sensitive topics like grief.

March 14th 2024
Adam Solomon

My junior recital was a 1 hour performance at Canterbury House in Ann Arbor, on March 14, 2024. I lead a jazz quintet of my peers in the SMTD jazz department. Two songs additionally included a vocalist. The recital included various original compositions, which I had not had the opportunity to perform, and the music of my musical heroes from Stevie Wonder to Wayne Shorter.

Every Brilliant Thing

March 15th 2024
Nathan Goldberg

Every Brilliant Thing is a collaborative endeavor that aims to utilize the arts and technology to engage the University of Michigan community in conversations surrounding mental health. This play explores these themes through a heartwarming narrative that revolves around the compilation of a list of "brilliant" things by a young child to support their struggling mother. As child-like naivete evolves into adolescence and then adulthood, the play peels back the layers of the mother’s lasting impact on her child and imparts a reminder of the immense importance of “the little things” life offers us. Every Brilliant Thing invites extensive audience participation, and it is unique in that the character is adapted to each actor's performance, ensuring an original and dynamic experience every time it is staged.

Eleven Months of Nuclear Summer by Sophie Mcintosh

March 16th 2024
Denise Bonsu, RC Players

Eleven Months of Nuclear Summer follows six staff members navigating the joy and politics of the summer camp preseason when the nuclear apocalypse takes away everything they have, except each other. Over the course of the next year, their numbers diminish as they jockey for power, fight for love, and maintain hope for as long as they can. The lines between love, sex, and friendship blur, with platonic and romantic love playing equally vital roles. Hope and community are the throughlines that keep the show moving forward. Flawed and deeply human characters fight to make both high- and low-stakes decisions; life and death are important, but so are the group’s sexual politics and vodka supply.

What is home?

March 20th 2024
Isabella Carucci

Isabella commissioned and performed a 10-minute piece that used flute, oboe, and spoken word to examine the disproportionate effect of climate change on marginalized communities – including varying impacts based on education attainment, income, race, and ethnicity. The piece was a part of a program asking: What is home? The premiere included informational materials (including notecards and posters) that offered the audience climate statistics, individual actions that they can pursue, and community initiatives that they can join.

March 21st 2024
Elijah Underhill-Miller, Michigan Electronic Music Collective (MEMCO)

We are excited to present an exclusive screening and promotional initiative around the recently completed - 12 years in the making - and not publicly accessible groundbreaking documentary God Said Give Em Drum Machines (2022) (GSGEDM). This premiere was hosted in collaboration with 48 Frames and the Black Film Society, both University of Michigan student organizations. Our special screening was followed up with a panel discussion and q+a session featuring individuals in the film, contemporary artists inspired to speak on the topic, and a concluding nighttime event featuring an all-Black DJ lineup headlining one of stars of the film who are still performing today. Through this Black History Month event series, MEMCO, 48 Frames, and BFS worked with GSGEDM to elevate this history in Ann Arbor and at the University of Michigan, and furthermore engage with underground electronic music history in a multidimensional way.

March 22nd 2024
LuzElena Molina-Medina, Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority Incorporated

The Multicultural Greek Exhibition was an event where various Greek organizations come together and perform traditions like stepping, strolling, saluting, etc. Performances lasted anywhere from 3-8 minutes, depending on how much they would like to showcase. In addition, there were mini-games that included dancing and music in order to engage the audience more.

March 22nd 2024
Jack Weaver

This event was a showcase of performances centered around art that is not typically appreciated beyond a “class presentation” on campus, nor highlighted often in our student community. Having learned many aspects of physical theatre both at UM and abroad, this collective showcased their original works in a night of selected performances. The productions included Jack & Jacob: The World Tour (a clown show about a magician gasping for air when his partner doesn’t show up for their show) and Wicked Fascinations (a dance theatre piece that explores images and ideas of neo-circus, bodily autonomy, performance mania, and “those who lived wrongly,”). The third and final aspect of the event was a showcase of student stand up comics.

March 23rd 2024
Craig Darnell, Not Even Really Drama Students

Mini Musicals night was a brand new event organized by Not Even Really Drama Students, where groups of students had the opportunity to pitch short musical scenes. 4–5 of these groups were selected to write their scenes and compose music for them. Then, the teams worked on directing their skits, casting students as actors who rehearsed and performed in both of the show performances (on March 22 and 23).

March 24th 2024
Sarah Shaw-Nichols, Amateur Hour Stand-Up Comedy

This event was a comedy showcase featuring members of Amateur Hour Stand-Up Comedy. 8-12 Members of the club performed roughly 5 minute sets each containing original jokes written by them and workshopped in our weekly meetings. Comedy gives the members a great opportunity to reframe their experiences and make them something everyone can laugh at. It's a perfect opportunity to spotlight different identities and build bridges that connect performers to diverse audiences. Getting someone to laugh is incredibly unifying especially when it's something the comedian felt alone in thinking was funny.

March 29th 2024
Diego Felix-Trejo, La Casa

This event was composed of multiple live performances. Performances consisted of a variety of dance groups all representative from different states and regions in Latin America. Dance groups performed Cumbia, Bachata, Reggaeton/Hip Hop, Ballet Folklorico Mexicano, Wepa/Huapango, Ballet Folklorico Peruano, Bomba Puertorriquena, and more. Most of these dance groups are open to the whole community, led by volunteer student instructors. We also had a variety of music groups from student bands and music players, these include solo guitarist, TexMex, Reggae, and more. Apart from dance and music, we also had a Quinceanera Fashion Show. Where students showcased cultural dress traditionally worn during their coming-of-age birthdays.

March 29th 2024
Brianna Anzures, RC Players

"Community Garden" is an evocative production conceived by Justin Borak, a Master’s candidate at West Virginia University. Orchestrated by the student-led R.C. Players, this play was a testament to our commitment to fostering creativity and community within the University of Michigan. Performed on March 29th and 30th at the Keene Theatre, this narrative unfolds in the heart of Uptown, Chicago, where the protagonist, Ralph, discovers the transformative power of community through his volunteer work at the Uptown City Gardens.

March 29th 2024
Joeseph Karz, Michigan Music Business Club

At this conference, the Michigan Music Business Club brought in keynote speakers from big record labels, touring agencies, as well as high profile talent managers. There were networking opportunities for students to meet and talk to these industry professionals. There were also panels grouping a few speakers at a time to discuss certain issues such as Al in music and artist development. In addition, they hosted small group workshops where the student audience participated with certain real life topics and activities. Lastly, they brought in a signed artist and their label to talk about deals and career opportunities as an artist. This event brought the best in the music business to some of the brightest college students in the US, raised industry awareness for an exceptional pool of young, hardworking students ready to make an impact, and introduced Michigan students to the multitude of opportunities that lie within the music industry.

Student Advocacy Competition

March 29th 2024
Steve Nguyen, Forensic/ Speech Team

This project was a speech tournament. The tournament participants delivered a speech piece without props and were scored based on their level of creativity on a social issue. Competitors brought a speech on a social justice issue and performed improv along with the speech delivery. Speeches ranged from prose to poetry.

Student Choreography Showcase

March 30th 2024
Abby Widlak

The Student Choreography Showcase presented by students in the Department of Dance was an opportunity for students to showcase works that they built themselves from the ground up. This was a compilation of works that highlight what they have learned during their time at UM, showing our artistry and growth. This showcase gave us the space to show work that we care deeply about. The concert was also where our friends and family can come see a show that we have entirely created ourselves, foreshadowing what many of us hope to do in the future.

March 30th 2024
Sana Simkani, Persian Students' Association

The fundamental purpose of the Persian Students Association (PSA) is to cultivate an inclusive space where members can forge connections, engage in meaningful discussions about Persian culture and beyond, explore the rich history and traditions of Iran, and foster enduring friendships that extend beyond their time at the University. Their much-anticipated 24th Annual Nowruz (Persian New Year) Show occurred on March 30, 2024, at the Power Center from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. This cultural extravaganza has been a cherished tradition, embodying the essence of "Persian" identity through a captivating array of elements: music, girls' dance, guys' dance, couples dances, a skit, a fashion show, a musical performance, and a Nowruz presentation.

March 30th 2024
Bryan Wilson

The Project exhibition was for Bryan Wilson’s Senior Thesis project through the school of Art and Design. This IP (Integrative project) was to craft and construct a fashion collection comparing and contrasting the jobs, class, and life of blue collar and white collar workers. Fashion design was a medium that allowed the artist to discuss topics thoroughly. This collection featured 8 looks, exploring shape and form through both ready to wear and avant garde looks.

March 31st 2024
Lauren Billman, YENIKA Editorial

YENIKA Editorial is dedicated to reshaping fashion and culture narratives by embracing and celebrating the histories and futures of global cultures. Our mission is to spotlight the diversity of experiences, stories, and achievements found within various communities. We aim to portray individuals from all walks of life in everyday situations, capturing the universal aspects of joy, success, and the vibrant essence of different cultures. The first edition of our magazine was Edition Bare, which utilized lighting and unique clothing shapes to showcase models in their "bare" form. This means that the focus was on highlighting unique aspects of models' identity and culture that may not first meet the eye. Our magazine strives to differentiate ourselves by highlighting different ethnicities, genders, backgrounds, sizes, and more, with an authentic focus on the person and qualities within.

March 31st 2024
Hannah Elliott

Daffodil is Adela Papiez's FTVM honor's thesis short film. It tells the story of a college student coming to terms with her guilt and grief after the unexpected overdose of a close friend. The film was made by an all-student team. We filmed in the fall semester, edited in the winter semester, and presented a final cut to an audience at the end of the academic year. The film touches on intense and emotional subjects. Addiction and the loss of a loved one are experiences that many people have not had, and the filmmakers wanted the film to provide people with a better understanding of grief and addiction while also providing comfort to those that may be struggling.

Our Wonderful Becoming

April 1st 2024
Anna Poorman

Our Wonderful Becoming is a children’s book directed at kids ages 5-8 that teaches children about Zen Buddhist philosophy about death to be used as a tool for coping with grief. The story follows a young girl, Hanako, as she deals with the death of her Mother but encounters her again in a flower. Through the conversation she has with the flower, she begins to understand the binding spirit that connects us all and how we can truly be present with ourselves, the environment, and our loved ones who’ve passed. The narrative draws from Zen Buddhist philosophies that see death as a continuation and transformation of our existence.

April 1st 2024
Alyssa Wilcome, Clay House

Clay House is a set of functional home objects that are built to support myself as I go through this transitional phase of my life. Each work is entirely composed of ceramic material created with sculptural qualities, yet serves as practical support for the body. The installation was composed of sculptures that function as tables, chairs, lamps, and shelves, but served a greater purpose than standard furniture. Each work was altered with my personal style reminiscent of childlike wonder through organic, curvy design paired with bright, pastel colors.

April 2nd 2024
Kyla Kralapp, Spectrum Center Programming Board

For the kickoff for Pride Month, this project called on U-M students to submit art for the Queer Art Showcase. They wanted to emphasize a range of mediums, including visual 2D art, 3D art, written pieces, fiber art, jewelry, etc. The only requirement for art submission was the art be created by LGBTQIA2S+ U-M students. The art itself did not have to relate to queerness, as they recognize that queer artists may want to make art about other subjects. This event was a safe space for queer U-M students to portray and explore creativity and self-expression!

April 6th 2024
Sally Phan, Generation Asian Pacific American

The GenAPA culture show has been a longstanding tradition at the University of Michigan since 1995. As one of the largest student-run APIA culture shows in the Midwest, the GenAPA culture show focuses on raising awareness and showcasing the richness of Asian/Pacific Islander American (APIA) culture through student performances. Our show consisted of 12 student groups and solo/duo act performances, each representing a unique aspect of APIA culture.

April 6th 2024
Naomi Parr, Basement Arts

A creative team of thirteen (including a director, music director, choreographer, designers, dramaturg, and stage manager) collaborated with a cast of seven performers to build a production of Falsettos by William Fin and James LaPine. The show had three performances across April 5th and 6th welcoming audiences free of charge into the Newman Studio. The story beautifully explores themes of unconventional family, Jewish identity, growing up, gender roles, and gay life in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

me·trop·o·lis: depictions of downtown

April 8th 2024
Ikalanni Jahi

This senior IP project is called "me·trop·o·lis: depictions of downtown". It focuses on investigating and dispelling negative misconceptions about the artist’s hometown through explorations of vivid memories and re-imaginations. The intricacies within racial stereotyping, wealth inequality, and environmental injustice exist under the surface of conversations about nostalgia and the importance of proper representation of a predominantly Black city through the media's eyes. This project is a love letter to Detroit, Michigan, and the artist’s experiences growing up in an environment rich in culture and history. Using a mixed-medium approach that included large-scale oil painting and printmaking, the artist invited others into their lived history by giving context to their reality that might be viewed quite differently at face value.

April 10th 2024
Tiffany Xu, MDraw Art Club

Our proposed project entailed hosting engaging and inclusive art activities through MDraw, a club that conducts weekly workshops and meetings with varied focuses. After taking account of feedback from our members, we added some new activities along with continuing our popular events. Specifically, we seek funding for a beaded flower making activity, a linocut/stamp making event, and for funding to restock our normal free-drawing events.

April 10th 2024
Craig Darnell, Not Even Really Drama Students

Sinner City is a musical that was created and directed by LGBTQ+ students of color. Its story explores the confines of class, familial expectations, and the traditional structure of authored narratives. It asks: how can romance, ambition, and self-determination be truly satisfied when the story is already being authored by the people in power, by one’s parents, and by the author of the narrative itself?

April 11th 2024
Joelie Havey

The BFA Senior Capstone Concert was a collaboration between four senior dance majors in the form of a self choreographed solo and group dance for each collaborator. The concert featured choreography and performances by graduating seniors Joelie Havey, Kali Hightower, Alana Packo, and Caitlyn Wade, and served as a representation of the growth and skill the dancers have accumulated throughout their time at the University of Michigan.

Relevé’ Spring Showcase

April 12th 2024
Arianna Kapotas, Relevé Dance Company

Relevé’s held their annual showcase, composed of student-choreographed pieces and guest performances from other performance groups on campus. Their student-choreographed pieces are primarily of the contemporary, lyrical, and jazz dance styles. Through choreographing and teaching these pieces, Relevé choreographers not only gained choreography experience but skills that they can take beyond their time in Relevé.

April 12th 2024
Cinderella Ksebati

The project, "Middle Eastern Music Perspective," was a master's in music recital, driven by the musician’s experience as a first-generation American with parents immigrating from the Middle East to pursue higher education. The project unfolded as a multifaceted performance, spanning art songs, concert repertoire, opera, and American musical theater, offering a nuanced perspective of the Middle East from both non-Middle Eastern composers and native Middle Eastern composers.

Indonesian Cultural Night

April 13th 2024
Ashley Tasmaan, PERMIAS

This was a vibrant cultural showcase featuring a unique performance of an Indonesian folktale, infused with humor to captivate the University of Michigan student body. This theatrical piece was a delightful introduction to Indonesian culture. Accompanying the play, they hosted an interactive Kahoot quiz focusing on Indonesian trivia, aiming to educate and engage the audience in a fun, interactive manner. Additionally, they presented a performance featuring traditional Indonesian instruments, offering a melodious glimpse into rich Indonesian musical heritage. To complete the cultural immersion, attendees were treated to an array of complimentary Indonesian cuisine, providing a taste of our diverse culinary traditions. This blend of arts and education was an enriching and entertaining experience for all participants.

Oak Alleyway

April 13th 2024
Kate Gendrushke

Kate’s senior IP exhibition project combined printmaking and graphic design to turn her studio into a fictitious city alleyway. She created a series of around 15-20 color relief posters that advertise imaginary local products and events, such as a seagull cawing contest being held at the pier, a public transportation map, a tinned fish brand, and more. Through this work she aimed to explore how graphic design and printmaking could be combined to create eye-catching marketing materials as well as how I can create a deeply layered and believable fictional space using these techniques.

April 13th 2024
Megan Chow, /newline

Composed of saxophone, bassoon, piano, and percussion, our quartet \newline is a recently-established group intent on bringing attention to local perspectives on climate change and eliciting greater consciousness of environmental challenges. At the same time, \newline seeks to establish a collection of repertoire for their underexplored instrumentation. By showcasing local composers’ experiences of ecological events via commissioning five new chamber compositions, \newline is in a unique position to meaningfully define a new genre in the modern chamber music sphere while providing a space for musical conversation about the changing realities of an unstable future.

April 15th 2024
Marta Frank

Through the collection and assembly of found and archived photos, footage, objects, personal photography and recorded interviews, my goal was to create a portrait of a place not often pictured, my home, the Calumet Region, affectionately nicknamed The Region. Once one of North America's most biodiverse regions, The Region encapsulates the Southeast and East sides of Chicago, and much of Northwest Indiana1. Now, it is plagued by the aftermath of the mid-twentieth century steel and oil industry boom and subsequent white flight. Cloud Factory was realized through the production of a short ten-fifteen minute informational experimental documentary consisting of interviews and found and personal footage. The objective of this short was to create a piece of media that is informative, personable, and shareable outside of a Gallery space.

April 15th 2024
Savannah Halpern, MUSIC Matters

MUSIC Matters’ SpringFest is an opportunity to bring together the Ann Arbor community through the unifying power of music. SpringFest is a SXSW-style festival designed to promote innovation, creativity, and community while showcasing the unique achievements of university students. Over 65 student organizations unite on State Street annually for live music, student performances, food trucks, art installations, and more. The festivities were capped off this year with a massive benefit concert featuring a major headlining artist Alexander 23.

April 15th 2024
Jonney Zomberg

Single Use is a 6 minute stop motion animation created through FTVM's Indie Lab program. In the polluted world of the far future, a sick community relies on an ocean scavenger to find solutions in the distant city. The film was shown at the year end University Of Michigan film festival, Lightworks, as well as other on-campus screenings through the FTVM department. Stop Motion Animation, the medium that the film was created in, is a niche and "dying" art. The long production time and amount of work required is a huge commitment, but one that instills a lot of passion in both the viewer and the creator. It's the perfect medium to encapsulate the film's themes.

April 15th 2024
Isabel Berg

This project was an experimental short film about a passionate programmer who struggles to perfect her long standing project AMON, a highly sophisticated AI model. With added pressure from her boss, she upgrades AMON to his fullest potential at the cost of her own health. While recovering, AMON reveals there is more to him than what's in his code. The filmmakers experimented with different kinds of lighting, such as projectors and iridescent gels, and creating interactive holograms via after effects. Some of the other activities included sound recording and mixing, camera operation and monitoring, and additional lighting workshopping.

April 18th 2024
Annabella Vidrio

Annabella’s project was a solo and group piece performed in the University of Michigan Dance Department’s final senior concert for the 2023-2024 academic year. Annabella Vidrio’s Reasons I Now Understand explores themes of cross-cultural communication, systems of love, and acceptance of the unknown. This piece, comprising both her solo and her group choreography, is largely inspired by her upbringing in a vibrant Mexican-American household and throughout the dance, Vidrio incorporates modern techniques and traditional Mexican folkloric dancing.

April 18th 2024
Reina Kitasato

This project was a solo and group dance project involved in the dance senior capstone project. Reina Kitasato’s I Offer Prosperity and Eternal Life, focuses on the concept of the self in relation to others through the lens of nature. The different stages of life and the evolution of one’s self is shown in the dance. Kitasato’s solo, Unseen, explores her multicultural background and the difficulties posed by having to navigate two communities while maintaining a sense of self. This is conveyed through a unique storyline and detailed movements.

Chai and Chobi (Iraqi Cultural Night)

April 19th 2024
Malak Kalasho, Iraqi American Union

Chai and Chobi is an Iraqi Culture Night, designed to showcase and celebrate Iraqi heritage for both Iraqi students and the wider campus community to embrace. It is the largest event that the Iraqi American Union at UM hosts every year. The name Chai and Chobi emphasizes two key aspects of Iraqi culture: Chai, representing the traditional tea served at Iraqi gatherings, and Chobi, the name of the traditional line dance performed at public events. Traditional Iraqi tea (Chai) and sweets were available for guests to enjoy. The event provided a platform for Iraqi Americans living in diaspora, allowing them to share their thoughts, memories, and needs. Overall, the event was a night of celebration of Iraqi culture that invites participation from the entire campus and local community.

April 19th 2024
Lia Tran, WARP at Michigan

WARP held an open mic event with the theme of “queer masculinity.” Members of the community signed up to perform art pieces (music, poetry, etc.) that explore/present their experience with this theme. Following the performances, facilitators from Michigan men led community conversations based off of the themes/ideas presented in each piece. This allowed community members to engage with their identities and experiences on a personal and meaningful level, while also connecting to those with similar experiences.

April 19th 2024
Sarah Shaw-Nichols, Amateur Hour Stand-Up Comedy

This project was a comedy showcase featuring members of Amateur Hour Stand-Up Comedy. 8-12 members of the club performed roughly 5 minute sets each containing original jokes written by them and workshopped in their weekly meetings.

Chopped and Screwed: Hip Hop X Fashion

April 20th 2024
Nina Walker, Stamps in Color

This project was a photography exhibition that highlighted the transformation of fashion within Hip Hop. It included visuals, music, and physical media. The project featured a photo series based on the genre of Hip Hop and its style evolution, addressing the evolving freedom that music artists have over their visual style as well as how music translates over to physical representation. This was meant for and created by Hip Hop fans to show how music and how these mediums aid one another.

To Be Loved Is To Be Changed

April 20th 2024
Annabel Paul

“To Be Loved Is To Be Changed" was an anthropological and artistic attempt to contextualize change which culminated in three large scale color relief prints of the artist’s and their peers’ most cherished physical objects: childhood stuffed animals.

I Never Told You But...

April 20th 2024
Elaine Cho

This project was an audio/video installation that used a romantic relationship as a metaphor for expressing the experience of being a foreigner. Consisting of layers of projected video in which the artist speaks to the viewer in Korean, she expressed various emotions and thoughts through phrases in Korean, talking about her frustration, love, fatigue, and more, but the only given translation is “I love you.” Through this installation, the artist showcased the frustrations of not being understood and the struggles of explaining oneself in a foreign language.

Emilie Mayer Cello Sonatas

April 24th 2024
Grace Mockus

This project focuses on the cello sonatas of 19th century female composer Emilie Mayer. Mayer was a prolific writer and pioneered the female effort in symphonic writing, a field often reserved for men. While her symphonies, and particularly her Faust Overture, are referenced sparingly in indices and footnotes as examples of feminine impact in 19th century composition, her work is largely forgotten. Particularly, her oeuvre of twelve cello sonatas have fallen into obscurity. As a woman, she was met with near-constant obstacles in publishing, and only one sonata of the dozen was published. The goal of my project is to transcribe the sonatas from Mayer’s original manuscripts into modern notation software. The final aspect of my project will be a performance of these sonatas as they are completed, with various combinations of historically-informed and modern instruments.

April 24th 2024
Juliet Bornholdt

This film centers around A queer college student who must return to work at a burger joint in her hometown amid her parents getting a divorce and must confront her romantic feelings for her ex-best friend. The making of the film involved creative collaboration with students across multiple departments such as film, theatre, and art & design.

April 25th 2024
Rida Qureshi, POSA

POSA (Portrait of South Asia) is a South Asian focused magazine with a purpose to help shine light on continuously neglected narratives of the South Asian student population at the University of Michigan. As we see more South Asian representation in all forms of media, various stereotypes become reinforced through editing and refining South Asian stories to fit Western aesthetics. Through elaborate photoshoots and recording stories, POSA aims to create a physical relic of the South Asian experience in a way that is inclusive, authentic, and fulfilling.

April 25th 2024
Sam Rao

This film project explored intimate challenges faced within the Indian-American community, specifically faced by a college-aged Indian-American woman. Caught in the web of love, tradition, and societal conventions, she journeys through self-discovery, navigating the intersection of culture, identity, and sexuality. This is portrayed in a creative, distinct way. The film directly involved members of the Indian-American community, from the cast on-screen to the crew behind the scenes. As it was written by an Indian-American woman, it serves to take the audience along with the main character, navigating these real life issues faced within the community in a deeply personal and artistic way.

April 26th 2024
Ella McKenzie

Sanctuary is a ~15-minute long indie student short film (genre: coming of age, drama) written as part of a screenwriting course here at UofM, and produced in an Indie Lab film class. Jessie (22), an exceptionally talented piano student, is given the unorthodox final assignment of composing a piece that encapsulates her “biggest fear,” proving to be more difficult than she could have imagined. The film was shown publicly at UofM's film department's student festival called Lightworks in late April.

April 26th 2024
Shaun Samtani

This film is a psychological horror short film, entitled Who Made You This Way? When a perfectionist writer attempts an exercise to help complete his novel, he unwittingly conjures his book's psychotic and vengeful main character. The film explores various psychological themes and questions, such as unhealthy obsessions, and the ethical dilemma of creating art surrounding violent topics. Rather than reflecting a moral or lesson, the film poses the viewer questions, forcing them to ponder their own answers.

April 26th 2024
Brooklynne Bates

"Righteous Women" is a short independent film produced for FTVM 404: Indie Lab II class in the department of Film, Television and Media. "Righteous Women" is a 16mm film about a young gay Mexican American woman in 1969 who must convince her mother, sister, and girlfriend to strike against the exploitative cherry farm where they live and work through her music.

Publishing Release Event for Semester 2 Issue: ENDS OF THE EARTH

April 28th 2024
Claire Smallwood, The Michigan Archive

The Michigan Archive is a history magazine for general audiences. This event was the publishing release of the issue for the semester, Ends of The Earth, which discusses various topics connected to this theme. This event was a chance for students’ writing and art to be put on display, creating an atmosphere where the work of our team can be recognized and celebrated.

May 2nd 2024
Rachel Vesey

We produced an original screenplay written by a U of M student entitled "I am Not a Bad Person". Marlo's foster sister, Olivia, is battling cancer, and Marlo cannot afford her treatment. After taking a DNA, Marlo discovers that she has an identical twin sister, Alicia, who could not live a more different life than Marlo’s meager and impoverished living state. Alicia lives the perfect life: a beautiful condo, her own interior design studio, and the seemingly perfect fiancé, Elijah. Tangled between her hostile relationship with Alicia, her intrigue for Elijah, and the opportunity that Alicia’s wealth provides for Olivia’s cancer treatment, Marlo must consider how far she is willing to go to save her sister.