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INSIDE: STUDENT GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE SLATE INTERVIEWS

APRIL 29, 2020 FOURTH WEEK VOL. 132, ISSUE 20

UChicago for Fair Tuition Holds Demonstration in Front of President Zimmer’s Home

By AVI WALDMAN Senior News Reporter

Julia Attie

Organizers with student group UChicago for Fair Tuition (UCFT) demonstrated in front of University President Robert Zimmer’s house on Friday afternoon in order to escalate their campaign demanding that tuition be halved for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. The demonstrators obser ved social distancing guidelines, lining the street six feet apart and holding signs or honking to show support from inside cars parked along University Avenue.

R e pr e s ent at i v e s f r om #CareNotCops, Graduate Stu-

dents United (GSU), and UChicago Against Displacement (UCAD) all gave speeches in support of UCFT’s demands.

“There’s a lot of alignment between #CareNotCops and the campaign for fair tuition,” said fourth-year organizer Michelle Yang. “UChicago is a super-wealthy institution.

It made and maintained its wealth through exploitation and extraction.”

GSU member Ca meron Mankin, an M.F.A. student in visual arts, gave a speech describing how graduate students, especially master’s students who pay tuition for their programs and upper-year CONTINUED ON PG. 8

Mac Residents Must Sign NDAs Before Discussing Rent Changes

By CARL SACKLEN News Reporter Mac Properties, a property management company with around 5,000 apartments in Hyde Park, has told tenants they must sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before being able to discuss rent payment arrangements even as they face financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Maroon obtained a copy of the NDA, which can be viewed

ARTS: Cooking During Quarantine with the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

below.

“NDAs are often part of a settlement agreement in some kind of legal dispute, but for the privilege simply of talking, that’s not something we’ve seen often,” Jon Raffensperger, supervising attorney at the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing, told The Maroon.

Those who break the NDA risk being sued and could be required to pay damages and related costs.

“As far as we’re aware, this is

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not a normal business practice that landlords employ in discussing possible resolutions with tenants who are having difficulty in paying,” Raffensperger said.

“We think it’s an appropriate protection for both the residents and ourselves,” Peter Cassel, director of community development at Mac Properties, told The Maroon.

“I can’t talk to my neighbor and say what maybe they could do in order to get help with their rent,” a

Emma Dyer

CONTINUED ON PG. 6

EDITORIAL: THE MAROON Will Not Endorse an SG Executive Slate

PAGE 15

SPORTS: Fourth-Year Reflects on Outdoor Adventure Club

VIEWPOINTS: Tuition Reduction is Possible

PAGE 17

Like our Facebook page at facebook.com/chicagomaroon and follow @chicagomaroon on Instagram and Twitter to get the latest updates on campus news.

PAGE 13 chicagomaroon.com

THE CHICAGO MAROON — APRIL 29, 2020

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Elevate Focuses on Marginalized and Graduate Student Interests

By YIWEN LU Senior News Reporter The Elevate Slate comprises thirdyear presidential candidate Malay Trivedi, third-year Vice President for Administration candidate Sofia Barnett, and Ph.D. student and Vice President for Student Affairs candidate Terri Smith. Trivedi served as the Vice President of Student Affairs on the 2018–19 executive slate of Student Government and Barnett served as the parliamentarian on the 2018–19 Student Government.

The three candidates will run as a group, per Student Government (SG) protocol for executive slates.

On Graduate Students United (GSU) Elevate believes that they are uniquely suited to bridge the gaps between graduate and undergraduate students across the University, a problem that has not gained particular attention in the past.

Smith is the first graduate student to run for SG executive slate in four years, and, according to her, the representation is important to graduate students, who had been left out of conversations on campus before.

Elevate has been in conversation with many student groups, including GSU, about how they can further support them.

Smith said that if elected, their main priority is to use their position to leverage direct conversations between GSU and administration.

“Because of the decentralized nature of the University, graduate students struggle to make connections with students outside of their division. We are committed to enhancing those cross-divisional interactions,” Smith said.

For example, Smith mentioned that they would like to support organizations like Diversity Advisory Board, who piloted the University’s first peer mentorship program for Ph.D. students. A key feature of the initiative was to match students with others from outside their division.

On Inclusivity The slate plans to invest in developing memorials of women of color who have been foundational in the University’s history. Trivedi said that he has already been working on the project for Jewel La-

fontant, the first Black woman to graduate from UChicago Law School and the first female Deputy Solicitor General of the United States.

On top of contacting Lafontant’s family and having one-on-one meetings with University administration for the project, the slate also brought student groups into the conversation. “I have been working with the Black Law Students Association, and [I had] conversations with one of the law students there about how we can expand this work and bring this to the permanent structure at the law school,” Trivedi added.

Meanwhile, the slate is planning an outreach campaign to bring more marginalized student voices into leadership positions within the SG cabinet. “They’re going to be partners with us throughout pushing forward some truly progressive policies and really powerful work,” Trivedi explained.

In line with other Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, the slate also plans to inaugurate a critical race and ethnic studies (CRES) department. Smith is going to teach a class on black queer feminist practices through Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture. She expressed her appreciation for student advocacy groups that work towards building a CRES department, and said that their slate, if elected, would be in a position to leverage these conversations and support the efforts that are already in motion.

“This is something that has been talked about in the Student Government in the past,” Barnett added, “but we are going to address it in a new way, [as we have]

COURTESY OF ELEVATE SLATE

the institutional knowledge that Terri has from building a class when we are looking into what is a significant financial and administrative undertaking by the University. In order for them to do this, we need to have strong support and plans laid out, and so the best way to do this is to have everyone involved.”

On Accessibility The slate plans to increase support for students with disabilities by surveying all University physical spaces for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance. During Trivedi’s time on the 2018–19 slate, he held the first Student Accessibility and Disability Advocacy Committee at UChicago. He found that the University was behind many peer institutions across the country when it came to making campus resources accessible to students with disabilities.

“What we hope to do now is reseat this committee as soon as possible, conduct that work, pushing forward, and publicize it,” Trivedi said, “for students who have disabilities but do not have the opportunity to get the right accessibility at this university—who have been failed by this university—[we] support them if they choose that they want to pursue litigation to reform the University.”

On Mental Health Drawing from Trivedi’s own experience as a resident assistant and serving on the Student Health Advisory Board, he noted that the first thing the slate needs to do about mental health resources on campus is to sufficiently understand the

processes and the offices that exist, including Student Health Service (SHS), Student Counseling Service (SCS), and the new Wellness Center.

“I think [this is] something that we bring in to an unparalleled level,” he said of his own experience with such affairs, including his effort in bringing more diverse counselors, “and second, being able to develop those relationships and really push on them, which is something that I’ve been doing for the last couple of years.”

The slate also plans to expand more mental health resources that are unique for graduate students. Graduate student experiences had been constantly omitted during campus conversations, and their mental health needs are different from that of undergraduate students.

“Especially in light of COVID-19, graduate students are facing an entirely new host of issues. We have an increased sense of possible job insecurity. A lot of our research is literally put on halt. We are facing a time now where we are just uncertain about financial support,” Smith explained.

She emphasized that not only would Elevate expand available resources for graduate students, but they also have to expand the knowledge of the ones that currently exist, for many graduate students were unaware of the resources already available to them.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, SCS has expanded their service to 24 hours. Elevate is also attempting to push for extended hours for diverse counselors for students in different time zones.

THE CHICAGO MAROON — APRIL 29, 2020

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Independence Plans to Make SG a Nonprofit

By CARL SACKLEN News Reporter The Independence Slate comprises second-year David Liang, third-year Joana Lepuri, and third-year Rodrigo Estrada, running for President, Vice President for Administration, and Vice President for Student Affairs, respectively.

The three candidates will run as a group, per Student Government protocol for executive slates.

On Independent Student Government The flagship policy for the Independence Slate is an independent Student Government, which they say would be achieved by establishing a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and then negotiating a memorandum of understanding, a formal agreement between organizations to establish official partnerships, with the administration.

“One thing you’ll notice about our positions is that each of them are intertwined with the concept of independence, and the very premise of each of these issues is that with independence we can, in almost every case, achieve more than the current status quo,” Lepuri told The Maroon.

“We figured that there is one way to make our system more efficient and much more representative of student voices, and that is through independence,” Liang said.

To achieve this independence, Liang told The Maroon that there will be consultations with the student body and its organizations.

“We’ll then create a very detailed and comprehensive plan that will be put to a vote, hopefully in the winter quarter, as a referendum for the student body,” he said.

Currently, the University collects the student life fee, which goes toward funding RSOs and other student-led initiatives. With an independent Student Government, “[the University] will transfer that money one-off to the designated bank account of the student government,” Liang told The Maroon. This is subject to the memorandum of understanding.

“Once we’re a legal body, we can make money through student-run businesses (think about student-run coffee shops, student-run grocery stores); through

COURTESY OF INDEPENDENCE SLATE

alumni donations directly to student government; and we can make money later on if we’re big enough through financial investments,” Liang said.

On the COVID-19 Pandemic The Independence Slate wants to use the remaining student life fees, a third of the roughly $2.4 million pool of money, to help students hit the hardest by the pandemic. However, accessing this money is premised on achieving independence, which wouldn’t happen until a referendum during winter quarter next year.

Liang told The Maroon that to get the money to the right people, “the most sensible way is to listen to the students and the student organizations that are advocating for students who need financial assistance. We’d listen to them and identify the most vulnerable group of students and directly help them.”

“Right now it’s our money, but we can’t access that because we lack legal, operational, and financial independence from the University,” Liang said.

On Mental Health The slate is in favor of expanding mental health resources and funding on campus. Their main initiative is a Centralized Academic Planning Office.

“It is an office that would be staffed not with academic faculty, but with mental health wellness professionals whose whole job is to provide a very quick evaluation of a student’s mental health needs,” Liang explained. “They will give you accommodations that are academically binding to the University. For example, for extensions and moving exams, the

faculty will have to be bound to that decision.”

The slate also supported a “Life for the Mind” fund, which the administration has said it will pilot in the coming fall quarter.

“We are the students affected by mental health problems, so we are the ones who can most quickly identify what kind of solutions are most urgently needed,” said Liang. “We want the University to tap into that creativity of the student body in order to build a solution that is inclusive of everybody.”

On the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) The cornerstone of the Independence Slate’s policy on UCPD is budgetary transparency and greater funding for mental health resources.

“Far too often, police officers are called to act as mental health officers as well in dire situations, and that is completely egregious because it should actually be mental health professionals who are diffusing and intervening in these very sensitive situations,” Estrada said.

“I think a big part of UCPD, about mental health, about the University in general, is a lack of budgetary transparency,” Liang said. “We want to know how much money the University spends on UCPD.” On Sexual Assault Prevention “We support survivors, and we want to support them in any way, shape, or form, whether that be to help let the University community be aware of the issues that are hurting survivors most,” Lepuri told

The Maroon. “That includes publishing, hopefully yearly, data using independent research groups.”

In addition to publishing more data, the slate wants to ensure increased accessibility of Title IX offices and continued funding for organizations like the Phoenix Survivors Alliance, Resources for Sexual Violence Prevention, and the Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Committee.

The slate also wants to institute a Student Advocate Office, modeled on the one at UC Berkeley, to provide support for sexual assault survivors.

“This is a general office position that has to do with any aid—legal or just seeking information—for a student that has any kind of grievance or dispute with the University. This includes, in particular, aid for sexual assault survivors after they have been assaulted and [helping] them get access to legal aid,” Lepuri explained.

On Graduate Student Unionization Supporting graduate student unionization is a consensus among all the slates.

With their independent status, the Independence Slate wants to vocalize that support and also provide financial assistance.

“Our position is to mobilize and help them with their interest to the best of our abilities—in particular, helping to reiterate that their financial well-being is really linked to the quality of the education that college students receive,” Lepuri said.

“With an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we can use our money to show support and solidarity with our graduate workers in their fight for graduate unionization,” Liang said.

THE CHICAGO MAROON — APRIL 29, 2020

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Engage Hopes to Create Marginalized Student Affairs Committee

By AVI WALDMAN Senior News Reporter Engage, one of four executive slates running in this year’s Student Government election, is made up of third-years Raven Rainey, Myles Hudson, and Alex Levi, who are running for President, Vice President for Student Affairs, and Vice President for Administration respectively. Engage emphasizes their combined eight years of experience in Student Government and their commitment to sustainability, supporting marginalized students on campus, and a comprehensive plan for COVID-19 response that addresses student needs.

On COVID-19 Response Hudson laid out a number of objectives Engage would focus on while working with the administration over the summer to develop a plan for how to handle fall quarter, whether or not it is held on campus. He listed negotiating to extend the pay of student workers, communicating with students about what federal or state unemployment benefits might be available, and directing resources to first-generation low-income (FGLI) students as priorities.

“I think there also needs to be a focus on incoming FGLI students,” Hudson said.

“There is a new class that’s coming in that we’ll be engaging with on slate the same way that current students will, and it’s going to be a major question about how they’re going to be able to integrate properly into campus life.”

Rainey and Hudson both emphasized the importance of listening to demands made by groups like UChicago for Fair Tuition, Graduate Students United, and UChicago Labor Council. “[Tuition] is a very important concern for students not even just in the College but across the graduate schools as well,” Rainey said. “The administration really needs to meet with [UChicago for] Fair Tuition and really say, ‘We hear you, we understand you,’ and offer some actual benefits and ways to meet them in the middle, if not all the way.”

Hudson mentioned the importance of ensuring job security for campus workers whose livelihoods have been threatened by the COVID-19 crisis.

“The University being the largest employer on the South Side, it really needs to

COURTESY OF ENGAGE SLATE

make a commitment to its South Side residents that it’s not going to eliminate jobs, especially in the current crisis that we’re in,” Hudson said. “I think there’s a lot the University can genuinely and concretely commit to, and that conversation, of course, involves a serious conversation with various labor organizations around the South Side.”

On Mental Health Changing the culture of mental health on campus is central to Engage’s approach to mental health, according to Levi, who worked on compiling Student Government’s Mental Health Resource Book while on College Council.

“Our ideology around mental health is something called the Icarus Project, which is essentially a collective that is designed to help people who are diagnosed with mental health conditions navigate the various systems of oppression they face,” Levi said.

“Really, the mission of [the Icarus Project] is for everyone to come together and be vulnerable and open up to each other and offer support to each other.”

Engage has pledged to convert the Health and Wellness Committee that CARE Slate started into a standing committee. Additionally, Engage would allocate a $3,000 donation to the Emergency Fund at the beginning of the autumn quarter; Rainey noted that in her time working with the Fund, she saw that many of the grants it disbursed went to help students struggling with mental health issues. “[We want to] get admin to realize the Emergency Fund is something that students really support,” Rainey said. “Offering them money with no strings attached—they don’t have to pay it back—is something that is

very powerful and important, and it makes students feel seen and it allows them to be vulnerable.”

On Supporting Marginalized Students Working from current draft legislation created by College Council representatives Bianca Simons and Tyler Okeke, Engage would create a Committee of Marginalized Student Affairs (COMSA). COMSA could function as an alternative funding pipeline for cultural Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) and would have a voice on the annual allocations committee.

“I’ve heard numerous complaints from groups like OLAS and MEChA and ACSA [about] having their funding reduced,” Hudson said. “I think that annual allocations can make a lot of change in that respect and COMSA can definitely have people on that committee to make sure that the proper change is being made for marginalized students.”

Hudson has been working with the Center of Identity and Inclusion and UChicago’s Bias Response Team on a cultural sensitivity training program for first-years. According to Hudson, the program would hold training sessions within Houses three times a year on topics such as microaggressions.

“I think again a lot of students come from backgrounds where they might not have been exposed to that kind of language,” Hudson said. “They might not necessarily understand that you can’t just call a Black person articulate because they speak well or try and touch someone’s hair because it’s a different texture than theirs. I think that there’s a lot of language and action that can be refined within the student body and I’d really like people to engage with that early

on in their time here.”

As a slate, Hudson said, Engage would also work to connect student activists from groups like UC United to administrators and advocate for their voices to be heard.

“I think a lot of times, admin has the tendency to discount activist voices because they’re students and in [the administration’s] mind they might not have all that much authority,” Hudson said. “I do think that having a lot of that support come from the side with Student Government and lifting up the voices of these students and making sure that they’re in the room with administrators will really be beneficial.”

On Sexual Misconduct One of Engage’s platform planks is to mandate sexual misconduct prevention workshops for all RSOs, based on a proposal by College Council representatives Itzel Velázquez and Summer Long.

Rainey mentioned as a case study how she was not required to go through sexual misconduct training when creating a new RSO. “We were told here are three trainings you need to go to and there’s nothing on sexual misconduct… I’m sure a lot of new RSOs would be thrilled to learn about [sexual misconduct prevention]…something that should be mandatory in ensuring that all students are safe and all students are protected.”

Hudson acknowledged that while official recognition of Greek life is a goal of many sexual assault prevention activists, the University administration has consistently refused to do so. Therefore, he said, Engage’s approach will combine pressuring administration to recognize Greek life with attempts to make progress in sexual assault and misconduct prevention in other areas.

THE CHICAGO MAROON — APRIL 29, 2020

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Amplify Runs on 99-Point Plan

By ALEX DALTON Senior News Reporter The Amplify Slate consists of thirdyear Andrew Langford, second-year Joalda Morancy, and third-year Jacob Chang, running for Student Body President, Vice President for Administration, and Vice President for Student Affairs, respectively. The three are running as a group in accordance with Student Government (SG) protocol for executive slates, in a race that this year consists of four total competing slates.

Amplify has promised to deliver 99 ideas for improving the University of Chicago by election day, 90 of which have so far appeared on their website.

In an interview with The Maroon, Amplify’s members emphasized the slate’s diverse experience with other organizations, including the Chicago Development Forum, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, and the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi. “I think we’re probably the best representation of the student body,” Morancy said, “because a lot of the other slates—they have Student Government experience, but they tend to maybe be out of touch of what the student body needs.”

On Recognized Student Organization (RSO) Funding and Reform: The Amplify Slate would like to divert funds currently not being spent on RSO budgets due to the cancellation of in-person classes to the Emergency Fund, a student-run committee that provides monetary support to students in need, including funding for medication, school supplies, and medical bills.

“The criteria of how that plays out obviously requires University input, especially from whatever plans they may be developing to help students themselves. We would like, if the basic needs are met, to see some funds roll over and help RSOs when they get their feet back on the ground,” Langford said. “But generally, the idea is moving surplus funding towards present emergency needs.”

The slate would also like to see the RSO application process adjusted to create a two-tiered system that distin-

guishes between organizations that require significant University funding and those that do not.

This, Langford said, is designed to make the procedure for the latter group easier and more efficient. By agreeing to use minimal University resources, student groups applying for RSO status should be able to bypass some of the paperwork associated with the application, the slate argues.

“We know some people who have gone through the wringer for RSOs that don’t use any funding because of financial concerns,” Langford said.

On the Ongoing COVID-19 Crisis: Amplify believes “that there definitely should be some sort of tuition adjustments, because there are students who have been really affected by this crisis,” Chang said, though the slate does not support the universal 50 percent tuition reduction demanded by UChicago for Fair Tuition.

Instead, Chang said, “tuition reductions should be handed out on a case-bycase basis.”

Amplify’s members also believe that the University should hold separate convocation ceremonies for the Classes of 2020 and 2021. Earlier this month, the University announced the cancellation of this year’s convocation ceremony and invited Class of 2020 graduates to participate in the following year’s ceremony.

This, they said, is due both to their belief that the members of the Class of

COURTESY OF AMPLIFY SLATE

2020 deserve their own ceremony and concerns about the strain that the 2021 convocation could place on University infrastructure as larger crowds than normal congregate on the University’s campus.

Amplify has promised to promote increased transparency regarding the University’s response to the crisis, holding regular online town halls and filing an inquiry into the $6.2 million the University recently received in federal stimulus funds.

On Diversity and Inclusion: The Amplify Slate supports the creation of a critical race and ethnic studies (CRES) department, a demand made by UChicago United.

“We want to make sure the University recognizes these activists because in the past, they haven’t really paid any attention or chosen to recognize them,” Morancy said.

They will also seek the introduction of Diversity and Inclusion Czars, similar to the existing position of Wellness Czars, though the housing system.

These students would provide students information related to issues of identity and inclusion on campus, including informing them of upcoming events and workshops.

On Graduate Student Labor: The Amplify Slate supports Graduate Students United (GSU)’s push for recognition from the University, and hopes to help facilitate dialogue between gradu-

ate students and the administration if elected.

Langford said that the current moment presents a unique opportunity to push for graduate student demands. He is optimistic about the possibility that former Vice President Joe Biden will win the presidency in the November election and preside over a National Labor Relations Board that would be more favorable to graduate students seeking to unionize.

On Sustainability: If elected, the Amplify Slate would push for a campus-wide plastic bag ban, as well as work with campus cafés in an attempt to reduce other forms of plastic waste.

Their platform also includes plans to reduce light pollution, water usage, and carbon emissions from University labs.

On Latin Honors: The Amplify Slate opposes the University’s recent transition to a Latin honors system, which rewards students based on their academic performance relative to other students in their majors.

“We believe that it puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on students,” Morancy said.

She voiced support for a return to the previous system, which awarded honors based on a fixed cutoff for grade point average, or a different system that would not be detrimental to students’ mental health.

THE CHICAGO MAROON — APRIL 29, 2020

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“If you sign an NDA, you can’t get an attorney because you can’t talk to the attorney about it. You’re forced into a corner.”

CONTINUED FROM COVER

Mac tenant told The Maroon. The Maroon granted the tenant anonymity to protect them and their lease.

City code gives tenants the right to “complain or testify in good faith about their tenancy” without retaliation.

However, the Mac NDA includes a non-disparagement clause, through which both parties agree “that they shall not take any actions (verbal, written, or otherwise) to disparage the other party.”

Not only can Mac residents not discuss their payment adjustments with fellow residents, but the vague language and broad scope of the NDA means residents are potentially silenced on other issues, like garbage removal or pest control, as well.

The only exception that Mac Properties wrote into the agreement is that tenants can

disclose discussions “to a court of competent jurisdiction for enforcement purposes.”

“You could certainly read that as precluding a tenant from saying anything negative about Mac Properties to the city, to an attorney, to the media, to anybody,” Raffensperger told The Maroon. “We’re worried that a broad non-disclosure agreement and non-disparagement agreement could have a chilling effect not only on tenants’ ability to talk to each other and coordinate in trying to reach a resolution to their rent payment issues, but also a chilling effect on their ability to effectuate their rights under the Residential Landlord Tenant Ordinance in Chicago or to make proper complaints about issues in the building like building code violations.”

The tenant who spoke with The Maroon fears the NDA because they are concerned they might not be able to speak to an

EMMA DYER

attorney after signing it.

“A tenant could have that fear based on how [the NDA] is written. I can’t speak to how a court would enforce or not enforce this agreement, but it would certainly be reasonable for a tenant to interpret it in that way and that’s a problem in and of itself,” Raffensperger said.

“If you sign an NDA, you can’t get an attorney because you can’t talk to the attorney about it. You’re forced into a corner, which is where Mac likes to put you,” the tenant said.

Regarding how the NDA was written, Cassel said, “We wanted to be sure that we were working with each individual on an individual basis and we did not want to create false expectations on the part of other residents based on what was an appropriate arrangement for one resident given their situation.”

This case-by-case approach run in tandem with a confidentiality agreement also raised concerns about potential discrimination.

“If one tenant is Black, and one tenant is white, are they going to differentiate? If one tenant is trans, or gay, or lesbian, and one tenant is not, why shouldn’t they be able to talk?” the tenant said. “Maybe they’re going to give me a month, maybe they’re going to give someone else three months.”

Raffensperger declined to offer an opinion on whether the Mac NDA represented a discrimination issue. However, he told The Maroon that “requiring tenants to sign NDAs could open the door to possible discrimination if certain tenants are worked with and given better deals, and they choose not to work with other tenants.”

This is because an NDA “would suppress tenants’ ability to talk about what they agreed to, and make it more difficult to see if there was any discriminatory pattern to how Mac is negotiating with these tenants,” he said.

In response, Cassel told The Maroon, “We have worked very closely, and continue to work very closely, with our advisors and attorneys to ensure that we continue to follow all Fair Housing and other residential regulatory rules.”

Signing the NDA is technically voluntary. However, tenants facing financial hardship as a result of the pandemic who want to discuss a payment arrangement with Mac Properties must sign it before being able to do so.

“We’ve worked out a few hundred rent arrangements with residents and all of those have signed non-disclosures,” Cassel said.

In a letter distributed at the end of March to its tenants, Mac Properties explained that in some cases, they will agree to payment plans. In other cases, Mac “will identify less expensive apartments so someone who cannot afford to remain in an apartment will have the option to relocate” with no transfer fees.

The third option presented in the letter is “a path to lease termination.” According to the letter, this is for tenants who “simply cannot afford to remain in any apartment.”

The letter does not address the options available for tenants who no longer have an apartment as a result of pandemic-related financial hardship.

“Because people are desperate, they’ll probably sign the NDA,” the tenant said.

GSU Petition Demands Coronavirus Relief Measures from the University

By KATE MABUS Senior News Reporter On April 17, Graduate Students United (GSU) released a petition demanding relief measures for graduate students, prompted by the challenges COVID-19 poses to graduate research and teaching.

The union demands a one-year extension of time-to-degree that includes all program

deadlines and increased funding for Ph.D. candidates. GSU is also demanding protection and relief measures, such as extended health insurance, a $4,000 relief grant for all graduate students, and visa protections for international students. As of April 21, the petition had garnered 181 signatures on the online document.

The Maroon spoke to Claudio Gonzáles, a Ph.D. student in mathematics,

and Uday Jain, a Ph.D. candidate for the Committee on Social Thought. According to Jain, who represents the Social Sciences Division for GSU, extensions are necessary to account for halts in research.

“Nothing is moving right now because of these lockdowns and quarantine imposed by corona. Labs are closed, archives are closed, libraries are closed… There’s basically no conditions for research at all,”

Jain said.

Furthermore, graduate students have been tasked with greater teaching responsibilities amid the transition to remote learning. Jain said that graduate students had to field the burden of preparing their departments for remote learning by facilitating in-person and virtual training sessions to prepare professors for virtual instruction.

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THE CHICAGO MAROON — APRIL 29, 2020

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“Labs are closed, archives are closed, libraries are closed…

There’s basically no conditions for research at all,” CONTINUED FROM PG. 6

Many of the protections demanded in GSU’s petition are similar to the workers’ rights GSU has demanded for the past three years. “The demands that we’re making in the petition are quite minimal and they’re part of a national demand that many faculty organizations and academic associations have called for,” Jain said.

In an email to The Maroon, University spokesperson Gerald McSwiggan said, “As a result of the profound economic impact of COVID-19, the University has asked every academic and administrative unit to make significant adjustments in expenditures.

These significant steps will help ensure that resources for graduate education remain in place.”

As for degree extensions, “Individual programs are free, under the guidance of their Deans, to adjust internal deadlines, such as qualifying papers and exams, as appropriate,” McSwiggan said.

GSU also sought a guarantee from the University that no graduate student would be forced to drop out of their degree program during the coronavirus crisis. This demand was included in response to the University’s 2019 funding overhaul in the Social Sciences and Humanities Divisions, the School of Social Service Administration, and the Divinity School.

Regarding the overhaul, the University wrote to The Maroon, “UChicago’s new doctoral funding model will fund eligible students for the duration of their programs, providing additional flexibility for programs to address individual students’ situations.”

However, according to Jain, the overhaul included enrollment caps, which pushed many Ph.D. candidates to defend early or, if unable to do so, drop out. Jain worries the limitations of quarantine could exacerbate this challenge.

“Corona couldn’t come at a worse time,” Jain said. “Because of this funding overhaul, a lot of advanced-year graduate students who have put in hours and years of their own work to the University are in a very precarious place.”

Jain and Gonzáles characterized the near future for graduate students as “uncertain.” In an interview with The Maroon on the 21st, Jain and Gonzalez also said that that graduate students have received no policy response or guidance regarding summer jobs and funding, other than university-wide emails.

However, McSwiggan wrote that all funds will be maintained. “As Provost Ka Yee C. Lee stated in an April 21 email, ‘we will honor our commitments of financial support for students.’ Graduate stu-

dents who were eligible for funds prior to COVID-19, and who satisfy their program’s requirements for summer funding, will continue to receive that funding.”

Gonzáles, who organizes for GSU, used this uncertainty to highlight the need for the University’s recognition of GSU. “Instead of trying to read between the lines of these [University-wide] emails…we need to recognize union people, we need to sit at the table and hammer it out.”

“I think there’s a big opportunity here to really push for democratic governance of the university,” Jain said. He believes that

any progress on GSU’s most recent petition, as well as their demands at large for rights and recognition, “depends very heavily on the organizing that we do right now.”

“In 2017 we started the union drive because, fundamentally, graduate workers do the work at the University of Chicago. We’re the backbone of the institution, it does not run without us,” Gonzáles said.

“We deserve a seat at the table when decisions are made that impact our lives....

It’s even more true right now, in this time of crisis,” Jain said.

GSU Members at a Walkout in October 2018. ALEXANDRA NISENOFF

University to Launch $50,000 “Green Fund” For Sustainability Projects

By LAURA GERSONY Senior News Reporter Starting in autumn 2020, the University will open a $50,000 pool of grant money known as the “Green Fund” for student-led research and projects to improve campus sustainability.

Creation of the Green Fund was spearheaded by the UChicago Environmental Alliance (UCEA), a coalition of environmental student organizations on campus that includes

the Phoenix Sustainability Initiative, Environmental Research Group, Student Government’s Council on Campus Sustainability, student activist group Environmental Justice Task Force, and public policy think tank Paul Douglas Institute.

UCEA representatives first proposed the idea at an autumn 2019 meeting with the Board of Trustees, and secured funding through collaboration with Dean of Students Michele Rasmussen. The Green Fund will be included within the budget of the De-

partment of Campus and Student Life, according to students working on the project.

Undergraduate and graduate students will be able to apply for funding by submitting their project proposals to a review board. The board will be composed of student, faculty, and University staff representatives, according to students involved.

Leaders of the UCEA told The Maroon that they modeled the fund after similar projects at peer institutions, such as Princeton’s High Mead-

ows Foundation Sustainability Fund, which provides capital for projects that reduce the campus’s negative environmental impacts.

The announcement of the Green Fun comes just over a month after Student Government (SG) unanimously passed a resolution calling on the University to adopt more ambitious long-term sustainability goals, to make campus energy and consumption data transparent and easily accessible, and to expand the University’s current CONTINUED ON PG. 8

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“UChicago has a reputation of…having a lot of resources for students to put their ideas into action, and I saw that as missing in sustainability.”

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infrastructure, like the Office of Sustainability, to deal with climate and sustainability issues.

SG Class of 2022 Representative Dinesh Das Gupta, who was involved in the creation of the Green Fund, told The Maroon that the collaborative nature of sustainability projects on campus has made it difficult for students to obtain funding in the past.

“These [environmental projects] are collaborations between students, student groups, department faculty, and administrators, such that the funding mechanism is a little bit confusing,” Das Gupta said. “That question of who has responsibility is fragmented.”

Das Gupta said that the streamlined source of funding provided by the Green Fund will allow students to more easily pursue sustainability projects, as well as foster joint efforts among different parties on campus.

“It really helps encourage these

student projects and collaboration between administration and faculty,” he said. “If you know that you’ve got this mechanism in place…you can get [a project] off the ground quicker.”

To second-year Terra Baer, the vice president of UCEA member organization Phoenix Sustainability Initiative, the establishment of a Green Fund is long overdue. While applying to colleges, Baer noticed that unlike other institutions, UChicago lacked a fund devoted to environmental projects— something she sought to change.

“The alumnus that I conversed with asked what I would contribute to the campus community, and I brought up the Green Fund as a primary goal of mine,” she said. “UChicago has a reputation of…having a lot of resources for students to put their ideas into action, and I saw that as missing in sustainability.”

Despite feeling optimistic about the Green Fund, however, Baer remains dissatisfied with the University’s in-

vestment in sustainability. She alluded to the University’s long-term carbon goals, which the recent SG resolution criticized as “not ambitious,” as compared with those of eight peer institutions who have committed to become carbon neutral by 2050 or earlier.

“I am very satisfied with the progress that’s been made with that project specifically…but overall, I’m still not satisfied with UChicago,” Baer said.

“We’re, frankly, very behind our peer institutions environmentally, and there’s a lot that still needs to be done in terms of institutional commitment to carbon reduction.”

The University announced on Monday that it will be increasing its carbon emissions reduction goal from 20 percent of its baseline emissions by 2025 to 50 percent of its baseline emissions by 2030.

The Green Fund was one of many items proposed in UCEA’s fall 2019 report, which articulates a wide range of concerns with the University’s ap-

proach to sustainability, including a “lack of administrative support for actualizing environmentally-focused student research and projects” and an “unwillingness by University administration to release data to students, faculty, or the public.” The report also advocated for the Environmental Frontiers Initiative, a program offering students paid research positions to analyze campus sustainability data, which the University has since announced will begin during summer 2020.

Other proposals in UCEA’s report include increasing the personnel working in the University’s Office of Sustainability, which according to the SG resolution has only one full-time employee, and making University energy, water, and waste management data public and accessible for student research.

More information about the Green Fund is available on the University’s website.

“This is an unnecessary financial burden in good times.

In this moment it’s absurd.”

CONTINUED FROM COVER

doctoral students who pay advanced residency tuition, are affected

by UCFT’s campaign.

“Some may think that tuition is not a grad worker’s issue. That’s a mistake,” Mankin said. “This is an unnecessary financial burden in good times. In this moment it’s absurd.”

Mankin noted that GSU endorsed UCFT on Wednesday, and that UCFT has supported GSU’s recent petition calling for extended time-to-degree and health insurance, as well as financial relief for struggling students.

UChicago Against Displacement (UCAD) organizer Emily Verburg, a graduate student in the School of Social Service Administration, emphasized the connections between UCAD’s

demands for affordable housing in Woodlawn and UCFT’s tuition reduction campaign.

“UChicago is the same powerful institution which is hoarding wealth in this time of crisis, which also recently purchased the Woodlawn Jewel-Osco for 20 million dollars. This is the same powerful institution that has been buying up vacant land in Washington Park and holding onto it for years,” Verburg said. “Our struggle for fair tuition is just a different side of the struggle of longtime black residents who are fighting against displacement from their homes and neighborhoods.”

Second-year Nika Lofton, an organizer with UChicago Student Action (UCSA), read a series of testimonials from students describing why they sup-

port UCFT’s demand that UChicago reduce tuition. Most of the testimonials came from international and graduate students who do not have access to the same sources of financial aid as domestic undergraduates and are not covered by the University’s commitment to meeting a student’s “demonstrated financial need.”

A testimonial w ritten by second-year student Shahrez Aziz described how the currency in his home country of Pakistan had been devalued in the two years since he applied without asking for financial aid, which bars him from applying for aid in the future.

“At this point in time, it’s been a 59 percent increase since when I applied, and I had written to the school once before the pandemic as well for assis-

tance, to which they said international students are only given assistance if they apply for aid when they apply,” Aziz wrote. “However, now my parents are also getting pay cuts and are finding it extremely hard to pay for my education. They’ve already taken multiple loans.”

Closing the demonstration, second year UCFT organizer Livia Miller left a copy of UCFT’s demands in front of the steps leading to Zimmer’s door, while a caravan of cars taped with slogans like “Fair Tuition Now” circled the block honking.

“These are the voices of our community, asking for things to change, asking to be taken care of, asking to be supported in this incredibly trying time,” Miller said.

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Tracking Title IX: Winds of Change at the Department of Education An overview of Title IX at UChicago and how it stands to change under the current leadership of the United States Department of Education

By LAURA GERSONY and KATE MABUS Grey City Reporters

“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

This single sentence, signed into law by former U.S. president Richard Nixon as Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, lays the groundwork for universities’ handling of sex-based discrimination.

Complying with this dictate has high stakes for institutions like UChicago, as federal funding—which, the University reported in 2016, accounts for 71 percent of the University’s total sponsored research—is contingent upon their Title IX compliance.

While the essence of Title IX is encapsulated in this excerpt, the policy is extensive, encompassing equal opportunity in the classroom and athletics in addition to matters of sexual misconduct. The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) puts out specific requirements which outline how the OCR will review complaints filed against universities’ Title IX procedures. These requirements are currently in transition following the change of leadership at the Department of Education (E.D.) with President Donald Trump’s election in 2016.

In this installment, we’ll give a brief overview of the Title IX reporting process at UChicago, the national conversation surrounding the rule, and how it stands to change in light of the E.D.’s change of leadership.

TITLE IX AT UCHICAGO Reporting Process Under Title IX, the University is obligated to take immediate action when sexual misconduct is reported. All employees of the University except those designated confidential resources—which includes Student Counseling Service and Student Health Service staff, Sexual Assault Deans-on-Call, and Spiritual Life clergy members—are required to report any Title IX–related incidents they are informed of.

As soon as an incident is reported and determined to allege a violation of University policy, the Title IX Office sends an outreach email to the affected student that explains the complainant’s options, which include the student disciplinary process, confidential resources available, and interim protective or counseling measures.

At this point, students are not obligated to respond to this initial email or to further engage with the Title IX Office. There is no time limit for reporting incidents or initiating a formal disciplinary process; the student may go through with these actions no matter how much time has elapsed since the incident or since it was initially reported.

Many students opt to receive support services rather than initiate the disciplinary process. According to UChicago’s Title IX FAQ website page, reasons why a case might not result in disciplinary action include the complainant’s preference not to move forward with the formal disciplinary process, the case falling outside the University’s jurisdiction, and the student not responding to initial outreach from the Title IX Office.

Disciplinary Action In order to move forward with the disciplinary process, the student must meet with the associate dean of students and provide a formal written complaint outlining their

grievance.

Once this complaint has been submitted, the accused student is notified of the report and is generally given up to five business days to meet with the associate dean of students. Following this meeting, the associate dean gives the accused student access to the complainant’s written statement, and the accused student then submits a written response to the allegations.

At this point, the information provided by the complainant and the respondent is reviewed by the associate dean of students.

She then has the authority to dismiss the complaint, resolve it administratively with the two parties, or refer it to the University-wide Disciplinary Committee, a body composed of student, faculty, and administrators.

CHANGES TO TITLE IX Title IX Nationally: “In Limbo” Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, appointed by President Trump, initiated changes to federal Title IX policy shortly after she took office in early 2017.

DeVos’s ascent to the position was turbulent. Her focus on alternatives to public schooling sparked nationwide protests, drawing passionate opposition from public school advocates and teachers’ unions and prompting Senate Democrats to hold an all-night session opposing her nomination the night before her confirmation. DeVos was eventually confirmed on a 51–50 vote, making her the first Cabinet member in U.S. history whose nomination was decided by the vice president’s tie breaking vote.

After assuming the position, DeVos became more vocal in her opposition to certain Obama-era guidelines surrounding Title IX, which many Republicans viewed as overreaching into campus life and obstructing due process. DeVos echoes this view in dis-

cussions about Title IX, often pointing to the possibility of false accusations of sexual assault.

“This conversation has too often been framed as a contest between men and women or the rights of sexual misconduct survivors and the due process rights of accused students,” DeVos said in a September 2017 speech at George Mason University. “The reality is, however, a different picture. There are men and women, boys and girls who are survivors, and there are men and women, boys and girls who are wrongfully accused.”

In a 2018 60 Minutes interview, DeVos replied “I don’t know” when asked whether the number of false accusations of sexual assaults on campus outnumbers the actual number of sexual assaults. A 2016 Department of Justice report found that one in five undergraduate women are sexually assaulted while in college, and a frequently cited study published by clinical psychologist David Lisak found that around 6 percent of rape allegations made to campus police departments are false.

Under DeVos’s direction, the E.D. is gearing up to pass a formal regulation changing the specific requirements of Title IX. DeVos has yet to release the final regulation, but the OCR’s informal interim guidance reveals a decided break from Obama-era regulations.

The anticipated regulation would carry the force of law, replacing the less formal “Dear Colleague” guidelines put forward under the Obama administration. Many Obama-era precedents are positioned to be overturned in the finalization of the draft rule, reigniting debate over the adjudication of Title IX cases.

Several of DeVos’s proposed changes to Title IX may have a direct bearing on UChicago’s adjudication of cases.

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“DeVos’s guidelines use a narrower definition of sexual harassment.”

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Evidentiary Standards One of the most salient changes included in DeVos’s draft rule regards evidentiary standards used to adjudicate Title IX cases.

The Title IX guidelines proposed by DeVos allow universities to choose between two legal standards of proof. Where Obama-era guidance mandated the use of the “preponderance of the evidence” standard, which is typically translated into a 51 percent certainty that the allegations are true, the new guidelines allow schools to use a higher standard of proof known as “clear and convincing evidence,” which is generally equated to a 75 percent certainty in the victim’s allegations.

Illinois adopted the “preponderance of the evidence” standard in the Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act, which UChicago is mandated to follow.

UChicago currently operates under the lessstrict preponderance standard, and University representatives told The Maroon that, if eventually given the choice between the two, the University would continue to use the preponderance standard, “in accordance with state law.”

In an interview with The Maroon, Isabel Rooper, a communications organizer for survivor advocacy group Know Your IX, said that the preponderance standard is the fairest for use in Title IX proceedings, as it gives equal weight to both parties’ cases.

“Clear and convincing evidence is discriminatory to survivors because it gives greater credence to the [accused party’s] education instead of the survivor’s,” Rooper said. “It puts the greater burden of proof on the survivor.”

The “50 percent plus one” preponderance standard, Rooper said, is “the only standard that’s able to give equal credence to both sides’ education and treat them as of equal value.”

Cross-Examination The Obama-era guidelines strongly discouraged schools from allowing cross-examination of the complainant on the grounds that it may be “traumatic or intimidating” to a possible victim, “thereby possibly escalating or perpetuating a hostile environment.” Alternatively, DeVos’s proposal ensures the right of alleged perpetrators to cross-examine witnesses, including their accuser, in a live hearing.

UChicago currently does not cross-ex-

amine complainants. Asked whether it plans to do so in future, University representatives said that UChicago “will continue to comply with Title IX and state law,” and “will review the revised regulations once they are final.”

Defining Key Terms The definitions of several key terms are also in transition amid DeVos’s new guidelines.

Unlike previous guidance, the proposed regulations do not define what constitutes a “hostile environment” for victims, but they do allow schools to remove an accused person from campus following a safety and risk assessment.

Additionally, DeVos’s guidelines use a narrower definition of sexual harassment.

It updates the Obama administration’s definition, “unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature,” to a stricter definition: “unwelcome conduct on the basis of sex that is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the recipient’s education program or activity.”

In an interview with The Maroon, Fabiana Diaz, a victims’ rights advocate and survivor of sexual assault, called the definition’s qualification that the behavior be “objectively offensive” into question.

“Who is the objective person? Who makes that decision that it’s not considered sexual harassment when you experience that?” Diaz asked. “If someone is hurt, has been harassed, [or] is offended, who is to say that how they’re feeling is not valid?”

UChicago also uses a measure of objectivity in their definition of sexual assault, stating in their harassment policy that “a person’s subjective belief that behavior is intimidating, hostile, or offensive does not make that behavior harassment. The behavior must be objectively unreasonable.”

When asked about the process of qualifying “objectively unreasonable” behavior, University representatives wrote in a statement to The Maroon that “from a disciplinary perspective, the question is whether an individual’s behavior violates policy.”

The University uses an “objectively unreasonable” standard to determine whether behavior qualifies as a policy violation. This is “consistent with applicable law,” representatives wrote.

At UChicago, final disciplinary determinations are made by a University-wide Student Disciplinary Committee. The

Committee is composed of students and University staff, who are either nominated or apply to serve, and faculty members, who are appointed by the Provost’s office.

Committee members are randomly selected for each hearing and select faculty members are designated as rotating hearing chairs. They are required to complete training and educational sessions in order to hold the position.

Liability DeVos’s proposed changes to Title IX also ease universities’ liability for investigating Title IX complaints to a standard of “deliberate indifference.” Where Obama-era guidelines maintained the standard that a school was liable if it “reasonably should know” of an incident, the new guidelines would only hold schools responsible for investigating formal complaints and incidents in which they have “actual knowledge” occurred. Additionally, in determining whether a school adequately addressed allegations, schools would only be found in violation of the law if they were “deliberately indifferent,” or “if its response to the sexual harassment is clearly unreasonable in light of known circumstances.”

Rooper argued that this change, “essentially allows schools to ignore sexual violence and harassment on campus by claiming that they just didn’t know that it was happening.”

Under these liability standards, Rooper explained, to qualify a hostile environment a complainant will not only have to prove that the accused party poses a barrier to their education, but that their education is “effectively denied,” which often requires a student to be on the verge of dropping out of school.

“Raising the standards in this way is going to prevent more survivors from coming forward,” Rooper said. “It’s also going to make it harder for survivors to seek the accommodations that would help them stay in school because this new higher standard is required to receive those.”

Jurisdiction DeVos’s 2017 interim guidelines only hold universities responsible for incidents that occur “in the context of an educational program or activity operated by the University,” thus excluding off-campus activities such as parties at student apartments or fraternities that are not recognized by the school. This provision was ill-received by

many onlookers—even quietly criticized by some Republicans, according to The Washington Post—and the final regulation is expected to offer clarification on this measure.

Diaz criticized this approach, saying that universities should not abdicate responsibility simply because an incident occurred off-campus.

“It is on [the University] to keep students safe and survivors protected. At the end of the day, I don’t care what your lawyers say, these are your students,” Diaz said. “This park might not be owned entirely by your endowment but this is your community that you are also a part of.”

The change in off-campus adjudication could carry consequences for UChicago, which has been steadfast in its decision not to recognize Greek life and to treat fraternity houses as off-campus property.

Currently, UChicago’s jurisdiction is not strictly limited to incidents that occur on-campus. The student manual states that the University’s jurisdiction includes misconduct that happened on or off University property, if: “(a) the conduct occurred in connection with a University or University-sponsored or -recognized program or activity; or (b) the conduct has or reasonably may have the effect of creating a hostile educational or work environment for a member of the University community.”

A Path Toward Improvement While certain barriers inherent in Title IX may make the reporting process imperfect, Rooper said, she believes that continual advocacy can achieve fairer and safer environments on college campuses.

“There have always been barriers to the reporting process, and there will always be barriers in the reporting process that prevent a survivor from reporting,” she said.

“But, at the end of the day, we still have to keep working to make that process fair for both sides and supportive for the students that are going through it.”

“It’s always worth it to try and make that process better.”

[The Maroon is committed to achieving a thorough understanding of this issue. If you or someone you know has experiences or information that you would like to share with us relating to sexual assault and/or the Title IX reporting process at UChicago, please contact us at kmabus@uchicago.edu or lgersony@ uchicago.edu.]

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VIEWPOINTS

We Need to Slow Down Under crisis circumstances, prioritizing reflection and gentleness can be a life-or-death matter

By LEENA EL-SADEK A few weeks ago, I was supposed to be in Palestine, coleading the second UChicago Pal-Trek trip to the West Bank. Nearly 100 graduate students (up from the previous year’s 30) from departments across campus were set to visit Palestine to learn the realities of a life under military occupation. In one week from now, I would have been co-organizing the third annual (and my last) community Ramadan iftar with other members of the Muslim Law Students Association for our law school classmates, professors, staff and beyond. In

June, I was supposed to participate in commencement activities at the Law School with my peers. None of these events will be remembered as none of them occurred. And these were just the events I was looking forward to. Everyone I know, it seems, has a similar list.

2020 is the year of cancellations.

With the remaining weeks of this school year, I urge school staff and faculty to slow down during this pandemic, reconsider your priorities, and act on the truths and weaknesses that have been illuminated in the community.

Nothing about a global pandemic is easy. I get that. But with

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very heavy and serious stuff happening, it’s discomforting to hear messages of continuing classes as usual, or “mushing on,” especially when beleaguered students are dealing with additional personal burdens, such as the loss of a family member, loss of financial security, cancellation of major life events, and the lack of adequate healthcare and protections. Amidst the nagging trauma of a global infectious disease crisis, students are forced to make peace with panic and mortality. Mushing on is our only recourse, we are constantly reminded. But one can be grateful to be learning while simultaneously grieving the current reality. One can be grateful to be alive, but find living difficult.

Like many students during our current crisis, I’ve attempted to continue living a meaningful life.

Technology helps, as it has helped recreate a semblance of the previous world with which I’m so familiar. Simultaneously, technology has been unforgiving. Despite the physical distance from the classrooms, I find myself working more than I did before the pandemic. My laptop and phone have become tethered to my body: Wherever I go, I leave a trail of digital exhaust behind. I am constantly accessible to others and find myself feigning normalcy to the professors, classmates, and co-workers who are inured to this new digital normal.

Even in a global pandemic, institutions have not slowed down. UChicago has not slowed down. We are focused on powering through. The most devastating aspect of this is attempting to power through life as usual, as though nothing has changed. Despite the fact that life has forever changed for many people. Despite the fact that life has

ended for some people.

Attempting to go on as usual is not OK. It should never again be OK. The priorities held by much of America, today, stands in opposition to the deeply enriching values I held in my childhood, where I spent many days—by the geographic design of the spreadout American South—physically distancing at home. I grew up in rural America as a Muslim Egyptian American post—9/11. It was there that I learned the infinite value of slowness and dedicating time to do nothing. We did not leave the country (and rarely left Mississippi) for nearly a decade, out of fear that we would not be able to return home.

Fear begets stillness. As a result, I spent a lot of time by myself wandering in my dad’s garden, reading on swings, picking honeysuckles, and standing with my mom as she experimented in the kitchen. All of these are valuable practices that people in busy urban areas do not have. When you’re surrounded by people who are constantly doing, you are trained to similarly always do. The expectation set upon you is to be mindful of achieving something, because your reference markers are other people who are constantly attempting to achieve something. But I did not grow up with that experience. Our achievement was doing what we needed to grow, so that we could spend the rest of our time—every day—slowly living. And that “time” was not some faraway concept of retirement: it was in each and every day.

There was a value in the slowness.

It made me realize and reconsider priorities that I still hold closely today. Those values of slowness enabled and prepared me to excel at Duke University and now UChi-

cago Law School—which is a strong response to all those who believe busyness and perpetual achievement are the “keys to success.”

Today, as a law student at UChicago I find myself far removed from the slowness of my childhood. I’m left with little time to explore what’s meaningful to me (and not what UChicago purports is meaningful). I spend most of my time attending class (then rewatching class because I drifted away from my 13-inch screen and two-inch professor), responding to emails, shipping food and essential supplies to family in Mississippi, making sure family in Egypt is OK, getting up early to beat the crowds at the grocery store, finishing assignments from last quarter, completing assignments from this quarter, and catching up on the news to try to reckon with reality. I am alone, but I have no alone time. I am alive, but I feel displaced from my own body. None of this is familiar to me. We are advanced humans, but I don’t feel human.

Nor do I feel like the A.I. robots we probably more similarly resemble.

Life should change after this pandemic, both here at UChicago and beyond, but I’m afraid it will not (or at least not in the right direction), because we are not using this time to reflect and readjust. Just as we’re attempting to bolt, rush, and do “just enough” through this pandemic, we are bolting, rushing, and doing “just enough” to get through the truths and weaknesses that have been illuminated in our society. The dire health disparities for Black and Latinx communities. The inadequacy of low-income jobs. The lack of connectivity in many areas of the country (how can elementary, CONTINUED ON PG. 12

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“Attempting to go on as usual is not OK. It should never again be OK.” CONTINUED FROM PG. 11

middle, and high schools conduct distance learning in Mississippi, where many students don’t own computers or reliable WiFi?). A healthcare system that privileges the privileged. These are lessons that require an honest, moral exploration into our priorities. A complete reorientation of how we work and live. I fear, from the organizational perspective, we won’t learn these essential lessons. Some practices gained during this experience, like Zoom, will encourage employers to make hyper-accessibility mandatory even after the

pandemic. I fear that people will only become busier, and we’ll work ourselves to death. Capitalism will find creative ways to exploit disasters, such as bailing out major companies over ensuring the health of every American. We’ll continue to neglect the deeply entrenched structural racism that is killing many people, and keep shunting vulnerable communities to the fringes while hoping the next generation will get it right.

Some people at UChicago get it. I recently experienced the serious illness of a loved one. After finding out, a professor checked

in to see how I was coping amidst everything. Nothing was attached—she didn’t remind me of class assignments, readings, or the exam. School was not my priority at the time, and she was okay with that. Only a couple of weeks ago, the Law School was adamant on being the only top law school to mandate quality grades. There are people at this institution who urge us to mush on regardless of external burdens; and there are people who understand that, sometimes, mushing on is not an option. Now is the time for professors and staff to step up and realize the importance

of compassion and support during these difficult times.

Recently, I’ve taken inspiration from daily email updates from Dr. Craig Smith, who heads the Department of Surgery at Columbia University. His updates, largely directed at his staff who are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis, have been shared all over the country due to their universal messages of hope and resilience. In one particular update, he reminded us that “dandelion seeds go nowhere without wind.” To UChicago staff and officials, let this pandemic be your wind. Slow down, interro-

gate your values and priorities, learn what’s important for your community, and act on the weaknesses you have now realized in this institution. Because my God, there are plenty. To students, I pray you also have the opportunity to slow down and be kind to yourself.

Let yourself be inundated by your grief. Take this time to reexamine your values and priorities, as well.

Figure out what’s important to you. Step back from your responsibilities and your technology and do nothing. One day, you’ll realize nothing meant everything.

Remembering UChicago, Warts and All We must resist the temptation to erase the negative aspects of UChicago in our memories, because confronting that toxicity is key to building a better campus for everyone.

By MAYA ORDENEZ “The perpetual wind that blows across the Midway. The Reg. Stealing a sleeve of bagels from the dining hall. The freezing cold while waiting in line for a frat party in skimpy shorts juxtaposed to the dripping heat once you enter. The Reg. Turning an assignment in at 11:58 p.m. on Canvas. The perpetual grey sky. The Reg. Getting food from the Kosher station since it’s the only food with flavor.

Kent 107. Being sexiled by your roommate. Wondering how you can function off three hours of sleep. The Reg. Harper Cafe. Becoming a house ghost. Averting eye contact with the person you hooked up with at a frat. A constant state of exhaustion. The Reg. Explaining to your parents that you are ok just don’t have time to talk. Homesickness.

Missing your dog. Realizing why UChicago is where fun comes to die. The Reg. Hum. Eating

at Cathey although you live in North because the food at Baker and Bart is unbearable. The Reg.” This list was provided by my Readings in World Literature class. It was our collective response to an unusual assignment: writing a list that characterizes our first-year experience.

The list is rife with details of UChicago life, but the most essential thing it brings to light is that the University of Chicago is defined by a culture of negativity. Looking back and accepting this culture for what it was is especially important in times like what we are currently experiencing.

The more time we spend away from campus, learning from the remoteness of our own homes, the more it seems we look back on our time on campus through rose-tinted glasses.

I’ve heard even the most ardent anti-Bart eater comment that he would give anything to eat at

the taco station. The resentment I held toward some aspects of UChicago has been numbed by the fact that I’m not at school.

Waking up to the omnipresent gray sky was something that physically irked me while in Chicago. Thinking about the silver hue now, I am unable to replicate the feeling of deep antagonism I once held toward it.

Like my friend, who spent his time in Baker, I would give anything to look up and see that sky once again. I would even go as far as to say that it would bring me joy, the absolute opposite effect it had on me this fall and winter.

I even somewhat miss the physical feeling of stress—knowing there’s no way I’ll be able to complete my assignments without sleep deprivation—that manifested during late nights in the Reg. Yet, I know if the pandemic never occurred, I would still be at school, hating the gray sky and the intense workload without a second thought.

Quarantine has begun to act as anodyne for our bad experiences on campus. You may observe, as I have, that as we gain geographic and temporal distance from what were our everyday stresses, they can take on a positive hue. I found this rosy hindsight curious. How could the school that’s “the level of hell Dante forgot” transform into something positive? The answer is that the negativity at UChicago is mainly surface level. The reason it continuously taints our experience on campus is because we never get a break from the constant pressure. And since this tension is something everyone at UChicago can relate to, it is often what dominates the conversations and mindsets of the students. Nevertheless, I implore you to remember those adverse emotions for everything that they were. They were genuine and will resurface when we return to campus if we belittle the extent to which they neg-

atively impacted us. We need to confront this negativity, to understand its source, so that we can be more mindful about finding positivity once we do find ourselves back at school.

Knowing that something we resent so passionately can evolve into something positive, given the right mindset, is a crucial thing that we can begin to apply to our lives in confinement. There’s latent positivity in many of the things we dislike, including the loneliness and frustration that come along with quarantine. If we can look back at strenuous 2 a.m. nights in the Reg in a positive light, we can also see a silver lining in the extended time with ourselves and, for many, our families. So, although difficult at times, we need to continuously remind ourselves that optimistic sentiments can grow from negative ones when we take a step back, and sometimes the best way to do this is through writing a list.

THE CHICAGO MAROON — APRIL 29, 2020

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A Tuition Reduction Without Trade-Offs Is Possible Given the University’s resources, cries of austerity in the face of a student tuition strike are unacceptable.

By ANNA ATTIE, LAUREL CHEN, and LUIS RUBIO Last month, UChicago for Fair Tuition mobilized to fight for a 50 percent tuition reduction for all students, the elimination of advanced residency tuition, a transparent operating budget, the reinstatement of part-time status, and a tuition freeze.

Within weeks, we won our tuition-freeze demand and garnered widespread support from students across all schools and divisions.

But some members of our community have expressed a fear that reducing tuition is not possible without sacrificing staff pay or financial aid. At times, these worries go hand and hand with a concern that reducing tuition would primarily benefit wealthier students. In order to argue that the University cannot and should not reduce tuition, students have cited restricted donations, low endowment payout rates, and the assertion that all families making less than $125,000 a year already pay no tuition. These myths have been propagated by administrators who claim that they cannot legally allocate resources necessary to reduce tuition, and that they already meet the demonstrated need of all students. As organizers with UChicago for Fair Tuition, we would like to dispel these misconceptions.

When we say that we will not accept tuition reduction at the expense of staff or financial aid, we mean it. UChicago for Fair Tuition rejects narratives that set students against staff or tuition reduction against financial aid. Given what is publicly available about the University’s wealth, such trade-offs should not be necessary.

We knew that as our campaign grew stronger, University administrators would try to portray the University in a position of financial strain. But without a transparent operating budget, we cannot take the administration at their word when they say they are unable to reduce tuition for the duration of this crisis. And despite the lack of transparency, we have every reason to believe that the University can afford a tuition reduction. As student organizers, we are accustomed to hearing the Univer-

sity say “we can’t” when they really mean “we won’t.”

The issue at hand is not a question of resources but a question of priorities. UChicago for Fair Tuition was formed from a long line of students, who, for years, have questioned the University’s budgetary priorities and called for more financial transparency. Last year, #CareNotCops’s #ReleaseTheBudget campaign called out the University for funding one of the largest private police forces in the world, with no budget transparency. Similarly, Fair Budget UChicago has advocated for a more just allocation of the budget, including fighting for a $15 minimum wage on campus and improved access to mental health resources.

We cannot accept scarcity myths coming from a University that funds one of the largest private police forces in the world.

We cannot accept austerity from an institution with the money to buy and maintain immense real estate holdings in Woodlawn and Washington Park. We cannot accept trade-offs from a University whose eight highest paid administrators each make upwards of $1 million per year. Despite these excesses, UChicago’s own financial statements show multi-million dollar budgetary surpluses for almost every year data is available, going back to 1996, with tuition and fees accounting for only 10.5 percent of revenue. Let’s break down the resources UChicago could leverage to afford a tuition reduction amidst this international crisis.

This is an institution with an $8.2 billion endowment and the most expensive tuition in the country. UChicago also recently raised $5.4 billion in a fundraising campaign, almost a billion more than its initial goal. President Zimmer himself said this money would be allocated for helping students afford the cost of attendance. It would only cost 1.55 percent of that recent fundraising haul to halve tuition for all undergraduate and graduate students in the Spring 2020 quarter. Of course, this $5.4 billion is still only a portion of the funds they have on hand. And the endowment isn’t even the extent of the University’s investment portfolio, which totals $14 billion.

In a recent email to the student body, the Provost claimed that the “vast majority” of the funds from their fundraising and endowment are “legally restricted.”

Even if 95 percent of these funds were restricted, that would still leave more than enough money to reduce tuition for Spring Quarter and beyond. Financial statements from 2018-2019 reveal that the money is there—$2.1 billion of the endowment is described as being “without donor restrictions,” while roughly one-third of the University’s net assets are similarly unrestricted. Furthermore, Provost Lee specifically did not disclose how much of the recent fundraising haul was committed into the endowment, despite a portion of this money being specifically intended for student financial support.

Administrators can and should re-allocate wasteful spending in the long run, such as halting their purchases of South Side real estate and reducing funding for their police force, which has jurisdiction over 50,000 people who are not affiliated with the University. The University can also use unrestricted funds from the endowment and donations to pay for a tuition reduction.

When it comes to endowment payout and sustaining the endowment, we must ask ourselves: What is the purpose of sustaining and growing the endowment if it can’t be leveraged to support students and staff in need in a time of crisis? The current rates of endowment payout are decided each fiscal year by the Board of Trustees, which is overseen by President Zimmer.

The limits on those rates exist under the presumption that the endowment should be constantly increasing. Since 2007, the University’s endowment has increased by over $2 billion. The endowment, and the predetermined yearly payout, is set up so that the University can continue to accrue wealth, even as students and staff struggle.

Experts have argued for years that endowment payout rates should be significantly higher to stop these non-profit institutions from hoarding tax-exempt wealth while constantly raising tuition. Endowment payout rates can and must change, especially in a time of crisis.

Furthermore, it is possible to remove restrictions on “legally restricted” funds— University leadership would only need to ask for written permission from their donors. It is also possible, though likely unnecessary, for the University to safely take out a loan, which, for example, they did in order to fund the $19.5 million acquisition of Jewel Osco. Zimmer and the Board could easily make up for this debt in the following years by allowing more endowment payout. University of Chicago, a 130-year-old, multi-billion dollar institution will recover from this economic crisis.

It recovered quickly after the 2008 recession, with its endowment soon surpassing pre-recession levels despite dropping in ’08. Many students and their families, however, will struggle for years to come.

In statements to the media, University spokespeople have said that universal tuition reduction is unnecessary because of the University’s No Barriers Plan. This plan guarantees full tuition for families earning under $125,000 a year, and suggests that no students should have to take out loans in order to pay for their education.

This guarantee is misleading for many reasons. First, we have heard from many students whose families make below this amount but who have been deemed ineligible by the University. In these cases, the University often cites criteria that are not publicly available, such as how they determine assets. One first year in the College told us that although she qualifies for the No Barriers Plan, she was told that her family had too many assets, even though her mother had just sold everything to relieve debt. The University accused her of hiding money and told her to take out loans. In a 2018 University report, only about half of students surveyed were “satisfied” with the financial support they received from the University.

Second, the promise that UChicago will cover tuition for families earning under $125,000 a year does not apply to two-thirds of the university: international students or graduate students. There are 13,311 students in programs that charge tuCONTINUED ON PG. 14

THE CHICAGO MAROON — APRIL 29, 2020

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“ it is possible to remove restrictions on “ legally restricted” funds.”

CONTINUED FROM PG. 13

ition as of last quarter, including 6,678 masters students or professional school students, and 1,061 undergraduate international students. This does not even include Ph.D. students paying advanced residency tuition, a quarterly tuition charged to doctoral students finishing dissertations in their advanced years. We know from the testimonies we’ve received that many graduate and international students have struggled to pay tuition even before this crisis. Now, many international students are facing rapid devaluation of their local currencies, and

many graduate students have additional caretaking responsibilities, have lost their jobs, and cannot rely on their family income.

We believe means-testing is not a viable solution during an economic crisis. Existing data for financial aid is based on tax returns from two years ago— this is not an accurate indicator of current finances in light of this unfolding crisis. Unemployment has reached record rates. Families that were getting by two years ago may now be in serious financial trouble. We have heard countless stories from students who were turned away from the

financial aid office after seeking additional coronavirus-related assistance. We cannot rely solely on the bureaucratic proceedings of the financial aid office to address the additional burdens brought on by this crisis. Furthermore, we cannot accept that graduate students must defer to our individual departments for aid; some departments have more funding than others, so some students will receive more aid simply based on their department. This is inequitable given widespread financial insecurity.

Outside of financial aid, the University’s “solution” to finan-

LOOKALIKES

By CHRIS JONES Across 1. GCD’s dual 4. Decrees 9. Henry VIII, for one 14. Are you a man ___ mouse?

15. In Japanese it s transliterated as hakushon 16. Manga’s sibling 17. Suavity, congeniality, etc.

19. Queens homes 20. Mike holder 21. Fat meas 23. Tolkien creature 24. Maroon section 26. Stingier 28. Ed Sheeran, for one 32. Leviathan 35. Turn down 36. Brewery product

37. It can be prepared in at least 10 different ways 38. Be in debt 41. Ken Ham’s debate opponent 42. Tales and such 44. Dignity, as of President Zimmer 46. Trash from the Reg? 50. One playing at Progressive Field 51. Billy ___ (2000 film) 55. CXXI times V 57. Spam holder 58. The Metamorphosis character 59. Pokémon Sun region 61. What you want from

the local butcher?

65. Not as common 66. Cancer isn’t compatible with it 67. Just manage, without 68. Massage 69. Old flame 70. Cigarette ingredient Down 1. Home Depot rival 2. Muscle spasm 3. First name in exploration 4. Built-in iPhone app 5. German I 6. Now I see!

7. Craggy hill 8. Humorless 9. Baba ghanoush ingredient 10. Prefix with cellular

11. 2011 Veronica Roth novel 12. Black cat, for some 13. It may be half or whole 18. Common place for an accident 22. Division of Humanities degs.

25. Suck face 26. I ve seen better 27. Quietus 29. L8R M8 30. Singer of “Only Time” 31. Seedy loaves 32. Something passed in class 33. Race in The Time Machine 34. Caterpillar or camel 38. Globe 39. Bit of merchandise 40. Rats live

on no ___ 43. West end?

44. ___-X 45. Moroccan faith 47. Your UChicago Arts Pass

cial distress has been to encourage students to fill out the Financial Hardship Form, which explicitly does not provide any additional aid, and only allows students to delay tuition payments. Delaying payment is not a solution—families who cannot afford tuition now will likely still be struggling in June.

We firmly believe that a 50 percent tuition reduction is possible and necessary, no trade-offs impacting staff or financial aid needed. Hundreds of students are withholding Spring Quarter tuition for this reason. But UChicago for Fair Tuition is not 48. Chandelier artist 49. Hang, as spaghetti on a fork 52. How about ___ you then?

53. Japanese

approaching this campaign with an all-or-nothing mindset. We hope to negotiate towards an equitable solution to tuition reduction with the administration before tuition is due on April 29.

As is typically the case in negotiations, we understand the need for compromise—but to make compromises, the administration needs to show up. At the virtual negotiation table, we would also discuss our demands for budgetary transparency and part-time status, neither of which requires immediate adjustments to the budget itself.

It’s their move.

seaport 54. Boil it, mash it, stick it in a stew 55. My Songs Know What You Did in the ___ : Fall Out

Boy 56. Extended family 60. Grassy expanse 62. Border 63. Retreat 64. You ___ beautiful

THE CHICAGO MAROON — APRIL 29, 2020

15

SG Executive Slate Must Balance Serious Ideas With Pragmatism Candidates must think big — but also understand the challenges they face.

By MAROON EDITORIAL BOARD The Maroon Editorial Board has chosen to not endorse a Student Government (SG) executive slate this year.

To capably lead SG, an executive slate must balance working through official channels by meeting with administrators with the need to work outside those channels when administrators stonewall their efforts for real change. Last week, we met with each potential executive slate, expecting to endorse the slate we believed would best balance these two essential tasks—one with an innovative vision for our school and a practical plan to implement that vision.

In our interviews with the candidates, however, none of the slates running convinced us they could strike this balance.

Two slates have grand ambitions but neglected to seriously consider what they will do in the likely event that limits on SG’s authority will pose a threat to what they hope to accomplish. The other two slates understand how difficult it is to get things done in SG, so much so that they seem preemptively resigned to the impossibility of accomplishing much beyond initiatives within SG. Our decision not to endorse a particular slate does not mean that voters for next year’s SG executives have a choice among interchangeable slates.

The Independence Slate, composed of David Liang, Joana Lepuri, and Rodrigo Estrada, has premised its entire candidacy around the promise to transform SG into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, outside of University control. Independence touts the claim that this plan is based in extensive research, but in our interview the candidates could not demonstrate that they have thought through the externalities of this plan.

The lion’s share of SG’s money, about $2.4 million annually, comes from the Student Activities Fee levied by the University.

When we asked Liang if he expected the University to transfer that money to an independent student government—something which Liang characterized as a “rebellion”—he responded affirmatively, but did not offer any reason why the University would volunteer those funds to an outside entity. Liang also suggested that the inde-

pendent SG, by disbursing those funds to Registered Student Organizations (RSOs), would assume legal liability for all RSO and other student association activities. He did not elaborate on what that would mean for RSO leadership, which we found concerning and poorly thought through. Lastly, the research on which Independence is grounding its claims—coauthored by Lepuri under the auspices of the Campus Policy Research Institute, of which Liang is Executive Director—is a study of student governments that are already independent, and it has been for some time. The situation currently relevant to UChicago is not analogous to that of Stanford or UC Berkeley, as Independence claims, because independence has not yet been negotiated at UChicago. An attempt at independence requires planning for contingency and consideration of its potential ramifications; the Independence slate failed to account for any consequences of their platform’s central plank.

The Maroon is therefore uneasy about their candidacy and urges them to assess their plans in light of the fact that declaring student government independent may not be so easy as making a statement and negotiating a memorandum of understanding.

The Amplify Slate, composed of Andrew Langford, Jacob Chang, and Joalda Morancy, has taken a unique approach to their candidacy, pledging to release 99 policy proposals by election day (only 40 were out at the time of their interview with The Maroon on April 23). The Maroon applauds the way Amplify has thought out-of-the box with creative proposals, from bird-proofing University buildings to improving rural student outreach and increasing the supply and quality of condoms provided

by Health and Wellness services. Some of their ideas are extremely ambitious, such as pushing the University to divest from its holdings in fossil fuels. However, when asked how they planned to make good on these promises through their access to administrators, Amplify replied by saying, “If we are confidently pushing them to work with us, we believe that we can make those changes.” When pressed on how the slate would make administrators work them, Langford suggested that President Rober Zimmer might be more amenable to meet-

ing with students given the urgency of the current climate and the ease of meeting over Zoom. Amplify seems authentic in its convictions about bringing positive change to UChicago through SG, but they appear unprepared to take on the real challenges facing student representatives.

The Engage and Elevate slates, made up of Raven Rainey, Alex Levi, and Myles Hudson; and Malay Trivedi, Sofia Barnett, and Terri Smith, respectively, show an excellent understanding of SG’s position relative to administrators and its recent history.

This is unsurprising, given that five of the six candidates have extensive prior history with SG and Smith, a third-year Ph.D. student in political science, has served as an executive member of the University’s Diversity Board. Each slate is championing a number of policies around important issues like mental health, pushing reform in University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD), building on the recent momentum of the sustainability movement at UChicago, and supporting Graduate Students United in its continuing fight to have the University recognize their union. For example, Elevate would support HB 3932, which would make UCPD subject to the Freedom of Information Act, as part of the Chicago Coalition for Colleges and Universities (CCCU). Elevate also emphasized their ambition to try to bring community activists outside the University to the table with administrators, and would use the startof-year SG barbecue to spotlight campus groups working for social change. Engage, meanwhile, hopes to create the Committee on Marginalized Student Affairs (COMSA) within SG in order to increase funding and resources for multicultural student groups and to communicate with the Office of Campus and Student Life on behalf of these students. These candidates are sincere in their wish to improve life for UChicago students, and their past SG experience shows that they have an idea of the resources and leverage available to them when doing so.

Our hesitation around these slates had less to do with the details of any one plan, and more to do with the sense that several years on SG has limited the scope of what these candidates hope to accomplish.

Trivedi and Hudson both referenced

their existing relationships with administrators as a contrast with the other slates and as a way for them to get things done. If this is the case, The Maroon wonders, why have these slates largely limited their platforms to changes internal to SG and vague “we will pursue” statements? If there is a purpose to cultivating relationships with administrators, surely it lies in making big demands when they let you in the room.

Asked about how they planned to confront the likely frosty administrative reception to student advocacy, Engage’s Rainey responded, “Our hands are tied, but we can create new ways to show them that this is something that students want.” Trivedi also acknowledged that the likelihood of getting the University to enact, for example, a tuition reduction was close to zero.

When asked how Elevate might respond to this challenge, and myriad others that come when dealing with UChicago’s often-disinterested administration, Trivedi responded, “If we push for the highest possible level of change, we can get to some middle ground.” The desire to forge a compromise between students and administrators is admirable, but neither Engage nor Elevate offered a real plan as to what that push might look like. Between “continuing a conversation” and asking for the moon is the middle ground Trivedi referred to. When asked what the role of SG executives is in the event that conversations with administrators do not result in the changes that students demand, Rainey said, “That’s a really important question that we haven’t really thought about.” These two slates left us disappointed because, while they both pointed to their experience on SG and relationships with administrators as selling points, their ultimate impression was one of resignation, not excitement about using those connections to break new ground.

We applaud candidates with the initiative to push for big changes, but urge them not to neglect the mechanics of their positions. Simultaneously, whoever our next slate may be, we hope that they will not allow defeatism to overwhelm the initiative necessary to leave lasting impacts, but that they will make clear, tenable plans for achieving their most ambitious goals.

THE CHICAGO MAROON — APRIL 29, 2020

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ARTS Chopped: Beat the Judge or Glorify the Judge?

By ISABELLA CISNEROS Arts Reporter Beat the judge? Not likely in Chopped’s new “Beat the Judge” series, and not for the reasons you’d think.

In this new edition of Chopped, three past champions battle each other for the opportunity to compete against a Chopped judge and, hopefully, win. While an original concept that could have reminded us of the merit of the judges in the show, the show fails to do so, merely serving as a way of conflating the judges’ opinions of each other and themselves—even in the face of grievous culinary errors.

The first episode of this new series pits esteemed chef Alex Guarnaschelli, an Iron Chef and owner of New York’s Butter restaurant, against chef Jen, a chef from California, in the final dessert round.

While the beginning of the round indicated a strong performance by Guarnaschelli, with a sorbet mix in the ice cream machine within the first two minutes, errors soon began to trickle into the chef’s cooking.

The cookies for her ice cream sandwiches burned, changing the structure of her

planned dessert: from ice cream sandwich to a “tart,” as she put it. Shortly after salvaging the remains of her cookies, Guarnaschelli rapidly removed her key ingredient—the sorbet—from the blast chiller in a fashion probably meant to intimidate her competitor, but which only resulted in the complete loss of the sorbet as it spilled out of the bowl. As such, she resorted to quickly slicing a pomelo and adding it unmodified to her dish at the last moment.

During judging, the only true complaint against chef Jen’s dish was the texture of the panna cotta, which had turned into a “soup” because it hadn’t completely set. However, chef Alex’s dish was criticized for its lack of pomelo sorbet, which would have offset the excessive butteriness of the “tart” in the dish. Oddly enough, chef Alex was even commended for the last-minute addition of the pomelo, even though an unchanged mystery ingredient is typically not grounds for compliment when it comes to judging. Somehow, despite all these errors, Guarnaschelli was chosen as the winner.

The second episode of the series, featuring judge Scott Conant, yielded the

same disappointing results as the first.

First of all, the last round—traditionally the dessert round—was switched to a savory round, probably for Conant’s benefit.

Judging resulted in the same inconsistencies as the previous episode. While the two chefs presented similar dishes, the judges noted that Conant’s dish lacked any sign of the ranch packet flavoring, a key ingredient during the round. Indistinction of a key ingredient is a textbook reason for being chopped, yet Conant also claimed the winner’s title at the end of the episode.

The judging of this series reveals a deeper truth about the judges: They believe themselves to be above the same errors that they would have gladly and willingly eliminated other chefs for in the blink of an eye. Any seasoned Chopped viewer knows that something as small as leaving an ingredient unmodified, to something as significant as not being able to taste a key ingredient, is grounds for being chopped.

Yet, when the judges commit the same errors, even in the absence of these errors from their competitors, they are ironically declared winners.

This series is, quite frankly, an insult

to the chefs who arrive expecting a fair challenge and an opportunity to test their skills against seasoned professionals. It seems the Chopped judges have forgotten the days before their success, preferring to gloat and have their supposed skills praised by their peers—and perhaps losing as a result of it. This series exemplifies how commercial success has diverted the respect of the judges away from their craft. The egotistical pursuit of praise has blinded them from acknowledging the limits of their own merits, preferring instead to slight other chefs at their expense. A chef should always be willing to acknowledge when another chef has put together a well-crafted and thoughtful product. If this series is to create a truly equal field for its competitors and its judges, then blind judging is an absolute necessity. Considering that blind judging is used in another Food Network hallmark, Beat Bobby Flay, there is no reason it couldn’t be easily incorporated into Chopped. Until that is done, however, the present judging will continue to be worthless, and the outcome of every episode will be just as predictable as the one that came before it.

The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen, Food, and My Hometown: Cooking During Quarantine

By ANNA KURYLA Arts Reporter The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen cannot be pushed into a singular category. The YouTube channel, produced by the folks at Bon Appétit (BA) Magazine (a publication usually marketed to thirty-something foodies), resists being any one thing. It’s not only a Food Network—esque collection of wacky cooking shows, or a more down-to-earth and accessible take on food that appeals to everyone, regardless of cooking ability, or an epic interconnected universe of loveable personalities talking at a camera while cooking. Somehow, it exists as all of those things at once, a fact that gives the channel its beloved charm and character accompanied by high production

value from behemoth media conglomerate Condé Nast, better known for publications like The New Yorker and Vanity Fair. And it’s this charm behind the BA Test Kitchen that appeals to so many, especially during the current crisis. Whether it’s Claire Saffitz trying, failing, and trying again to recreate a Twinkie on Gourmet Makes, Chris Morocco getting in touch with his “supertaster” abilities on Reverse Engineering, or Brad Leone playing up his loveable and boisterous New Jersey personality on It’s Alive, the BA team never fails to both entertain and educate their audience, all while having a lot of fun doing it.

My loving take on the BA Test Kitchen has only been bolstered by the team’s handling of the current situation. I must admit

I was skeptical of the team’s ability to recreate their most popular shows from home, as the channel’s unique charm comes from the show being set in the hustle and bustle of the BA Test Kitchen, with coworkers periodically dropping by to taste food, banter, and contribute to the atmosphere of the production as a whole. The reality, however, was far better than I could have imagined: the BA team thrives in this time of crisis, becoming a fixture of consistency in so much uncertainty. While the video and sound quality might not be as crisp, the soul of the BA Test Kitchen remains. In the most recent episode of It’s Alive, for example, the team used Zoom to communicate with each other, even having another chef, the always-lovely Sohla El-Waylly, recreate Brad’s creation

from her home.

The focus of BA’s content has been adapted to make it even more accessible to cooks stuck at home. The chefs reflect on what they’re missing from the test kitchen, and how it might influence their perceptions and development of recipes. As Carla Lalli Music, food editor at large for BA, commented in a recent video, “It really makes you think about how many pieces of equipment you’re asking someone to use at home, because we’re at home.” This sentiment is certainly appreciated by many of us with small apartments and student budgets that don’t allow for the purchase of several different kitchen appliances, which are only used for a recipe or two anyways.

CONTINUED ON PG. 17

THE CHICAGO MAROON — APRIL 29, 2020

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“It can’t hurt to try—can homemade pizza ever really turn out that bad?”

CONTINUED FROM PG. 16

For me, the impact of the BA Test Kitchen has gone beyond killing a few hours in quarantine. The recipes and techniques developed by the team are presented to make the viewer think, “Maybe I could make that too!” I’ve always been interested in cooking, but I’ve always thought working with unique ingredients and developing my own flavor should be left to professional chefs, not college students. While I may not have all of New York City, or even Chicago, at my disposal to seek out ingredients, searching for them has certainly given me a new perspective on my hometown, Houston. Finding an Italian restaurant that will sell me guanciale and 00 flour for pasta carbonara

or a market in Koreatown that will bring me some gochujang curbside has shown me new cultural perspectives of Houston.

Attempting some of these recipes has given me confidence that, although they might not come out perfectly, it can’t hurt to try—can homemade pizza ever really turn out that bad? And with comprehensive and entertaining instructions from the BA team, cooking more complicated recipes has become simpler and much more fun. The BA Test Kitchen has, to me, reached its highest potential during this crisis, bringing consistency and optimism into our homes and centering the food conversation around not what we’re missing, but what we have found.

COURTESY OF BON APPÉTIT VIDEO

SPORTS

Looking Back at Four Years of Outdoor Adventure Club

Exploring the Cache River (Southern Illinois, - Spring ’19)

Perched in a hueco after deep-water soloing (Kinkaid Lake, IL, - Fall ’17)

Stream-crossing in Shawnee National Forest (Central Illinois - Spring ’18) ALL PHOTOS BY MICHAEL THEW

18

Annual spring kayaking trip (Downtown Chicago, Spring ’19)

Atop Copper Mountain (Frisco, CO, Spring Break ’18)

Approaching the Hot River (Reykjavík, Iceland - Spring Break ’19)

THE CHICAGO MAROON — APRIL 29, 2020

Cabin in the Porcupine Mountains (Upper Peninsula, MI, Fall ’19)

Relaxing after big climbs (Queen Creek Canyon, AZ, Spring Break ’17)

ALL PHOTOS BY MICHAEL THEW

THE CHICAGO MAROON — APRIL 29, 2020

19

Emma Nelson: A Legacy of Lifting Others

By MIRANDA BURT Sports Reporter

Fourth-year shortstop Emma Nelson always wanted to play any sport she could get her hands on. The Perryville, Missouri, native grew up a dedicated Cardinals fan and is always happy to turn on a basketball, soccer, hockey, or football game. A three-sport Academic All-State honoree in high school, Emma chose to play her first love—softball—at Stagg Field.

“My mom taught me to play catch when I was three or four. That’s a funny story—she threw the ball and hit me in the face, giving me a bloody nose. I, of course, cried and was upset. She said, ‘If you catch it, it won’t hit you in the face.’

Needless to say, I think I caught every throw from there on out,” Nelson joked.

Looking at Nelson’s stats, at first glance one might assume that simply playing catch came just as easy playing for the Maroons. In three seasons, plus two games of a shortened senior season, Nelson played in 89 games, amassing 213 assists, 143 put outs, and 18 double plays. Additionally, she was just as productive in the batter’s box, holding a career 0.363 on-base percentage and racking up 69 hits.

Nelson’s favorite part of the game is “the intricacy of strategy that seeps through all aspects of the game.” As a shortstop, “defensively [she] could really read the other team and our own to make decisions on position, where plays should happen, and so forth. Offensively, figuring out pitcher’s tendencies, being aggressive on the base paths, reading the other team’s defense were all strategic.”

Her teammates are quick to praise her athletic abilities as well as her leadership on the field. Third-year and standout second baseman Abby Hayes spoke of Nelson’s on-field presence: “She is always contributing to the team, whether it is through her coaching abilities or her athletic abilities. Emma constantly pushes those around her to become better. She shares her ample softball knowledge with others and is always offering advice for ways in which we can improve. Emma is our clear leader on the field; she is both confident

and caring. She embodies everything a shortstop should be and much more.”

Second-year third baseman Savannah Pinedo echoed Hayes, saying, “She’s made tons of diving plays and great reads, but it’s her attitude I’ll never forget.”

What many did not see behind Nelson’s impressive statistics and leadership abilities was a constant battle with injuries. Rarely battling injuries before college, Nelson encountered four significant injuries throughout her time as a Maroon. She spoke of her freshman year, saying, “Being a spring sport athlete, the grind all year is hard.

We work from day one of classes in the fall until games finally start up during spring break. I was excited for the big trip to Florida and the opportunity to be the starting shortstop on my new team.

However, that all came to a screeching halt when I found out I had an ovarian cyst. I ended up having to have surgery over spring break to have the cantaloupe sized mass removed. Three weeks post-surgery, I was released to begin to softball again. Two months of no activity to go straight into games was not an easy transition. But, we made it work.

I played every game from that week on and we went on to make it to the NCAA Tournament.”

Nelson was not only a key piece of UChicago making the tournament, but also an NCAA All-Regional Team selection. During her second year, Nelson played through a partially torn labrum in her throwing shoulder, and, in her junior year, she developed another cyst and had yet another surgery. Albeit during a shortened senior season, Nelson battled a blot clot all year, visiting the emergency room and ICU. She slowly but surely worked her way back onto the field, and played in both of the Maroons’ games this year.

Hayes spoke of Nelson’s toughness, saying, “I have never seen someone more resilient than Emma; she faces adversity head on and conquers it.

Emma has shown remarkable strength in persevering through her injuries and the recovery process.”

Pinedo especially admires Nelson’s love of the game. “Practice often became so instilled into my routine that

I’d lose sight of how important it is to improve every day and love the game of softball, but that is something Emma never seemed to forget. Her drive to get better inspired me and her love of softball reminded me how lucky I am to be a UChicago softball player…. She has been the only teammate I’ve ever had to impact the way I view the game of softball.”

Perhaps Nelson’s greatest legacy is not her impressive accomplishments on the field but off the field, both academically and as a friend to her teammates.

“I tried to be good about being keyed into what my best working environment looked like and not worrying about if it differed from those around me,” Nelson said of balancing UChicago’s rigorous academic coursework with competing in softball at a high level. “Whether that was locking myself away in the thirdfloor stacks at the Reg to grind out a paper or heading to Crown at 10 p.m. to get some swings in—I found what worked for me during specific points in my college career. And then, I offered to bring

others along with me.”

Bringing others with her will be Nelson’s lasting legacy on UChicago softball. Second-year outfielder Lainey Hughes calls Nelson the “one person I always count on as a player, a leader, and a friend. She is one of the first people I go to with absolutely everything—advice, classes, softball related topics, and especially food plans…. She is one of my most loyal and thoughtful friends, and she will always be a big part of what my college softball experience so good, even though I only got to play a full season with her for one year.”

While “the game will always have a piece of [her] heart,” Emma plans to work as a paralegal for a few years before going back to school to pursue a law degree. Pinedo described what everyone knows about Nelson: “Emma is one of the hardest working people I’ve met, and I know she’ll go on to do great things because quitting just isn’t in her.”

For our sake, we hope she ends up taking some of that greatness back to the softball field.

Fourth-year Emma Nelson. COURTESY OF UCHICAGO ATHLETICS