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THE CHICAGO MAROON — SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

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Editors’ Note Dear first-years, UChicago starts famously late in the fall, and many of you likely have friends who are well into their first terms at college. You aren’t the first University of Chicago students to arrive in Hyde Park after months of anticipation, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge the circumstances under which you’re joining this community.

Our tenure as the editors of the campus newspaper started when we were just beginning to understand what COVID-19 would mean for UChicago and the world. While much has changed since then, the things that make this university distinct remain. The traditions that define the University of Chicago will take place under new circumstances, and we’ll also be inventing new ones together.

The Maroon’s Orientation Issue is normally a roadmap for first-year students to help them find their footing in an unfamiliar and sometimes daunting environment.

While we can’t offer you precisely the same thing this year, we hope you find value in the resources and wisdom assembled by your fellow students in these pages.

Be aware of where you are on scales both big and small: Coming to UChicago means joining one of the most engaging and vibrant communities we can imagine, where leaders in academic fields are (really! truly!) accessible to undergraduates and it’s as easy to make friends over a copy of the Catilinarian Orations as it is making snow angels on Harper quad.

Also be mindful of the position UChicago gives you in this city. Chicago is so much bigger than Hyde Park, and it can take a conscious effort to form relationships with the long-term residents of the city. We encourage you to be aware of the privilege that comes

with being a member of this institution as you explore the city and all it has to offer.

As you begin meeting your peers and exploring the institution we have had the privilege of calling home for a few years now, we would like to offer some advice. While perhaps scary at first, lean on your upperclassmen—TAs, R.A.s, RSO leaders, and teammates—wherever you find them. They will quickly inform you which property managers to avoid when looking for your first apartment and tell you that Cathey is the only acceptable dining hall. Take a leap of faith and find a study date. If you’re brave enough to swipe right on Tinder, then you can set up a Zoom date. And for the love of god, please go to office hours.

Explore the communities that exist on campus and create your own. Bond over late night P-sets or join a student organization like The Maroon, where there’s a little something for everyone: writing, editing, photography, marketing, business, production, web development, multimedia. It wouldn’t be an editors’ note without a little shameless self-promotion.

For every challenge we face in this unprecedented academic environment, we can either remain complacent or act boldly. The editors of The Chicago Maroon implore you to choose the latter. Turn on your camera, don’t be a stranger, and welcome to the University of Chicago.

Love, Miles, Emma, and Caroline

THE CHICAGO MAROON — SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

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THE CHICAGO MAROON — SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

THE CHICAGO MAROON — SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

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Gems From O-Issues Past

By JUSTIN SMITH News Editor Every year, The Maroon publishes an O-Issue filled with important information to help make the incoming student experience as seamless and fun as possible! While you’re quarantining, or whenever you’ve got some downtime, you can check out these articles taken from O-Issues past at www.chicagomaroon.com to learn more about making the most of your UChicago experience!

Moments in University History Want to learn more about UChicago but don’t have time to read Dean John Boyer’s 704-page book? Take a look at this article, which succinctly summarizes almost 130 years of Maroon history.

Who’s Who: University Administrators While Robert Zimmer may be retiring from his position as University president at the conclusion of this year, he and other administrators have a significant impact on students and on the campus as a whole. Learn about who’s running everything from the Title IX office to the admissions office, and be sure to say “hi” to Boyer (from six feet away) if you see him biking around campus!

Student Government at UChicago: A Primer Due to a virtual spring quarter, all class years will be electing their class representatives fall quarter, meaning you can get involved. While student government at the high school level may not have a significant impact on student life, UChicago’s student government manages a budget of over $2 million to provide funding to Recognized Student Organizations and student initiatives on campus. If you’re involved with any organization on campus (besides The Maroon!), odds are student government has had some part in it.

Campus Cafes In this O-Issue classic, The Maroon gave students the down-low on where to get the best coffee—and the

best aesthetic—on campus. While many student-run coffee shops may be closed fall quarter, this article may give you something to look forward to.

Dining Hall Hacks While we’re on the topic of food, the dining halls will get boring. Once you get tired of taking your daily trip to the Bartlett taco bar, or have eaten enough oily pizza to burst, head over to this article to find ways to spice up your dining hall meals—no culinary skills required.

How to Save Money as a UChicago Student College is expensive. No matter whether you’re on full financial aid or are paying $80,000 a year, it’s always worth looking into ways to save a bit of money.

Sororities and Fraternities at UChicago While in-person activities are not a safe option for students this fall quarter due to COVID-19, Greek life does play a part at UChicago. This article might give you something to look forward to once it’s safe and legal to gather in large groups again.

others screamed. Paths around campus were covered in chalked messages from pro- and anti-Trump protestors. No matter your opinion on Donald Trump, his election has dramatically altered the UChicago campus. In light of the upcoming presidential elections, this now twice-renewed article might be worth a read.

Tips from Fourth-Years Ever wish you had an older brother or sister to help you through your first days at UChicago? We gave you the next best thing—fourth-years to share wisdom from their years at UChicago.

The Very Hungry Squirrels of UChicago UChicago students love their squirrels, and as everyone on campus knows, our squirrels are the best of any campus in the nation not only for their cuteness, but also for their size. In this article students can read about (and view!) some of the craziest things squirrels have eaten on campus.

All Suffering Must Pass: 21 Tips for Dealing With Your Roommate

Ever wonder what you’re missing out on living in a single this year? Live through the horrors of having a firstyear roommate vicariously with this satirical roommate survival guide.

Hustle The Maroon: How to Join UChicago’s Student Newspaper While you may be attending the traditional hustling session over Zoom instead of at our Ida Noyes office, we’re more excited than ever to have you join The Maroon! If you’re interested in writing for one of our editorial sections or joining a section such as production, web design, business, photo, video, or podcast, it’s worth attending our hustling info sessions.

If you’ve gotten through all of these articles, congrats! You’ll be ready for anything UChicago can throw at you. If you’re still interested in learning more about UChicago, you can read all old O-Issue articles from recent years by searching “O-Issue ____” on our website and filling in the blank with any year from 2011 to 2020. Happy reading! We can’t wait to see you all on campus.

This Is UChicago Hookup Culture We quantified love here at UChicago—what else did you expect from the school where fun goes to die? Find students’ answers to pressing questions such as “Would you date your hookup?” and “Are you in a relationship?” Warning: Results may vary.

Escaping the Campus Bubble (Or for Starters, the Reg) Getting Around Hyde Park Getting Around Chicago Neighborhoods Chicago To-Do List These starter guides from throughout the years will help you explore Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods from afar, and may give you some ideas for trips later on in the year!

The University and the Trump Administration Some students celebrated while

College Orientation, 1932. courtesy of The University of Chicago

THE CHICAGO MAROON — SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

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The University’s Expansion Into Commercial Real Estate Wavers Between Economic Catalyst and Gentrifying Force

By KATE MABUS Senior Reporter In recent years, the University has grown into an economic mover in the South Side as it continues to fund development projects and increase its role in local commerce. UChicago’s commercial real estate portfolio includes properties along the 53rd Street corridor, the Jewel-Osco grocery store, and the Study Hotel slated to open next year.

Gary Ossewaarde has lived in Hyde Park for 50 years since graduating from the University. Since then he has seen the University and its surrounding neighborhoods grow alongside one another, but in the past few decades has noticed the University’s footprint on Hyde Park shifting from residential student housing to commercial properties.

“The University has gone in two different directions at once. They’ve invested a little bit in commercial real estate and put up some big developments but they sold a big proportion of the residential [properties],” Ossewaarde told The Maroon in an interview.

“The effects of that we’re still monitoring.” Ossewaarde serves as secretary for the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference (HPKCC) which has worked to ensure affordable housing as rents rise with increasing commercial investment on the South Side.

Real Estate Management The University manages its real estate properties through several subsidiaries and holdings companies such as the University of Chicago Property Holding Corporation, Lake Park Associates, and Harper Court Holdings LLC. These companies manage and trade the University’s real estate holdings that are “located outside the University’s campus, and typically are leased to retail tenants that provide valuable amenities to our local communi-

ties,” University spokesperson Gerald McSwiggan told the Maroon.

The University also has an external affairs unit, Commercial Real Estate Operations (CREO), that facilitates and directs the vision for development projects. “CREO also routinely coordinates with local business organizations and attends community meetings to ensure the University’s retail tenants, which include local and national tenants, contribute to the community’s vision for a vibrant commercial corridor,” McSwiggan said.

Developments and Acquisitions The University’s development and leases along the 53rd Street corridor comprise the majority of the University’s local holdings past campus boundaries. “Beginning in 2007, the University worked with local aldermen, the City of Chicago, and community organizations to host community planning and visioning workshops to help determine the future of the 53rd Street commercial corridor,” McSwiggan said.

According to McSwiggan, the result of this was the Harper Court development, a 17-story mixed-use building with office, retail, and residential space. “As part of the redevelopment strategy, the University moved more than 550 employees to the new office development to stimulate local business,” McSwiggan said.

Since completing construction in 2013, Harper Court is now in its second phase of development, which has promised even more space and opportunity for local businesses and residents.

These include discounted rates for “local businesses with a focus on science, entrepreneurship, and innovation” and diversity goals of 40 percent minority-owned and 6 percent women-owned contractors for construction.

Community Impact & Perspectives UChicago’s continued development, however, has been controversial. Some community members claim that the University of Chicago’s commercial development has had a displacing effect

on local residents. While the University has stimulated the area’s economy, creating new jobs and housing small businesses, that has come at the expense of some other small businesses and affordability for those long time low-income residents.

In 2014, small business owner Akroma Kourouma Sahan fought in civil court to keep her salon, located on the Harper Court property and owned by Lake Park Associates, from being replaced with space to be occupied by the Chicago Innovation Exchange, a University campaign meant to support entrepreneurs and business start-ups.

“In some sense they’re lying with facts,” graduate student David Zegeye said. “For instance, when they’re building the new Woodlawn Commons Dorm…they are technically bringing jobs, they are bringing businesses…but what we’re really asking is, ‘Are those for Woodlawn residents? Are those for the folks who you’ve harmed the most?”

Zegeye organizes for UChicago for a Community Benefits Agreement, an activist group that has worked to combat what they characterize as the gentrifying potential of the University and the forthcoming Barack Obama Presidential Center.

“In recent years it’s been especially interesting how the surrounding neighborhoods such as Woodlawn, Washington Park, even Bronzeville, have been marketed by the University as opportunity areas for professors and faculty to move into,” Zegeye said.

“It’s kind of scary in some sense how this University has spent decades disinvesting and segregating Black neighborhoods and then, as soon as it sees a market opportunity, it jumps on it.”

For Linda Thisted, president of the Coalition for Equitable Community Development based in the Hyde Park-Kenwood Area, the impacts of the University’s commercial development are not so black and white.

As a long-time affordable housing advocate and Hyde Park resident, Thisted is well aware of the role the

University has played driving up rents. However, unlike more hardline anti-gentrifiers, she says that development does have some positive impact on existing residents.

“Frankly, for a long time, a lot of the national vendors have not even considered Hyde Park,” Thisted said. However, recent University developments have served as a magnet for much needed economic investment on the South Side. “Once you have a critical mass then the smaller developers get in and they kind of pile on.”

Path Towards Sustainable Growth When it comes to repairing the displacement the University has contributed to, Zegeye’s and Thisted’s solutions are largely the same.

To maintain affordability and guarantee space for long time and low-income residents, community benefit s agreements and housing ordinances are necessary to draw restrictions on development projects, they say.

The other crucial factor is engaging the community in planning discussions.

Although the University has largely improved upon this benchmark in recent years through the work of the Office of Civic Engagement and partnerships with the Hyde Park Vitality Committee, Thisted recalled the University’s failure to follow through on including affordable housing in Harper Court. Since then, neither she nor Ossewaarde of HPKCC have been involved in community conversations on the University’s more recent developments.

“To put it in the words of Alderwoman [Jeanette] Taylor,” Zegeye said, echoing the representative of the 20th Ward, “once gentrification comes, in some sense, you can’t stop it.”

“But what we can do and are supposed to do is support existing low-income residents, specifically low-income Black residents…even having them be the ones that lead the change in the neighborhood. That is what we really need to focus on.”

THE CHICAGO MAROON — SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

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What You Missed in Local Politics

By TESS CHANG Reporter Politics in Illinois and Chicago are complicated and ever-changing, but The Maroon is here to give you the rundown. Here’s a recap of the March primary and a summary of who you need to know in city government.

The 2020 Illinois Primary In the primary election held on March 17, voters chose which candidates will appear on the ballot in the upcoming November general election.

Former Vice President Joe Biden received the Democratic nomination for president and will face President Donald Trump in the November general election. Statewide, Biden received 59.0 percent of the vote, while Bernie Sanders received 36.1 percent. Across precincts where UChicago students voted on Election Day, Biden received 40.1 percent of the vote and Sanders received 55.9 percent. Members of the community also voted at those locations.

Senior Senator Dick Durbin ran unopposed and won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Durbin was first elected in 1996 and will be running for his fifth term this fall. He serves as ninority whip, the second-highest position of Senate Democrats. He will face Republican nominee Mark Curran, who beat out four other Republican candidates in the primary. Curran is a lawyer and former Lake County sheriff who has expressed support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, while also being pro-life and supporting a border wall with Mexico.

Cook County and much of the South Side of Chicago falls under Illinois’s first congressional district. In the first district race for the U.S. House of Representatives, the Democratic nominee is incumbent Representative Bobby Rush. Rush has held his seat continuously since 1992, making him the longest-serving congressman in Illinois. In the March primary, he defeated three Democratic challengers: Robert Emmons Jr., Sarah Gad, and Ameena Nuur Matthews. Rush will be running against Republican nominee Philanise White,

who ran uncontested. The first district has historically voted Democrats to office, and Rush is expected to beat White in the fall.

Incumbent Kim Foxx won the Democratic primary for Cook County state’s attorney. Since her election in 2016, Foxx has focused on the decriminalization of marijuana, decreasing prison populations, and expanding mental health services. Last year, Foxx was embroiled in controversy for her handling of the Jussie Smollett case. Critics have denounced the state’s attorney’s office for dropping the charges against Smollett.

Foxx will face Republican Pat O’Brien in the November general election, and she is favored to win.

20 of the 59 Illinois State Senate seats are up for election in 2020. Hyde Park and the South Side of Chicago are encompassed by the 13th district. In the primary election for 13th district state senator, incumbent Robert Peters won the Democratic nomination, beating challenger Ken Thomas (J.D. ’16). Peters was appointed as State Senator after former State Senator Kwame Raoul became attorney general, and Peters is now running unopposed to hold on to the position. Since his appointment in 2019, Peters has been the chief sponsor on 33 separate bills and has focused on bail reform, creating clean energy jobs, and improving public education.

All 118 seats of the Illinois House of Representatives are up for election in 2020. The University and Hyde Park fall under the 25th and 26th districts. In the 25th district, incumbent Curtis J. Tarver II received the Democratic nomination.

In the 26th district, incumbent Kam Buckner received the Democratic nomination. Both are running unopposed.

The results of the election in the Illinois House of Representatives will impact the redistricting of the state, following the 2020 census. The Illinois General Assembly is responsible for drawing the lines for both congressional and state legislative districts.

Who’s Who in Local Government The last city election was held in 2019, and many notable events have transpired since then. The following is

a brief overview of key players in the legislative and executive branches of local government.

aldermen also exert influence on legal and financial proceedings within their respective wards.

Lori Lightfoot, Mayor The current mayor of Chicago is Lori Lightfoot (J.D. ’89), who is serving her first term after being elected in 2019.

She is the first African-American woman and the first openly lesbian person to be elected as mayor of Chicago. Since entering into office, she has focused on eliminating widespread poverty, closing the city’s budget deficit, and fighting gun violence.

Lightfoot has led Chicago throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and has advocated for a cautious approach to reopening the city in the upcoming months. Of her five-phase reopening plan, Chicago is currently in Phase Four: “Gradually Resume.” After months-long closures, restaurants, bars, gyms, and businesses have gradually started to reopen with face mask and social distancing requirements. In addition, a recent Emergency Travel Order requires anyone “entering or returning to Chicago from states experiencing a surge in new COVID-19 cases to quarantine for a 14-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state.” The list of states is updated on a weekly basis and can be found here.

Lightfoot, considered a progressive politician by mainstream standards, has been at odds with protesters who have taken to the streets to support the Black Lives Matter movement. Lightfoot has largely avoided criticizing the police, but condemned the destruction and looting of businesses in May and August, calling it “organized criminal activity.” In an August statement, Black Lives Matter Chicago denounced Lightfoot for siding with police officers over Black communities and demanded the defunding of the Chicago Police Department.

Sophia King, Fourth Ward Sophia King is alderman of the fourth Ward, which includes the region of Hyde Park north of campus. She was appointed interim alderman in 2016 and officially elected to the position in 2017. She is a member and chair of the City Council’s Progressive Reform Caucus and has created a Mental Health Task Force to reopen mental health clinics and expand existing facilities.

Aldermen Chicago’s City Council is composed of 50 aldermen who write and enact legislation. The University and its surrounding neighborhoods are split between the fourth, fifth, and 20th Wards of Chicago.

In addition to passing city ordinances,

Leslie Hairston, Fifth Ward Leslie Hairston is alderman of the fifth Ward, which includes most of campus, as well as Jackson Park (the site of the Obama Presidential Center).

Hairston is an alumna of the UChicago Laboratory Schools and has served as alderman since 1999. She is a member of the Progressive Reform Caucus and has advocated for many notable projects, including the construction of the Greater Grand Crossing Library, Gary Comer Youth Center, Gary Comer College Prep High School, Comer Children’s Hospital, and the Midway Plaisance ice skating rink. Recently, she introduced the ordinance for a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with alderman Jeanette Taylor.

Jeanette Taylor, 20th Ward Jeanette Taylor is alderman of the 20th Ward, which includes Woodlawn, the region directly south of the Midway. She was first elected in 2019 and is a member of the City Council Socialist Caucus. Together with alderman Hairston, Taylor has been working to pass the aforementioned CBA. This ordinance aims to prevent mass evictions and displacement in the area around the Obama Presidential Center. The Obama Center is expected to promote local economic growth and tourism, but also gentrification. President Obama himself has regardeed a CBA as being unnecessary and non-inclusive, and Mayor Lightfoot has only recently come to a compromise with the CBA coalition about a proposed CBA.

THE CHICAGO MAROON — SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

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Hyde Park Summer News Recap

By TONY BROOKS & PRANATHI POSA News Editors

A lot has happened in the city and in Hyde Park since classes went remote for Spring Quarter. Though you might have been away since March (and might still be away now), the Maroon is here to give you a recap of what you’ve missed.

MARCH–MAY University Announces Remote Learning: On March 12, the University announced that spring classes would be moved to remote learning in response to the spread of COVID-19. Students were given a little over a week’s notice to vacate the dorms by March 22. The UChicago community came together to support each other in the absence of strong institutional support for low-income students, international students, and anyone else who was left in the lurch in the aftermath of the announcement. To accommodate the abrupt switch, spring quarter began a week later than scheduled, resulting in a nine-week quarter, and the University adopted a more lenient pass/fail policy. The University also instituted a tuition freeze for the coming school year after pressure from UChicago for Fair Tuition.

Illinois and Chicago Shut Down: On March 20, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (J.D. ‘89) issued a stay-at-home order that was later extended through May. In the wake of the order, Lightfoot also closed the lakefront, sparking many memes on social media.

Charles Thomas Released: Despite COVID-19 conditions in Cook County Jail deteriorating rapidly, Charles Thomas, a former UChicago student who was shot by a UCPD officer two years ago during a mental health crisis, was initially denied release. Thomas was in Cook County Jail for several felony charges related to the 2018 incident and began exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 in early April. Campus activist group #CareNotCops, which formed in response to Thomas’s shooting, advocated for his release. Thomas was finally granted bail after two denials on April 16.

Hyde Park Renters Strike: With the COVID-19 shutdown causing many

Hyde Park residents to be unable to pay rent, Tenants United Hyde Park, which is comprised of three separate unions—Mac, TLC, and Pangea Tenants United—organized a #CancelRentRally. A second set of actions in the form of a rent strike began on April 1.

UChicago Medical Center and COVID-19: The UChicago Medical Center (UCMC) took a leading role in COVID-19 response in Illinois. UCMC ran an extensive COVID-19 testing program for the South Side.

Engage Slate Wins Student Government Election: The Engage Slate, consisting of President Raven Rainey, Vice President of Student Life Myles Hudson, and Vice President of Administration Alex Levi, won a turbulent Student Government election. The slate campaigned on a platform of adaptability during a COVID-19 pandemic, increasing support for marginalized students, and connecting student activist groups with University administration. The election was a nail-biter: Engage won by only 16 votes.

President Zimmer Surgery: University President Zimmer underwent emergency surgery for a brain tumor on May 25. While he recuperated, Provost Ka Yee Lee had authority over presidential duties.

JUNE In the Wake of George Floyd; Black Lives Matter in Hyde Park: During the first week of June, UChicago students in Hyde Park and around the nation organized and participated in protests in the wake of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin. South Side community groups rallied together to support protestors after clashes with the police. University student activist group #CareNotCops staged an overnight sit-in at the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) headquarters on June 13, with demands to “defund, disarm, disclose, and disband.”

Students have continued to participate in protests and activism around the city.

Students Demand “Right to Grieve”: Undergraduates began circulating a petition calling on University administrators and professors to make spring quarter finals optional in light of the death of George Floyd and the nationwide protests that followed. It was part of a larger campaign

L to R: a stone from Douglas Hall in the wall of the Classics Building; the hole left when the stone was removed; the patched wall Miles Burton & UChicago Library called “Black Students: Assure Your Right to Grieve” and gained over 2,000 signatures in the first two days after its release.

GSU Teach-In: On June 3, the last day of the academic quarter, GSU organized a labor action in which graduate students and participating professors refrained from teaching their classes and instead hosted a series of “teach-ins” on various topics related to the union and other social and political movements in Hyde Park.

The action came after the University administrators did not respond to two GSU petitions—one demanding pandemic relief efforts for graduate students and the other in response to the University’s planned overhaul of Ph.D. program funding announced in October 2019.

Virtual Convocation: On June 12 and 13, the University held its first virtual convocation in its approximately 130-year history due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students and their families around the world joined in via live webcasts to celebrate the graduating class, while students were promised an in-person celebration during alumni weekend this coming spring.

JULY ICE International Student policy: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on July 6 that international students would not be permitted to return to the United States for the fall term if all their classes were online. ICE rescinded the procedures after MIT and Harvard filed a lawsuit against the decision. However, newly admitted international students are still unable to get visas if all of their classes are online. The Uni-

versity filed an amicus curiae brief, along with several other universities, in opposition to the ICE decision.

University removes Stephen Douglas plaque: The University removed a plaque honoring Senator Stephen Douglas from Hutchinson Commons, as well as a stone mounted in the wall of the Classics Building which came from Douglas Hall, a building from the campus of the Old University of Chicago. Douglas was the first president of the Old University’s board of trustees and donated a 10-acre plot of land in Bronzeville which formed the Old University’s campus. According to research by the Reparations at UChicago Working Group (RAUC), Douglas used a 3,000-acre Mississippi plantation and 142 enslaved Black people owned by his wife as collateral to finance the purchase of the Bronzeville land.

Fall 2020 Varsity Athletic Competitions Cancelled: The University Department of Athletics announced that there would be no varsity athletic competition in the autumn 2020 quarter. The department, however, plans to continue hosting practices for its varsity teams.

AUGUST The Woodlawn Housing Ordinance: After years of discussion regarding the implementation of a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) for the Obama Presidential Center (OPC), a compromise was finally reached between CBA advocates and the Mayor’s Office in the form of the Woodlawn Housing Preservation Ordinance. Community organizers have CONTINUED ON PG. 9

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“...a compromise was finally reached between CBA advocates and the Mayor’s office.”

CONTINUED FROM PG. 8

pushed for a CBA in order to prevent the displacement of South Side residents after the establishment of the OPC, and also covered concerns regarding employment, education opportunities, transportation, and the environment. The CBA has faced opposition from not only the OPC developers, but also the University, and reluctance on the part of President Obama. In July 2019, 20th Ward Alderman Jeanette Taylor finally proposed a CBA ordinance that focused exclusively on the issue of af-

fordable housing. The Woodlawn Housing Preservation Ordinance occupies the middle ground between Taylor’s proposal and a proposal Mayor Lightfoot made in February of this year.

University Announces Housing Arrangements: In June, the University announced that housing would be at 60 percent capacity for the autumn quarter. The requirement that the Class of 2023 spent two years on campus was suspended, and a waitlist went into effect for upperclassmen who wished to return to campus. To

aid students who had to move off campus unexpectedly, the University partnered with two Hyde Park hotels, the Sophy and the Hyatt, to provide room and board to students.

President Zimmer Steps Down: Citing health concerns, President Zimmer, who was slated to serve as University president until 2022, announced that he would step down July 1, 2021. Zimmer will transition into a role as chancellor of the University and serve as a trustee from that point forward.

University Releases Plan for the Return to Campus: A mandatory testing program for on-campus students has been established, in addition to a voluntary testing program for those living off-campus and/ or working at the University. The University will also be enforcing social distancing and universal masking, and encourages frequent hand-washing and self-monitoring for symptoms. More information regarding the University’s COVID-19 procedures can be found online.

Academic Resources

By PRANATHI POSA & MATT LEE News Editors While college is a time of increased independence and freedom, it can also be intimidating for those very reasons. Remote learning poses its own challenges, so to help you out, we’ve put together resources you can turn to—whether you’re tackling college on campus or at home.

Academic Resources UChicago is known for its rigorous coursework, so it is completely normal for students to seek help or additional resources to be successful in their classes.

Academic Advisers: Academic advisers are automatically assigned to you upon your enrollment in the College.

To find out who your adviser is, you can check your my.UChicago homepage. Your adviser is your first stop when it comes to any questions you have regarding your academics. While all first-years are required to meet with their advisers once a quarter so that they may complete course selection for the next quarter, it is a good idea to keep in contact with your adviser outside of those meetings and throughout your time at the College.

Program/Department Directors: When it comes to questions about majors/minors, speaking to primary major contacts—often a graduate student or recent College graduate from the same

department—is the best way to get your questions answered and will give you a better idea of what the program will be like. Contacts will have their email addresses listed at the bottom of their page on the course catalog.

College Core Tutors: The College Core Tutors program can help you with many of the core classes that you will be taking. Autumn quarter tutoring, normally operating out of the Harper cubicles, will start on October 5 and run through finals week. As it does when we are on campus, the program will consist of drop-in Zoom meetings that run from 7–11 p.m. CT Sunday through Thursday.

To accommodate students who cannot attend the traditional timings, there will also be sessions held on Wednesdays and Sundays from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. CT. College Core Writing Tutors: Adjusting from high school to collegiate-level writing can be a daunting task. College Core Writing Tutors can help make your first few Hum papers go smoother by aiding in the brainstorming process, reviewing drafts, making suggestions, and catching mechanical errors. Hum TAs are also very good at this—don’t be shy about approaching them for help!

Academic Skills and Assessment Program: If you are having trouble with procrastination, study skills, time management, or anything else related to academic habits, the Academic Skills and Assessment Program (ASAP) can help.

ASAP resources and individual appointments with ASAP counselors can help you work through difficulties you are having.

Remote Study Groups: While it is harder to reach out and form study groups due to remote learning, it’s still worth trying to contact one or two people in your classes over Canvas and see if they’d be willing to form a study group or perhaps form a group chat with the people in your class. Either way, someone is probably hoping that a group chat or study group will be made just as much as you are.

Listhosts: Listhosts are a great way for you to keep track of things that are happening in the majors that you are interested in, along with staying in the loop with various campus offices, such as the Center for Research and Fellowships, Career Advancement, and more. You can find all available listhosts at lists.uchicago.edu.

Residential Resources College Housing: In normal times, one of the first things you’ll do as a new campus arrival is meet the leadership of your college house, including student Resident Assistants (R.A.s) and faculty Resident Heads (R.H.s). These helpful individuals will be great resources throughout your time at UChicago, whether it’s easing the adjustment to college life, planning trips and outings, and looking out for your safety. Though your individual level of engagement with house culture is up to you,

getting to know your R.A.s and R.H.s is a great resource for any student.

Students will also have the opportunity to run for House Council in their respective houses. House Council helps plan social events for their house, which are available for students to attend for free thanks to annual funding granted to each housing community. House Council also coordinates with other houses, plans inter-house competitions and sports, and coordinates annual events such as Scav teams and prospective student overnights.

Health and Wellness COVID-19: The University has outlined a UChicago Health Pact to address the preventative measures it expects members of the campus community to take to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. These include provisions for universal face coverings, frequent hand-washing, social distancing, and self-monitoring for symptoms. All students living on campus will be subject to mandatory testing upon coming to campus and weekly testing thereafter. Other individuals on campus will have access to voluntary testing, and the University has also put together a contact tracing team.

Additional information regarding the University’s COVID-19 procedures can be found here.

UChicago Student Wellness: CONTINUED ON PG. 10

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“A meaningful social life at UChicago means many different things...”

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Through the payment of your Student Service Fee, you are able to access many services—such as vaccines, STI testing, and physicals—through Student Wellness at no extra charge. For more immediate concerns, Student Wellness has a 24/7 nurse advice line.

UChicago Medical Center (UCMC): UCMC’s emergency room is the closest campus resource for urgent care. You can either call 911 or walk to the ER, which is located on East 57th Street and South Maryland Avenue. However, keep in mind that there often are additional costs associated with visiting the ER and/or taking an ambulance that are not covered by insurance.

Counseling and Support UChicago Student Wellness: Student Wellness is suited for students seeking a short-term therapy model, generally lasting 10 weeks. Student Wellness is covered by the Student Services Fee and appointments can be made by anyone who requires counseling support. However, Student Wellness generally does not provide long-term treatment, and instead refers students who would benefit from longterm treatment to Chicago-area therapists. While the Student Wellness office is open during the autumn quarter for scheduled in-person appointments, it is possible to schedule virtual appointments by calling (773) 702–9800.

Lean on Me: Beyond formal school-offered resources, the UChicago-student run Lean on Me program offers confidential text-based counseling for “non-crisis support.”

Social Resources A Word on Being Social: Having a meaningful social life at UChicago means many different things to many different people, and there are many different ways to make friends, from peers in your classes to your housemates to fellow members in a Greek organization to people you happened upon by chance at a dining hall or a coffee shop. The people you meet during your first week at school are never the only friends you’ll ever have a chance to make, even if it feels like they are in the moment.

If it feels slow going at first, don’t worry.

Your social life is a marathon, not a sprint.

Registered Student Organizations (RSOs): Registered Student Organizations, or RSOs, are formally registered clubs made up of and run by your fellow peers. RSOs range from cultural organizations, such as the Taiwanese American Student Association (TASA) and South Asian Students Association (SASA) to selective pre-professional groups like Eckhart Consulting or The Blue Chips to hobby and interest groups, like Phoenix Farms, which maintains a garden and beehive. There are over 450 unique RSOs on campus!

Note: The Maroon is not an RSO, as the paper is financially independent from the University. However, we encourage everyone interested in writing, photography, editing, finance, computer science, illustration, and radio to join us over Zoom or, hopefully, in our office in the basement of Ida Noyes!

Greek Life: UChicago has an active Greek scene. Interested individuals should inquire with students currently involved in Greek life about rushing. Please be warned that participating in in-person Greek life in the near future could significantly increase your risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19 to any at-risk individuals you may be in contact with.

Center for Identity + Inclusion (CI+I): The CI+I houses multiple programs. The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) is a resource for students from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds, and the Office of LGBTQ Student Life supports LGBTQ+ students and hosts events for the community. Student Support Services provides advising and aid to students who are first-generation, low-income, or undocumented.

Spiritual Life at UChicago: Spiritually-inclined students at UChicago can find community through Spiritual Life, “a destination for all things spiritual and religious at the University of Chicago.”

There are also a wide range of student groups dedicated to the worship of various faiths, such as Calvert House Catholic Center, InterVarsity at UChicago, and the Hindu Student Sangam.

Crisis Support UChicago Safe App: University students can download the University of Chicago’s UChicago Safe mobile application,

which offers a multitude of safety-related services, including one-tap dialing of both University of Chicago and Chicago police, crime reporting, and mobile blue light—a feature that, in the event of an emergency, shares your location with UCPD and calls them in real time. The app also provides links to emergency medical and counseling phone lines.

University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD): In the event of an emergency, the University of Chicago Police Department can be reached by dialing (773) 702–8181.

Therapist-on-Call: UChicago maintains a 24/7 therapist-on-call hotline at (773) 702–3625. The therapist-on-call provides acute help and can offer support as well as direct the caller to additional resources, such as formal appointments with UChicago Student Wellness.

Nurse Line: In the event of a medical emergency, a registered nurse can be reached at any time by dialing (773) 834– WELL. The line can be used to answer urgent health-related questions, seek

further information regarding care, and to evaluate whether one should report to a hospital to seek in-person emergency care.

Office of the Provost Misconduct Reporting: One can confidentially report misconduct by university students, staff, or faculty to the Office of the Provost online via this form. University administrators will conduct a thorough investigation. In the case of faculty or academic personnel misconduct, such an investigation is generally conducted by the member’s chair or director, but in the case of more serious incidents, there may be referral up to the respective dean or even the provost.

Student Ombudsperson: A University ombudsperson, or neutral representative, can be reached to provide informal and confidential advice and assistance regarding University-related concerns. Note that the Office of the Student Ombudsperson is not a replacement for psychological counseling or legal representation.

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Quarantine’s Silver Lining: UC Students Share Pet Stories Socially Distanced From Other Humans, Many UChicago Students Have Found Solace in Their Animal Companions.

By LAURA GERSONY Grey City Editor

Editors’ Note The year 2020 has, by all human accounts, been among the more difficult ones in recent history. But even though this year’s trials have made our species’s world isolating, fraught, and just plain difficult, an eye toward some of our non-human companions reveals stories of joy, hope, and renewal.

Grad student Hannah Morin’s chicks grew from puff balls into full-fledged chickens; second-year Denise Fischer grew closer to her nocturnal hedgehog as their sleep schedules started to match up; and second-year Carissa Greene’s once-feeble foster kittens are now healthy and up for adoption. Whatever difficulty this year brings, these stories reminded us that our faithful companions will be there to sustain and cheer us during this time of need.

“So Intelligent, and Very Dumb at the Same Time”: Three Pet Chickens Hannah Morin’s senior spring did not go how she expected it to.

Morin, a resident assistant (R.A.), was kicked off of campus when housing closed due to the pandemic. And, having finished her undergraduate degree, she opted not to take any online classes. So, she found herself at home in rural New Jersey with a lot of time on her hands—until one day.

“One day, I kid you not, I was sitting at my laptop going, ‘Oh dear god, how do I fill all this time?’” Morin narrated to The Maroon. “And then my mom popped her head in, and was like, ‘Hey, want to go get some chickens?’ And I said, ‘Now?’ And she said, ‘Yup!’ And I said, ‘Okay!’”

And so they did. Morin drove with her mother to a local farm store, which had buckets of 30 or 40 peeping chicks for sale. They picked out three—one Australorp chicken, which they named Bok Choi, and two Ameraucana chickens, Chickpea and Zucchini—and drove them home that very day.

Morin kept the chicks in her bathroom at first, but she would occasionally lay a sheet down in her room and let the chicks roam free. This led to some uplifting encounters during an otherwise stressful period, she said.

“I’d been working on my thesis, typing a lot, and suddenly this fluffy pom-pom would appear on my arm,” she said. “At that time, I was waking up and reading the news every morning, and that was very stressful, and I was sad about my senior year being disrupted.... But [it was] very hard to stay grumpy or sad about the world when I was spending time with these fluffy little creatures.”

When they became old enough to go outside, Morin devised a unique transportation system to carry the chickens through her house. She would put on her “poop suit,” an old sweatshirt, squat down to the floor, and the chicks would hop onto her shoulders and head.

“I’d be walking through the yard with a bird on my head, bird on a shoulder, bird on the other shoulder, transporting these tiny chickens,” she said.

Morin has enjoyed watching Bok Choi, Zucchini, and Chickpea blossom from infancy to adulthood, noting certain signs of maturity.

“It was very cool to watch them discover the world and change,” she said. “As they got older, they became active for longer periods of time, they started preen-

ing their feathers, they started growing combs, and their sounds changed.”

As the chickens have grown up, she has been struck by their budding curiosity and sense of awe about the surrounding world.

“They’re incredibly curious: If I’m wearing different-colored pants, and they’ve never seen my pants before, they’ll come up and peck my pants, trying to figure out what’s going on,” Morin said.

“There’s a certain sense of awe they have when interacting with the world.”

Morin’s family had raised chickens twice before for a family friend in sets of 10. With fewer birds under her watch this time around, Morin has been able to observe the chickens’ development more closely. She has been surprised by their simultaneous intelligence and stupidity; the chickens have learned basic self-care skills such as preening, she explained, but they struggle with the concept of doors.

Still, Morin has been struck by the birds’ individuality, and has emerged with a newfound respect for the chickens’ complex selves.

“I was surprised by their depth. They have a soul,” she said. “It’s just been great to observe what a chicken actually is and see their personality and their growth, and [also to] see how many dimensions they have as an organism.”

Fostering Felines: From Kitten to Cat Second-year Carissa Greene and her family recently started fostering three kittens named Ritz, Nabisco, and Toll House, still young enough that their sexes are indeterminate.

She and her sister had wanted pets for their entire lives, she said, but aside from three betta fish that died when Greene

was in elementary school, they hadn’t gotten their wish until recently.

Around a month ago, her family took in a tiny kitten that her father discovered near the elementary school where he works, but wound up giving it away shortly after. The experience only intensified Greene’s longing for feline companionship.

Greene’s best friend, who had recently adopted two kittens from a local shelter, told her to consider fostering.

“I just begged my mom so much,” Greene said, “just constantly annoying her every two to three hours while I was awake, on the dot.”

Her mother eventually relented, and the family wound up bringing home a trio the shelter dubbed “the cracker gang,” naming all three after snack brands.

The kittens had eye infections and fleas when they first arrived, so Greene’s family immediately set about administering ointment and combing through their fur.

Greene’s father, initially resistant to the idea of foster cats, quickly warmed up to the newcomers, buying them an array of toys and trying to teach them to use the stairs.

As the tiny kittens have grown up, they have become increasingly rambunctious.

“I actually have to watch them more, because they’ve learned how to climb things,” Greene said. “My living room where we keep them has been baby-proofed beyond belief.”

After having to extract the kittens from under furniture and inside their fireplace, Greene’s family has resorted to building cardboard barricades to keep them safe from themselves.

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“He’s not demanding, but it’s kind of nice just to know he’s there.”

CONTINUED FROM PG. 11

The kittens’ individual personalities started to emerge in the weeks after their arrival. Of the three, Toll House has become the most attached to his human hosts.

“His favorite thing to do is if you’re laying [down], he’ll come and tuck himself under your neck and your chin, so that he’s covered in warmth,” Greene said.

“It’s very cute.”

Ritz enjoys being pet, to the point that they will scream until someone obliges them, while Nabisco has demonstrated a particular interest in Criminal Minds.

The kittens have even warmed up, ever so slightly, to the idea of their second washcloth bath.

“It wasn’t a huge progression, but they were noticeably screaming less,” Greene said.

Greene has had a rewarding experience fostering cats, and recommends that other students who have the opportunity do the same.

“Animals are worth it,” she said.

Bearded Dragon: A Quiet, Laid-Back Companion When third-year Livia Miller got her paycheck in the summer of 2017, she knew exactly how to spend it.

Miller was working at a nature sanctuary the summer before her senior year of high school. Part of her job was to take care of a bearded dragon: a lizard named for the smattering of spikes under its chin. She immediately took a liking to the “chill,” raspberry-loving creature, and resolved to get her own.

That summer, Miller bought a bearded dragon off of Craigslist—a platform she recommends for prospective reptile owners due to the amount of rescue pets being sold. She took the 5 Train from her hometown of Manhattan up to the Bronx, where she was handed “a teeny tiny lizard” in a takeout container. She rode the subway back home, lizard in tow.

Miller, an enthusiast of classical studies, named the bearded dragon after the Roman poet Virgil. She describes Virgil as playful and mischievous, and she has a frank admiration for his “funky personality.”

“When I first got him, I would leave the top of his tank open, and he would

find ways of crawling out. He’s just very inventive and curious,” she said. “He’s a funny little dude.”

When she does take Virgil out, he enjoys sitting on her shoulder or looking out the window to soak in sunlight. But for the most part, Miller said, reptiles tend to be “super chill,” not requiring too much physical attention.

“You get as much out as you put in, because they’re really happy just sitting under the lamps or basking in the light,” she said. “Unlike a cat or a dog, they don’t need a lot of engagement.”

Virgil’s favorite foods are hornworms, live crickets, and cilantro, which he eagerly “monches” directly out of Miller’s hand.

Preparing the lizard’s food is a big component of Miller’s pet responsibilities; live insects are a vital part of bearded dragons’ diets, and Miller purchases them in bulk.

“I buy them from a breeder online, and he sends me these crazy packages that say, ‘CAUTION: LIVE CONTENTS,’ which freak out my neighbors, I think,” Miller said. “Every day, I shake a few insects into his enclosure.... They’re kind of like a secondary pet in and of themselves, since I have to provide feed and substrate for the insects too.”

Miller has been able to spend more time with Virgil during quarantine, even making a small hammock out of an old t-shirt and industrial suction cups to put inside his terrarium. At the end of the day, Miller said, Virgil’s quiet, steadfast companionship has carved out a special place in her heart.

“On a day-to-day basis, he’s not demanding, but it’s kind of nice just to know that he’s there,” she said. “I’m in my room, and he’s on his rock, and we just hang out together.”

Pip the Hedgehog: A Nocturnal Companion Home from college during quarantine, third-year Denise Fischer had, like many students, started going to sleep increasingly late. While being nocturnal in a diurnal society can be isolating for some, Fischer’s sleep schedule brought her closer to a spiny companion: her pet hedgehog, Pip. The family had purchased Pip several

Morin acquired three chickens at the start of the pandemic. courtesy of Hannah Morin years before the pandemic hit, at the request of Fischer’s little sister. But Fischer hadn’t gotten to know Pip very well, as she was usually asleep for his period of prime activity. Now, she said, things have changed.

“I absolutely destroyed my sleep schedule during quarantine and became nocturnal, and hedgehogs are nocturnal,” she said. “[Pip] would usually come out of [whichever] of the hiding places he was in, and be more receptive to coming out of his spikes—he would uncurl.”

As their sleep schedules aligned, the pair started spending more time together, and Fischer spent more time observing Pip’s daily habits. Hedgehogs are known to run several miles a night on their wheel, and Fischer grew fond of the sound, likening it to the sound of rainfall.

“We got to hang out more, and I got to listen to the ambience of his wheel turning in the middle of the night,” she said.

“It’s nice white noise.”

In his free time, Pip also enjoys scavenging in his “dig box” and hiding in various parts of his cage.

After just a short period of bonding, the signs of their friendship are already visible—and palpable. Fischer initially had to wear a glove to protect her hand from Pip’s spines, but she is now able to hold Pip with a bare hand, having mastered the technique of evenly distributing his weight across her hand.

This has spoken to a broader lesson of pet parenthood which Fischer also learned when raising a bearded dragon: that with care, an initially tough exterior can give rise to soft companionship.

“At first, you’re like, ‘They’re spiky; you can’t hold that, you can’t touch that.’

But now, I realize that if you handle them a certain way, then you can absolutely pet them,” she said. “Hedgehogs have a soft underbelly that’s very fuzzy, and so when they uncurl, then you get to see that. So, CONTINUED ON PG. 13

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“They just watch me at my desk, and I watch them.”

CONTINUED FROM PG. 12

they do have a very nice, spiky defense mechanism, but they’re also quite cuddly.”

Tiny Red Shrimp: Pets, Roommates, Muses Responsibility is perhaps the hallmark of pet ownership: Dogs must be walked, fish must be fed, cats’ litterboxes must be cleaned. But second-year Noelle Norona has subverted the traditional pet-owner dynamic with a pet that neither relies on nor is aware of her existence: tiny red shrimp.

Norona, an only child, has raised an astonishing range of pets: lizards, dogs, fish, insects, and more. When she was sent home from campus in spring quarter due to the pandemic, she sought out a low-maintenance critter to keep her company at home. Stumbling upon the shrimp when browsing Amazon one day, she realized they were the perfect fit.

The shrimp are sold as part of an aquatic ecosystem which sustains itself through an elaborate cycle of symbiosis.

The algae perform photosynthesis, which releases oxygen for the shrimp to breathe; the shrimp feed on the algae and release waste into the water; finally, microorganisms break down the shrimp’s waste, which provides nutrients for the algae.

In other words, Norona doesn’t need to feed the shrimp or change their water:

She just observes them.

“We’re like roommates that don’t interact with each other in any way,” she said. “We have an observational relationship: They just watch me at my desk, and I watch them.”

Her mother named Enzo, the smallest shrimp, and Norona named the three larger shrimp after historical figures. Walter, the second-smallest, was named after Walt Whitman; Victor, the third-smallest, after Victor Hugo; and Diogenes, the largest shrimp, after the famed Greek philosopher by that name.

When asked what the shrimp do, Norona’s answer was simple: “They swim around.”

“They eat their algae. They sit on their little shell. They don’t really interact with one another in a way that’s particularly noticeable,” she said. “I don’t know, maybe they’re communicating in their shrimp way, but they just kind of hang out.”

Despite the social barrier between Norona and her shrimp, she still finds their presence uplifting and comforting.

“If I’m sitting at my desk doing work, I’m like, ‘Hi guys,’ and they’re swimming around; it’s definitely a level of friendship there,” she said. “It’s a nice serotonin boost when you’re in the middle of doing things, especially during quarantine.”

The shrimp’s simplicity—and apparent obliviousness of their habitat’s surroundings—has moved Norona, a philos-

ophy major, to introspection.

“It’s kind of weird; they don’t know that they’re being watched. They’re just in my home, and they have no idea.... I don’t even know if they know that I exist as a person,” she said. “Imagine being a shrimp. What would I think about?”

Norona even ventured that her relationship to her shrimp may be more authentic than that with her dogs, due to the former’s lack of a dependency complex.

“My dogs are A1 manipulators; they’ll be all cute, and then I feed them, and then they leave,” she said. But with shrimp, “it definitely does feel like an equal relationship. They watch me like I watch them; they don’t provide me with anything I need to survive, and I don’t provide them with anything they need to survive, except for sunlight. Which is cool.”

Norona enjoys tiny pets, and the shrimp are not her first; during quarantine alone, she has raised several ladybugs from larval stages until adulthood, as well as two prickly stick insects. This has al-

lowed her to watch life develop on a scale that, in nature, can be difficult to spot.

“You never really get the opportunity, in nature, to look at insects, marine life, tiny reptiles or amphibians. Either they’re skittish and they run away, or they’re really small, or you don’t find them where you live,” she said. “Having smaller pets, you get to learn about them, and you get to observe them. They’re little tiny guys.”

Norona generally rejects human attempts to anthropomorphize animals, dismissing them as projections of the human ego into unsuspecting creatures. But when she does indulge in the practice, she finds delight in the shrimp’s small echoes of personhood—perhaps even a shred of friendship.

“We try to attach humanity to as many things as we can.... We need to find kinship in everything that we interact with, which is maybe sad, but maybe also beautiful,” she said. “You can find friends anywhere as a result, like in tiny shrimp.”

THE CHICAGO MAROON — SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

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VIEWPOINTS Creating One’s Place Belonging at UChicago is an Act of Creation, Not Discovery

By DEVIN HAAS I spent the summer after my high school graduation paralyzed by anticipation. After four years of feeling like an oddity in high school, I had secured a spot at the University of Chicago, an institution widely known as a refuge for the quirky. I was confident that I would be at home in a community of those with similarly eclectic interests—that there was a spot at the University for me, if only I could find it.

During my first year, I looked for this spot in earnest. I sampled

courses from disparate departments. I dabbled in house culture.

I went to dozens of Night Owls and IOP events. I tried a plethora of RSOs: Oeconomica, EUChicago, three Model United Nations organizations, New Americans UChicago, The Gate, UC Dems, and College Republicans. I enjoyed each of these, but I still did not feel at home. I felt overextended, awkward, and uncomfortable.

I never found my spot. It didn’t exist.

In my second year, I abandoned the search. I dropped all my RSOs except for three Model UN groups,

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but I committed my all to those. I have never been happier.

One of these, Team MUN, gave me the opportunity to synthesize interests in public policy, history, rhetoric, and performance, but its competitive culture was initially intimidating. After unsuccessful attempts at conforming to what I believed the team’s leaders expected, I decided that I would only continue if I was truly enjoying myself.

I reframed the activity in terms of personal improvement and satisfaction, and I centered sincerity in how I handled otherwise competitive situations. This new approach not only helped me find the activity more fulfilling but also created a unique place for me in the team social dynamics.

There was no prefabricated niche waiting for me at the University of Chicago: I had to carve out my own. Staying happy at UChicago will always require active and creative effort; passivity is insufficient. Community isn’t found; it is created.

Exploring so many RSOs in my early days on campus was a good idea; I learned what I liked and disliked. However, I began with the wrong mindset. I stuck around clubs for too long, hoping that a niche would reveal itself to me, and I struggled to make good on all of my commitments. I wanted to be liked by the members of each club, so I remained deferential when I should have assertively made clear what I wanted to put into and get out of each. Truly joining a community takes time, and splitting time between too many will slow integration into any.

Luckily, the University is full of unique social structures that supported me until I had carved

SUHA CHANG a niche for myself. Houses provide ensembles of warm-hearted peers, years of institutional knowledge, storied traditions, and—if nothing else—a table in the dining hall at which to sit. Houses, though, like RSOs, are pre-existing communities that have been chiefly shaped by past members. They are largely passive communities; membership is automatic and assigned by Housing. Getting the most out of house culture requires active initiative and organizing House trips that align with personal interests. My house was a great place for me to start making friends and learning about university opportunities. I learned a lot about academic programs and clubs from conversations with older housemates and am grateful for enduring house friendships, but eventually, I gravitated towards and prioritized other social groups, like Model UN, over attending house events. Rather than treating my house like an insular cult or abandoning it entirely, I am happy with the balance I have struck.

These experiences were

pre-pandemic, but I suspect the fundamental character of UChicago social life will not drastically change with this coming academic year’s unprecedented spatiality.

UChicago could be an intense and lonely place even when gatherings and daily life were “normal.”

Community and friendships were essential to coping and thriving even under usual circumstances, and they certainly have continued to be so since the end of in-person classes. Both, however, require time and an active mentality. I have been amazed and reassured by the initiative and resilience shown

by RSOs and houses this remote spring quarter. A quarterly 24hour theater festival, Theater[24], has been transformed into an audio theater festival: Radio[24]. Model United Nations conferences with delegations from schools around the world are still being held… just over Zoom. Ian Malcolm famously said, “Life, uh, finds a way.” But really, life creates a way.

Devin Haas is a third-year in the College.

THE CHICAGO MAROON — SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

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DM for Friendship To Form Meaningful Connections During a Mostly Remote Quarter, You’ll Have to Take Some Risks

By ELIZABETH WINKLER Picture this: You’re about to start fall quarter at Zoom University: UChicago Edition. It’s your first year and you’ve bitten down your nails with worry. How will you make friends? Can a person maintain relationships in this type of college? Before the pandemic, back when you initially committed to the University of Chicago, you knew navigating the [infamous lack of] social life at this school would be a challenge—and now you have to do it almost entirely over Zoom? Without parties or RSOs or full-capacity dining halls, dorms, or classrooms?

It seems almost impossible.

I’m here to emphasize that “almost.”

Making friends at this school, virtually or otherwise, is very possible, but it becomes infinitely easier once you get used to leaning into the discomfort of taking risks. As someone who has struggled to find their place at this school, I’ve spent a lot of time making and maintaining friendships—

even during quarantine. I know plenty of people who have stayed in one large group of friends since O-Week, but that’s just not how it’s worked out for me. Instead, I have pockets of close friends across campus who, often, don’t know each other. These relationships have changed in almost every quarter I’ve spent at UChicago—some have grown stronger, some have ended, some have connected in surprising and lovely ways—but the constant is that every quarter has brought new friends into my world.

I have come to appreciate this state of flux, but it means that, in terms of friendships, every quarter reminds me of my first.

All of us wondered what this past spring’s virtual schooling would mean for our relationships. Going online was especially daunting for people who, like me, rely on the new connections they make each quarter. Now, I imagine going into a mostly online fall is especially daunting for you all: incoming first-years who are just starting their UChicago journey. Our first virtual

ALVIN SHI

quarter left me wanting to give one main piece of advice to those first-years, and to anyone else wondering how to make friends during an exceptional term at UChicago: Take risks.

This doesn’t mean sneaking a cat into housing or trying pineapple on pizza (and realizing it’s delicious—Because it is). It doesn’t mean biking without a helmet, going to a non-socially distanced party, or putting expired milk in your pancakes. By “take risks,” I mean pretend you’re still on campus, but do it virtually.

Any other quarter, when someone said something interesting in class you could go up to them afterward and chat. You could ask people to grab coffee or lunch or if they wanted to study together. RSO meetings, intramural sports, and house lounges offered ready-made opportunities to get to know people. Now that we all go to ZoomU, in-person class experiences are mostly gone, campus coffee shops probably won’t reopen in the fall, and reduced-capacity dining halls aren’t really an option for hours-long chats. Does this mean we should throw up our hands and write off this quarter as one where we don’t make any new connections? Absolutely not.

My risk-taking, friend-making advice boils down to one very simple phrase: Slide into their DMs. Why is this a risk? You already know one of the answers. We’re Gen Z, and in the pre-pandemic world, we assumed that Person X DMed Person Y because they wanted to hook up with them or, at the very least, because they found Person Y attractive. If you decide to (platonically) message someone now, you accept the risk that they think you’re hitting on them.

(I’m not going into non-platonic messaging. UChicago hookup culture is proof that y’all have got that covered.)

Now, it’s important to note that many people reading this, especially female-identifying and gender-nonconforming students, have received genuinely creepy DMs. Those messages often masquerade as platonic interest at first, which is something you should definitely be aware of when doing your sliding. It’s helpful if you have some connection to the person beforehand (like a class or mutual friend), and a message

based on mutual interest or shared experience works best: “I also have a German Shepherd! What’s her name?” or “Your embroidery’s beautiful! I just started getting into needlework…do you have any tips?”

If they put questions or polls on their Instagram story, responding to those can be a great option, too. These might seem like super basic ideas, but they’re non-threatening and allow the person on the other end to decide whether to answer and, if they do, whether to use that response as a way of continuing the conversation.

In case you were wondering, this advice is based on personal experience. Since quarantine began, I’ve done quite a bit of DM-sliding with messages like the ones in the previous paragraph. One example: a person I’d never actually spoken to but had been aware of through social media and mutual acquaintances, posted on Instagram that they were considering watching Avatar: The Last Airbender when it came to Netflix. I DMed them immediately, asking both why on earth they hadn’t seen it yet and also that they keep me posted on their progress and reactions. They responded (and ended up loving the show) and we’ve had some lovely conversations since then.

Before that DM, I only knew this person peripherally, but now, even though we still haven’t met in person, we’ve become friends. There was definitely a risk that they would think my message was intended as a come-on, but that’s a risk I’m glad I took.

They, along with almost every other person I’ve reached out to over social media, have turned out to be someone I’m excited to see in person when campus reopens.

Misconstrued intention is just one risk of sending a DM; I’m sure you’re thinking of the others as you read this. What if you message someone from one of your classes and they just…never respond? And then you have to see them every class for the next however-many weeks? But, conversely, what if they do respond? We all know gauging someone’s tone over text is next to impossible at first—what if you embarrass yourself? Or offend them? Worse still, what if you get along great virtually only to find out later that you don’t click in person?

CONTINUED ON PG. 22

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Earn an extra 10% for every $50.00 added to our Gift Cards.

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Congrats, Bati!

It’s been such a joy to watch you grow and mature into the person you are today! I’m so proud and honored to have you in my life! Danke!

Wherever your journey through life may take you, I’m behind you all the way and I always will be! Gott schütze dich!

I love you so much and I wish you health and happiness (and so do Opi and Papi)!

In inniger und unendlicher Liebe, deine Mami Enjoy your time at the University of Chicago!

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“I was just as nervous as you will be to send that initial message, but, I promise, meeting someone new is worth it.”

CONTINUED FROM PG. 15

Despite all these potential pitfalls, I still advocate taking the risk and sending the message. If someone says something interesting in your Zoom class, find their Facebook or Instagram and send them a friend request. If they accept and reciprocate, strike up a conversation. It might feel weird at first, but it’s one of the only ways to mimic the post-class chats you might have

had before the pandemic. Or, if this seems like too much for you, make a group chat with people from classes or RSOs. Ask if they want to FaceTime or Zoom to play a game or watch a movie—being face-to-face, even virtually, can help the interaction feel more meaningful than written messages.

If you’ve read this far and don’t believe that someone can actually make lasting friendships this way, that’s okay. But my

own experience during spring quarter is proof that you can. I was just as nervous as you will be to send that initial message, but, I promise, meeting someone new is worth it. Learning about their life and their interests and developing the friendship over the course of the quarter will keep you feeling in touch with the UChicago community, no matter where you are in the world. We all know that college is about far more than

academics—it’s about new experiences and late-night conversations and adventures, but, most of all, it’s about the people you share those moments with. Don’t let the coronavirus take away the joys you can and should have at UChicago this quarter. Take the risk. Send the message. Make the friend.

Elizabeth Winkler is a third-year in the College.

Welcome to UChicago, Welcome to America Incoming International Students, You Are a Welcome and Important Part of the UChicago Community

By EMMA WEBER I first visited Chicago on the 16th of September 2019, that is, less than a week before orientation. That’s right, my initial impressions of campus were formed as I dragged my luggage, heavy with wool sweaters, through the 30-degree heat (that’s 86 to all you Americans) toward North Residential Commons for international pre-orientation (IPO). The building seemed like a CGI rendering, despite me having ogled it multiple times through a computer screen 4,000 miles away. I remember asking a student for directions to Pret—a beacon of familiarity for me. Finding it closed though, I wandered down what I now know is 57th Street, alone and slightly lost. The streets felt weirdly empty and suburban, so different from what I was used to.

Over the next year, I became all too familiar with the unfamiliarity that underlies the freshman experience, an unfamiliarity that is inescapable for international students. While daunting, this very unfamiliarity is what makes us essential, and is where we can find belonging.

Feeling adrift in your first few days, weeks, or even months of college is common—old routines are replaced, and high school friends and parents grow more distant as independence is thrust upon you.

International students have to tackle all of this whilst coming to terms with living

in an entirely new country and, in most cases, continent. As a Brit who had visited the States beforehand, any form of culture shock I experienced was very much muted; even the minor differences in climate or colloquialisms were not incredibly jarring.

For others, though, especially those brandnew to America, facing these little changes on top of being literally thousands of miles away from friends and family can make the entire college experience deeply overwhelming.

Although I didn’t really experience culture shock, I still felt there was a gap in understanding between me and my domestic peers—and that I was implicitly charged with bridging this gap. At first, as we jokingly argued over misspellings and accents, it felt like there were only surface-level differences between us. However, as time went on, it became clear there were fundamental differences in our education, upbringings, and even the TV shows that shaped our childhoods. Uncovering these and discussing them taught me a lot, but at the same time, it felt isolating to be constantly explaining rather than relating.

Adding to this burden of otherness was this paranoia that I was being seen solely as Emma The British Kid—that where I was from was seen as my defining quality, since it was brought up so much. I didn’t mind this as long as others seemed genuinely curious to learn more about my background,

but hearing assumptions and stereotypes thrown around about Britain and international students in general was somewhat irritating. It is impossible to bucket international students together; hailing from over 100 different countries, our backgrounds are so varied.

To my fellow international students: Don’t be afraid to correct misconceptions,or to point out actions that feel alienating. Often, others do not realise what is wrong or may be seen as offensive. Talk about the differences between home and Hyde Park. You may feel like you are exposing yourself as an outsider, but you’re truly broadening your friends’ and teachers’ worldviews, for this goes both inside and outside the classroom.

In conversation and lessons, when the topic drifts toward current affairs or U.S. history, it can feel it’s not our place to comment. Ignore that feeling. As international students, our backgrounds and perspectives are unique, enlightening, and essential. Some of the most memorable moments from my Hum and Sosc classes were when international students shared their past experiences that related to the texts we were reading, leading me to view them in a completely different light. Our presence on campus truly shapes others’ worldviews. The term diversity may feel overused these days, but we can’t forget how it benefits us all.

Class of 2024, I am sorry that you’ve been robbed of a chance to get to know one

JINNA LEE another through IPO this year. I am sorry that for many of you, your first impression of Chicago—of the U.S.—may be formed during a 14-day quarantine or maybe not until January. Now, more than ever, it is important to connect with one another if you haven’t already—over social media, or through the programming the University will be putting on in lieu of IPO this year. There is also the International Student Association, as well as countless cultural RSOs you can get involved in. Talk to each other about that sense of unfamiliarity. Talk about how weird your new American pals are (and about how it’s 2020 and they still aren’t using the metric system??).

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“I am sorry that for many of you, your first impression of Chicago, of the U.S., may be formed during a fourteen-day quarantine or maybe not be formed until January.”

CONTINUED FROM PG. 22

Finally, congratulations on making it here.

I know applying as an international student can be so taxing (literally—filing taxes is a

pain in the ass). The hardest part for me was tackling the U.S. application process, the essays, the SAT, without proper guidance and alongside a domestic application process

that was completely dissimilar. I know a lot of you faced the same. Congratulations on making it against all odds, against the stress of travel bans, coronavirus, and the battle

against ICE. You are here, be it on campus or online, and you belong here.

Emma Weber is a second-year in the College.

To Rising Black First-Years Tips for Making the Most out of Your Time at UChicago

By NOAH TESFAYE To be Black at UChicago is a weird predicament. But, to be Black at UChicago at this moment, in the midst of a supposed reckoning with this nation’s history, is a journey you and I will embark on together. For some of you, this is the first time anyone in your family is going to attend college. Others may be carrying on the legacy of other scholars in your family. But, regardless of your background, you are about to embark on a four-year journey at an institution with a harsh past and present with its treatment of Black people in Hyde Park and beyond. That’s a reality no matter where you are coming from.

This, however, does not and should not stop you from being here. In fact, you can and should take advantage of the time you have here. From classes you may have never fathomed to people who could become your lifelong friends, UChicago is full of rewarding opportunities. But, as Black students, there is nothing more important than protecting your humanity and right to be members of this community that you were admitted to. In order to make it through these next four years of growth, there is nothing more imperative to your success than being your true self, continuing to evolve, and not compromising your integrity to fit in somewhere that at times will make you feel like you do not belong.

UChicago’s “Chicago Principles” on free speech and the seminar-style Core classes are going to be a part of everyone’s education. I really enjoyed my

Hum and Sosc classes because I liked the material, but perhaps more importantly, the disagreements I had with my peers were never rooted in their denial in my humanity as a Black student. However, I know that I very well may be an exception in my experience. I’ve heard stories from peers of getting into arguments about “Black on Black crime,” the welfare state, affirmative action, and other discussions that not only exhausted their energy and drew time away from other schoolwork, but belittled the experiences they had as Black people. I’m here to tell you that you do not have to participate in discussions with people who are refusing to recognize your humanity and dignity—in fact, I encourage you not to engage. That is not the same thing as disagreeing with someone on a political approach or a policy, because there will always be differences there.

But if someone is denying the validity of what you have lived through, you are under no obligation to divulge your trauma or waste your time.

The first thing you should do to find your footing as a Black student at UChicago is come to the first few Black student-centered RSO meetings and events (These will probably be held on Zoom this fall, which makes it even easier to participate!) Whether it’s culture clubs like the Organization of Black Students (OBS) and the African and Caribbean Student Association (ACSA), or activist groups like UC United or Students Working Against Prisons, these groups are the easiest first step in meeting other Black students. Whether or not you end

up choosing to actually be more involved in these organizations is up to you, but being surrounded by other students that have faced many of the same challenges that you will face as first-years is something that helps significantly. I’m not friends with everyone, nor do I agree with everyone, but I have gained mentors and advice on how to work things out with professors or how to navigate the “intellectual” conversations that people profess are so great here in a way that allowed me to enjoy my academic experience as a Black student. I could not have gotten through my first year and enjoyed my time thus far without Black upperclassmen telling me how to get through this institution.

Another crucial aspect of making the most of your time at UChicago is finding other people, not just Black students, that are invested in seeing you succeed.

I found my group by reaching out and getting to know people on the Admitted Students Facebook Group and then meeting up with them when we got to Hyde Park. Whether it is a new friend, a faculty member, or an RSO leader, there are people that are invested in seeing you succeed while still being yourself.

Yes, being at a predominately white institution (PWI) means having to face people that may not want you to be the best version of yourself. But that should not outweigh the peers, local community members, faculty, and others who are invested in you doing the best you possibly can. This is where the advice of older Black students can allow you to navigate around people you may not want to in-

teract with or faculty that you may not want to take a class with.

I’ve learned a lot from the Core, much like others at UChicago. However, much of the learning that I had about Black history and social movements in my first year came from outside of the classroom. With how academically and socially difficult first year is, it is imperative to recognize that some of learning about your own culture or your people may not ever take place in a Core class.

Whether that means you go take Critical Race and Ethnic Studies (CRES) classes or join cultural or activist RSOs, you’ll recognize that your route to learning about the likes of W.E.B. DuBois, Ruth Wilson Gilmore, and Frederick Douglass may not be through a traditional classroom setting. The sooner you realize this, the more time you can spend learning outside the classroom.

After a year at UChicago, I cannot see myself at any other school. And, as a Black student, I feel like I have space in this community to be myself, alongside peers who want to see the best of me. You will face the challenges all firstyears do, and on top of those, you will face the unique challenges of Black students. But these challenges should not deter you from trusting that you will succeed these next four years. Learn from those who’ve been at this school for years, and trust that the abilities that got you here will allow you to be the best person and student you can. Know this.

Noah Tesfaye is a second-year in the College.

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The Skill We All Need Most Right Now Is Self-Care During a Difficult and Unprecedented Fall, Rest Will Become More Important than Ever

By ADA PALMER To the students joining and rejoining the University of Chicago in autumn 2020: This won’t be the year that any of us wanted. It won’t be easy. We won’t feel safe. But it will be a year in which thousands of great things are accomplished at our university, by all of us, by you. And we can make those thousands be tens of thousands if we work together on the most essential (though rarely talked of) academic skill: taking care of ourselves and each other.

The things we ask ourselves to do here at UChicago are hard. I know they’re hard, you’re thinking, but no, they’re harder than that. We forget—because we do them daily—just how hard they are. Crafting persuasive language, doing calculations, spotting biases in sources and flaws in code, grappling with disruptive art or painful facts, modeling in our minds the complex molecules or economic structures which shape our lived experience yet are as invisible to human senses as starlight to creatures of the ocean floor— these tasks asks for the maximum a human brain can give. They use technologies of thought, methods of reading, critiquing, deconstructing, doubting—all of which took as many generations to develop and as many hands to build as any instrument in our best laboratories. On a Core syllabus we ask you to jump from Aquinas to Machiavelli in a week, but that advance in politics and ethics took just as many years as from Newton’s Principia to Yuri Gagarin’s space flight, and just as much teamwork. And yet, as a student, you make those epoch-shaping leaps every day. So I say again: The things we ask ourselves to do here at the university are hard.

To keep ourselves able to do hard things, we need to take care of ourselves, and of each other.

Health organizations in nations around the world have recognized 2020 as a global mental health epidemic. Fear, stress, hate, being hated, the dissolution of our social world—these things cause pain.

Real pain.

I know about pain. I’m disabled, a

chronic pain sufferer—it’s an invisible disability unless I have my cane, but it means I’ve had to learn a lot about how pain works to keep myself able to research, teach, and write. So when COVID hit, I recognized the symptoms: exhaustion, fog-fatigue, sleepy all day yet struggling to sleep, my concentration straying, tasks that should be easy somehow hard.

Pain is complicated. We’re still learning how it works (and likely some of you reading this will be part of the team that makes the next breakthrough), but one thing we do know is that repeated pain, hurting the same place in the same way, day after day, does damage. It’s a strange experience. When my pain flares, I often feel angry at myself. It isn’t that much pain, it’s just medium, way less pain than if you bang your finger in a door, and yet it shuts me down. My mind is fogged and useless, my concentration gone. My mind insists: It’s just a little pain, I should be able to push through. Wrong. Because my pain is chronic pain, repeated in the same place so it does a special kind of damage to the nervous system: trauma. So while I can cope with different pain, when that pain comes it kicks the brain into an electric storm and higher functions (concentration, memory, language, writing, social graces, math) all weaken, not because I’m weak, but because that’s how the human body works. That’s why pushing through is wrong, why pain days are for resting, minor tasks, and, above all, for taking care of myself.

2020 brought chronic pain to every single human being. Fear, anger, and grief, repeated daily over six months, cause neurological trauma, weakening memory, concentration, and shortening tempers, making it hard to sleep. No one on Earth is operating at 100 percent right now; we’re all at 70 percent at best, running tired, running slow. It isn’t how we tend to think of trauma. In fiction, we see it depicted as a single all-transforming incident, the grim backstory day when the helpless protagonist watched [villain] do [atrocious thing] by the thematic raging sea. That is one kind of trauma, but equally real is the quiet trauma of waking every

day to check the news and feeling more fear and pain as the same words hammer down: pandemic, death-rate, fascism, contagion, brutality, climate disaster, crisis, oppression, enemy. It has been hurting us for six long months. We’re all starting this school year damaged, more exhausted than we usually are after finals.

Before athletes step onto the field, they warm up, stretch, and make sure they eat right (balance, proteins, carbs) to be at peak performance when it’s time to push human potential to its limits. Writing an amazing essay requires peak performance as well, yet we whose tasks are the athletics of the mind so often try to run on empty, skip lunch, marathon work, and stay up ridiculously late. The brain is a body part.

It needs rest and balance just as muscles do. We pretend it’s different, hear Plato’s ancient voice insisting that the noble thinking being inside us can’t be vulnerable to so petty a force as blood sugar. But it is. Thousands of studies show us that it is. A scholar needs to keep their brain in top condition. That’s why self-care is an academic skill. This summer, I wrote up a self-care and healthy work habits guide to help the whole campus learn what things can get your brain in shape, including how to make your personal list: a favorite meal, a favorite song, some exercise, a walk, and ways to get ready, like an athlete’s warmup stretches. And it means recognizing what kind of race this is.

Studying is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. We can’t exhaust ourselves and push through; that only leads to crashing.

When we don’t have enough time, it’s always tempting to cut self-care. Self-care doesn’t have deadlines or grades; nobody’s waiting on us, there’s no friend we’ll disappoint if we skip our leisure reading the way we will if we don’t answer that email, or complete that promised task. No one gets hurt but us, or so it seems. But self-care does have deadlines, and during a pandemic all of our deadlines become harder to meet, all our work slower and of lower quality. A five-page paper takes twice as long to write if we’re burnt out. Skipping self-care hurts all our work thereafter.

And skipping self-care hurts other peo-

ple too because if we burn out, we won’t be strong enough to help our friends when they need it. No one is helped by you sinking. Your friends want you to take care of yourself, just as much as you want to help take care of them.

At this point, many of you are thinking “Yeah, self-care is great, pity I can’t do it, my schedule’s too intense, I’d fall behind.

“No. You have it backwards. Self-care makes you more efficient. I’m going to say that again because people usually aren’t ready to believe it: Self-care makes you more efficient. Taking a half-hour here for rest, or an hour there for playdoesn’t make you fall behind, it makes you get ahead.

You know that feeling when you’re at the computer and getting the words down feels like pulling teeth? Or reading, when you get to the end of a page and realize you don’t remember anything and have to go back? Or when your mind keeps wandering? Or those mornings when you wake up and just...can’t...even...and you know the work that’s waiting but instead you start browsing on your phone and time just flies? Those are because you aren’t taking care of yourself. If you carve out time for things that heal you—like having fun cooking dinner or laughing with a friend—if you keep your brain in good condition, the work goes faster. You read faster. You write more in an hour. You remember better, lose less time looking things up. Instead of staring into space between each paragraph, you’re sharp, focused, and ready. You do things in less time. It’s hard to believe, but it works.

There’s a chart on the last page of my selfcare guide that spells out how it works, hour by hour. So often I hear students in the hallway boasting: “I’ve been working so hard, I only slept five hours last night.”

“Well, I only slept three hours last night.”

“Well, I pulled an all-nighter,” as if the more you deprive yourself, the more serious a scholar you are. That’s backwards too. Yesterday, I slept eight hours, gamed with friends, and got my work done too.

If you deprive yourself, everything starts taking longer. It’s hard to put self-care first, to leave a pressing to-do list to Skype CONTINUED ON PG. 25

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“We need to learn which kinds of rest and play regenerate us, and which don’t.”

CONTINUED FROM PG. 24

with friends, take a hot bath, or pet the neighbor’s dog, but after taking a break, we race through that to-do list faster.

Since tennis elbow is a common injury in sports (affecting 40 percent of players), athletes read up on the list of symptoms and which remedies can treat the problem before it gets severe. Academic study has its own tennis elbow, which studies find affects 30 percent or more of undergrads and 40 percent of grad students: depression and, relatedly, anxiety. It’s all over the university: in every classroom, dorm, and friend group, and in the faculty. Everyone is at risk, just like every tennis player is at risk for tennis elbow and learns to watch for it. And there’s impostor syndrome, which every one of us should learn about because it affects more than 70 percent of

people on campus, making us (yes, faculty too) worry that we aren’t good enough be here, that our work isn’t real work not like [so-and-so’s] work. It’s a background noise of doubt that drags us down. And those numbers (30 percent, 40 percent, 70 percent) are from before the global mental health epidemic made the situation so much worse.

So, we need to learn how to take care of ourselves, and of each other.

We need to learn which kinds of rest and play regenerate us, and which don’t.

We need to learn about mental health, read up on symptoms, use things like Wellness Services’ Mental Health FirstAid training, which teaches you how to spot signs of a crisis in others or yourself, and how to help. We need to be patient when our friends are short-tempered, re-

membering that our tempers are shorter this year too. We need to have fun together and share activities that lift our spirits, like the ExoTerra Imagination Lab, which I created to give us something positive to make together as the winter nights grow long. That’s self-care. Hanging out with friends is self-care too, remotely or in person: watching a show together, baking night, creating something as a group, or even just “working in company” (having some friends on voice chat as you work).

Study after study shows one of the best ways to flush fear chemicals out of the brain is simply talking to a friend. We’ve never been so isolated, cut off—six feet or a thousand miles—and we’ve never needed each other more. So, we need to remember that self-care is an academic duty.

This year’s marathon will be harder

than normal; we’re already winded at the start. But we were all brought to this university by our love of learning and humanity, so I know we can turn that love into teamwork. We will achieve 10,000 things this year, not quite the things we’d planned, but fundamentally, being a student is about becoming more powerful, gaining the kind of knowledge that is power. If the power you gain this year is learning to take care of yourself and others, that will be invaluable for years to come. This won’t be our last crisis, after all. Because you know what else is a marathon? One that takes all the teamwork, planning, kindness, and human excellence that we can give it? Earth.

Ada Palmer is an Associate Professor in the Department of History.

To Succeed at UChicago, Build Your Life From the Inside Out During a Virtual Quarter, Resist the Temptation to Lead a Virtual Life

By RUBY RORTY Usually, the Orientation issue of The Maroon is about as sunshiny as this paper gets. We run recaps of campus goings-on, guides to hook up culture at UChicago, and optimistic op-eds full of advice about how to make the most of one’s time as a Maroon. Admittedly, I love this stuff. It’s exciting to welcome new students to Hyde Park, introduce them to the quirks of our school, and pass on tips and tricks for making it at the place where fun comes to die. In fact, in last year’s O-Issue, I wrote a piece titled “Dear Incoming Freshmen: It Will Be Okay.” It was a tongue-in-cheek advice column that covered the difficulty of making lasting friends during first year, finding one’s place on campus, and balancing RSOs, classes, and self-care.

This year, it’s hard to strike that traditionally cheerful tone. I don’t know that I can tell new students in good faith that everything will be okay, or that they’ll get the college experience they expect and deserve. Instead of a roadmap for a goofy, exciting first year, I worry that incoming first-years need a zombie apoca-

lypse-style survival guide.

I don’t have a survival guide, but I do have some advice for learning at what might, at times, feel like the end of the world. To find joy at UChicago during a remote quarter, build your life on campus from the inside out, not the outside in.

As you start college, you have the chance to transform yourself. If you want, you can adopt different interests, a different look, a different social circle, a whole different persona than you had in high school. The choices you make—to change, to stay the same—can feel overwhelming, and you run the risk of winding up with a life at UChicago that you’ve built based on how you want people to see you, rather than how you want to be.

We all know what that feels like. It happens when you’re in a beautiful place or spending time with people you love, and you find yourself planning the Instagram post you’ll make about it instead of being present. Performance is at play when someone asks about your favorite book, and you panic, trying to think of a suitably impressive title, and when you scroll through job opportunities on Handshake

and can’t help but focus on how impressive a particular position sounds, instead of on finding work that you’ll genuinely enjoy.

All of that—that’s building a life from the outside in. You start by thinking about how you want to be perceived and then go about constructing and decorating an intricate visage for the viewing pleasure of everyone but yourself. Often, that visage is in pursuit of perfection: The life you show to the outside world is in fact a reflection of what you believe people want to see. At UChicago, that often means assembling an image that’s smart, altruistic, funny, quirky, attractive, ambitious, and self-aware all at once.

This will be more relevant than ever this quarter. During the fall, most of your introductions—to peers, professors, and student organizations—will be virtual.

You’ll have to set a million profile pictures and write a million introduction posts, each an opportunity to edit yourself.

In the absence of conversations at your house table, video game tournaments in the house lounge, and downtown excursions with new friends, there will be

fewer opportunities to get to know people in a nuanced, three-dimensional way.

Instead, you’ll probably learn about each other largely through Zoom backgrounds, clothing, Canvas posts, and social media feeds. It will be tempting to fixate on those surface-level indicators of personality and get stuck trying to create a perfect external image while losing sight of what really matters: how your life at UChicago feels to you, the person living it. But by resisting that temptation and instead building lives from the inside out this fall, we might just forget that we seem to be living in the Upside Down. Forming real relationships and developing genuine interests are hallmarks of a normal college experience, and

by November, I think all of us will be longing for more normal college things.

So how does one build a life at UChicago from the inside out? Start by seeking ways to escape the march of profile pictures and icebreaker questions and instead get to know people in a deeper way. It will be harder during a pandemic, but consider taking socially distanced, masked walks with people instead of just CONTINUED ON PG. 26

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“I love this school, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, but it’s nothing like a college brochure ” .

CONTINUED FROM PG. 25

texting, joining RSOs that genuinely spark your interest, or scheduling a weekly Zoom movie night or gaming session with someone cool from class. Form these genuine relationships using time you would otherwise spend perfecting your Tinder bio, networking with peers on LinkedIn, and obsessing over whether your Zoom camera angle makes you look like the girl from The Ring.

In addition to seeking more three-dimensional interactions, also make sure you’re not putting too much store in two-dimensional ones. Deleting the Instagram app off my phone for most of my

first year was probably the best decision I made as a freshman, not that that’s saying much. If you find yourself spending a lot of time thinking about how you come across on a particular social media platform, try taking a break for a month or so and get to know people who aren’t on that platform and thus don’t already know you from your feed. UChicago has fun, zany online spaces (think Memes, Secrets, and Crushes), but conversations there can turn into bloodbaths quickly as people signal their political and philosophical affiliations and trade insults as well as approval. So post your memes, submit your crushes, and tag your friends in Secrets posts—but re-

member that in those spaces, everyone’s putting forth their own persona, and who we are online is not our whole selves.

Perhaps the most important reason to pursue a life at UChicago that is joyful and yours, rather than one that impresses other people, is that it is the first step in escaping our notorious culture of perfectionism. After all, most of us were introduced to UChicago with a glossy brochure or admissions sales pitch. The admissions website shows grinning students and pristine Gothic buildings—an encapsulation of what college should be. But once you get here, you realize that UChicago isn’t perfect. Our campus is beautiful, but it’s

paved with an ugly history of gentrification and policing on the South Side. Our intellectual output is impressive, but campus stress culture too often distracts from genuine learning. UChicago’s academics are among the world’s greatest, but good luck getting into a class with a full professor as a first-year.

I love this school, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, but it’s nothing like a college brochure. UChicago isn’t perfect.

But once you realize that, it means that you don’t have to be either.

Ruby Rorty is a third-year in the College and editor of Viewpoints.

ARTS Write That Down: Publications Around UChicago

By ALINA KIM Arts Editor With an alumni network that includes writers like Kurt Vonnegut, Saul Bellow, Roger Ebert, Susan Sontag, Studs Terkel, and Sarah Koenig, UChicago has myriad platforms for anyone to unleash the power of the written word. Whether you are looking to hone your journalism skills or perform spoken word, your writing will find its home at one (or more!) of UChicago’s many RSOs. Through print or podcast, here are some of the organizations that will get your word out on campus: The Chicago Maroon is UChicago’s independent student newspaper.

Founded in 1892, it also happens to be one of the oldest college papers in the U.S. published every week, the paper boasts famous alumni including former president Barack Obama’s senior advisor David Axelrod (A.B. ’76) and journalist and former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens (A.B. ’41). The Maroon is always looking for fresh faces to contribute to its five written sections (News, Viewpoints, Grey City, Arts, and Sports) or its design, copy editing, photo, video, and multimedia sections. Whether you want to spout

your opinion on UCPD’s presence on UChicago’s campus, secure a press pass to meet Katy Perry, or cover the developing news on campus reopening policies, don’t hesitate to head on over to The Maroon’s virtual meetings and write away.

More inclined to embrace laughs brought on by the power of satire? Or just a fan of The Onion? Lend The Shady Dealer a hand in reporting on fake news revolving around UChicago and features. Who knows, maybe Joe Biden choosing Kamala Harris for the presidency and himself for vice president will be the breaking news of the century.

The University itself offers opportunities for aspiring writers. UChicago Careers in Journalism, Arts, and Media (UCIJAM) is a Career Advancement program that helps students touch up their resumes and find job opportunities for those pursuing a career in media coverage, museum curation, publishing houses, and more. Throughout the year, UCIJAM also coordinates events, visits, guest speakers, and meet-ups for burgeoning UChicago journalists. In addition, The University of Chicago Press provides internship opportunities for those who want to learn more about academic pub-

lishing.

For the inner poet, the unceasing daydreamer, or the reminiscing nostalgia-lover, Sliced Bread, UChicago’s largest literary magazine, publishes short stories, poetry, nonfiction, and art to “provide a slice of everything being produced on the University of Chicago campus.” With poems featured on the “Bread Beat” section and artist talks on “Breaking Bread,” the magazine showcases the talent of photographers, authors, and the casual thinker—and you can catch their publication parties at Hallowed Grounds every quarter!

Meanwhile, Memoryhouse semi-annually publishes student work in creative non-fiction and visual art, setting itself apart from other publications with its spoken-word performance ensemble, Memento. Euphony, on the other hand, publishes poetry and prose by members of the UChicago community as well as accomplished writers nationwide. The journal’s print issues come out every winter and spring, while online content is released year-round. Conversely, MODA is a quarterly publication that was recognized as “one of the best college fashion publications in the nation” by Teen Vogue

in 2013. The magazine and its associated blog cover the most important fashion news and trends.

The Gate, sponsored by UChicago’s Institute of Politics (IOP), offers plenty of opportunities to write about politics on a local, national, or international level, regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum. Research the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, criticize the lights out of the 2020 presidential candidates, or give your two cents on how pop culture involves and rejects politics.

And what about dessert? For those whose appetites know no boundaries (and somehow magically grow extra room at the mention of dessert), Bite is UChicago’s hub of features, recipes, and reviews. Published as both a quarterly print culinary magazine and an online blog, Bite is perfect for anyone interested in food writing or photography. Explore the range of cultural dishes Chicago has to offer, from tacos at Pilsen to the best pho noodles in Little Vietnam to the best ice cream flavor at Jeni’s at Wicker Park.

And that’s just the start! Overwhelmed by all these options? Write for any of these RSOs, and we’ll get you caught up to speed right away.

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Theater on Campus

By GABI GARCIA Associate Arts Editor Students from different walks of campus life take part in theater productions each year. The largest contingent participates in University Theater (UT), which produces more than 35 shows a year, reaching an annual audience of more than 10,000. With access to the 11-story Logan Center and knowledge of theater professionals and academics, UT offers participants an extensive set of resources. UT’s Theater[24]—a festival held the first weekend of each quarter—invites students to create an entire play from scratch, from playwriting to set design to performance, in just 24 hours. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Theater[24] has been reimagined by its curators as Radio[24], a 24-hour radio play festival.

Instead of set designers and other traditional theater tech roles, there are now graphic designers, sound engineers, and composers. Sign up for their listhost to receive updates.

In lieu of their traditional mainstage shows, this quarter UT will have a rolling proposal call for mainstage programming, as well as offer workshops. UT’s Design Cohorts will still be running, and anyone interested can join those. New and curious students can also sign up for the UT listhost and check the UT website for specific audition information. If you prefer to

stay out of the spotlight, positions for production, stage, and house management, lighting, set design, costume design, and sound design are always available.

Students with Shakespearean inclinations may want to check out The Dean’s Men. As the University’s resident Shakespeare troupe, they stage one of the Bard’s plays every quarter. The Dean’s Men also hold play readings, film screenings, and a quarterly Shakespeare Q&A with assistant professor Timothy Harrison, an expert on Renaissance and early modern English literature.

A new theater RSO will be starting up this year: Theatre for All, a group that intends to provide an opportunity for any students interested in theater to participate. They do not currently have plans for any programming fall quarter but hope to put on shows once it is safe to do so.

Because Hyde Park is the birthplace of improvisational comedy, it’s only fitting that the University boasts not one, but two excellent improv groups. Formed by Second City founder Bernie Sahlins (A.B. ’43) in 1986, you can catch a sneak peek of Off-Off Campus at their virtual O-Week show. Their five-week revue, which runs each quarter from fourth to eighth week, showcases the troupe’s hilarious skits and improv comedy, and will be offered virtually during fall quarter. Occam’s Razor, an improv troupe known for their more laidback style, is open to both undergraduate

and graduate students. The group puts on three free shows each quarter in the FXK Theater or at The Revival, located on East 55th Street. Previous acts have included on-the-spot PowerPoints, impersonations, and reenactments of scenes based only on visual cues. Auditions for both Off-Off and Occam’s Razor are held early fall quarter.

Seeking a more unconventional creative outlet? Never fear—unconventional is UChicago’s middle name. Those looking to combine their love for history and theater may be interested in UChicago Commedia, which specializes in the commedia dell’arte theater style of the Italian Renaissance. The Underground Collective is a unique University of Chicago safe-space performance collective composed of student performers who put on quarterly showcases of entirely original work, including poetry, music, dance, and multi-art collaborations. They will be hosting virtual auditions early in fall quarter. Check out their spring/summer virtual showcase here.

Ever dream of running away and joining the circus? Also housed under UT, the student-run Le Vorris & Vox Circus welcomes all those affiliated with the University the chance to learn a plethora of circus skills, ranging from aerial silks and trapeze to group acrobatics and juggling.

They offer specific workshops as well as weekly open gyms, and often put on a

show at the end of each quarter. More details are to follow about equipment usage and social distancing.

If you don’t have time to leave Hyde Park but still want to get your fix of professional theater, Court Theatre puts on high-quality shows on South Ellis Avenue next door to Campus North. Once called “the most consistently excellent theater company in America” by The Wall Street Journal, Court will open this season with a new online series entitled Theatre & Thought. Each of the four events in the series will feature scholars from UChicago speaking on plays either in dialogue with various Court artists or accompanying a reading. The season will begin with a discussion on “The World of August Wilson and the Black Creative Voice” and will continue with seminars on Euripides’s The Bacchae, Caryl Churchill’s Fen, and Lorraine Hansberry’s Les Blancs. Court hopes to resume in-person performances in early 2021. While tickets may appear pricier than other campus productions, students are eligible for discounts, including free rush tickets to certain Wednesday and Thursday night performances.

Fresh thespian blood, experienced or not, is what keeps theater groups alive and improving each year. Whether you love being on the stage or behind it, UChicago has a role for you—check out any of the organizations listed above and start your performance today.

Also on View: Visual Arts at UChicago

By ALINA KIM Arts Editor Does one Arts Core class not seem enough to satiate the right side of your brain? Fear not: There are plenty of (often hidden) ways to pick up a paintbrush, get charcoal underneath your fingernails, or maybe just admire someone else’s creations.

While the trek downtown is worth it, seeing art doesn’t have to involve a long drive down Lake Shore Drive. Why not drop by one of the many museums right on campus instead? Tucked away in an unassuming courtyard right next to Campus North, the Smart Museum of

Art is the University’s main art museum, harboring a collection of works ranging from 12th-century Korean bowls to 20th-century Warhols, Paschkes, and Matisses. While temporarily closed for re-installment, upcoming exhibitions include Claudia Wieser’s Generations; Lust, Love, and Loss in Renaissance Europe, a display of passion and violence from the Renaissance era; and not all realisms, a photographic history of revolution in the African continent in the 1960s. Their Art to Live With program has been put on hold for the 2020–21 school year, but generally each fall, students are able to select from over 100 artworks to hang in their dorm rooms—of course, as long as you arrive at

the museum early enough to nab a Picasso.

Stumbling upon the Renaissance Society (endearingly nicknamed the Ren by patrons and students), hidden on the fourth floor of Cobb, always feels like happening upon a long-lost treasure in the attic. This small, independent museum is on Atlas Obscura’s list of attractions to check out in Chicago. Since 1915, the Renaissance Society has been known for its “experimental ethos,” and it regularly features contemporary artists from around the world. Following former executive director and chief curator Solveig Øvstebø’s departure, the Ren has appointed Myriam Ben Salah to the position effective

September 15, 2020. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the Ren has temporarily closed until mid-September—future shows will require advance appointment, with an online viewing room and more digital content to follow. Upcoming exhibits include Nine Lives, which documents the multitudes of storytelling media through a feminist lens; and Haig Aivazian’s All of the Lights, an installation of mostly found footage of how light has evolved from the natural to the mechanic in daily human venture.

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casing the Human-Headed Winged Bull (Lamassu), a fragment of a Dead Sea Scroll, and mini statues of fertility goddesses, among other historical pieces. If you’re reading the Epic of Gilgamesh for first-year Hum, put down your tired translation and check out the original: 4,000 year-old Babylonian cuneiform tablets (circa 2,000 B.C.E.)! While the Oriental Institute is temporarily closed, be sure to check out their online archives and their virtual museum tour.

The Logan Center for the Arts, located at East 60th Street and South Drexel Avenue, features both professional and student artwork. From the unexpected student installations and drawings taped to the walls, to concerts and plays, to dance competitions, the Logan Center is always one of the liveliest spots on campus. Every year, Logan Center Exhibitions’ dynamic exhibition cycle brings international contemporary artists for shows and exciting programming at the Logan Center Gallery, right at the building’s north en-

trance. Just across the lobby, Café Logan doubles as a popular study spot and exhibition space; once in a while, you can catch spoken word/poetry Recognized Student Organization (RSO) Catcher in the Rhyme performing in the corner of the cafe. Or, if you just want to study and play your instrument, feel free to plop down at the DelGiorno Terrace, the Central Courtyard, or any open music practice room.

The Logan Center is currently closed to the public due to COVID-19, but is working on plans to reopen in the academic year.

Wander into the Booth School of Business to view their surprisingly substantial collection of modern art, including works by contemporary German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans and Department of Visual Arts faculty members Pope L. and Laura Letinsky.

On the other end of Woodlawn, the Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society holds exhibitions in its gallery. Past exhibitions have included Martha Rosler: Passionate Signals, which explores the legendary feminist video and photo artist’s

works from a novel, “green” angle. The Neubauer Collegium is currently closed due to the pandemic until further notice.

Although a bit farther than the rest, the Arts Incubator on 301 East Garfield Boulevard hosts exhibitions, artist residencies, community-centered arts events and activities, and arts education. Envisioned by artist and UChicago faculty member Theaster Gates, it houses the Arts + Public Life initiative, which seeks to strengthen the University’s relationship with the South Side’s artistic and civic communities.

Arts RSOs Not that students are uninvolved in the arts world either—many find spaces to draw, write, and paint during their free time. While some arts RSOs have requirements and shows, there are also plenty of laid-back ways to get messy and creative.

Currently, our RSOs are waiting to hear from the University about the status of operations on campus. More information will follow in the upcoming fall quarter.

Festival of the Arts (FOTA) orchestrates a campus-wide jubilee of student art and hosts workshops, performances, and gallery openings throughout the year. If you have an ambitious vision, or a project you’re eager to complete, FOTA can help provide the resources to do so, along with a supportive community of fellow artists. Keep an eye out for information about their fall show and how to get involved. Drop by Logan every Tuesday evening and join Outside the Lines at their weekly figure-drawing workshops, where seasoned pros sketch alongside those who have never drawn a live model before; pop in for 10 minutes on your way to dinner, or delve into a pose for 2 hours.

If you’re lucky enough to register for a spot in UChicago Ceramics’s first-come, firstserve studio sessions, enjoy creating clay crafts once a week at the Hyde Park Arts Center. UChicomics is a collective of comic artists, cartoonists, and simply lovers of visual art—this summer, they commissioned cartoon art and raised over $450 for the Okra Project.

Marching to the Beat of Your Own Drum: Music at UChicago

By ARTS EDITORS Band geeks and orch dorks, unite!

The Department of Music’s vibrant Performance Program welcomes students of all backgrounds and passions, attracting more than 700 musicians across campus and performing more than 100 concerts each year.

For classical buffs, the University Symphony Orchestra, University Chamber Orchestra, and University Wind Ensemble offer a diverse repertoire ranging from modern literature to renowned orchestral classics. Jazz cats can sharpen their improvisational claws with the Jazz X-tet and Jazz Combo, which push the boundaries of the wide-ranging jazz idiom. Those with more Early Modern musical cravings can follow the Early Music Ensemble for a taste of 15th to 17th–century tunes. Meanwhile, those interested in pursuing genres outside of the Western canon can find affinity with groups like the South Asian Music Ensemble, who hosted their Spring Vir-

tual Recital last quarter in quarantine, and the Middle East Music Ensemble, who emphasize the theory and practice of maqam.

Is your hobby singing in empty stairwells? Choral ensemble options are just as aplenty: there’s the Motet Choir, an a cappella ensemble that specializes in Renaissance music but is no stranger to gospel charts; the Women’s Ensemble, which explores and celebrates the power of women’s voices; the Rockefeller Chapel Choir, a staple at weekly Sunday services; and the University Chorus, the largest and most inclusive vocal ensemble on campus.

Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) are vital to UChicago’s campus community, and many cater to the fine arts. If you’re on “The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory,” you might find your home in one of the single-sex (Unaccompanied Women, Medusa, Run for Cover), co-ed (Ransom Notes and the award-winning Voices), or specialty student-run ensembles (like the South

Asian fusion group Aag, the music ministry chorus Make a Joyful Noise, or the suitably-named Rhythm n’ Jews).

Some days, you may even hear student-led bands ringing through the quad.

Be coached by the artist-in-residence in the Chamber Music Program. Hear the resonant 72-bell Rockefeller carillon chiming every day, thanks to the Guild of Carillonneurs, who offer free weekly lessons in the fall quarter to potential guild members, led by University carillonneur Joey Brink. Get your groove on at a basement party hosted by the Dirt Red Brass Band, a New Orleans-style band who has played with the likes of Vulfpeck and has even performed for UChicago alumnus Bernie Sanders (A.B. ‘64) himself. Check out The Underground Collective, a safespace collective that performs poetry, music, and dance quarterly — with a special virtual showcase last spring quarter.

If you’re more of a music connoisseur than a performer, you’re also in luck!

University students work with South Side community members at the campus

radio station WHPK, promising “music not commonly heard in the mainstream.”

Tune in at 88.5 FM or listen online at whpk.org. However, the WHPK station will be closed until further notice due to the pandemic. Never fear—the DJs will return to the booth to showcase their music, and one day, interested students can also audition to become one! The Major Activities Board brings much-anticipated entertainment to campus every year: a fall concert, a winter comedy show, and a day-long music festival in the spring known as Summer Breeze. Past headliners include Megan Thee Stallion, Becky G, and Chicago’s very own Chance the Rapper.

Practice and performance spaces are plentiful, especially at the Logan Center, boasting 20 practice rooms, three ensemble rehearsal rooms, one piano studio, and a state-of-the-art performance hall. Pop in a practice room at Goodspeed Hall, and stay for a teatime concert in Fulton Recital Hall while CONTINUED ON PG. 29

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you’re at it. For residents of some campus dorms, including Granville-Grossman (South Campus), slip into the practice rooms located within the building itself, complete with music stands and pianos.

More news is to follow from the Univer-

sity about open practice spaces and social distancing policy.

The on-campus concert series UChicago Presents gives Maroons the chance to hear world-famous artists on a student’s budget. It hosts some 25 contemporary, early, classical, jazz, and world mu-

sic concerts every year, in spaces ranging from the intimate Mandell Hall to the formidable Rockefeller Chapel. A student ID will get you $10 tickets, or you can take advantage of the Sponsor-a-Student Program free tickets provided through the UChicago Arts Pass Program. UChicago

Presents is currently working with the University to develop safe plans for the academic season. Monitoring the situation closely, they will announce quarterly plans before the fall quarter, mid-November, and mid-February. More news to follow.

Caffeine Around UChicago: When Your Coffee Pot Isn’t Enough

By ISABELLA CISNEROS, SAUMYA JAIN, & ALINA KIM Arts Reporters, Arts Editor Here at UChicago, student-run coffee shops constantly brim with energy, from jazzy Spotify playlists to the grinding of coffee beans to casual debates about the best kind of milk to put in an iced latte.

Perhaps our addiction brewed thanks to how spoiled we are when it comes to choices: There are bougie professional seats for the Econ Bros™; casual couches to nap on; and calm ambiance for hardcore homework sessions. Whether you are seeking a dose of caffeine for a midterm paper writing boost, a game of pool with your friends, or pursuing your dream of becoming a barista, here are some student coffee shops and off-campus favorites for you to check out.

Note: The student cafes (Harper, Ex Lib, Cobb, and Hallowed Grounds) will be closed for Fall Quarter 2020. Student cafes are currently in talks with administrators and waiting to hear back regarding the rest of the 2020–21 school year. More information will follow later in the year. Check with Plein Air and Build Coffee individually for more details on reopening.

Ex Libris* is tucked away in the corner of the first floor of the Reg—quite hard to miss for the lover of bustling atmospheres.

While it is the only café not allowed to play music, that doesn’t take away from the lively nature of the shop any hour you step in.

People stop by to grab coffee in between classes, stagger in for a break from homework-cramming sessions in the stacks, or drop by to meet with TAs to discuss paper topics. Keep on the outlook for their quarterly Ex After Dark, in which the baristas invent creative drinks and desserts past midnight!

Harper Café* (Common Knowledge Café) is conveniently located just a few steps

away from the Hogwarts-esque study spot, the Arley D. Cathey Learning Center. One of the busiest cafés on campus, students refer to it as a chiller alternative to Ex Libris.

Harper’s cozy recliner couches and smaller space make it a perfect place to either nap or meet for small group studying. For a doting account of a Harper barista, check out second-year Noah Tesfaye’s testament to Harper’s welcoming environment in The Maroon. We personally recommend their almond croissants and cake balls.

Cobb Coffee Shop* defines the motto “Anything Goes.” There’s a tinfoil hat hanging from the ceiling. They have a Minecraft server. You can get a free cup of lentil soup if you ask nicely. There’s a retro TV behind the counter. Located in the basement of Cobb Hall, this cafe offers packaged food from Hyde Park restaurants as well, and rumor has it they have the cheapest bythe-slice pizza on campus. Catch students and professors running in and out between classes, or first-years avoiding the space because they’ve been scared off by the eclectic music pounding through the speakers—on blast. What can we say? We like the chaotic vibe.

Grounds of Being, the Divinity School coffee shop, is Where God Drinks His Coffee. Put in mere mortal terms, it has the best cup of joe available on campus and is surprisingly cheap! Don’t feel out of place among the grad students and notoriously attractive baristas: Many undergrads stop by to enjoy its wide variety of Hyde Park fare. Wait for the Purple Haze latte in the spring: it’s the perfect combination of lavender and espresso for a sunny morning of classes and meetings. For $5 a year, you can also join their exclusive Mug Club—as a member, you receive discounts on every drink you buy, get your mug washed for free, and receive $1 off any drink or a free cup of coffee every month! But be careful:

this basement study spot is cash-only.

(Details to follow post-pandemic about the Mug Club and traditionally cash-only registers.)

Hallowed Grounds*, located on the second floor of Reynolds Club, boasts one of the artsiest spaces on campus. The baristas curate new and exciting music and the café hosts a range of packed meals from local eateries. The billiard tables make it a student hotspot, and its intimate couches are a good place to catch up with friends (or make some new ones). If you stay till 11 p.m., you can snag free coffee and baked goods!

They also host artsy student-RSO events, including Sliced Bread’s magazine parties.

Other cafes on campus (though not student-run) include Peach’s at University* in the MADD Center, Pret A Manger* (C-Shop) in Reynolds Club, Dollop at Campus North, Café Logan* at the Logan Center, Quantum Café* at the Eckhardt Research Center, the Law School Café* on East 60th Street, and the two Starbucks* at the campus bookstore and Saieh Hall.

Plein Air teems with a French-inspired ambiance, met with equal aesthetic in their drinks and dishes. Nestled between the famous Robie House and the Seminary CoOp Bookstore, Plein Air is the perfect choice for the lover of espressos and brunch. Following the pandemic and social distancing policies, they are currently taking orders for takeout using their online form, DoorDash, and Ritual. All items on the menu will still be available for purchase.

Plein Air owner Soo Choi sat down with The Maroon to talk about how the cafe has transformed since March, noting the new to-go window and exciting new updates coming soon for older customers.

“We are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for now, and no customers are allowed inside yet,” Choi explains. “We will be super cautious and wary of Illinois’s pandemic pro-

tocol until the State declares it safe to reopen fully again. Outdoor spaces will be in full bloom, though, and there will be seats spread out more than six feet apart.”

There are also new items on the menu coming soon to Plein Air, including bagels, collaborations with local farmers via a special market on Wednesdays, occasional special dinner menu options, and a partnership with Hot Doug’s to sell hot dogs.

“It’s a hard time for everyone financially because of the shelter-in-place,” Choi states. “But these fun little programs are a good way to help one another and introduce our old and new guests to more local producers and chefs around Chicago.”

When asked about new drinks, Choi hinted at the availability of alcohol in the shop in the future: “We are in the process of obtaining a liquor license for our older patrons. We hope it’s a hit with our loyal customers!”

For those unable to drink alcohol, there are still plenty of drinks to choose from.

Choi recommends the matcha latte, or, if in need of a quick dose of caffeine, the cortado. We personally savor the apple butter latte and hazelnut beignets.

Build Coffee is a small walk away from the new Woodlawn dorms, situated at the Experimental Station on 6100 South Blackstone Avenue, and strives to be more than just a coffee shop. A hybrid bookshop-cafe, Build Coffee also acts as a small venue for artists’ gallery shows, game nights, and mini-workshops and sells used press publications, magazines, comics, and other books on their shelves. Their Build Coffee Meal-Based Residency Program also provides local artists opportunities for gallery shows and residency. We personally recommend their cardamom rose latte and café de olla, should you stop by one day. * Accepts Maroon Dollars.

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What’s Poppin’ at UChicago: Dance RSOs to Get You Moving

By ARTS EDITORS Perhaps this year, rather than huddling in the Reg, you spent your spring quarter huddled in bed, snoozing through your Zoom lecture about nutritional science. However, now that fall quarter is on the horizon, you may be feeling it’s time to stretch your legs out again and get the blood circulating back into those unused muscles. Luckily, UChicago brims with the performing arts, and the diverse styles of dance prove no exception. From people with two left feet to the next S-Rank recruit, from ballet to hip-hop, swing dance to K-pop, the College’s RSOs provide opportunities to all.

The University Ballet (UBallet) is an obvious choice for the lover of the classical aesthetic. Welcoming students from all over UChicago, UBallet offers free classes every week for the curious-at-heart, the long-time masters, and everyone in between. Here, one feels free to embrace the beauty of pantomimes—the embodiment of silent imagery speaking louder than words—or finally fulfill a dream of completing the perfect pirouette. The company typically performs two fulllength ballets each academic year at Mandel Hall, previous shows including La Esmeralda and The Sleeping Beauty. Over the summer of 2020, UBallet has also offered Zoom classes multiple days a week, with plans to continue for the future.

In a celebration of the contemporary, UChicago Maya fuses several dance styles to create masterful choreographies that are uniquely their own. Their minimalist look perfectly juxtaposes the extravagance of their performances, ranging from exploratory jazz to the examinations of the limitations of rhythm (i.e. “Dance without facing the audience”). Their message literally shouts freedom, and each dancer clearly demonstrates and soars through their performances, including previous performances like Haiku Lab at the Logan Center for the Arts, and Crossroads. Maya has also hosted virtual workshops during spring quarter and summer break, with plans to continue into the next academic year.

For those who obsess over Jade Chynoweth, Bailey Sok, or Matt Steffanina, Excolatur Dance Crew (aka EX Crew, previously known as PhiNix Dance Crew) delivers exhilarating hiphop choreography, typically hosting dance sessions and classes every week at Bartlett Dining Commons with professional urban dance choreographers.

A competitive RSO, the EX crew participates in events such as World of Dance Chicago but does not hesitate to welcome amateur dancers to their free workshops. Even for the mere observer, do not miss their annual Revival, showcasing various performers—including other RSOs such as UChicago Maya—and the original choreography of student dance crews and professional Chicagoan dancers.

Explore the beauty of South Asian music through RSOs such as Bhangra and Raas. Bhangra puts on energetic, fast-tempo performances that take pride in Indian culture. Donning colorful traditional clothing, the dancers often take a political stance through their choreography—a declaration of the power of foreign cultures in America—which shines at events such as the annual South Asian Students Association (SASA) shows. Raas impresses with a tremendous quantity of leaps, jumps, and delicate footwork that holds onto rapid rhythms, but perhaps their brilliance is made most obvious through their handiwork of the spinning of the dandiya, or decorated wooden sticks. Both teams are competitive, having graced the stage with their presence at competitions such as Nachte Raho, Nasha X, and Naach Nation XV. Rhythmic Bodies in Motion (RBIM) is the largest dance RSO on campus, and it is no surprise that it teems with perhaps the widest range of dance styles in one organization. Representing K-pop, modern/urban, Bollywood, and hip-hop—along with many others— RBIM teaches and hones the skills of students of every dancing background.

Every spring at Mandel Hall, the RSO puts on a showcase that celebrates the variety of dance they offer, and the intensity every member brings is both laudable and contagious.

For the romantic souls, consider RSOs such as the Chicago Swing Dance Society, Tap That!, and UChicago Ballroom and Latin Dance Association (BLDA). Swing Dance began at C-Shop, but due to its tremendous popularity, relocated to Ida Noyes Hall recently to accommodate. Offering classes ranging from Beginner Charleston to Blues Dancing, Swing Dance holds lessons for free. For the daring who wish to learn the spinneroo, consider giving their weekly Java Jives a whirl every Saturday—featuring DJ-ed open dancing. Tap That! may be UChicago’s newest dance RSO, but they won’t hesitate to bring the nostalgic era of the 30s–40s, instructing members of all levels on the precision of the step-heel heel-step or the single buffalo. And, as a perk, each new member receives a pair of tap shoes to practice away with, and, maybe, even in your dorm. BLDA captures the amorous feel both competitively and casually, with no prior

experience necessary to join. They offer over 19 different styles of dance, including salsa, bachata, and samba—so feel free to waltz right over!

Can’t have enough of performing arts competitions? Want a chance to see the many choreographies that have been composed, revised, and showcased by students? Several of these dance troupes compete in the “Where Fun Comes to Dance” (WFCTD) competition every spring, hosted by the UChicago Dance Council, the overseer of all dance RSOs on campus. Cheer on friends, vote for the best performances, and, of course, if excited, sign-up to participate in front of an encouraging and ever-enthusiastic crowd.

After months of sitting at your desk, laptop in front of you, why not take breaks and explore the exhilarating world of the performing arts at UChicago?

Anna Isabella Lee

 WEAR

YOUR MASK 

. . . and have a wonderful year!

Love, Gramma and Papa

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SPORTS A Summer of Change in Sports

By ALISON GILL, THOMAS GORDON & BRINDA RAO Sports Editors

start the season in some places, the longevity in terms of the season will still be unknown. Without a doubt, this will be a college football season like no other.

Demands for athletics to go on can be heard around the globe and country. In the United States, many professional athletes are practicing and competing in “bubbles,” most notably the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s Disney World bubble.

Additionally, college athletes find themselves facing vastly differing options, with some schools entirely remote and others bringing athletics back in full swing. As the pandemic continues, athletes are socially and politically mobilizing in ways like never before, refusing to be silenced by the institutional powers presiding over their sports.

Unionization in College Sports

As the fate of NCAA athletics remains unknown, collegiate athletes have taken initiatives to mobilize. After many conferences gave either indication towards cancellation of the autumn season or limited health resources for their players, athletes took to social media to vocalize their dissent through the #WeWantToPlay campaign. As the face of the campaign, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence noted in a three-pronged tweet that many college football players were at higher risk at home, noting the “safe haven” the sport provided for them.

Furthermore, at the beginning of August, a group of Pac-12 football players released demands on behalf of football players across the country, demanding that widespread testing and health protocols be implemented. Additionally, they used this platform to address other issues, such as basic rights and calls for racial equality recognition, due to concerns that regulatory officials at universities have long silences.

This nationwide “unionization” of college athletes is noteworthy considering institutional efforts in the past to prevent collegiate athletes from working collectively. Some key examples include the 2015 Northwestern athletes’ effort to unionize, which failed when it was ruled that the players were not university employees.

Although this united front for college athletes is a long way from the formation of an official union or trade union, it has the potential to win many concessions college athletes have fought for in previous years.

Impact of COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has already wreaked havoc on the spring season of college athletics and is currently affecting plans for the fall season. Four of the 10 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conferences (Big Ten, Pac12, Mountain West, MAC) have cancelled all of their fall sports. Specifically, the Big Ten has faced outcry about the decision, including a lawsuit from eight Nebraska players seeking more clarity on the situation as well as an injunctive order that would nullify the league’s decision to cancel the fall football season.

The NCAA has also announced that they will seek to have some fall championships in the spring for Division I sports.

Additionally, all fall sport student-athletes will receive both an additional year of eligibility and an additional year in which to complete it. Furthermore, the NCAA clarified that schools are prohibited from requiring student-athletes to waive legal rights regarding COVID-19 as a condition of athletics participation, an act that was seen at Ohio State earlier this summer.

Also, schools are prohibited from canceling or reducing athletic scholarships if a college athlete in any sport opts not to participate due to COVID-19.

While college football has returned to

Athlete Activism Beyond fan-less games and the frenzy around “bubbles,” the legacy of sports in 2020 will be athlete activism. Led by players in the WNBA and NBA, professional and collegiate athletes repeatedly showed us that they would not “shut up and dribble”—that their platform and humanity

extend far beyond the playing fields.

Beginning in late May, professional athletes took to the streets, marching in lockstep with protestors outraged over the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. “It’s important for us to stay outraged. It’s important for us to continue to be angry, continue to protest, continue to shed light and highlight what’s going on in this country and the broken system that we’re living in,” Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brodgon said.

At the suggestion of WNBA All-Star Angel McCoughtry, the WNBA and NBA players selected social justice messages to put on the back of their jerseys. NBA players opted for messages ranging from “How Many More?” (Damian Lillard) to “Equality” (Giannis Antetokounmpo).

The WNBA players decided to collectively wear Breonna Taylor’s name and dedicated their season to the #SayHerName campaign, which seeks to raise awareness for Black female victims of police brutality and anti-Black violence.

As has often been the case, female athletes were the pioneers and the most unified voice around social justice. In a piece for The Players’ Tribune, New York Liberty guard Layshia Clarendon said, “We can have an America that doesn’t thrive on the exploitation of its most vulnerable. It’s time to think boldly about what a reimagined world can look like. Because we have the political power to change it in ways my generation has never seen before.

If it doesn’t scare you, you aren’t thinking big enough. And it’s time to think bigger.”

While other professional teams kneeled during the national anthem, all the WNBA teams walked off the court before its playing ahead of the season opener in July.

Prominent players, like Natasha Cloud and Renee Montgomery, opted to sit out the WNBA season in favor of pursuing social justice initiatives.

In a summer bookended by the murder of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake by the police, athletes responded with greater passion and power than ever before. Just days after Blake’s shooting and minutes before their Game 5 against the Orlando Magic, the Milwaukee Bucks

refused to take the court. In a statement from the team, Bucks guard George Hill explained: “The past four months have shed a light on the ongoing racial injustices facing our African American communities.... When we take the court and represent Milwaukee and Wisconsin, we are expected to play at a high level, give maximum effort and hold each other accountable.... In this moment, we are demanding the same from our lawmakers and law enforcement.”

The Bucks’ decision sparked a pause in play across professional sports with the rest of the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS following suit. The unity across leagues and the wildcat strike were unprecedented, and a necessary reassertion that players exist as people—and usually as Black people—first.

The summer of 2020 was not the first time that professional athletes had used their platforms for social justice. To make such a claim would be disrespectful to track athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who both raised a black-gloved fist for Black Power on the medal podium at the 1968 Olympics. To the great Muhammad Ali, among the first to publicly condemn the Vietnam War and who faced grave consequences including prison time.

To the countless female athletes—Billie Jean King, Wilma Rudolph, Maya Moore— who know that athletics and activism cannot and must not be siloed.

But 2020 was, perhaps, the loudest, widest, and most empowered that we have ever seen athlete activists. Hopefully, it will be a watershed in professional sports and in society that brings about meaningful social progress.

While UChicago athletics have been cancelled since mid-July, we will do our best to keep the student body and the UChicago community updated. Whether it is through providing news about athletes staying in shape or even delving into our rich athletic history, we will continue to provide engaging sports content. We look forward to seeing what the 2020–21 academic year and UChicago athletes have in store.

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Dear First-Years: The World Has Slowed Down. So Can We. The Maroon Editorial Board urges incoming students to prioritize rest and community-building as they begin their time at UChicago—not just academics.

Dear first-years, These are, as you may have heard, unprecedented times.

There’s a global economic downturn, national conventions have been reduced to virtual livestreams, and the urgency with which many of us used to bustle about our day has been put on hold. As we’re living through history, we’re discovering that our world isn’t built to function at full speed during a pandemic.

Neither are you.

UChicago can be a beautiful and delightfully eccentric place—read: uncommon admissions essays, niche student interests, and Scav—but it can also be a demanding one. Our school, for better or for worse, is known for its “grind culture;” in 2016, Business Insider ranked us the second most hardworking school in the nation.

As we enter a quarter that promises unique strains, we must be mindful of the effect this ethos of productivity has on us. This quarter more than ever, we must give ourselves permission to rest.

Grind culture takes many forms at UChicago. It manifests as “academic one-upmanship” and the nagging urge many of us feel during quarantine to do something productive—anything.

Workaholism can even seep into our social lives, when our desire for companionship morphs into a fixation on being socially productive and popular.

As Derek Thompson wrote in The Atlantic, at elite institutions like ours, work has evolved from a means of material production to a means of identity production. Work has become “workism,” “a kind of religion, promising identity, transcendence, and community.”

While the roots of workaholism are too deep to address in a single quarter, there are steps we can take to mitigate its worst effects. We can commit to seeking out help when we need it from peers, tutors, TAs, or professors.

We can prevent burnout by actively scheduling time for relaxation. We can be mindful of moments when a workaholic impulse arises and seek to quell these over time.

But thankfully, one of the most effective remedies for workist culture is something that our campus offers in abundance: community.

We know how it feels to be anxiously facing months of uncertainty. When the pandemic hit, we played the role of both students and journalists, covering the chaos around us while still reacting to it ourselves. Ultimately, what got us through those difficult moments were social support networks, like ours here at The Maroon.

Here are some activities being offered this quarter that we think might help us stay connected to one another, despite being physically apart.

To refine your rest or spiritual practice try...

• Virtual meditation and yoga with Spiritual Life • Mental health discussion and activism with Active Minds • Weekly prayer gatherings with the Catholic Student Association • E x plor e you r f a it h w it h Multi-Ethnic or Asian American InterVarsity at UChicago To just have fun...

• Learn beekeeping and farming skills with Phoenix Farms • Birdwatch w ith UChicago’s Audubon Chapter • Develop video games with UChicago Game Design To find community through common interests...

• Come write for The Maroon!

• Hone your argumentation skills with Chicago Debate Society • Watch a guest lecture with the Society for International Relations

• • •

• • •

• •

Attend a Model UN meeting or training session Learn about legal issues with Moot Court Think transatlantically with EUChicago, a student think tank that conducts research and hosts speakers Contribute to a campus literary magazine Volunteer to teach health education with Peer Health Exchange Find community (and worthy opponents) at Chess Club, which will host online games, club meetings, and group Zooms to maintain their social elements this fall Get involved with AKPsi, a business fraternity with a virtual rush planned for this fall Volunteer for political campaigns

To stay musically active...

• Sing with one of our a cappella groups • Play your instrument for a virtual jam session with UChicago’s Pep Band To tap into your introspective side...

• Attend a “Night Owls” philosophy discussion • Contemplate our world’s trajectory with Future Cafe To bond over shared identity or culture…

• Join one of UChicago’s many cultural organizations • Get career guidance and community with Women+ in Law • Attend mentorship sessions and lunch chats with the Women and Other Gender Minorities in Public Service Program (W+PSP) • Stop by an online panel and book club with UChicago Women in Science

•

Attend online speaker events and webinars with the Society of Womxn+ in Physics

To stay sporty….

• Work out over Zoom with Women Who Lift • Try an online ballet class with UBallet • Attend a “Home in Motion” dance tutorial with Maya • Develop your disc skills with Womxn’s Club Ultimate Frisbee • Get active with the Ki-Aikidō Club, which will host outdoor individual weapons exercises this fall The ability to rest is a privilege that not all students are equally able to pursue, and an individual rest practice is no substitute for the difficult work of addressing a larger paradigm that values productivity over well-being. But even this, the work of bettering our world, requires a well-rested generation of thinkers and change-makers.

Give yourself permission to do however much or little you feel inclined to do this quarter. If keeping your nose to the grindstone during a pandemic feels traumatic and taxing, that’s okay. If you feel energized and ready to explore your interests, that’s okay too. And if you aren’t sure how to feel, and you just need a moment to breathe, then welcome to the club.

Take this quarter to go easy on yourself, to “treat your calendar as a sacred text,” and to tend to the relationships that will make up the core of your college experience. Because in 2020, a year only fully captured by the word “unprecedented,” self-compassion and social connection will pay higher dividends than a few extra hours burning the midnight oil.

With love, The Maroon Editorial Board

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THE CHICAGO MAROON — SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

AUDITIONS Department of Music Performance Ensembles and Programs

Open to ALL undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, and community members.

Choral • Instrumental • Chamber Jazz • Early Music • World Music Piano • Vocal • Percussion

Submit a pre-recorded video or schedule your live Zoom audition now!

Sign-up or submit your materials

by October 2 to participate. music.uchicago.edu/auditions

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THE CHICAGO MAROON — SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

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For the latest information, visit smartmuseum.uchicago.edu

TAKE CARE FALL 2020–WINTER 2021

What does it mean to care for something, someone, or ourselves? Drawing generously from the Smart’s collection, Take Care seeks to unpack matters of care from the personal to the collective.

CLAUDIA WIESER: GENERATIONS FALL 2020 A survey of the multi-faceted practice of Berlin-based artist Claudia Wieser.

Images: Suzanne Valadon, Portrait of Lily Walton, 1923, Oil on canvas. Smart Museum of Art, Bequest of Joseph Halle Schaffner in memory of his beloved mother, Sara H. Schaffner, 1973.119. • Claudia Wieser, Untitled, 2020, Wallpaper. Courtesy of the artist and Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York and Aspen. © Claudia Wieser.