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RESIDENTS SAY PARK DISTRICT NEGLECTS SOUTH SIDE

OCTOBER 27, 2021 FIFTH WEEK VOL. 134, ISSUE 5

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At Rally on Anniversary of Unionization Vote, Graduate Students United Promises to Continue Withholding Student Services Fee

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PAGE 6 GSU protestors outside Levi Hall on Tuesday. COURTESY OF ANDREW GOLDBLATT

VIEWPOINTS: Resident Heads help make UChicago great.

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SPORTS: With a new coach, women’s volleyball starts off strong.

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NEWS: Alivisatos, Lee give autumn quarter updates.

ARTS: Whiteness, discourse and the “Bad Art Friend.”

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

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CC Resolutions Intend to Increase Transparency in Releasing Statements; Voting Records

By HASSAN SACHEE | News Reporter On September 7, College Council (CC) unanimously passed two resolutions to reform their policies on giving statements and voting procedures, with the aim of making these processes more transparent and formalized.

The procedure to secure a CC statement was reformed to avoid the confusion Undergraduate Student Government (USG) faced when they released a statement in collaboration with Students for Justice in Palestine on May 21. The process through which that statement was released was kept confidential. In turn, the new process established by the resolution no longer allows for such confidentiality. Instead,

any organization that seeks USG support in the form of a statement must submit a formal written memorandum to the USG. This memorandum would have to fully outline the reasons why support or collaboration is being requested.

After a member of the cabinet receives and responds to the request, USG would then draft a statement regarding the organization’s request and after receiving feedback from the Center for Leadership and Involvement, USG would vote on whether the finalized statement should be released. A simple majority is sufficient to ensure the release of a statement, though if an

affirming vote is not unanimous, the release would note that the statement does not reflect the views of everyone sitting on the USG. The change in process also aims to help USG avoid a systemic problem of mixed messaging such as what occurred in April 2021 when they released a statement calling for the punishment of students that were found to have broken the UChicago Health Pact, only to subsequently not pursue this action.

In addition to this, the Establishing Clear Voting Procedures Act (the ECVP Act) was passed to amend the CC’s bylaws to state that votes on resolutions and measures that impact the public will occur in public, open meetings.

In cases where the council deems that

voting should occur asynchronously, voting can occur on email, though each member’s response will be noted to enforce this transparency.

The Act was created to help voters make more informed choices during elections by making information about the candidates’ voting records more accessible.

The Act does leave room for anonymity if there is deemed to be a risk of physical danger to members. To prevent overuse, having an anonymous vote must be preceded by an open debate. Despite the anonymity, vote tallies would still be made public in these situations.

Proposed Congressional Map Splits Hyde Park Into Two Districts

By PETER MAHERAS | News Reporter New congressional districts proposed by Illinois Democrats would keep Hyde Park split into two congressional districts and give Democrats a significant advantage over Republicans in Illinois’s congressional delegation by creating more districts with majority-democratic voters.

Under the proposed map, Illinois’s first congressional district would continue to cover most of Hyde Park, including the University, while the second congressional district would cover an area east of South Lake Park Ave. and south of East 53rd Street, as well as east of South Dorchester Avenue and north of East 53rd Street.

Significant changes to Illinois’s congressional map had to be made after the decennial census found that the state lost population and would only receive 17 seats in the House of Representatives, down from 18 during the previous decade.

“These new proposed congressional boundaries are historic and reflect the great diversity present throughout the state,” said Illinois Representative Lisa

Hernandez, Chair of the Illinois House Redistricting Committee. “The proposal ensures minorities, as well as the rest of Illinoisans, have an equitable voice in representation in Washington.”

In Illinois, congressional districts are drafted and passed by the General Assembly then signed into law by the governor. Democrats control both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly and the governorship, making Illinois one of only eight states where Democrats fully control the redistricting process. The new map could give Democrats control of as many as 14 of the state’s 17 seats.

It is the second proposal released

by Illinois Democrats after some Democrats expressed a concern that the original proposal split communities of interest—communities likely to have similar policy concerns—and was too aggressive in its partisanship.

In a statement to the Hyde Park Herald, Representative Bobby Rush, who represents most of Hyde Park in Congress, called the original plan an “absolute non-starter” because it fails

to “take into consideration cultural affinities.”

Representative Marie Newman, a Democrat currently representing parts of the Southwest Side and the suburbs, criticized the proposal as an effort to curb the power of her current constituents. The previous draft made Newman’s district more competitive, while the current proposal would place Newman in the same district as another Democrat, potentially setting up a primary race against Representative Sean Casten.

“It is abundantly apparent that what has currently been proposed for Illinois’s 3rd Congressional District is not only retrogressive but also substantially diminishes the diverse and progressive voices of Chicago’s Southwest Side and suburbs,” Newman said in a statement to Politico.

In the original proposal, up to three of the seats favoring Democrats were competitive enough to swing Republican in an especially bad election cycle for Democrats. However, after pushback from within the party, Illinois Democrats’ new draft brought the number of competitive districts down to one.

Republicans have been quick to denounce the proposal as a partisan gerrymander, citing oddly-shaped districts and a lack of transparency.

“Illinois Democrats, led by Governor J.B. Pritzker, have made it clear they are willing to disenfranchise Illinois voters and break repeated campaign promises to do the bidding of Nancy Pelosi and DC power brokers,” said Illinois Republican Party Chair Don Tracy on Twitter. “It’s appalling that fair representation, keeping communities of interest together, and transparency in the mapmaking process in Illinois all had to take a back seat to the demands of national politics.”

The non-partisan Princeton Gerrymandering Project graded the proposal an “F” overall, with grades of “F” in partisan fairness, geographic features, and competitiveness respectively.

Democrats in the General Assembly plan to hold two public hearings this week to gather feedback on the proposals. The General Assembly now expects to pass new congressional districts before their fall session ends on Thursday, October 28.

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“It’s a serious, serious problem”: Chicago Park District Doesn’t Care Enough About South Side Parks, According to Hyde Park Residents

By SOPHIA KANG | News Reporter Hyde Park residents say the Chicago Park District is failing to maintain parks on the South Side.

The Nichols Park Advisory Council (NPAC) has long struggled to convince the Park District to provide regular landscaping and plumbing crews for Nichols (John Fountain) Park, which spans from East 53rd Street to East 55th Street, between South Kimbark Avenue and South Kenwood Avenue. The trees there are rarely trimmed, and repairs to the sprinkler system near the park’s Fieldhouse are years overdue, according to NPAC President Stephanie Franklin.

“The biggest problem we have is the lack of resources put into parks that already exist. It’s a serious, serious problem.

The Park District manages to find money for what it wants to build, but it doesn’t seem to be able to find the money to do the maintenance,” Franklin said, pointing to large gaps in the hedges that surround the playground on South Kimbark Avenue.

But the lack of regular maintenance crews isn’t the only problem, she adds.

“A lot of the crew depends on seasonal workers, and [the Park District] doesn’t hire those until sometime in the spring and fall,” she said. “They aren’t properly trained on how to do things like maintain the trees, so they cut grass and they supposedly pick up trash, but even that

hasn’t been done to the extent it needs to be done.”

Hyde Park resident Mary Langley says that much of the park’s current upkeep relies on volunteers who pick up trash and water the plants.

“I have to say, I’m a spouse of a Nichols Park Advisory Council member, and he does a lot of the work himself to keep the park clean. He and a lot of other volunteers put in a lot of effort to keep the place up,” she said.

On Saturday, local volunteers planted 450 flower bulbs around the South Fountain at Nichols Park as part of an ongoing beautification project that began in 2018.

By spring, the fountain will be surrounded with daffodils, Asiatic lilies, hyacinths, tulips, and crocuses.

But when it comes to actually maintaining the park, volunteer efforts like this aren’t enough, says Franklin.

“I don’t know the details, but when you have more parks on the North Side, it follows in a way that more resources have to go there to maintain them,” NPAC Vice President Van Bistrow said. “And so it’s a constant struggle to try to influence the Park District, which has a separate budget from the City [of Chicago], to spend the resources on the South Side.”

Former Chicago Park District Superintendent Michael Kelly resigned on October

9 following accusations that he overlooked sexual abuse allegations involving Park District lifeguards. On October 13, the Park District Board of Commissioners appointed Rosa Escareno as interim general superintendent and CEO of the Park District.

When asked about the future of the Park District Board of Commissioners, Franklin responded, “You need a super-

intendent who’s going to be able to stand up and say, no, we’re not using this public land for condominiums or private uses. It’s just a matter of the strength of the leader.”

In a statement released on October 13, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said that Escareno is “the right leader for this moment to bring confidence back into our Park District and to ensure it continues to provide crucial services to our community.”

A volunteer plants flower bulbs at Nichols park. COURTESY OF SOPHIA KANG

Professional School Outbreak Contributes to 37 New COVID-19 Cases This Week

By LAYNE FRIEDMAN | News Reporter A UChicago Forward update sent on Friday, October 22, reported 37 new cases of COVID-19, up from 15 last week.

Included in the 37 new cases this week are more than 20 professional school students who were associated with an off-campus social gathering and tested positive for COVID-19. According to the update, the University’s contact tracing

team determined that a number of the infected students engaged in in-person activities while they were symptomatic.

This week’s new cases had 193 close contacts. Fewer than five students are isolating on campus. Among off-campus students, 28 are in isolation. To date, 72 students have been cleared from isolation.

As of Friday, the total number of pos-

itive cases since September 17 is 144, for an overall positivity rate of 0.19 percent.

UChicago’s COVID-19 statistics were also presented at the October 20 Autumn Quarter Update webinar with President Paul Alivisatos, Provost Ka Yee Lee, and other University leaders. More than 92 percent of employees and 96 percent of all students are fully vaccinated. Undergraduates in on-campus housing are more than 98 percent fully vaccinated.

Further information from the webinar included that the University will continue to monitor the City of Chicago’s mask mandate and that the approach to any changes in University policy will be cautious. Unlike last year, students will return to in-person classes again after Thanksgiving, and barring substantial public health changes, the University will hold classes in person for the winter and spring quarters.

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Historic Landmark Application Launched on the 55th Anniversary of the Black Panther Party Alongside Letter of Support from IL-1st Representative Bobby Bush

By NATALIE MANLEY | News Reporter Friday, October 15th, marked 55 years since the Black Panther Party (BPP) was founded in Oakland, California, and 53 years since the late civil rights activist Fred Hampton joined the BPP’s Illinois chapter, which he later chaired. Under Hampton’s leadership, the Illinois BPP chapter set up and oversaw “survival programs,” initiatives that offered free food, clothing, and busing primarily to impoverished Black communities. At its peak, it was one of the largest BPP chapters in the country.

As part of the celebrations for the chapter’s 55th anniversary, Fred Hampton Jr. announced the launch of an official application for city historic landmark status for the “Hampton House.” The Hampton House was Fred Hampton’s childhood home in Maywood, IL, 12 miles west of downtown

Chicago, and the location of the 55-year celebration held earlier this month.

Hampton Jr. is Fred Hampton’s son and the current chairman of the Black Panther Party Cubs (BPPC). Along with his mother, Akua Njeri, and local organizations such as the Best of Proviso Township, Engaged Berwyn, and Suburban Unity Alliance, Hampton Jr. started the “Save the Hampton House” campaign, which aims to have the house recognized as a historic landmark.

The Save The Hampton House coalition filed the historic landmark application with the city of Maywood, IL, where the property is located. The application, which includes extensive information regarding the historical significance and architectural details of the house, is now pending approval from the Maywood Historic Preservation Commis-

sion.

Among supporters of the campaign are U.S. Representatives Bobby Rush (IL-1st) and Danny K. Davis (IL-7th), who wrote letters endorsing the efforts of the Save The Hampton House coalition. The campaign has also garnered support through an online petition that has received nearly 5,000 signatures to date.

According to a press release statement made by the coalition, new additions to the Hampton House are aimed at teaching both young people and adults about the legacy of Fred Hampton and his family as well as about the significance of the house in the context of the city of Maywood, Proviso Township, and American history as a whole.

In addition to the launch, the 55th anniversary celebrations also featured the unveiling and dedication of a new People’s Bench, a new version of an old bench that dozens of

Fred Hampton Jr. and his mother Akua Njeri at the 55th Black Panther Anniversary Celebration. COURTESY OF PAUL GOYETTE

famous icons and community leaders/members sat on outside the Hampton House; an official Little Free Library; an updated “Feed ‘Em All” Community Fridge; a Little Free Pantry; and a work of art that was created from the original Hampton family bench.

To Hampton Jr., support from the South Side community was integral to the success of the BPP in Chicago. “To this day, you can literally see the charge, the life, displayed [in people] with the mere mention of Chairman Fred and the Black Panther Party,” he told The Maroon in an interview. “If you go through the streets of the South Side of Chicago, people [remember] the organizing that Chairman Fred Hampton did with the help of the Rainbow Coalition.”

The formation of the so-called Rainbow Coalition—an interracial alliance with other Chicago activist groups such as the Young Lords (Puerto Ricans), the Young Patriots (White Southerners), and the Blackstone Rangers street gang—was one of the many initiatives Fred Hampton oversaw in the year he was chairman of the BPP. Though he grew up in Maywood, Hampton had an impact that extended far into the South Side and beyond. Two years after graduating from Proviso East High School, Hampton became president of the BPP’s Chicago chapter in December 1968, and chairman of the Illinois BPP chapter soon thereafter. During his tenure, Hampton oversaw a network of free medical clinics, the distribution of up to 4,000 free breakfast meals daily, and transportation programs to get people to and from prisons to visit incarcerated loved ones, all in addition to the Rainbow Coalition’s formation.

The growing power of the Illinois BPP chapter drew the attention of authorities and backlash from anti-civil rights groups.

On December 4, 1969, Hampton and BPP Defense Captain Mark Clark were assassinated by the Chicago Police Department. They were just 21 and 22 years old, respectively.

The raid-turned assassination was part of COINTELPRO, an illegal FBI operation targeting leftist political groups. Hampton’s fiancé, Akua Njeri (then Deborah Johnson), CONTINUED ON PG. 5

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“People in all walks of life, throughout the world can relate to the legacy of Fred Hampton.”

CONTINUED FROM PG. 4

was also present at the scene but was not shot at due to the fact that she was pregnant with Hampton Jr., the chairman’s only son.

Today, Hampton Jr. is fighting to keep his father’s legacy, and the legacy of the BPP, alive. For him, the recognition of the Hampton House as a historic landmark would add a great deal to the ongoing work of the BPPC and the legacy of his father.

“Chairman Fred Hampton of the Black Panther Party represents what we refer to as a ‘real model’ instead of ‘role model,’” Hampton Jr. said. “People in all walks of life throughout the world can relate to the legacy of Fred Hampton.”

The BPPC is comprised of the descendants of the original BPP members. Hampton Jr. recognizes that the BPPC is not exactly what the BPP used to be despite the fact

that many of the same issues the BPP was dealing with fifty years ago are ongoing. He attributes much of the decline in party membership, organizing energy, and support to misinformation spread about the Black Panthers. Hampton Jr. also pointed to a fear of retaliation that many former and current supporters share.

“Law enforcement, still to this day, shoots up [Hampton’s] tombstone annually like clockwork,” Hampton Jr. told The Maroon. “Chairman Fred and Mark Clark were assassinated in a way that would terrify people for generations to come, so we have to work to keep their legacy in the minds and hearts of the people.”

In order to preserve the BPP’s legacy, Hampton Jr. called on young people, in particular college students, to join the cause of the BPPC and engage with the communities

surrounding their universities. Too often, Hampton Jr. explained, students are trained in a “bubble” and learn a very subjective way of assessing the world around them.

“There’s a great divide between the students and the surrounding community,” Hampton Jr. said. “We need students. We need students to bring their skills. [To] take bourgeoisie skills and make them work in the interest of the masses,” he added, paraphrasing a quote from BPP founder Huey Newton.

As for how those interested can get involved, Hampton explained that despite all of the misinformation that circulates about the party, the Cubs “are not hard to find.”

“We’re right here at the Hampton House,” Hampton Jr. said. “Join the fight.

Join the campaign. Make sure this legacy is intact in the minds and hearts of the peo-

ple. Take advantage of the opportunities we have. We have people who are actually consistent throughout political seasons, even when [our ideology] isn’t popular. Come and see [the] coalition we’re building from the work Chairman Hampton did then to the work we’re doing now.”

To learn more about the Hampton House and how you can help, visit savethehamptonhouse.org.

To learn more about Chairman Fred Hampton and the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, check out the feature film Judas and the Black Messiah, which was made with the support of the Hampton family.

To stay up to date on the current work of the Black Panther Party Cubs, tune in to Free ‘Em All Radio with Chairman Fred Hampton Jr.

President Alivisatos, Provost Ka Yee Lee Detail Autumn Quarter Updates

By KAYLA RUBENSTEIN | News Reporter On Wednesday, university leaders hosted the Autumn Quarter Update to discuss academic plans and campus happenings. The event was held via Zoom and moderated by the Vice President of Communications Paul Rand.

President Paul Alivisatos began his speech by acknowledging the impact the pandemic has had on the University and the South Side. Alivisatos celebrated the University’s history, noting the tenth anniversary of the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and the 75th anniversary of the Argonne National Laboratory before introducing future projects, including a new graduate student lounge in the bookstore and academic advising center.

Included in the list of recent constructions is the new student wellness center, which opened last autumn. “I want to emphasize how important it is for all of us to think hard about student wellness and to try to support the well-being of our students in all different dimensions, including their mental health,” Alivisatos said.

Building on his plan to engage with the community, Alivisatos emphasized the im-

portance of listening.

“I want to be part of a conversation with you in the coming time, but what I have heard in all my visits so far is that there’s a yearning for this deep University of Chicago scholarship to also become more engaged with the complex challenges that face the city, the country, and the world,” Alivisatos said.

Provost Ka Yee Lee spoke next, highlighting how UChicago has adapted its COVID-19 strategy this year. Lee highlighted instructors’ and students’ positive feedback about the new preventative measures and praised the interdisciplinary ways in which UChicago’s research labs have contributed to curbing the impacts of the pandemic.

Last June, the administration designated Juneteenth an official University holiday, a landmark decision on which Lee elaborated.

“A wide range of events and discussions will once again take place across the University to commemorate Juneteenth and designating it as a University holiday is an important step as we continue our necessary work to strengthen our community to diversity and inclusion,” Lee said.

Lee finished her talk by recognizing

staff members’ hard work. Lee explained the permanent benefits of winter recess and explained that staff members will receive paid time off between Christmas and New Year’s Day and should expect to receive more information soon.

Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff to the President Katie Callow-Wright spoke next, providing a COVID-19 update.

Callow-Wright explained how experts at UChicago Medicine provided input on health precautions, available at goforward.

UChicago.edu.

Callow-Wright shared statistics on the campus vaccination rate, detailing how more than 96 percent of students are fully vaccinated, including more than 98 percent of all undergraduate students who live in residence halls. More than 92 percent of all employees are vaccinated, with an even higher percentage of instructors vaccinated.

Fewer than five students in residence halls have had to isolate at any one time, though the University currently plans to maintain the mask mandate. “It’s been heartening to see the widespread cooperation with this [mask] requirement,” Callow-Wright said. “I know it’s not easy, but it’s an important layer of protection.”

Concluding the speakers, Associate Vice President for Safety and Security Eric Heath introduced safety resources for the 2021-22 academic year.

These tools include free Lyft rides offered Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. In the three weeks since the program’s launch on September 29 over 50% of students have opted in and more than 9300 rides have been taken.

The University is also offering safety escorts for students who live off campus and within UCPD’s patrol area and an expanded shuttle system.

Rand ended with a Q&A session. Callow-Wright addressed the unlikeliness of dropping the mask mandate in the near future; Heath detailed the UCPD patrol area; and Yee explained how there will be no remote class option after Thanksgiving.

Alivisatos closed the Q&A by discussing the possibility of adding more library space and responding to a question about the University’s commitment to climate change and reduced emissions.

“I think we have a number of really good programs, but I think we can do more if we have a more concerted and strategic effort.

So stay tuned,” Alivisatos said.

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“This event is about reminding us of our institutional memory.”

By MICHAEL McCLURE | Senior News Reporter Activists from Graduate Students United (GSU) and members of the University community gathered for a rally outside Levi Hall on Tuesday, October 19, to commemorate four years since the group’s vote to unionize.

“This event is about reminding us of our institutional memory,” GSU co-president and department organizer Michael Stablein Jr. told The Maroon.

Speakers at the rally reiterated their promise to withhold the Student Services Fee (SSF), a quarterly cost issued to graduate students by the University.

During the event, attendees also recited chants in support of unionization, GSU’s long-awaited recognition by the University, and the abolition of the University of Chicago Police Department.

“We’re here to reaffirm our commitment to not giving away our paychecks, to not giving up to Student Services Fees one more time for services that we do not receive, that we certainly did not receive during the pandemic. [It’s] a certain amount of money that the University feels it must have even though it has an $8 billion endowment that took no hit during the pandemic,” Stablein said at the beginning of the rally.

Much of the activism led by GSU in recent years has centered on the SSF, which this year totals $432 in the fall, winter, and spring quarters and $331 in the summer quarter. According to the Office of the University Bursar, the SSF helps finance “the many services dedicated to enhancing the quality of student life and campus activities,” which include support services like UChicago Student Wellness and Student Disability Services and extracurricular programming like Undergraduate Student Government and Graduate Council.

In an interview with The Maroon ahead of the rally, GSU communications secretary Laura Colaneri called the SSF “a garnish on people’s wages.”

“We know that [the SSF] is fundamentally unfair, but it’s especially unfair during a pandemic when people are dealing with lost…work or when people are dealing with the fact that they can’t access those services,” she said.

Stablein said that he had been with-

holding the SSF since the fall of 2020, when he was at home attending classes via Zoom.

“Today, I’m pretty angry, but I’m also proud. I’m angry because a month ago, the University decided the $1,500 that I was withholding, the $1,500 that they call the Student Services Fee [and] that I call my paycheck, that $1,500 was just too much money to lose,” Stablein told the crowd, citing an email he received the previous month from Shea Wolfe, dean of students in the Division of the Humanities, threatening to reallocate his teaching and withhold his paycheck if he did not pay the fee.

Computer science and statistics professor Yali Amit spoke next, emphasizing the importance of graduate research assistants (RAs) and teaching assistants (TAs) to faculty members and discussing the administration’s rocky relationship with GSU. “This University wouldn’t be able to do anything without your work,” Amit said, addressing the graduate students in attendance.

“Knowing my colleagues in the experimental sciences, none of the labs would work without RA work. They [would] just collapse. But beyond the TA and the RA, the whole intellectual environment would collapse without young minds coming and fertilizing this place.”

Despite the unionization vote passing in 2017, the University continued not to recognize GSU. By that point, Donald Trump had become the U.S. president, and during his tenure, the National Labor Relations Board attempted to overturn the pro-union ruling made under Barack Obama’s presidential administration, though it did not succeed.

“Rather than recognizing the free expression, the voice, the free speech, the democratic vote of their graduate workers, [the University] decided to contest it when they knew that we had a negative legal landscape to contend with,” Colaneri said.

Activists from #CareNotCops and National Nurses United (NNU) also spoke at the rally and outlined the goals they share with GSU. “We demand that the University be controlled by the workers, neighbors, and

students who make up the fabric of this community and not by the billionaire war profiteers on the Board of Trustees who are responsible for countless instances of violence and exploitation across the world,” #CareNotCops organizer Sophie Plotkin, a fourth-year undergraduate student, said at the rally.

“The University of Chicago is willing to steal millions of dollars from nurses and healthcare workers and other workers across campus,” NNU member John Hieronymus said.

“We have to keep up the fight, and we’re going to keep supporting your fight for your recognition and to take our workplace back and our community back…. We’re going to do that with direct action, strikes, solidarity, and mutual aid,” Hieronymus announced to resounding cheers before the attendees erupted into a chant of “Who’s got the

power? We got the power!/ What kind of power? Union power!”

According to Amit, University President Paul Alivisatos was dismissive when GSU sent him a letter requesting a meeting. Alivisatos was previously the executive vice chancellor and provost at the University of California, Berkeley, a school with a decades-long history of graduate worker unionization. Colaneri cited Harvard University, New York University, and Columbia University as institutions that have recognized their graduate worker unions in recent years.

“Our peers are recognizing their graduate unions, and they’re negotiating contracts in good faith, whereas we’ve had an upward struggle here because of the obstinacy of administrators,” she said.

“So, we’re out here commemorating that and saying, ‘We’re not going away. You haven’t taken the wind out of our sails.’”

Activists from a number of groups spoke at the rally.

COURTESY OF ANDREW GOLDBLATT

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New Study Shows How Parental Beliefs and Socioeconomic Status Impact Early Childhood Outcomes

By NOAH GLASGOW | News Reporter A new study shows that parents in low-income families are less likely to believe that an early investment in childhood interactions, such as taking turns and communicating directly, will yield long-term benefits. The research, led by the University’s Center for Early Learning and Public Health, was published on October 1 in Nature Communications.

The cross-disciplinary study, conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine and Economics Departments, has found that these divides in parental beliefs across socioeconomic status play an important role in early childhood development.

“We show that parental beliefs about the impact of their investments in child development are an important determinant in shaping early childhood trajectories,” explains Julie Pernaudet, a University economist and one of the paper’s three authors.

Through field experiments, researchers looked at parental beliefs about child development in families from medically “underserved, underinsured, or uninsured” communities in the Chicago area. Researchers shared a curriculum with parents known as the

“3Ts”: Tuning in, Talking more, and Taking turns. Originally developed by the Center for Early Learning, this straightforward approach helps parents engage directly with their children in a way that is scientifically proven to promote healthy development.

The aim of both field experiments was to determine whether efforts to educate parents on child development could benefit early childhood skills. In the first of two experiments, families with newborns were shown four educational videos about child development over the course of six months. In the second experiment, researchers visited the homes of families with children around two years of age and provided parents with lessons on child development. Each family in the second, more intensive experiment received 12 hourlong visits spanning six months.

Results show that these evidence-based interventions can change parental beliefs about child development. As these perceptions evolved throughout the educational periods of the field experiments, researchers observed that the children improved in early markers of child aptitude. “We find that with the most intensive pro-

gram, we improve child outcomes on a broad range of skills: math, vocabulary, social-emotional health,” said Pernaudet.

Besides academic and emotional communication, researchers also noticed a pattern across socioeconomic lines. “The beliefs that parents have about the efficacy of their investments are very disparate,” explains John List, a research economist on the paper and co-chair of the Center for Early Learning.

According to List, making sure that more parents understand the benefits of early childhood investment is crucial to closing the socioeconomic opportunity gap and giving every child a fair chance.

“What I think this research really informs is how we need to change things at the systems level standpoint,” argues physician Dana Suskind, the paper’s third author and co-chair of the Center for Early Learning.

Suskind warns that the paper shouldn’t be read as a reflection on the behavior of individual parents, but rather as a look into a systemic failure to educate parents about their children’s development.

By bolstering the resources available to pediatricians, information about childhood development could become

easier to disseminate. “This research really calls for us to reimagine how society can better support families. We need a systemic way to share this information with parents,” maintains Suskind.

At the same time, the amount of time that parents can invest into their children is limited by socioeconomic status. Suskind points out that the United States is the only country in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that doesn’t offer paid parental leave. Even families concerned about spending time with their children are hindered by institutional factors that can only be addressed at the political level.

Ultimately, Suskind notes that this study is about figuring out how to give parents the tools and information they need to provide their children with the best possible start to life. Scientists and pediatricians have the power to radically change early childhood trajectories, but only if they change parental beliefs first.

“In the program, we have this formula, we say: ‘Babies are not born smart.

They become smart.’” But even more importantly, Pernaudet explains, “Parents are not born parents. They become parents.”

VIEWPOINTS

From (Resident) Head to Toe Resident heads are crucial to creating inclusive, supportive communities that give us the tools to succeed in our professional or academic futures.

By LUKE CONTRERAS At this point, googling my name yields a result with the subtext: “Luke Contreras. 2024 Class. CONTRIBUTIONS. A Multistory Failure…” The

latter part of the text is the title of my recent column lamenting the coldness of UChicago’s flashy mega-dorms. I always read those words—“A Multistory Failure”—and smile. However, I stop and consider a line towards the end of

the piece that says, “The new residence halls have the potential to serve their purposes quite well.” Is it true?

I am fortunate that my experience with UChicago’s unique residential structure, especially last year, has been

positive. In an unprecedented year affected by the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I formed meaningful connections with my house members that continue to this day. In discussions CONTINUED ON PG. 8

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“Eating meals with residents, holding house meetings, and occasionally sending out emails are the bare minimum in achieving this type of environment. They must initiate sincere interactions with their students daily, listening to and advising them.”

CONTINUED FROM PG. 7

with students who also ended last year with a net positive experience, I found one thing in common: They praised the work of their resident heads, who worked tirelessly to build a house community despite the remote format. In the absence of normal in-person meetings and gatherings, the role of the resident head proved to be the determining factor in whether residents connected with each other. They started conversations with their residents and engaged them in dialogue that resembled that of colleagues.

Our resident heads are the key not just to achieving UChicago’s vision for residential com-

munities, but also to helping us navigate our emergence into the professional world.

What differentiates UChicago’s resident heads from typical residence hall directors is their closeness to students.

This is not just an “unspoken” idea, either–the University explains that “few University faculty or staff positions have closer involvement in the lives of College students than the resident head,” and the role is described as “a demanding job” that requires “genuine enjoyment of students.” The University uses this language to emphasize that they are to go beyond just planning house events or enforcing rules. On

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a yearly basis, resident heads must cultivate a house community among new and existing members. Eating meals with residents, holding house meetings, and occasionally sending out emails are the bare minimum in achieving this type of environment. They must initiate sincere interactions with their students daily, listening to and advising them.

Without proper mentorship, it can be hard for students to understand how to interact in the real world. College happens during our transition out of adolescence, a time when we start becoming more comfortable with the idea of being an adult. Coming into college is especially daunting for first years, as (except for their housemates) they primarily share space with individuals older and more experienced.

Many people believe that resident heads serve—first and foremost—to prevent students from making poor decisions and ensure adherence to University policy. I believe their role should be more active than this. Without parents or older guardians around, the only adults that students can rely on in the dorms are resident heads. Through daily, sometimes even trivial, conversations, students can become more comfortable interacting with individuals much older than them. Resident heads should treat their residents with the same respect that they might a colleague. This idea is not rooted in any sense of entitlement on the student’s part; rather, it can teach them how to address their own colleagues in the future.

It is also important to understand that there are even

more pressing issues facing students. Across the country, colleges are now enrolling a generation of students who experience high levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. With these being widespread among college students, the generation is experiencing a mental health epidemic. The pandemic exacerbated the crisis by isolating us and sending some into personal crises of their own in terms of their families, relationships, or finances. Resident heads should be a student’s first point of contact in accessing a more extensive network of support at the University when it comes to mental health. Without their guidance, it could be hard to navigate the confusing options available to students.

Lastly, with everyone living in such close proximity, it is important that they connect residents to each other so that a house community can begin to form. House events certainly build a sense of comradery, but approaching students more openly and informally can foster more natural connections between them. Living with a group of people who are inclusive and supportive of each other is a crucial aspect to the college experience. Resident heads can and should prioritize developing this type of environment.

While I have spoken to students who praise their houses, I have also heard the complaints of those who did not experience any house culture, did not connect with their housemates, or hardly saw their resident heads. This is the saddest reality of residence life–that some students are forgotten in a residential system that is

designed to support and educate them amid the rigorous UChicago experience. Every resident head needs to reflect on the house community that they have created, how available or approachable they are to students, and their general presence in the house. In addition to reading their yearly feedback surveys, they should have open conversations with their students to understand what they need to improve and ways that they already succeed as resident heads. The position is not at all a job one should take lightly. Resident heads are not our friends nor our disciplinarians but are often the only adults in which students can confide for more personal help and support.

Taking these steps can prevent residence life at UChicago from being reduced to “A Multistory Failure.”

I recognize that the University’s search for candidates is thorough and comprehensive, which is why I want to highlight how important they are to a UChicago student’s journey through college and beyond. While the job of resident head can be disciplinary, their role should also be educational. UChicago has one of the best-suited residential systems to help transition its students from their high school years to adult life, and resident eads are the most important avenue through which the University can accomplish this goal.

Luke Contreras is a second-year in the College.

THE CHICAGO MAROON — OCTOBER 27, 2021

9

ARTS The New Pop Star Archetype Performs in PJs

By NOOR ZALT | Arts Reporter Remi Wolf loves a good headpiece. She doesn’t discriminate, sporting all headwear from baseball caps to bedazzled helmets, wonderfully bizarre accessories nestled in her voluminous curls. I was, therefore, somewhat disappointed when she emerged on stage at Lincoln Hall this past Monday in just a standard ponytail.

But my disappointment was quickly rectified when I noticed Wolf’s performance attire: a Grumpy Dwarf tie-dye t-shirt and plaid pajama pants. Her outfit—in conjunction with her Raggedy Anne–style makeup and massive, pink, plastic glasses—reassured me that the Remi Wolf aesthetic is as happy and healthy as ever. Wolf’s casual dress was perfectly compatible with the approachable tone of her concert; I wondered if I was witnessing the birth of a new pop star archetype.

I am not your hipster music connoisseur—I’ve never “discovered” an artist—so how did “Sauce” and “Guy” weasel their way into my daily rotation? Wolf inconspicuously pulled up a seat at the table of mainstream pop culture thanks to a TikTok audio—a unique form of sound that has no singular corresponding face attached to it, but rather infinite random ones.

The nature of a TikTok audio facilitates the rise of a novel, deeply refreshing type of pop star: one uncontaminated, at least seemingly, by the discriminatory industry they exist in. The music industry’s female icons famously fit a certain archetype—Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, and Olivia Rodrigo come to mind—and the industry rejects

and impedes anyone who doesn’t fit their ideal image. The facelessness of the TikTok audio, then, seizes that control from the industry, launching artists into celebrity status before executives and the public have a chance to criticize the appearance of the singer.

Remi Wolf, with feathers protruding from her scalp and tie-dye oozing from her pores, might not have enjoyed the rapid growth that she did, had it not been for archetypical individuals serving as vehicles for her success. Pretty-privilege beneficiaries, such as Charli and Dixie D’Amelio and Addison Rae, attached their faces and followings, even just momentarily, to her music, creating widespread traction. Wolf’s stardom launched entirely detached from her appearance, and thus we have been blessed with the trailblazing, off-brand pop star.

The facelessness of Wolf’s rise to status didn’t, however, inhibit her from fostering a deep connection with her fanbase, the “Rem Jobs.” If anything, Wolf’s unorthodox rise to fame encouraged more meaningful relationships, as her cult following emerged from a shared passion for her lyrics rather than an affinity for her aesthetic.

The massive impact Wolf’s music had on its fans is unsurprising considering its vulnerability. Her single “Liquor Store,” released during the pandemic, is melodic therapy: a two-minute and fifty-two-second snippet of the emotional rollercoaster that was Wolf’s battle with alcoholism. Whether listeners personally understand her pain

or just appreciate the opportunity to feel close with someone during isolation, the bond fostered between Wolf and her supporters is uniquely powerful.

That’s not to say that Wolf didn’t wish she could establish a physical relationship with her fans. While her career showcases the strength of social media–derived connections, Wolf longed to break down the virtual walls and finally share a physical space with her listeners. This desire was entirely evident in her Lincoln Hall perfor-

squatted down, existing in and for the moment, appreciating its magnitude. In an attempt to replicate the experience for all 300 of us, Wolf requested a synchronized breath. On the count of three, the crowd exhaled in unison, beginning to dissolve the chronic fear of shared air.

Wolf sets a precedent: the pop icon of the future doesn’t just physically express themself as they please but is also unapologetically raw and intuitive with their audience’s needs. In her final song of the night,

Remi Wolf on the cover of her newest album, Juno. COURTESY OF ISLAND RECORDS mance: Wolf treated the togetherness with the utmost respect and humility. Mid-show, the singer let a teary-eyed girl clutch herhand. Affirming her consent for physical touch after a year of self-retraction, Wolf

Wolf accepted a cow-print cowboy hat from a fan. The plastic rim sat naturally in the valley of her curls, and as she whipped her head around to vogue at the audience, I saw normalcy in our midst.

Little Fires Everywhere

By WAHID AL MAMUN | Arts Reporter In a week that saw the announcement of both the Nobel Prize in Literature and the 2021 National Book Award finalists, the biggest story from the literary scene turned out to be about a kidney donation gone awry. “Who is the Bad Art Friend?” is the sort of exposé that resists a handy sum-

mary (Gawker had pretty good one though) and needs to be read in its entirety for you to have an opinion on it. However, in highly reductive terms, it starts with an underwhelming public announcement of a kidney donation (“do writers not care about my kidney donation?”), after which a combination

of parasocial friend dynamics, private shittalking, and credible allegations of literary plagiarism culminate in an ongoing legal battle that saw a private Facebook chat receive a subpoena.

In a sense, one does not encounter “Bad Art Friend” so much as one is made rudely aware of its existence. I received three texts from three separate friends from around the

world within a five-minute window on a Wednesday evening beseeching me to share my thoughts on just who the Bad Art Friend was. I can safely assume that my experience was hardly unique. To many, the heart of the issue is: who was right? Who was wrong? I do not want to speak too much on this, because there seems to be a general consensus CONTINUED ON PG. 10

THE CHICAGO MAROON — OCTOBER 27, 2021

10

What writers of color may regard as "influence" is often reframed in white critique as outright left.

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that everyone in this story comes out of it with egg on their face. Dawn Dorland comes across as needy and sociopathic, whereas Sonya Larson and her circle of writer friends come across as callous, catty mean girls.

However, what intrigues me is how race is leveraged so deftly throughout the story and how it pervades our readerly consciousness so deeply that it can elevate petty group chat drama into a buzzy, cultural touchpoint. Crucially, I think the think piece-industrial complex misses this point; Liz Bruenig of The Atlantic, for instance, tamely sums Dorland as “the patron saint of this god-awful, morally incomprehensible social-media age.” In an otherwise excellent literary analysis in the New Yorker, Katy Waldman argues that Larson’s “dull critique of racism” is overshadowed by its technical inability to sublimate contempt for Dorland, which casts an unpleasant pall over the story. All of these think pieces, in short, speak around the issue of how subtle maneuvers of race—in particular whiteness—muddy the lines of friendship, legality, and fiction.

None of this is to say that race is invisible in Robert Kolker’s original story. The piece’s core, after all, is “The Kindest,” a short story written by Larson in 2017 that deals with, among other things, the performativity of the white savior complex. Larson was drawn to the language of such a gesture: she notes, “[writers] get inspired with language, we play with language, and we add to it and change it and recontextualize it.” Herein lies the legal drama that animates the story—the word-for-word lifting of Dorland’s letter about her kidney donation. On the one hand, Larson—who is mixed-race—reveals how her positionality and upbringing has exposed her to how “what [people] say [about race] can be at odds with how they feel.” In this sense, taking from real life becomes expedient and even necessary to tell the story at hand. Indeed, sympathizers with Larson would state that she is guilty at most of being sloppy with her “lifting,” and that, even then, at least she tried to mask it up by significantly revising the letter in question.

On the other hand, there is ample room to sympathize with Dorland—the women from the Chunky Monkeys writing group, who she thought were her dear friends, were

viciously shit-talking her behind her back.

To a certain type of reader (myself included), Dorland’s troubles read like an uncomfortable parable of the postures and anxieties of modern adult friendship. As it is, she also has somewhat firm legal terrain to stand on, since her letter was published verbatim in a 2016 audiobook version of the story. Institutions such as the Boston Book Festival agree, having pulled a reading of Larson’s story from the program, while also arguing that they had grounds to sue Larson for violating the Copyright Act. Such a claim is supported by the fact that Larson seems contrite about being the titular “bad art friend”—in a private communication with her friends, she writes: “I’ve tried to change it but I can’t seem to—that letter was just too damn good. I’m not sure what to do … feeling morally compromised/like a good artist but a shitty person.”

To me, these concerns cannot be decoupled from matters of race and whiteness. In this fascinating article for the Los Angeles Review of Books, Gina Apostol argues that writers of color in America have historically faced accusations of plagiarism from white writers for mimicking and subverting existing pieces of literature in their works. What writers of color may regard as “influence” is often reframed in white critique as outright theft.

(This, of course, doesn’t even begin to look at how the words of writers, thinkers, and researchers of color have also often been appropriated by white writers without the commensurate legal consequence.)

Fiction, then, becomes just as important an institution as the law to adjudicate on fact. In Apostol’s view, literary critique can often be dogged by a frustrating inability to see beyond a flattened plane of whiteness.

And no matter how justified her claims for plagiarism may be, Dorland’s insistent

Dawn Dorland (left) and Sonya Larson (right).

COURTESY OF KHOLOOD EID FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Yet at what point can we legislate between fact and fiction? From a legal standpoint, Kolker argues that Larson’s insistent acknowledgement of Dorland’s letter as a source of “inspiration” may paradoxically help her make a strong case against Dorland’s accusation. So where, then, do we draw the lines between fact, inspiration, and fiction? Who gets to ask these questions?

self-centered reading of “The Kindest” speaks to something similar. As much as she can legislate over the specific letter she had written, Dorland’s aggressive push for copyright infringement underscores an insistence that the entire story is about her— as Larson dryly remarks, Dorland does not “own” kidney donation. Crucially, the legal case also informs how we talk at present

about Larson’s original story—we fixate on Rose, the story’s white-savior character, and speak less about how Chuntao (the story’s Asian-American kidney recipient) navigates the icky interpersonal dynamics of the white savior complex. As Kolker himself notes, “The Kindest” is a “rope-a-dope” that resists our readerly expectations of giving Chuntao a redemption arc via Rose, the white savior.

Why, then, did “Bad Art Friend” go viral? Perhaps to many, Dorland’s response, though extremely over-the-top, was a justified middle finger to a cabal of mean writers who were actively gatekeeping institutional power within the Boston literary community. To me, however, there is something insidious in how swiftly Dorland could leverage her self-centered reading of Larson’s entire story to activate both legal counsel and viral media attention. Ironically, Dorland’s response to the story comes across as a realization of Rose’s obnoxiousness in real life.

No wonder Dorland’s pitch must have been a gold mine for Kolker. And yet its circulation seems proof of how whiteness has continually informed art, critique, and the law itself.

Writer Celeste Ng—herself a member of the Chunky Monkeys—revealed on Twitter that Dorland had gotten ahold of Larson’s number and repeatedly harassed her as the legal situation was unfolding. If true, this reveals the dark underbelly of the vanguard of white victimhood Dorland is claiming—one that has deeply uncomfortable resonances with historical instances of the court using white woman tears to enact violence against persons of color.

Not that Larson and Co. will truly face the same sort of violence in the face of law.

It cannot be understated the extent to which their actions did, in fact, bring harm to Dorland, no matter how much Larson dresses this up as “honoring another’s artistic freedom.” And, as Ng has noted, perhaps the true harm of the virality of “Bad Art Friend” comes in how Kolker puts this flaming garbage-heap of a story on public display. What do we take from this? Perhaps nothing but the ramshackle remnants of a house burst into glorious flame, in the name of “discourse.” As Jenny Zhang remarks for Gawker, perhaps the biggest takeaway from “Bad Art Friend” is that writers are simply annoying.

THE CHICAGO MAROON — OCTOBER 27, 2021

11

SPORTS The Best Is To Come: White Sox Season in Review

By DHEERAJ DEVARAJAN | Sports Reporter September 23, 2021. Cleveland, OH. The Chicago White Sox have just lost the second game of a doubleheader against their division rival, the Cleveland Indians, but they remain on the field late into the night, celebrating as though they’ve just won the World Series. “After a loss?” an uneducated viewer might inquire, but what they do not know is that this is a historic day for the Southsiders; the White Sox have just secured their first American League Central division title in 13 years. The widest smile of the day beamed across the face of club legend, All-Star and MVP first baseman José Abreu, who has suffered in the purgatory of losing teams since arriving to the White Sox from Cuba in 2013. The feelings of relief and happiness were mirrored on the faces of loyal White Sox fans across the country, and it is that feeling of optimism and hope that the White Sox must carry into their 2022 season despite the disappointing end to this season.

Yes, I know. Getting dominated by the Houston Astros is possibly the worst way the season could have ended. But those Houston Astros are now heading to their third World Series in five years, and the White Sox are a relatively young team whose playoff experience simply did not match up to the battle-hardened Astros ballclub. Letting that loss loom over our heads as fans will not result in anything positive. Instead, let’s look back at the positives of this season and how the team can get closer to competing for a pennant and a World Series championship in 2022.

The greatest positive on the Chicago White Sox in 2021 was their starting pitching. Lance Lynn, Carlos Rodón, Lucas Giolito, and Dylan Cease were all excellent, posting earned run averages (ERAs) of under four, with All-Stars Rodón and Lynn ultimately posting subthree ERAs and possibly being the two best starters in the American League.

Cease had a breakout year, finishing top 10 in strikeouts in the MLB. Although Giolito, who was regarded as the leader

of the rotation coming into the year, was disappointing in the first half of the season, he excelled after the All-Star break with a measly ERA of 2.65. The sole disappointment in the rotation was former Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel, who had the highest ERA and walks and hits per inning pitched (WHIP) among starting pitchers in the American League and was ultimately left off of the playoff roster in place of relievers Reynaldo López and Ryan Burr. Looking forward to 2022, Lynn—who signed a two-year extension during the season—Giolito, and Cease will all return, with Rodón heading into free agency with an asking price that is unlikely to be matched by the White Sox. The team should look to dump Keuchel’s $18.5 million salary in 2022 by trading him along with a mid-level prospect, and with Michael Kopech likely moving into the starting rotation next year, general manager Rick Hahn should look to sign a left-handed starter in free agency, with someone like Alex Wood or Wade Miley being the main target.

Chicago’s relief pitching can be characterized as largely inconsistent. Closer Liam Hendriks, who was signed to a three-year, $54 million contract in the 2021 offseason, was outstanding, being named to the All-Star team with a 113/7 strikeout-to-walk ratio, a 2.54 ERA, and a 0.73 WHIP. López, who returned from injury, and midseason acquisition Ryan Tepera were also largely impressive, but apart from them, no one really stood out. Garrett Crochet, Kopech, and Burr showed flashes of their ability but struggled with consistency, and Aaron Bummer and José Ruiz were average at best.

The largest disappointment of the lot was likely future Hall-of-Fame closer Craig Kimbrel, who was acquired from the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline in exchange for Nick Madrigal and Codi Heuer. Kimbrel was outstanding for the Cubs, with 23 saves and just two earned runs in over 35 innings of action. It was expected that with Kimbrel and Hendriks, the White Sox would have one of

the most lethal one-two punches from the bullpen in league history and essentially make it a seven-inning game for the opponent in the postseason. However, Kimbrel regressed unimaginably, converting just one of his four save opportunities and giving up 13 earned runs in 23 innings in the second half of the season.

A part of the blame for his performance must go to manager Tony La Russa, who never seemed to figure out how to handle having the two best closers in the game in his bullpen. Still, that does not and cannot excuse Kimbrel’s dismal performance. Hahn has made a plethora of franchise-altering moves in his reign as general manager of the White Sox, but this one must go down as a miss. Kimbrel will likely be traded in the offseason, and with Kopech probably moving into the starting rotation, Ryan Tepera must be re-signed before he hits free agency, and another reliable reliever or two must be added to bolster the bullpen.

On the offensive side, the White Sox had quite the tumultuous season in 2021.

Outfielders Eloy Jiménez and Luis Robert and catcher Yasmani Grandal, who are all arguably amongst the best players in the MLB at their respective positions, missed a large chunk of the season due to injuries. However, while healthy, Robert and Grandal were both outstanding and were No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in both getting on base and slugging percentage on the team. Jiménez, on the other hand, was largely a letdown, but it doesn’t feel like his struggles will last for long with the talent he has shown in the majors.

Shortstop Tim Anderson is the heart and soul of the Chicago White Sox and had another excellent offensive season with a batting average above .300, 17 home runs, and 18 stolen bases; he is also showing signs of improvement on defense.

In contrast, Abreu was not quite able to live up to his 2020 MVP–winning season, but he still led the team in home runs with 30, and he was one of the best run producers in the major leagues with 117 runs batted in (RBI). After losing Madrigal temporarily to injury and then permanently in the Kimbrel trade, the White

Sox traded for César Hernández, who was having a very impressive power-hitting season for the Cleveland Indians. However, Hernández was very disappointing for the White Sox, hitting just three home runs and seven extra base hits in 194 atbats for Chicago. The final pieces of the offense were rookies Andrew Vaughn and Gavin Sheets, who either filled in at right field or first base or played as designated hitters. While Vaughn impressed at the start of the season and waned towards the end, Sheets was highly impressive throughout, with 11 home runs in just 54 games, highlighted by a walk-off long ball against José Berrios and the Minnesota Twins at the bottom of the seventh inning in the second game of a doubleheader. Looking forward, the White Sox have Anderson, Robert, Jiménez, third baseman Yoán Moncada, Vaughn, and Sheets all under team control for at least three more seasons. The only major holes on the team lie at second base and in right field. The team should look to pursue a left-handed hitter at one of the two positions as their first priority, as neither right fielder Brian Goodwin nor Hernández seemed to be reliable. Michael Conforto would be my first choice to play in the outfield, and in an ideal world, either Marcus Semien or Chris Taylor would be accompanying Tim Anderson in the infield in 2022, but it is highly unlikely that the White Sox will be able to fulfill both of their needs to this extent on a long-term basis.

As Hahn, La Russa, and team owner Jerry Reinsdorf look forward to 2022, they must be both ambitious and ruthless. They have shown signs of both of these characteristics, spending more in free agency in the last couple of years than they have at any point in their history, but if the Chicago White Sox have to contend for a World Series, that trend must continue. This franchise is set up for long-term success, but in an improving Central division and an American League consisting of highly capable outfits headlined by the Astros, there is no room for complacency. A critical offseason awaits.

THE CHICAGO MAROON — OCTOBER 27, 2021

12

Alden Hits Marks for Rebounding Volleyball Team

By BLAIR PENN | Sports Reporter The women’s volleyball team is off to a solid start this year, achieving a hardfought overall record of 14–8 despite a new coach and only four returning upperclassmen.

The team is achieving this winning record with 14 players who have never played a game of collegiate volleyball. “[This] season has been a year of learning and adjusting,” fourth-year Temilade Adekoya said.

The team competes in the University Athletic Association (UAA) conference, which may be considered the toughest DIII conference in the nation. It pits UChicago against schools such as Emory and NYU, making no game an easy feat.

Of the eight teams in the conference, four schools have been ranked in the national Top 25, including the Maroons, who currently sit at No. 22.

A grounding force on the UChicago volleyball team throughout this season has been third-year middle blocker Ellie Alden. She is a tremendous offensive and defensive presence for the team; she averages a .356 hitting percentage and in 2019 recorded the fifth-best season by hitting percentage in school history.

On September 7, Alden was named

UAA Athlete of the Week after she played a vital role in the shutdown of No. 18 College of Saint Benedict. That week, she averaged an impressive .410 hitting percentage and 2.55 kills per set. She also made an impact defensively with 1.09 blocks per set.

Alden went on to win UAA Athlete of the Week again on September 13 and once more on October 11. Adekoya said a big part of Alden’s game is her heart-overheight mentality. “She does not get fazed by any size hitter considering she’s not the tallest middle in the game,” Adekoya said. “Alden embraces any challenge she’s faced with.”

In her own estimation, Alden was not a star player from day one. She said as a first-year that she merely “bee-bopped around” and had “little responsibility besides carrying the cooler around to away matches.” Alden’s hard work and intense summers of lifting, playing in open gyms, and competing with the UCLA beach volleyball team (of which her sister is a member) clearly paid off.

“It’s always a joy to see her run on the court with a vibrant smile on her face whether we are winning or losing,” Adekoya said when asked what it’s like to play

Upcoming Games SPORT

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Grinnell

Sat. Oct 30

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UAA Championship

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Case Western

Fri. Oct 29

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Men’s Soccer

Carnegie Mellon

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Case Western

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Carnegie Mellon

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Men’s Basketball

Hope (Scrimmage)

Fri. Oct 29

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WashU

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Aurora

Sat. Oct 30

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Third-year Ellie Alden has collected multiple Athlete of the Week honors from the UAA conference for her on-court contributions. COURTESY OF UCHICAGO ATHLETICS with Alden. “Everyone should look to her as an example.”

Regardless of whether Alden was “bee-bopping” around as a first-year or winning UAA honors as a third-year, her love for the team has stayed consistent.

Adekoya said it is so evident that Alden “cherishes this team and how everyone feels so much, and that empowers us and her to play to our best capabilities.”

Alden has also greatly valued her experience on the UChicago volleyball team.

She said, “Volleyball is fun, but it’s really the people that make this a super unique and special place…. We have a lot of inside jokes, play a lot of pranks, and dance quite a bit!”

Alden isn’t just an amazing volleyball player; she is also a valued teammate

and friend. Adekoya described Alden as a “multifaceted player and person” who is both a “silly [and] goofy part of the team” and someone who is “disciplined and absolutely loves to compete.”

Mallory Brodnik, a third-year on UChicago’s women’s basketball team, has been close friends with Alden since first-year and said that Alden’s “sense of self and her confidence in who she is has grown immensely.” Brodnick added that Alden “has the biggest heart and smile!

She is so caring and thoughtful and always there whether I need a laugh or cry!”

The Maroons will continue to take their cues from Alden on and off the court as the volleyball team seeks to make a run at the UAA title and then, hopefully, the NCAA postseason.