Chicagomaroon101717

OCTOBER 17, 2017

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THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892

ESULTS OF POST–COLUMBIA GRAD

VOL. 129, ISSUE 7

Grad Students Head to Polls for Union Vote

UNIONIZATION ELECTIONS

THE NEW SCHOOL (~100% FOR)

Polls will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 17–18

Jul. 13, 2017. 56% (504) counted.

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY (84% FOR) Apr. 10, 2017. 34% (252) counted.

BRANDEIS (72% FOR) May 2, 2016. 78% (122) counted.

COLUMBIA (72% FOR) Jan. 27, 2016. 67% (2,225) counted.

YALE (69% FOR, COMBINED*) Feb. 23, 2017. 88% (228) counted.

LOYOLA CHICAGO (59% FOR) Dec. 9, 2016. 57% (210) counted.

TUFTS (61% FOR) May 18, 2017. 79% (213) counted.

BOSTON COLLEGE (55% FOR) Sep. 13, 2017. 66% (494) counted.

Feng Ye

Gathering outside Levi Hall on October 16, a rally crowd shouts yes to GSU.

CORNELL (48% FOR) Mar. 29, 2016. 80% (1,775) counted.

HARVARD** (47% FOR)

This article is by TYRONE LOMAX, DEEPTI SAILAPPAN, and SPENCER DEMBNER.

Dec. 22, 2016. 86% (2,728) counted.

DUKE (37% FOR) Feb. 24, 2017. 69% (1,089) counted.

SAMPLE UNIVERSITY FOR UNION

AGAINST UNION

Date of tallying. Percent (num.) of eligible voters casting unchallenged ballots.

Unionization effort successful.

On appeal / result disputed.

Unionization effort failed.

Numbers from NLRB tallies except for Cornell, which conducted an election by agreement through the American Arbitration Association. In each of these elections, a substantial number of ballots cast were challenged by the employer or the prospective union. In some of these elections (Duke, Cornell, Harvard, and the East Asian Languages and Political Sciences department at Yale) the number of uncounted ballots under challenge could have swung the election. At schools marked in green, university administrations have agreed to begin contract negotiations with unions; At schools marked in yellow, the administration has filed an objection with the NLRB or otherwise signaled they intend to continue a legal challenge. In schools in red, the prospective union has withdrawn its initial bid. * Yale voted to unionize on a department by department basis across nine academic departments.

Pro-union majorities of unchallenged ballots were secured in all but the physics department. ** The Massachusetts regional director of the NLRB invalidated the result of the election recorded here and ordered a new election after the result was challenged by the prospective union. Harvard has appealed the decision.

Starting this morning, about 2,500 graduate students can cast votes in an election to determine if they will be represented for collective bargaining by Graduate Students United (GSU).

GSU members are fired up after rallying on the quad yesterday and receiving endorsements from a number of high-profile progressives in the last several days, including Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) (A.B. ’64).

The administration continued to mount its opposition in the lead up to the vote, attempting to make the case to graduate students that unionizing would be against their best interests and contesting their right to unionize through its attorneys.

Though GSU has had a significantly more organized and vocal presence in the weeks before the vote, an anti-union group called Stop and Think maintains a website with anti-unionization information. (Stop and Think could not be reached for comment Monday.)

Unionization supporters say that graduate students would be able to negotiate better pay and working

conditions in a union, while the arguments against GSU generally focus on the burden of union dues.

University e-mails in the days before the vote discouraged graduate students from voting to be represented by GSU, cautioning that a union would introduce a “third party” into the relationships between graduate students and the University.

Administrators also stressed that the proposed bargaining unit includes students in the sciences, which administrators say would lack precedent at a peer institution—though GSU notes that some unions at public universities include students in the sciences.

Organizations of graduate students at schools across the country have been pushing to unionize since the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled last year in a Columbia University case that graduate

students can unionize and are workers under federal labor law.

Just last week, Graduate Workers of Columbia filed a motion in the University of Chicago NLRB case requesting to file a motion to ask for the recusal of Marvin Kaplan, a Trump-appointed NLRB member whose wife is employed at Columbia.

The pro-union group at Columbia wants Kaplan to be recused from the University of Chicago case because the UChicago administration has a pending request for review that argues the Columbia decision should be overturned.

The administration filed a motion yesterday opposing the Columbia students’ request to intervene in the UChicago NLRB case.

Eleven universities have seen similar unionization votes since the NLRB opened the possibility last year, with mixed results: at four schools, the administration accepted a vote in favor of unionization and advanced to contract negotiations; at two schools, prospective unions withdrew their bids in face of indifferent results.

The other cases are stalled by legal challenges, some of which question the legality of graduate students unionizing. With a new Republican majority on the NLRB, a reconsideration of that issue could be in the offing.

Continued on page 2

Recent GSU Endorsements • Bernie Sanders (A.B. ‘64) • Chelsea Manning • Noam Chomsky • Alice Walker • Glenn Greenwald • IL Rep.Christian Mitchell (A.B. ‘08)

Kay Yang Polling locations are circled in red above: The Regenstein Library (last names A-E), Hinds (F-K), Kent (L-R), and Stuart (S-Z).

Sounding Off on Unionization Page 4 THE MAROON Editorial Board argues that the University shouldn’t challenge a pro-union outcome; meanwhile, a BSD grad student explains why she’s voting “no.”

Win Some, Lose Some Page 8 The women’s volleyball team emerged from last weekend’s UAA tournament with a 2–2 split.

“Nuclear Thresholds” Pushes Boundaries Page 6 A new installation complementing Henry Moore’s Nuclear Energy melds art with entropy.

ADVERTISE IN THE MAROON IN PRINT AND ONLINE REACH OUR READERS WITH DISPLAY ADS FROM $90 IN PRINT & $192 ONLINE FOR U OF C AFFILIATES. ADS@CHICAGOMAROON.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION

2

THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 17, 2017

Events

Ballots Will be Counted at the NLRB’s Regional Office Downtown on Thursday Morning Continued from front

10/17–10/19 Today Robin M. Jensen - “The Cross” Seminary Co-op, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Robin Jensen will discuss her new book, in which she examines the evolution of the cross as a symbol across millennia, from its controversies, to its symbolism, to the devotion it inspires. It also explores relationships between Christians, Jews, and Muslims.

Poetry Reading by Aaron Kunin Logan Center for the Arts, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.

An associate professor of English at Pomona College, Kunin focuses on English Renaissance literature and has written five books. His most recent book is Cold Genius: A Book of Poems. His current book “celebrates the Renaissance notion of character.”

The Dark Side of the Universe with Dean Rocky Kolb Star Lounge Coffee Bar, 2521 W Chicago Ave, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.

University of Chicago is teaming up with Fermilab and Argonne to produce a series of events called “The Dark Side of the Universe,” which teaches their audience how to see what doesn’t meet the eye. Scientists from UChicago, Fermilab, and Argonne will meet at Dark Matter Coffee’s Star Lounge, as they speak about their quest to understand the universe.

Tomorrow John Joe Schlichtman, Jason Patch & Marc Lamont Hill - “Gentrifier” Seminary Co-Op, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.

Gentrifi er seeks to start a conversation about gentrification that connects the theoretical and the practical in urban planning. Schlichtman, Patch, and Hill consider the move towards a ‘creative economy,’ and new interests in specific types of urban life. “Gentrifier” is usually a dirty word, they say, and it’s time to look into why that is.

How to Vote Polls will be open today and tomorrow from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. at four locations on campus: Regenstein Library (Room A11), Hinds Laboratory (Room 176), Kent Laboratory (Room 114), and Stuart Hall (Cox Lounge).

Students are required to show a state-issued photo ID or a University student ID at the polling location assigned to them based on last name. According to NLRB rules, any votes submitted outside of the assigned polling locations are subject to challenge in order to avoid duplicate voting.

The ballots will be counted at the NLRB’s regional office downtown on Thursday morning at 10 a.m.

posted to the AAUP website responded to these deans.

“In several communications, [deans] raised the spectre of a shady ‘third party’ that will come into the picture if a graduate student worker union is formed. That is a very strange thing to say for an institution like the University of Chicago, which has teams of lawyers and consultants who are not academics, and is headed by a board of trustees with no representatives from faculty or students. It is also difficult to understand what might be meant by saying that the union would be ‘without (apparent) experience in research,’” it reads.

“The union would be made up of graduate students. It would be assisted by the resources of the American Federation of Teachers and the American Association of University Professors … Do our administrators really believe that these groups have no experience in research?”

Science Students in the Spotlight Executive Vice Provost David Nirenberg encouraged graduate students in an e-mail on Sunday to consider the fact that some graduate student unions at other universities do not “Energy is High” Despite feeling that the University has reinclude the sciences in their bargaining units.

He cautioned of the introduction of a “third sisted their efforts to unionize at every turn, party” with the creation of the union, referring GSU says it is confident about its prospects to GSU’s affiliations with the American Feder- going into the first day of voting.

Approximately 70 people attended a rally ation of Teachers (AFT), the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT), and the American Associa- on the steps of Levi Hall on Monday, chanting, singing, and holding signs saying “Recognize tion of University Professors (AAUP) “Yet the proposed UChicago bargaining Us Now” and “Research is Work.”

“We’ve been in touch with our supporters unit that the AFT-AAUP seeks to represent would specifically include graduate student and our members throughout this process researchers in the sciences,” he continued. as we’ve met with new information,” Daniela “One important question at stake in this vote Palmer, a sixth-year Ph.D. candidate in evois: should a third party, especially one whose lutionary biology told The Maroon at the rally. values are not primarily concerned with re- “We’re confident that their commitment will search, play such an important role in deter- hopefully overcome any of these [issues].”

“This is an incredibly exciting and rewardmining something as vital as when and for how long you and your colleagues can pursue your ing moment for all of us,” said Chaz Lee, a seventh-year Ph.D. candidate in music history. scholarship?”

GSU responded in a statement to THE “I’m really proud to be standing with [other stuMAROON on Monday: “We are aware of several dents] today and to go to the polls with them.”

At a Monday afternoon meeting downtown, grad student unions that include researchers in the sciences. These are UC Berkeley, Rut- Illinois Federation of Teachers president Dan gers, SUNY, Oregon State, the University of Montgomery told THE MAROON, “I think for Oregon, and others.” them it’s going to be an affirmation...that their Nirenberg’s email followed two very sim- faith in each other and belief that they can ilarly written messages to graduate students make their institution better and collectively from the deans for graduate affairs in the have a more professional voice is going to pay Biological Science division and the Physical off.”

Sciences division.

“Once we get together after the election A letter signed by a number of professors and we have a representative sample of the

bargaining unit, we will go forward based on whatever decisions we feel we want to make,” Caine Jordan, a second-year history Ph.D. candidate and GSU member, said in an interview.

“Energy is high among GSU supporters on campus, and beyond,” a GSU said in a statement to THE MAROON. GSU Endorsements GSU has recently received a number of notable statement of support from high-profile progressives like Sanders, Noam Chomsky, Glenn Greenwald, Alice Walker, and Chelsea Manning.

“I understand this fall you will be voting in an election to determine whether Graduate Student employees at the University of Chicago will have the right to union representation,” Sanders wrote in his letter to graduate students. “I respect the critical work you do every day, and wish you the very best in your efforts to create a democratic workplace where your voice can really be heard.”

Who Would Pay Dues Nirenberg argued in his e-mail that the involuntary nature of unions would force students to “support [AFT’s] interests, even if they opposed the union or did not vote in the election,” adding that an AFT partnership may support “distinct interests” separate from the issues GSU focuses on.

“As you know, a union is not a voluntary club a student can choose to join, not join, or leave easily if they want to. Once a union is approved, graduate students will be compelled to be represented by the union in negotiations with the faculty and the university on issues like the ones I’ve outlined above, and to pay dues or agency fees.” An agency fee is charged to non-members to compensate for the benefits of union bargaining.

Asked about fees for non-members, GSU said in a statement that it is “focused on building a fully democratic, member-driven organization, and that is what students are prepared to vote for.”

The University did not respond to a request for comment for this article.

Adam Thorp and Pete Grieve contributed reporting.

Thursday Nuclear Memory and Atomic Test Films: Lecture by Susan Courtney Logan Center, Screening Room 201 This event is one in a series commemorating the seventy-fifth anniverary of the first nuclear chain reaction (“Arts and the Nuclear Age”). Susan Courtney, a professor of Film and Media Studies at the University of South Carolina, examines film in the 1950s: How did Americans learn to live with the bomb? How did America’s place in the world change?

Online this week: More unionization coverage, including closer looks at Monday’s GSU rally and AFT meetings.

See more at chicagomaroon.com/events.

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Panel Discusses Vision for Obama Presidential Center

BY CINDY YAO NEWS REPORTER

The museum director for the Obama Presidential Center and members of the Center’s exhibition design team discussed their vision for the project at the DuSable Museum of African American History on Saturday.

The three panelists present were Louise Bernard, recently appointed director of the museum, and Amanda Williams and Andres Luis Hernandez, artists and members of the exhibition design team.

Monica Chadha, founder of the consulting firm Civic Projects and a member of the exhibition design team, moderated the panel.

The Center will feature a museum, a forum, and a library, which will all be connected on the lowermost level.

While most presidential libraries and museums tend to be one-story buildings, the museum will have multiple stories, according to Bernard. There will also be a space at the top of the museum where visitors can overlook the city and surrounding landscape.

Bernard describes this unique architecture as a metaphor for movement, in which the individual’s agency becomes empowered and rises up through collective action. “I’d like to think of the museum as a physical manifestation of the work of the Obama Foundation, which is itself about civic engagement and about what it means to be a citizen,” she said.

The museum will house artifacts from Barack Obama’s presidency, from his signing

pen to Michelle Obama’s dresses.

A key theme of the Center is the idea of narrative, not only of Barack Obama’s story but of the South Side community’s as well.

According to Bernard, the project draws on a variety of voices across different social and political movements to shape a fully accessible, expansive visitor experience.

In alignment with the idea of inclusivity, the exhibition design team is interdisciplinary, with members from different backgrounds including architects, graphic designers, and content developers, Bernard said.

“The fact that our team is very diverse

and led by women—that’s unheard of. I don’t take that lightly. I don’t think any of us should,” Hernandez said.

For Williams, working on the Center is both exciting and slightly daunting. “We’re architects, we’re artists, we’re a community, we’re South Siders, we’re black—all those things now become assets when at some point in my life they were told to be deficits,” Williams said.

The Obama Presidential Center is still in the early phase of planning and is expected to open by late 2021.

Cindy Yao

Panelists speak about the future of the Obama Presidential Center.

3

THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 17, 2017

Senator Talks Partisanship at IOP

BY MICHAEL LI NEWS REPORTER

Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) discussed the possibility of Senate bipartisanship in a fragmented political landscape in a talk at the Quadrangle Club on Thursday.

Bennet explained how political polarization poses a threat to democracy, calling for pragmatic, bipartisan problem-solving in a Senate with an all-time-low approval rating.

Political science professor Eric Oliver moderated the event, which was hosted by the Institute of Politics (IOP).

Bennet began by arguing that the democratic system created by America’s founders, whom he called “great geniuses,” is under attack from obsessive party politics.

Without naming them, Bennet criticized fellow senators, who he claimed care more about their own party’s interests than issues like climate, infrastructure, and education.

He argued that privileging party interests over everything leads to the weaponization of debt ceilings and government shutdowns in the Senate. According to Bennet, such partisan practices pose grave challenges to the creed of “majoritarian rule” at the core of the Constitution.

Bennet also argued that the Senate faces the danger of undesirable long-term consequences from breaking norms for the sake of convenience. He described Senate Democrats’ attempt to appoint Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court as an example. In order to circumvent Republican filibustering, they forced a change, called the nuclear option, to allow confirmation of a Supreme Court nominee with a simple majority vote of 51–49, rather than a supermajority of 60–40 in normal circumstances. After the Democrats ultimately failed, the same accommodation allowed the Republicans to easily confirm Neil Gorsuch.

Bennet also criticized the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v.

FEC, calling the majority opinion written for this case as bad as “a 7th grader’s U.S. history paper.” The decision allows unrestricted donations to super PACs in the name of “freedom of speech.” Bennet argued that this encourages corruption by condoning money’s influence in politics.

Bennet condemned the role of money in politics. He cited the example of an unspecified Republican senator who urged colleagues to hold a hearing for Garland’s confirmation. The senator was intimidated by the Koch Brothers, major conservative political donors, who threatened to spend millions of dollars against his re-election. As a result, the senator rescinded his support.

Bennet also attributed current stalemates in tax and immigration reforms to political polarization. “Tax reform is literally the hardest issue in the Senate,” he said, because “so many people in D.C. have an interest in keep things [as they are].” In his view, the only solution to these issues is to leave the Trump administration out of the picture and let the bipartisan Senatorial Financial Committee—of which Bennet is a member— figure it out.

When questioned about immigration, Bennet said the fact that Democrats insist on protecting DACA recipients doesn’t imply they are against increased border security.

In fact, he said many Democrats agree there should be more fences and inspectors on the U.S.-Mexico border. He added, however, that since DACA recipients “know no other country than this one” and “are as fully American as anyone else,” opposing their citizenship is equivalent to being anti-American.

Bennet concluded the talk by reiterating his message to fellow Senators and citizens to overcome polarized bigotry, talk through disagreements, and get things done.

University Releases Fire and Crime Statistics

BY OREN OPPENHEIM NEWS REPORTER

Every year, the University releases a Security & Fire Safety report, which is a joint project between UChicago’s Department of Safety and Security, Campus and Student Life, and Office of Legal Counsel.

Most of the report discusses safety, security, and legal procedures and concerns, but it also contains crime and fi re statistics from the past three years—as a requirement by the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. This law requires all colleges that are a part of governmental fi nancial aid programs, including UChicago, to “compile statistics for incidents of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking and to include certain policies, procedures, and programs pertaining to these incidents in their annual security reports,” according to the act’s entry in a government journal.

Some of the crime and fi re statistics from this year’s report indicate large shifts between 2015 and 2016. Many more sexual offenses occurred in 2016, for instance, while other statistics remained relatively unchanged.

For example, the amount of burglaries on campus decreased from 16 in 2015 to nine this year, and 20 total burglaries — involving UChicago students both on and

off campus—in 2015, dropped to nine.

Sexual offenses, not including rape incidents, jumped from 11 reported incidents to 17 between 2015 and 2016 on campus, and from 11 to 19 overall. Rape incidents on campus increased from six to 15 between 2015 and 2016; none were reported off campus.

University disciplinary referrals for alcohol occurred 20 times on campus both in 2015 and 2016. One referral happened off campus property in 2015, and one took place on private property in 2016.

Disciplinary referrals for drugs occurred on campus 21 times in 2015, and 20 times in 2016. None occurred off campus or on public property during both years.

In 2016, there were two reported fi res in on-campus student housing. One occurred in Burton-Judson, caused by an improper cigarette disposal outside of the building. The other incident was a grease fi re in Granville-Grossman Residential Commons.

The dates of the fi res were not reported. However, the report stated there were no injuries or property damage.

In 2015, the only fi re reported was in Granville-Grossman on January 9, caused by an unattended cooking device.

There were no injuries, but the fi re incurred $8,694 in property damage.

First-Year College Council Representatives Elected

BY SPENCER DEMBNER NEWS REPORTER

The Class of 2021’s new College Council representatives are Myles Hudson, Malay Trivedi, David Morales, and Tony Ma, following a vote that lasted from Wednesday to Friday.

Hudson and Ma ran along with two other candidates on the “ZMRT ” slate and described their focus as community life and diversity. Morales ran with Eric

Chang while Trivedi ran alone. They both emphasized improved administrative transparency.

In addition to posting f lyers and campaigning on Facebook during the runup to the election, candidates also attended a debate hosted by the Chicago Debate Society. Key issues discussed included changes to Greek life, support for undocumented students, and responses to sexual assault.

Institute of Politics

Colorado Senator Michael Bennet addresses the IOP, speaking about partisanship.

University Finalizes Plans for Diversity Initiative

BY ALEX WARD ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

The University administration released its final plan for a broad initiative to improve campus diversity on Monday. President Robert Zimmer and Provost Daniel Diermeier made the announcement in an email to the university community.

Several of the projects mentioned in the final release of the Diversity and Inclusion initiative were also included in a draft of the plan that was provided to THE MAROON as internal administration documents during the summer.

The plan opens with a statement by Zimmer and Diermeier about the need to address inclusivity issues on campus, and a statement from Vice Provost Melissa Gilliam that outlines the Initiative in more detail.

The Initiative is divided into four strategies: to “provide an infrastructure to support diversity and inclusion; foster a climate that is inclusive of all on campus; develop and support the people who comprise our University; and engage in our community.”

Some of the notable initiatives include an “Ivy Plus” program led by the University to promote diversity in American academia, and a set of partnerships with groups including The Second City to build communication and working skills.

The University will also work with the Research Computing Center to create a digital map of diversity events, initiatives, and programs across campus to promote awareness of related resources.

According to the plan, “The Office of the Provost and the University will make a financial commitment to increasing the diversity and excellence of our faculty, with a particular emphasis on faculty from groups historically underrepresented in the academy and women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.” The draft released during the summer mentioned that the university would “pursue cluster hires and target of opportunity hires,” which may be related.

The University has created a website with more details about the Initiative.

Jackson Park Watch Awarded Non-Profit Status

BY MADELEINE ZHOU NEWS REPORTER

Jackson Park Watch (JPW), a community rights organization founded by Hyde Park residents, has been granted nonprofit status by the state of Illinois.

Founded in January of 2016, JPW aims to update Chicago residents about new and ongoing projects involving Jackson Park. JPW launched in response to local concerns over Project 120 Chicago, a nonprofit organization that promotes construction and development projects involving Washington Park, Jackson Park, and Midway Plaisance Park. After its founding, JPW initially focused on the Phoenix Pavilion and Music Court, an activity center proposed by Project 120 and modeled after the original Japanese pavilion from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.

Becoming a non-profit organization allows JPW to collect tax-deductible donations to fund future projects. “The main reason we wanted this was for fundraising and to recruit expertise to help us,” co-president Brenda Nelms

said.

JPW is also addressing the construction of the Obama Presidential Center (OPC), which is set to open in Jackson Park in 2021. According to Nelms, the OPC’s development has raised questions among residents in the community, especially about increased future traffic and disruptions caused by an influx of tourists.

For the most part, the Obama Foundation, which is overseeing the project, has not gone into specific detail about the OPC’s construction timeline. JPW has asked for a comprehensive plan of the OPC’s development and additional engagement with the local community to clear up residents’ concerns about the process.

When JPW receives community comments about upcoming projects, it meets with the project’s organizers, state representatives, and other organizations to ensure the community’s concerns are addressed. With additional donations to recruit more experts, JPW will be able to work more efficiently and potentially see better results, Nelms said.

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THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 17, 2017

VIEWPOINTS A Step Aside, a Step in the Right Direction If Graduate Students Vote to Unionize, the University Should Let It Stand Graduate students who work as teaching and research assistants vote today and tomorrow on whether they would like to be represented by a union—specifically, the American Federation of Teachers, the American Association of University Professors, and Graduate Students United—in contract negotiations with the University. No result is guaranteed. Elections have broken both ways since the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) reopened the possibility of graduate student unionization the August before last.

We editorialized in favor of graduate student unionization last spring. We continue to support that position, but as voting commences, we turn our attention to the most-damaging possible result for this University as a community of scholars: a pro-union result subsequently overturned on appeal. Given its forays into anti-union advocacy, the administration would likely cheer such an outcome, but the long-term consequences of such a result would be dire for University-student relations. If a majority of graduate students opt for union representation, the University should acknowledge their choice, drop their legal challenges, and proceed to contract nego-

tiations.

Twice now, the NLRB, with Republican majorities, has ruled that graduate students are not employees for the purpose of the National Labor Relations Act and therefore cannot unionize. Twice again, subsequent Democratic majorities have overturned those rulings. Former president Barack Obama ended his second term with one of five seats on the board vacant; another of his appointees subsequently stepped down at the end of his term. Both seats have been filled by President Donald Trump, raising the prospect that the NLRB will reverse itself a fi fth time. The University administration specifically refers to this new majority in their recent fi lings, asking the Board to delay the election and reconsider its most recent, pro-union decision.

If a majority of graduate students vote no, these appeals would become moot. If a majority votes yes, but is over-ruled by the University administration’s appeal, the results of the variously “well-informed,” “vigorous,” and “respectful” debate the administration has called for in its messages on the issue would be nullified. This scenario would leave the hypothetical

pro-union majority of graduate students reasonably frustrated and distrustful—a prospect considerably more damaging to the collegial environment of the University than collective bargaining possibly could be.

Some future election will inevitably bring another relatively pro-labor administration into power in Washington. If history is any guide, a new majority on the NLRB will determine that graduate students working as teaching and research assistants do have a right to collective bargaining, and this process will start again. The graduate students advocating for unionization have already made clear they plan to continue to organize if the

NLRB denies their right to do so through the formal avenue of federal labor law. A sustainable, amicable status quo, grounded in the law and ratified by the support of graduate students, has to be better than renewed legal wrangling every decade or so.

There is an alternative. The administrations at Brandeis University, Tufts University, and American University all expressed similar concerns about the prospect of unionization, but chose not to challenge successful pro-union votes. If the next two days produces a result in favor of graduate student unionization, the administration should likewise let it stand.

—THE M AROON Editorial Board

Hesitation About Unionization Graduate Students Should Be Skeptical About Unionization Efforts I am a Biological Sciences Division (BSD) graduate student, and before the University decided to take the reprehensible position that I’m not an employee, I had already decided to vote “no” in the upcoming election on union recognition. Now, I’m in an awkward position—if I vote “no,” am I tacitly siding with the University?

Obviously, graduate students are employees of the University, whether they are conducting research or teaching undergraduates.

This election, however, is not a vote on whether the University’s legal strategies are valid (they aren’t). It is a vote on whether a recognized union would best represent and advance the interests of the graduate students included in the bargaining unit. To that, I will still vote “no.” Up until now, I have avoided speaking openly about my position due to the risk of losing friendships and burning bridges that could be beneficial to an early-career scientist.

But now, I feel compelled to take a position prior to the election, in hopes of connecting with

others who may have similar doubts about graduate student unionization.

I am a scientist, so I try to base my opinions on data. More than that, I want my fellow grad students to be happy and productive.

This union vote is important and may have implications long after we’ve left, so it is important to think critically and examine all the evidence.

Unfortunately, the evidence is pretty scant. At the time of writing, even Graduate Student United (GSU)’s website does not provide a clear comparison of union contracts at other universities. Although there are a number of state schools that have had student unions for years, it may be hard to extrapolate those experiences to UChicago. The only private university that has had a functioning graduate student union so far is NYU. The interference of NYU’s previous union in matters of academic decision-making does not give me much confidence. The current union at NYU negotiated annual pay raises for RAs of 2.5

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percent; however, this seems like only a moderate improvement considering the union dues of 2 percent. The UChicago BSD has guaranteed a stipend increase of 2 percent for the next three years. If the union contract formalizes a stipend increase of 2.25 percent but still requires 2 percent for dues, BSD students will make less money in the short run and possibly less in the long run as well.

Ignoring the legal and cultural differences between state and private schools, there is a survey-based study by Rogers et al. often touted by GSU members that states: “Union-represented graduate student employees…fare better on pay, and…report similar perceptions of academic freedom.” If UChicago has taught me anything, it is how to break down a claim, and this one gives me misgivings for a couple of reasons. First, the statistics—once the authors controlled for other factors such as program and geographical region, unionization was no longer a significant determinant of the annual stipend. Second, biological and physical science departments are not included in the study, and even the authors caution against applying their results to RAs in those departments. Third, a significant number of students at UChicago are supported by external fellowships and many students in the BSD and Physical Sciences Division have particularly light teaching loads, making it inappropriate to apply the weak findings of this study to our situation.

Given the lack of relevant, positive examples or convincing empirical evidence for the benefits of unionization, I feel uncomfortable voting “yes” and making UChicago a guinea pig. If we don’t have an affiliated union, then what are the alternatives? Since 2007, GSU has achieved a number of improvements in graduate student life, such as a doubling of TA salaries, improvements to grad students’ parental leave policy, and a stipend increase from

$18,000 to $26,000 a year for SSA students.

To me, that is clear evidence of the change that is possible through student organizations and by working with the University. Given the ambiguity of what is negotiable under the National Labor Relations Board’s ruling, it’s possible that the University will continue challenging the right of the union to bargain over specific areas. The fact is, we don’t know how the negotiations will go, but we do know the types of improvements that are possible without a formally recognized union.

Finally, I am voting “no” because I do not agree with the coercive strategies employed

by GSU and the inflexible attitudes adopted by some members. By now, pretty much every student in BSD has been approached multiple times by someone about unionization. I have raised the concerns listed above, but have never received satisfactory answers or contrasting evidence. Instead, the responses are often appeals to emotion over logic and seem to stem from a moral certainty that a union is the only “right” choice. Not only is it impossible to reason against this attitude, but it also puts anyone who disagrees in the moral “wrong.”

The University certainly hasn’t helped by trying to stop the vote altogether and attempting to advance its own agenda. However, I have found its e-mails to be civil and often informative, sharing information union activists would be reluctant to disclose, like a summary of union grievances at NYU. This tribalism leads to a political climate that does not feel democratic and makes me concerned about the students organizing the ensuing elections and votes, if the union were to be recognized. I hope this letter encourages a more open dialogue among graduate students, and everyone should go out and vote on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Katherine Silliman is a graduate student in the Biological Sciences Division.

THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 17, 2017

5

ARTS Tarsila do Amaral at Art Institute Traces Journey of “Restless Souls”

BY JONATHAN MANDEL

“Abaporu,” which translates roughly to “the man that eats people” in the indigenous Tupi language of Brazil, reimagines the bath“You can see, here, she’s not worried about er through a Brazilian aesthetic vocabulary. putting a perfect body on canvas,” said the Her work from this period often incorporates woman standing near me at the Art Institute bright colors and depicts the intersection of Brazil’s natural, lush landscape and its new of Chicago.

“And the tube-like compositions,” respond- industrial infrastructure through the use of ed her companion. “Who was doing that at overlapping Cubist planes.

When Tarsila presented “Abaporu” to her this time? Léger?”

“And her name is...tar-SEEL-uh?” asked husband at the time, Oswald de Andrade, as the woman. Tarsila do Amaral: Inventing a gift, he remarked that it could inspire an Modern Art in Brazil is the first exhibition entire ideology. Sure enough, his “Manifesexclusively dedicated to the artwork of its to Antropófagu,” or “Cannibalist Manifesto,” namesake, Tarsila do Amaral, to appear in appeared the same year, exhorting BrazilNorth America. The conversation I overheard ian artists to devour their myriad influencbetween the couple illuminates the source of es—including European—as a method for my anticipation for the exhibition: A complex producing distinct and eclectic Brazilian art. artist whose work is worthy of deep analysis, “Tupi or not Tupi, that is the question,” quips Tarsila do Amaral—or simply “Tarsila,” as de Andrade in a line that quite literally comGiovanna DeCastro she is commonly known—is too frequently bines words connoting indigeneity with those overlooked by lovers of modern art outside of a European masterpiece.

It is perhaps to be expected, then, that of Brazil. The reason is not difficult to discern: The history of modern art is often told Tarsila’s artwork on display from this peas a narrative of innovations in Europe, even riod reaches new heights of expressiveness when European artists looked abroad for in- and beauty, as if she has been liberated from the constraints imposed by seeking a single spiration.

The man whose conversation I overheard perspective, be it European or Brazilian. is correct in that some of Tarsila’s paintings “Anthropofagia” does just what de Andrade’s are markedly similar to those of Fernand manifesto calls for: It combines the figure Léger; she studied with him in Paris. Upon from “A Negra,” steeped in allusions to conseeing Cubism, she remarked, “a new world temporary European art, with the figure, unfolded to my restless soul.” Unlike Léger, landscape, and vivid palette of “Abaporu.”

The exhibition concludes with a few of however, Tarsila does not fit easily into the confines of Western modern art history. In Tarsila’s later works, in which she seems to fact, the Art Institute’s very exhibition trac- begin fusing the style of social realism, the es the journey of her restless soul instead of trend among liberal-leaning artists during that period, with her own beautiful surrealconstricting her to a single narrative.

Visitors to the exhibition are immediately ism. The exhibition also includes many of her confronted with the pinnacle of her ideolog- sketches and studies of form for her paintings.

Ultimately, Tarsila’s artwork and accomical evolution: Hanging right in front of the door is “Antropofagia,”or “Anthropophagy,” panying ideology would go on to inspire genGiovanna DeCastro which is widely considered her magnum opus. erations of artists. Joaquín Torres-García’s Tarsila’s artistic ideology would go on to inspire the colorful Tropicália movement in “Antropofagia” is the literal and ideologi- “School of the South Manifesto” in 1935 would the 1960s and ’70s. cal synthesis of two prior paintings, “A Negra” make similar arguments about embracing lo(Black Woman) and “Abaporu,” both of which cal culture as a means of producing art that have been strategically displayed diagonally is contemporary and universal. The Tropbehind “Antropofagia” so that all three can icália movement in Brazil in the 1960s and 1970s explicitly embraced Tarsila’s fusion of be viewed together.

“A Negra,” notes the wall text beside it, traditional Brazilian and foreign influences. was painted while Tarsila was still in Par- (The installation by Hélio Oiticica from which is, and marks her entry into the European Tropicália derives its name appeared in the

BY PARKER MEE podcast before, but they definitely converted avant-garde. Picasso, Matisse, and countless Art Institute earlier this year.) In a multicula new fan. Finally, there was The Curiosity MAROON CONTRIBUTOR others among these ranks had, at one time tural country grappling with waves of nativPodcast, a show that interviews experts in a or another, also chosen a bathing woman ism and struggling to define itself, the beauty Now in its second year, the Chicago Pod- field who explain their areas of study. This as their subject matter. Indeed, “A Negra” that results from Tarsila’s eclectic perspec- cast Festival is dedicated to celebrating pod- one centered around the science and art of seems to exemplify a phase in which Tarsila tive is a lesson worth learning. casts, particularly those that are produced improv comedy with Lilly Allison, a teacher Tarsila do Amaral: Inventing Modern locally. Its website boasts that “more than 90 who studied and performed with The Second was still working with a European vocabulary: It is reminiscent of Cézanne in its cre- Art in Brazil will continue at the Art Institute percent” of the lineup is comprised of “local City. The topic was interesting, though it was ation of space through layered plains, and it of Chicago through January 7, 2018, before standouts.” While the festival occurred all at times obvious that the hosts had not reexoticizes and primitivizes a non-European traveling to the Museum of Modern Art in week, I was only able to attend Tuesday and corded live before. subject that was certainly en vogue at the New York from February 11 through June 3. Thursday night’s shows.

Thursday featured a whole different time, regardless of its ethics.

Tuesday night’s lineup and location were lineup. The hosts of the Potterotica Podcast ideal for my interests. The stage section of (which is exactly what you think it is) read The Beat Kitchen was intimate but never and joked about Harry Potter erotica. The uncomfortable. The evening started off with show was well organized, engaging the audiThe Feed Podcast, a food show hosted by ence without it feeling forced and partnering superstar chef Rick Bayless, and 13-time with the bar to offer special cocktails for the James Beard winner Steve Dolinsky. Their drinking games happening during the show. conversation ranged from the restaurant Next was the movie podcast Cinema Jaw, business to a sausage-themed pop quiz that which, though well done, was not great at invited responses from the audience. The maintaining its energy throughout the night. episode also guest-featured Mayor Rahm Its content was nonetheless accessible, since Emmanuel, who spoke about his love of food the hosts managed to talk about movies in a and his life as the mayor. The Feed did an manner fit for the casual moviegoer. AlcoHolimpressive job of handling a live audience lywood came next and focused on discussing while at the same time, recording a qual- the film Trick’r’Treat. As a podcast about the ity podcast with audience interaction (this creation of drinking games for films, howevreviewer even scored a free cookbook for er, AlcoHollywood was more difficult to conanswering a trivia question about where the vert to a live stage.

The overall lineup for the second annual mayor attended college).

Next up was Siblings Peculiar, an im- Chicago Podcast Festival was very impresGiovanna DeCastro prov-comedy podcast about a brother and sive. The future of the festival is certainly sister who investigate the disappearance bright and provides a welcome platform for Tarsila’s works combine the lush colors of Brazil’s tropical landscapes with the distortof their parents. I had not listened to this new local podcasts. ed shapes of Cubism for a distinctly Brazilian aesthetic.

MAROON CONTRIBUTOR

Chicago Podcast Festival Celebrates Local Talent

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THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 17, 2017

“Nuclear Thresholds” Installation Meditates on Duality

BY PERRI WILSON MAROON CONTRIBUTOR

Amid the chaos of this year’s O-Week move-in day was a mysterious group of workers crowded around the Henry Moore sculpture outside Max PalevskyWest Residential Commons. Throughout the week, one could find them milling around a pile of long, black rubber tubes, which slowly began to take form.

T he installation, entitled “ Nuclear Thresholds,” is one of the many projects commissioned by the University to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Chicago Pile-1 (CP-1), the first successfully built, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. “ Nuclea r T h resholds,” desig ned

by Ogrydziak Prillinger A rchitects (OPA), winds around Henry Moore’s contrastingly sturdy, bronze memorial to the same event. Its sinuous structure was meant to be an exploration of both controlled and uncontrolled fission in nuclear reactions. 75-foot-long rubber tubes, secured only with zip-ties, form a bench intended to invite contemplation of Moore’s sculpture. According to OPA cofounder Zoë Prillinger, the tubes are intended to ref lect the tightly packed graphite used in CP-1, while simultaneously existing as a meditation on the concept of matter as something “com-

posed largely of space and energetic particles.” It’s an odd juxtaposition of physicality and conceptuality, which perhaps lends itself to the uncertainty one feels when standing in the midst of the sculpture.

Indeed, the shape of the arching bench also disintegrates into what Prillinger describes as “exponential chaos.”

“If a reaction goes supercritical...the system’s exponential expansion crosses the threshold into the realm of being out of control,” wrote OPA in its project report. Echoing this idea of disorder, the strands that make up the bench split apart at the ends.

While the installation is certainly successful in achieving what it sets out to represent, it seems that the artists were, if anything, too successful in depicting the balance of these “thresholds.” The bench makes for a disconcerting seat, losing the little order it did have, when we consider its material—a mass of tubes. It’s hard to imagine locating quiet contemplation within such an impermanent structure, one made of materials that look as temporary as scaffolding.

One can hardly walk past Mansueto Library now without casting an intrigued glance at the unexpected sight of black tubes. Although it can’t quite be

called beautiful, “Nuclear Thresholds” certainly makes an impression on passersby.

“Nuclear Thresholds” will be installed at 5265 S. Ellis Ave through Jan-

uary 7. It is part of a series of lectures and exhibits, which will culminate in the two-day event “Reactions: New Perspectives on Our Nuclear Legacy” from December 1–2.

Sarah Wasinger “Nuclear Thresholds” explores the dual nature—controlled and uncontrolled—of nuclear fission.

UIC Mobs A$AP Mob in Rowdy Concert

BY MAX MILLER ARTS STAFF

The notoriously large rap ensemble A$AP Mob gave a roaring performance in the UIC Pavilion, the college’s indoor sports arena, on October 11. The group has garnered million-dollar record deals as well as many devoted fans, but after seeing them live, one can understand why they might scare away some listeners; A$A P Mob’s members frequently employ an intense, aggressive rap style and over-the-top lyrics.

The Mob rose to prominence in popular culture following their viral success with singles by group members A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg. Though already sizeable with 14 “A$AP” moniker-toting members, the Mob frequently collaborates with other big names in rap and hip-hop, such as Wiz Khalifa,

Juicy J, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, and Tyler, the Creator.

As the group is known for producing some of the most popular party songs in recent years, I wasn’t surprised to see that nearly everyone at the concert seemed college-aged, already dancing with a palpable, party-like energy when I entered the spacious arena. I spotted people with A$AP shirts, A$AP hats, and more. As the arena’s lights slowly dimmed, the crowd chanted “ASAP” over and over, although, strangely, it took about 10 more minutes for the Mob to actually arrive onstage. When the stage finally lit up with spotlights, I saw at least six people around me light up marijuana—an act that seemed potentially out of line at a college-owned space, until the A$AP Mob members onstage followed suit, lighting up and passing around a joint of their own.

The group’s magnetism comes in part from the stylized sense of unapologetic rudeness in their lyrics. Early in the show, A$AP Ant performed the group’s 2016 song “London Town,” rapping: “Everything foreign, vintage Ralph Lauren/ Feel like Jeff Gordon, Switzerland touring/ You H&M sporting, you n****s is boring (goddamn!)/ Got a white bitch on my dick, yeah, she snorting.”

Much like the swaggering talk of affluence and sexuality in their lyrics, the Mob’s performance felt similarly carefree. They roamed the stage with combative anger one moment, then reined in their emotion in the next. The audience was thoroughly worked up, frequently inciting violence among one another inside circular openings (“mosh pits”) amid the crowd. As the rappers

on stage musically described their violent and crazy lifestyles, the audience before them was painfully experiencing the same for themselves. The raucous audience even pulled A$AP Twelvyy off the stage at one point, making the rapper disappear from sight until he managed to crawl back up from the ocean of students below.

All in all, the concert was as ridiculously loud as it was invigorating. I would recommend it to anyone with a taste for the heavy, pounding dance music and lyrics on the simpler side of the Mob’s particular brand of rap. In the coming years, the group’s high-profile collaborations with newer rappers might solidify their position in the music world. But regardless of possible future success, A$AP Mob has already helped steer the trajectory of rap in a new direction.

EXHIBIT [A]rts [10/17] Tuesday 4:30 p.m. A n informal gathering with the Department of Music faculty and performing arts program, Fall Fête promises conversations with performers and teachers alike, with a catered Roti Mediterranean spread. Fulton Hall, free.

[10/18] Wednesday 7 p.m.–midnight. Dance your fourthweek worries away at Salsa at The Promontory, where you can get an hour-long lesson at 8 p.m. Enjoy open dancing to DJ’ed music until midnight.

5311 S. Lake Park Avenue, free.

[10/19] Thursday 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Come learn more about the arts programs and museums on and around campus at the

UChicago Arts Bazaar (and pick up artsy swag!). Main Quad, free.

12:30 p.m. Take a break from the Reg with a talk from Argentine artist Amalia Pica, whose work explores the complexities of communication and has been displayed at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, the Guggenheim, and the Venice Biennale. Logan 802, lunch provided.

4 p.m. As part of the University’s “Art in the Nuclear Age” program, Film and Media Studies professor Susan Courtney of the University of South Carolina will be giving a talk on her latest book. Her work focuses on the relationship between popular conceptions of identity and moving-image culture, and most recently on questions of race in the Cold War and atomic age. Logan Center Screening Room 201, free.

5–8 p.m. Spend the evening with a hassle-free and admission-free UChicago Night at the Art Institute. Filled with enticing recent exhibitions, from contemporary photography to Modern Art in Brazil, the museum is buzzing with a range of works. Art Institute of Chicago, free.

[10/20] Friday 6 p.m. It’s an a cappella fest, as award-winning groups Voices in Your Head and Men in Drag team up for a warming performance on the quad in A Very Fall Arch Sing. Cobb Gate, free.

[10/21] Saturday 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 38 presentations by 45 different presenters comprise this year’s Humanities Day, the Division of the Humanities’ annual day-long cel-

ebration of its various departments and disciplines. Stuart Hall, free.

10 a.m. to Sunday 5 p.m. The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is commemorating its 50th anniversary with MCA Hearts Chicago, a weekend-long celebration featur ing the launch of a new community space and exhibition, a lineup of performances from diverse artists, and more! The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, free.

7–9:30 p.m. “Forget about your worries and your strife” at Doc Films this weekend as they screen The Jungle Book on 35mm film to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this 1967 Disney classic. Max Palevsky Cinema, Ida Noyes Hall, $5 for students.

7

THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 17, 2017

Football Falls To St. Norbert

Maroon Doubles Team Wins ITA Oracle Cup

FOOTBALL

MEN’S TENNIS

BY ANNA ROSE SPORTS STAFF

THE

The University of Chicago men’s football team goes into this weekend’s homecoming matchup against Beloit College looking to improve on its 3–3 (1–1) record. The Maroons lost their fi rst two games before winning their next three, losing last week’s contest at St. Norbert College. Beloit will come into this game winless, at 0–6.

“This season has been full of many bright moments for us,” said second-year Dante Nepa, who has received the most touchdowns so far this year. “Our defense has been stellar in all six games so far. Our offense has had some great moments as well. In addition, a number of freshmen have stepped up big time and made some huge plays. Jackson Ross, Ryan Montgomery, and Dylan Faires have been lights out of defense.

Michael Martinson, Riley Trettel, Vittorio Tricase, and Campbell Garrett have contributed greatly to our offense, and a number of fi rst-years on special teams have made a bunch of great contributions.”

Both the Maroons and the Beloit Buccaneers have played two common opponents. The Maroons opened up their three-game winning streak with a victory at Illinois College, winning handily, 28 –7. The Buccaneers did not fare as well, dropping their contest at Illinois College 29 –61. The Maroons also won

against Cornell by a fi nal score of 55– 10. The Buccaneers lost their matchup against Cornell 36–55.

While Beloit’s record may not be impressive, the Buccaneers have put up some forcible offensive numbers. They are currently averaging 26 PPG, 199.4 rushing yards per game, and 220.4 passing yards per game, for a total of 419.8 yards per game. The Beloit offense will clash with a tough Maroon defense, which has only allowed 16.2 PPG and 285.7 yards per game.

“Our biggest point of emphasis is staying focused on the game and fi nishing what we started,” Nepa said. “It is important for us to enjoy all that comes with homecoming, while still being focused on winning the game, and hopefully winning the rest of the season.

Coach Wilkerson has emphasized ‘fi nishing’ each game, and nothing changes this week.”

Offensively, the Maroons average 22.8 PPG and gain 306.5 yards per game. The Buccaneers are giving up a whopping 48.8 PPG, along with 477 yards per game. With regards to statistics, the Maroons are walking into a favorable matchup this homecoming weekend.

The University of Chicago Maroons will take on the Beloit Buccaneers in this Saturday’s homecoming contest.

The Maroons will kick off at 1:30 p.m. at Stagg Field.

The 2017 Social Justice Address

Bending the Bars:

Mass Incarceration, Racial Disparities, and Criminal Justice Reform in 21st Century America Ms. Hedy M. Weinberg, AM ’77 Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee

BY AUDREY MASON SPORTS STAFF

More than 30 years after the creation of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Oracle Cup, second-year Tyler Raclin and first-year Jeremy Yuan made history by becoming the first University of Chicago doubles team to win the title. Only eight NCA A Division III doubles teams advanced to the Oracle Cup after winning their ITA regional championships, including Raclin and Yuan.

The Maroons came into the tournament as the No. 4 seeds, immediately winning two consecutive matches to quickly reach the doubles final against Bowdoin College, the No. 2 seeds. In the first set, Raclin and Yuan lost to their opponents 3–6. However, the underdogs rallied, coming back in 6 –3 and 6 –4 to snatch the doubles title for the first time in University history.

“We worked really hard this weekend and played against some great competition and we just barely came out on top,” Raclin said. “It felt really great to win, but we know that this is only preseason, and that the ultimate goal is to win a championship in time. Hopefully this win will give us some momentum going into the season. We definitely did not expect to win the whole thing, and we were two points from losing in three different matches.”

This win advanced Raclin and Yuan

to the Oracle Cup doubles draw, where they would represent all of Division III tennis to play against the winners from JUCO, NA I A, and Division II. They faced Georgia Gwinnett College first, and were defeated 6 –3, 6 –3.

Yuan also represented UChicago in the singles championships, entering the tournament as the No. 8 seed. In the match for fifth place, Yuan snatched the first set 7–5 against the singles player from the University of Redlands, but was defeated in the next two sets for a close match of 7–6, 6 –4.

“Singles didn’t go the way I planned, but I really turned up for doubles,” Yuan said. “I never would have dreamed to make the Oracle Cup in both singles and doubles as a freshman, but I’m happy it turned out the way it did. Tyler and I both played really well in all of our matches. I can’t wait for spring season; I think our team is looking really strong going into the spring season.”

First-year Claire Handa also made an appearance at the Oracle Cup, entering the tournament as the No. 4 seed. A fter winning one match and losing one match, she battled for third place against a student from Claremont-Mudd- Scripps. Handa’s No. 2 opponent overcame her in the end, 6 –1 and 6 –4.

FREAKY FRESH! FREAKY FAST! ™

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017 6:30 – 7:30 P.M. International House, Assembly Hall, 1414 East 59th Street

Open to the public.

Fee: $10 for 1 CEU. Free without the CEU. Register: ssa.uchicago.edu/amp-base

WE DELIVER!

8

THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 17, 2017

SPORTS Win Some, Lose Some WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

BY THOMAS GORDON SPORTS STAFF

The UChicago women’s volleyball team had a full weekend with the University Athletic Association Second Round Robin. They played a whopping four matches in just two days. The Maroon women started the Second Round Robin with a dominating win against NYU. It was a cohesive and straightforward sweep as NYU remained winless throughout the conference.

However, the Maroons faced a difficult challenge against No. 10 Carnegie Mellon. The match was extremely close for the first two sets, with Carnegie Mellon winning the first by only three points, and UChicago using a huge comeback in the second set to win 27–25. However, after the second set, the team seemed to lose some steam, as Carnegie Mellon took the final set to complete a tightly contested four-set win: a disappointing ending to the match after UChicago had seemingly gained momentum after the comeback in the second. Overall, for the first day of the Round Robin, the team completed a respectable split with a tight loss and a commanding win.

On Sunday, the Maroons faced the second day of the Round Robin with matches against Case Western and Wash U. Again, the team came out strong in the first match of the day, winning the first two sets 25–20 and 25–22. However, in the third set, Case Western

Alexandra Davis

Third-year Sarah Muisenga spikes the ball towards her opponent.

came out playing to extend their lives in the match and completed a dominant set of 25–17. The Maroon women took the punch from the third set and came out strong in the end, clinching the match with a hard-fought 25–21.

After that exciting opening match, the Maroons faced another difficult test against their rivals, No. 20 Wash U. The team

came out strong at the beginning with a close win in the competitive first set, though it seemed that the team ran out of gas after a grueling weekend, with Wash U taking control of the game and winning three straight sets to close it out.

Wash U used their size advantage to out-block UChicago, 13–4, thus making it challenging for the Maroons to gain momentum during

the match. It was a difficult ending to a day that started out brightly.

In total, the Round Robin finished in a closely fought 2–2 split.

The Round Robin split brings UChicago’s record to 19–5 with a 4–2 record in conference play. To sum up the weekend, first-year middle hitter Hadley Grundman said, “This weekend definitely tested us as a team. We started off

strong, but as the weekend went on we had to dig deep and come together as a team. Unfortunately, we fell to Carnegie and Wash U, but we will use these losses as motivation for our next matches.”

The team seemed to acknowledge the disappointment, but is now hoping to grow from it going into the final part of the season.

XC Among Top At Pre-Nationals CROSS COUNTRY

BY JOEY GUTBROD SPORTS STAFF

T his past Saturday, the University of Chicago cross country team added more solid performances to its season in the Principia College Cowbell Classic —also known as Pre-Nationals—at the North Farm Cross Country Facility in Elsah, IL. Both the men’s and women’s teams competed well, placing eighth and 15th, respectively, in two fantastic races.

Fou r t h-ye a r K h i a Ku r tenbach led the way for the Maroon women, achieving an impressive second-place finish out of 332 runners. Her lightning-quick speed resulted in a time of 21:22. The only competitor able to overcome that impressive time was Ithaca runner Taryn Cordani, who finished in 20:45. Adding to Kurtenbach’s impressive performance, fellow fourth-year Cassidy McPherson placed 42nd overall, the second-best finish for the Maroons. Close behind were fellow fourth-years Kelsey Dunn in 58th place and

Claire Costelloe in 64th, second-yea rs Clai re Brockway in 68th, Maggie Boudreau in 69th, and Lucy Kenig-Ziesler closing the pack in 72nd. Every UChicago runner in the race finished in the Top 75. Topranked Johns Hopkins won the meet with 74 points.

The men’s team also performed well in this highly competitive meet. Out of the 38 schools competing in this meet, 14 out of the 25 teams in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association were present. The Maroons were led by first-year Ryan Cutter, who finished 31st out of 354 with a time of 25:48.

Second-year Ralph Patejunas followed with a time of 26:24, finishing in 79th place. Next were third-year Jacob Gosselin in 94th place, first-year Jordan Olson in 105th, second-year Andrew Kates in 123rd, firstyear Charles Gardner in 125th, and third-year Owen Melia in 161st. North Central College won the team race with 47 points. Isaac Garcia-Cassani, representing SUN Y Geneseo, took first place overall with a

time of 24:41.

Both the Maroon men’s and women’s teams will be competing this Saturday at the UA A Championships at NYU in New

York, New York. The women’s race will start at 11 a.m. Eastern Time and the men’s race will begin at noon. Both teams are working their hardest to

improve upon their previous meet. Please wish our runners well as they prepare for this important event.

M AROON

SCORE BOARD SPORT

W/L

Opponent

Score

Football

L

St.Norbert

0 –10

Men’s Soccer

W

Case Western

2 –1

Women’s Soccer

W

Case Western

3 –0

Volleyball

W

Case Western

3 –1

UPCOMING GAMES SPORT

DAY

Opponent

TIME

Women’s Soccer

Thursday

Illinois Tech

6 p.m.

Men’s Soccer

Wednesday

North Park

7 p.m.

Volleyball

Friday

Dubuque

6 p.m.

Volleyball

Friday

Aurora

8 p.m.