ChicagoMaroon102017

OCTOBER 20, 2017

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892

VOL. 129, ISSUE 8

GRADS CHOOSE UNION

BY FENG YE & ALEX WARD ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITORS

University of Chicago graduate students have voted to unionize by an overwhelming margin, a result that validates Graduate Students United (GSU)’s years of organizing and deals a major blow to the administration’s anti-unionization efforts.

1,103 “yes” votes were counted, exceeding the combined 479 counted “no” votes and the 149 votes that were challenged. Voter turnout was 70.5 percent, including the challenged votes, according to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)’s tally at its regional headquarters downtown on Thursday.

“Everyone is just so pumped

and happy today. It feels great,” sixth-year evolutionary biology student Daniela Palmer said after the votes were counted. “This is a huge accomplishment for us—not only for those who worked on the campaign—but also for the many students who have been working within GSU over the past 10 years or so. We sent a strong message collectively that we should have a say on this campus.”

Christina Roman, a member of an anti-unionization student group called Stop and Think, declined to discuss the outcome of the vote, but said she was pleased with the turnout. “I really expected there to be like 500 votes total. The fact that more than half the student body voted is a fantastic thing,” she said

in a message.

GSU members were active on Twitter during the hearing, providing updates and criticizing actions of the University’s attorneys. Palmer said the University’s actions at the NLRB proceedings today were frustrating, but not surprising.

“I think it continues the style of response that they’ve been giving us through this campaign. It wasn’t necessarily surprising to see, but of course frustrating.” she said. “I genuinely hope they will respect this outcome given how significant our margins were for the win.”

Of the 149 votes that remained challenged after the University and GSU agreed to resolve some of the disputed votes, 123 were cast by people who showed valid Universi-

ty ID when they voted, but were not on a list of eligible voters. At first, GSU and the University agreed to discard the majority of these votes.

University representatives later decided to leave the challenges unresolved for further investigation.

Ultimately, the challenged votes did not matter because the margin was so large.

The University is one of a dozen universities to host graduate student unionization votes since an August 2016 NLRB decision reopened the possibility. Several of these universities have continued legal challenges and refused to bargain after successful union votes. The University had filed to block this week’s vote, in part because a new Trump-era majority on the NLRB

might again move to block graduate student unionization.

A member of the faculty senate who spoke on the condition of anonymity said she was very frustrated with how the debate has affected campus unity. “It’s been terribly polarizing, pitting admin and faculty against students. We have much bigger things to worry about. The infighting is disheartening and depressing. Especially since GSU has alluded to the admin’s alliance with the Trump administration, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

The Trump admin is doing everything in its power to dismantle solid academic institutions, as they see us (as an aggregate) as the enemy,” she wrote in a message.

Continued on page 2

The union won the votes cast and counted by a ratio of 2 to 1...

64% FOR UNIONIZATION (1103)

28% AGAINST UNIONIZATION (479) 8% CHALLENGED AND UNCOUNTED (149)

70% OF ELIGIBLE GRADUATE STUDENTS VOTED (COUNTING CHALLENGED BALLOTS)

... and approached (to 45%) an absolute majority of all students eligible to vote.

30% OF ELIGIBLE GRADUATE STUDENTS DID NOT VOTE Adam Thorp

UIUC, Army Lab Coming to Polsky Center Endowment Reaches New High

BY ADAM THORP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and the Army Research Lab (ARL) will establish a presence at the Polsky Center, bringing a new surge of researchers and research dollars to the University of Chicago’s technology hub.

Illinois’s leading politicos and academic administrators— including Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Governor Bruce Rauner, UChicago P resident R obert Zimmer, and UIUC chancellor Robert Jones—gathered to announce the new initiatives at

Adam Thorp

the Polsky Center’s Hyde Park offices Thursday afternoon.

“The work has the potential to create solutions to some of

the world’s most difficult problems, from producing clean water to treating cancer,” Zimmer said. “ This ambitious project will accelerate the pace of discovery, while providing a clear path to economic development for our community, city, and state.”

Zimmer emphasized UIUC’s “world-renowned programs in computer science, engineering, and material science,” the University of Chicago’s work in “molecular engineering, data science, computation and related fields,” and the “Polsky Center’s expertise in venture creation and links to industry.”

Continued on page 3

Kafka in Visual Translation Page 4 For Grey City, Meera Joshi takes inspiration from the Bohemian writer’s dance between the real and surreal, as well as the human and not-human.

Open House Chicago Opens Doors Page 7 Contributor Kuba Sokolowski explores architectural treasures around the city.

Population Stagnation Page 5 Chicago’s population is plummeting compared to other major U.S. cities, with immigrants and people of color leaving at the highest rates.

BY KAMRYN SLOMKA NEWS REPORTER

The University of Chicago’s endowment grew to $7.82 billion, the University News Office announced today. This follows a return of 11.4 percent on investments from the previous year.

The endowment grew after a 1.9 percent drop from 2015 to 2016. The current value is an all-time high for the University. The size of the University’s endowment varies from year to year based on fundraising, the value of the investments it contains, and the amount removed as endowment payouts for oper-

ating expenses.

According to a University press release, investment returns are positively affecting the endowment. Almost $5 billion in market value was added to the endowment, due to an average return rate of 9.7 percent since the 2008 –2009 financial crisis.

The University of Chicago’s endowment did not rank among the top 10 largest university endowments in the United States at the end of the 2016 fiscal year. The largest endowment belongs to Harvard University and is worth $35.6 billion, while Yale University follows with $25.4 billion.

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

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THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 20, 2017

Events 10/20–10/23 Today A Very Fall Arch Sing Cobb Hall, 6–6:30 p.m.

Campus a cappella groups Voices in Your Head and Men in Drag will perform a short concert outside of Cobb Hall.

UChicago Presents: Arditti Quartet Mandel Hall, 6:30 p.m.

The legendary Arditti Quartet will perform at Mandel Hall. Student tickets are $10, faculty and staff tickets are $30, under-35 tickets are $20, and full-price tickets are $38. The concert will open with a lecture by assistant professor Anthony Cheung.

Screening of Lullaby Logan Center for the Arts, 7 p.m Focusing on the fertility and maternity of Soviet women in the 1930s, this film by Dziga Vertov will be screened in conjunction with the ongoing special exhibit Revolution Every Day. Associate professor William Nickell will introduce the film.

Tomorrow Humanities Day Multiple locations, all day A wide variety of lectures, performances, discussions, and tours will take place across campus on Saturday, continuing a tradition that has been ongoing since 1980. Registration is required to participate. Sign up and see all the events for the day at humanitiesday.uchicago.edu.

Sunday Book Discussion of All the Rivers Seminary Co-Op, 3–4:30 p.m.

Author Dorit Rabinyan will discusss her award-winning novel, in which an Israeli woman and Palestinian man meet and fall in love in New York City. The event is free and open to the public.

Monday Lecture: Göbeklitepe Culture and the Changing Image of the Neolithic Formation Oriental Institute, Breasted Hall, 4–6 p.m.

A professor emeritus at Istanbul University will discuss the “Neolithic Revolution” with a focus on four archaelogical sites in modern-day Turkey. A reception from 5 to 6 p.m. will follow the lecture.

Diwali: Members of the UChicago community celebrated Diwali in Rockefeller Memorial Chapel on Wednesday night. Photo of the Issue by Jason Lalljee.

Spokeswoman Says University Will Continue to Fight Unionization Efforts Continued from front

The administration argued for months that a union would not be in the best interests of graduate students. An e-mail from Executive Vice Provost David Nirenberg on Sunday cautioned that unionization would introduce a “third party” that could interfere with graduate students’ relationships with the University.

A spokesperson for the University said Thursday that its fight isn’t over.

“The University of Chicago has joined several other universities in asking the Board to revisit its recent reversal of position on this question, and our request is pending. We continue to have concerns about the impact of a graduate student union on the University’s mission of creating and imparting knowledge through direct mentorship, teaching, and individually guided research and writing,” Marielle Sainvilus said.

GSU said its next steps will involve creating new bylaws to solidify a democratic structure for the organization with elected representatives. They will also survey members to identify the most important issues to prioritize.

“This huge victory that we’ve just had

Former Treasury Secretary Talks Economic Growth

BY XIAOYU GAO

Online this week: Campus fundraisers aim to bring relief to Puerto Rico, men’s football and soccer scores.

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shows how graduate students are ready to said she was proud that graduate worktake up this responsibility. We are going to ers overcame obstacles to win decisively. be responsible for the work that we create and “The grassroots passion that animated their the labor that we do,” said third-year mathe- struggle was apparent from the beginning, matics student Claudio Gonzáles. and for 10 years they stood strong to achieve Fourth-year graduate student Grant Mac- this historic victory,” she said. “The AFT will Donald echoed Palmer in saying that the mar- have their backs every single day, as they use gin should send a message. their voice to fight for issues they care about, “I’m just so delighted that we not only won, such as inclusion and healthcare and academbut it was very convincing we got more than ic freedom, the representation they need, and double the ‘no’ votes,” he said. “I think there’s the kind of country they want to live in…. I no way the University can’t notice that.” call on the Chicago administration to halt its Earlier this week, several voters told The attacks on graduate workers, respect the law Maroon that even though they voted yes, they and come to the table to secure mutual gains were skeptical about GSU as an organization. in a spirit of collaboration.”

“The union organizers are too aggressive. I Sainvilus said in a statement that the voted yes, but almost voted no because of the University will “continue to support” graduaggression,” one said. ate students as it continues to pursue legal GSU is affiliated with the American options.

Federation of Teachers (AFT), Illinois Fed“Regardless of the outcome of the legal eration of Teachers (IFT), and the American process, we will continue to support our gradAssociation of University Professors (AAUP). uate students and respect their contributions.

Now that they’ve voted to unionize, they will Since 2007, the University has invested more officially register as a local AFT/IFT/AAUP than $2 billion in direct financial support for affiliate, providing sources of state-level and graduate students, from stipends to health national support. care and more, in the absence of union repAFT president Randi Weingarten resentation.”

NEWS REPORTER

Is 3 percent growth possible? Yes, but economists could be wrong, answered Lawrence Summers. Summers, formerly Treasury Secretary under Bill Clinton (1999– 2001) and president of Harvard University (2001–2006), addressed a crowd of over 400 students and faculty at the Logan Center on Wednesday. The event was organized by the Becker Friedman Institute (BFI) and moderated by Michael Greenstone, the Milton Friedman Professor in Economics and Director of BFI. Summers has a distinguished career at the intersection of academia and public service. “I could spend the whole hour going through his remarkable career,” said University President Robert J. Zimmer in the introduction.

Summers began with a remark on the impact of economic analysis: “The point [of economists] is to provide ideas, thoughts, modes of analysis that will over time shape the conventional wisdom in which Washington operates.” He spoke of UChicago econo-

mists Milton Friedman and Gary Becker as examples.

In response to Greenstone’s question, “Is 3 percent growth possible?”, Summers was reluctant to make predictions about the economy. Since 2008, the economy has grown at 2 percent, at the slow end of what economists thought the potential was. The Fed’s 2 percent inflation target, according to economists’ forecast, also deviated from what happened.

Turning to the question, “What would be the prescription for today?”, Summers made the case that the inflation target in the short term should be a bit above 2 percent, and that the government should increase public infrastructure investment. He said he opposes the current administration’s tax policy, and instead espoused raising taxation on profits that one made abroad and remained there, and lowering taxation on the profits one made abroad and took home to “bring money home” for economic development.

Greenstone asked if cultural divide is connected to the economy. “Gary Becker’s work tells us any question about culture is potentially amenable to economic analysis,” said Summers, “particularly when the range

of economic analysis has been broadened by the behavioral perspectives, for which Richard Thaler so deserved the Nobel Prize.”

He also touched on what he learned from Thaler: There are patterns of human decision-making that are not perfectly rational, but substantially predictable and therefore relevant to scientific research.

A second-year undergraduate student asked Summers about his view on China’s future economic growth. “I still think China will grow more rapidly than we will,” Summers said. But he also cautioned that extrapolation based on the upward trend could lead to false optimism.

Another audience member asked him if academia has a place in policy making.

Summers conceded that, for academics to engage in policy making effectively, one needs reputation, political polemic, and authoritative analysis. However, he said, imagining academia as a soccer game, “if you look at the most successful research careers, mostly they’re people who stayed where the ball wasn’t, and [when] eventually the ball came to their corner, they were there all alone, ready for the moments of glory.”

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THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 20, 2017

Dean of Students Addresses Anti-BDS Movement Posters at “Resisting Hate” Event

BY ALEX WARD ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

Campus community members gathered Monday to discuss responses and call for University action regarding the recent poster campaign that targeted students and faculty who have spoken in favor of Palestinian rights and the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Several of those who spoke said they were concerned about widespread “surveillance” of Palestinian Americans and pro-Palestinian activists.

Dean of Students Michele Rasmussen attended the event to listen to community viewpoints and to explain the University’s responses.

Several days after the posters appeared on campus, the University sent out an e-mail condemning the posters as antithetical to “critical inquiry and debate” and stating that they had been removed. Rasmussen did not indicate any plans for specific further action on the University’s part.

The talk was hosted by Critical Inquiry (CI), an arts and humanities journal based out of UChicago.

The event comes in the wake of a campaign by the David Horowitz Freedom Center to put up posters around campus naming 24 UChicago students and two professors as “supporters of terrorism.”

The people named were either involved with or supportive of pro-Palestinian groups and initiatives on campus, including the BDS resolution passed by College Council last year. The Horowitz Center put up similar posters with different sets of names in October of 2016 and May of this year.

W. J. T. Mitchell, the editor-in-chief of CI and one of two professors whose name appeared on the posters—along with sketches of their faces—helped lead the event. Mitchell works in the departments of English and art history.

The discussion also featured Dima Khal-

idi, the founder of Palestine Legal, which provides legal support to Palestinian rights activists, as well as Saree Makdisi, a UCLA professor of English and comparative literature who studies issues relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The panelists emphasized the connection between the Horowitz Center and canarymission.org, a website that lists profiles of pro-Palestinian activists.

One panelist, Hanna Alshaikh, a recent graduate of UChicago’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies, said that after being prominent in activism as an undergraduate, she decided to keep a low profile when she came to UChicago for her master’s.

Despite her break from activism, Canary Mission posted a detailed profile of Alshaikh’s life in 2016, and shortly afterward

Continued from front

nary Mission posts a month earlier. He also said blog posts by the Horowitz Center connected to the posters directly quoted sections of the Canary Mission profiles.

Responding to concerns about University responses, Rasmussen said that the administration has handled offensive postings, like the flyers put up on campus by a neo-Nazi group this past March, on a case-by-case basis, emphasizing the University’s values of free speech and diverse viewpoints.

She said her concern as dean of students is to make sure the University’s response to the Horowitz posters does not lead more people to the names of the students listed.

Story shortened for print. Read it in full at chicagomaroon.com.

Patrick Yeung

Michele Rasmussen, dean of students at the University, speaks on what the University has discussed with regards to the last three rounds of posters.

100 Additional Researchers to Join Polsky Center UIUC will locate around a hundred researchers, students, and professors in Hyde Park as part of its collaboration with the University of Chicago.

The two projects announced this week will help fill the 20-story extension to the Polsky Center’s existing footprint that was announced this August.

The 280,000 square foot complex will replace a parking structure in the northern portion of the block already occupied by the University’s Harper Court.

Each of the speakers emphasized the economic impact the expanded research presence would have on the South Side of Chicago.

“One of the big challenges of being a global city with world-class research institutions is how do you create inclusive growth, not exclusive growth,” Emanuel said, before complimenting the University on its commitment to making the Polsky Center’s opportunities “felt throughout the South Side.”

The University of Chicago and UIUC will partner to create a civic engagement program to give South Side residents chances to benefit from the work being done at the Polsky Center, Zimmer said.

The partnership between UIUC and the University of Chicago is the first in a series of planned projects across Illinois called the Illinois Innovation Network. Governor Rauner announced the Network at a separate press conference Thursday morning.

“Today is a watershed moment in the economic development of the State of Il-

she was named on the first set of Horowitz Center posters on campus. Alshaikh said that she was fearful of seeking help because it could draw attention to her and prompt a violent response.

According to Alshaikh, “It speaks to the surveillance particularly of Palestinian-Americans in the United States and on college campuses, but also anybody who speaks on Palestinian rights.”

Alex Shams, a third-year Ph.D. student in anthropology whose name was listed on the posters last May, said that the Canary Mission site was created two years ago, around the same time the Horowitz Center began posting at U.S. universities.

He said that both the first and most recent lists of names posted by the Horowitz Center at UChicago were preceded by Ca-

linois... Universities are the foundation for economic prosperity, and you can see it in every community in which a worldclass university is at work,” Rauner said.

On Wednesday, UIUC announced plans to establish a separate technology-oriented campus in downtown Chicago. The Tribune reported Wednesday that the University of Chicago and Northwestern had both been enlisted as partners in that project.

The ARL, the Army’s in-house research unit, has been establishing regional laboratories over the past two years in order to draw on local concentrations of expertise across the country.

ARL Central, their laboratory at Polsky, will work with the University of Chicago and other universities in Illinois and around the Midwest.

“The University of Chicago will serve as the hub for our efforts to increase our research portfolio in materials science,” ARL Director Phillip Perconti said in a press release. ARL planning documents published February of 2017 suggested A RL Central would focus on “impact physics, quantum science, high performance computing, [and] materials for weapons and protection.”

Emanuel said he, Senator Dick Durbin, and Zimmer had been lobbying the Secretary of the Army in support of the Chicago location for ARL Central.

“I feel like I’m on staff [at the University],” Emanuel joked, in reference to his work advocating for the ARL and other research projects at the University.

University Holds Conference on Freedom of Expression

BY ANNE NAZZARO ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

The University hosted a closed-door discussion this weekend on freedom of expression on college campuses and how administrations should respond to disruptive protest at speaking events.

Sixty-six presidents and provosts from a range of institutions were in attendance, according to an Inside Higher Ed article on the discussion.

University Provost Daniel Diermeier said in the Inside Higher Ed article that the other participants were in “strong agreement” on their need to protect the ideals of free speech.

“Those principles apply irrespective of the ideological perspective of the speakers,” he said.

The University of Chicago has released multiple statements, including letters to the incoming classes of 2020 and 2021, reaffirming the University’s commitment to protecting free speech regardless of the controversy of the ideas being expressed.

They convened after several weeks of incidents involving protesters shouting down speakers or blocking them from talking on college campuses, including at Columbia University, the University of Michigan, and Whittier College.

These events follow a trend in recent years of protesters, not all of whom are affiliated with universities, shutting down university speaking events where the speaker is controversial or where the protesters do not agree with the speaker.

Several similar events were shut down

by protesters in early 2016 at the University of Chicago. In February 2016, Black Lives Matter Chicago protesters shouted down Anita Alvarez, the former Cook County state’s attorney, at an event hosted by the Institute of Politics. Alvarez left the stage 20 minutes into the event. Soon after, Bassem Eid, a Palestinian human rights activist who opposes the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, spoke at International House. Tensions rose after one audience member challenged Eid on a question, and police had to intervene and end the event.

According to Inside Higher Ed, some educators stressed the need to change the narrative in the press that today’s students are unable to handle confrontation with ideas that they do not agree with or are not comfortable with. They also cited the need to educate today’s students on the importance of free speech.

“Many of us thought there is a need for more education of our student body, for them to have a better understanding of why the First Amendment is so important,” said Ana Mari Cauce, president of the University of Washington, to Inside Higher Ed. “They have seen the First Amendment used to defend racism, sexism, etc. They don’t have the real understanding that the First Amendment has been used to defend minority views.”

The M aroon reported on the University’s plans for the free speech conference in August. According to documents uncovered by the paper, former president Barack Obama was invited to be the keynote speaker, though the Inside Higher Ed article does not note his presence at the conference.

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THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 20, 2017

Kafka in Visual Translation Meera Joshi This illustration series was inspired by the novelist Franz Kafka. In each of these drawings, I depict some of my favorite Kafka stories and reflect on my developing understanding of his writings. I chose this illustration style in order to visually represent Kafka’s prose style, which constructs worlds that are intensely detailed and recognizable, yet stripped down to an uncanny, distorted, and persistently incomplete version of what is typically perceived as reality. I am fascinated by the inhuman figures in his stories, who seem to dwell in the threshold between animal and human.

Kafka, Franz. The Complete Stories. Edited by Nahum Norbert Glatzer.

Translated by Willa Muir and Edwin Muir, Schocken Books, 1971.

Josephine, the Singer or the Mouse Folk. “She has a love for music and knows how to transmit it; she is the only one; when she dies, Music—who knows for how long—will vanish from our lives” (360).

A Crossbreed. “Had this cat, along with the soul of a lamb, the ambitions of a human being? I did not inherit much from my father, but this legacy is quite remarkable” (427).

The New Advocate. “So perhaps it is really best to do as Bucephalus has done and absorb oneself in law books. In the quiet lamplight, his flanks unhampered by the thighs of a rider, free and far from the clamor of battle, he reads and turns the pages of our ancient tomes” (415).

Investigations of a Dog. “All knowledge, the totality of all questions and all answers, is contained in the dog” (289­–290).

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THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 20, 2017

VIEWPOINTS Population Stagnation Population Patterns Paint a Troubling Picture of Segregation and Instability in Chicago

Natalie Denby Over the past few years, Chicago has weathered a series of setbacks. The city’s rising homicide rate accounted for 20 percent of the national increase between 2015 and 2016. Illinois’s budget crisis and staggering unfunded pension liabilities have left the state with a near-junk credit rating and several billion dollars of unpaid bills. Another crisis is looming on the horizon: Chicago’s population is decreasing, but the trend varies wildly by race, class, and neighborhood. The potential consequences are disturbing.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates indicate that the city of Chicago incurred a net loss of 13,929 residents between 2013 and 2016. That’s a net loss of 8,638 residents between 2015 and 2016, up from 4,934 between 2014 and 2015, and 357 between 2013 and 2014. The fact that these losses set Chicago apart from comparable American cities is troubling enough.

The fact that Chicago’s losses are accelerating is cause for serious concern. In fact, the entire Chicagoland area (which includes neighboring counties and extends outside of Illinois) leads the nation in metropolitan population decreases, with a 19,570-person decline in 2016. It’s an unsavory distinction.

The population loss is not uniform; in fact, it lays bare the stark divisions in Chicago. It’s

hardly surprising that, in a city known for its entrenched segregation, different ethnic groups are undergoing wildly divergent population trends. What these differences reveal is a city cleaved in two. As Chicago’s white population stabilizes, its black population has plunged precipitously.

The latter trend is decades in the making; what brought it to the fore is a post-2000 acceleration, combined with a more recent (and equally disturbing) drop in immigrant arrivals.

Mexican immigrants, once a primary driver of Chicago’s population growth, have been dropping in number since 2000.

Chicago has long had the second largest Mexican-born population in the U.S.; the city’s reliance on immigrant groups is hardly surprising in light of this fact.

Indications that immigrants are less eager to make the Windy City their home—and that many have chosen to leave—should not be taken lightly.

Chicago’s status as a top destination for immigrants may have masked other long-term trends, which predate recent net losses. The city’s black population has plunged from over 1.2 million in 1980 to roughly 800,000 today. The metropolitan area has lost over 200,000 black residents since 2000, a trend which has also apparently accelerated in recent years. By contrast, the white

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population in Chicago shrunk by 32,290 in the same period (and has been increasing of late).

What makes this problem worse is who is leaving. There’s reason to believe that the exiting residents are predominantly middle class. And it may be having an impact on Chicago already.

The Chicago Tribune reported in 2015 that as the population loss among black residents sped up, the city’s ranking by share of black households making over $100,000 dropped from seventh highest to 21st. The cities that climbed in the rankings are the ones thought to be prime destinations for Chicago’s lost residents—Atlanta, Baton Rouge, and Memphis all rank highly, for instance.

It’s not surprising that middle-class families are packing up. The city’s problems are acute: violent crime has been spiraling in many Chicago neighborhoods; repeated political impasses on local, city, and state levels have left their mark; and better economic opportunities (and weather!) beckon elsewhere. That’s not a great sales pitch for the city.

While life may improve for those who go, it could get much worse for those who stay behind.

The Chicago Sun-Times noted that three of Chicago’s largest non-white neighborhoods—Austin, Englewood, and West Englewood—have together lost 28 percent of their residents between 2000 and 2015. These

concentrated, relatively sudden losses can create problems for the residents who remain, from economic repercussions to shuttered schools to increased crime, all in a city grappling with an already-dizzying homicide spiral.

The differences in population trends by ethnic group, neighborhood, and class are troubling on another front. Many predominantly white neighborhoods are booming. The divergent paths of Chicago’s neighborhoods, paired with their physical separation, is just another division to add to the city’s already formidable list.

It’s not just that having multiple separate cities bundled into one is troubling in its own right (though it clearly is). It’s that the residents of one neighborhood may not be fully aware of what’s happening to the other. Peripheral calamities are generally less compelling than the crises in your own backyard.

Clearly, this predates the Trump presidency. But the administration appears keen on making the problem worse.

They may well succeed. Federal fear-mongering on deportation, the threat of a border wall, and the termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program are all national developments that will surely discourage immigration. More specific to Chicago, publicized Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in sanctuary jurisdictions (including Cook

County) could damage Chicago’s status as a safe destination for immigrants.

P r ot e c t i n g i m m i g r a nt s should be an obvious priority, one compelled by basic principles and a deep concern for the city’s welfare. On this front, Chicago has done fairly well fighting the federal government. But the same cannot be said for Chicago’s other bogeyman: its egregious segregation. These large and disparate patterns of population loss wouldn’t be happening if Chicago wasn’t divided so clearly, setting its residents on starkly different footings in terms of safety, education, economic outcomes, and housing.

Safeguarding Chicago’s prospects will require years of concentrated efforts. None of these changes are likely to happen so long as one part of Chicago conceives of the other as a different world, encountered only briefly and idly while skimming the news. In that regard, Chicagoans (and students) are not so powerless. Paying more attention can radically improve the city’s agenda. It is becoming increasingly apparent that this isn’t simply a moral imperative, but is also at the heart of the city’s security and future.

Natalie Denby is a third-year in the College majoring in public policy studies.

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THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 20, 2017

ARTS BBQ Supply Co. Pulls Through with Pork

BY PARKER MEE MAROON CONTRIBUTOR

I grew up in Missouri, home of some amazing barbecue. We have KC Style Barbecue, St. Louis Ribs, and we produce a lot of great meat. BBQ Supply Co., a Rogers Park restaurant that also offers catering and pit master classes, opened a second branch in Hyde Park last weekend. As soon as I heard, I jumped at the opportunity to try it out.

Replacing Yusho on East 53rd Street, the interior of the restaurant pairs a familiar, rustic barbecue feel with a crisp, minimalist flair. The tables mimic butcher-blocks, mixed industrial warehouse lights hang overhead, and tea is served in Mason jars.

This modern-meets-industrial style signals a connection to the past of barbecue while recognizing that barbecue is no longer about just any meat on a grill.

My friend ordered the shredded chicken while I opted for the two-meat platter with the wagyu brisket and rib tips. However, my dreams of a wagyu brisket were soon crushed as I heard an “86” come out of the kitchen for brisket, meaning they were out. I substituted the brisket for the pulled pork, the backbone of most barbecue places. Soon the food arrived on simple metal trays covered in brown butcher paper. The meats were served with a brioche bun or Texas toast, and on each table, there were four types of barbecue sauces and a jar of homemade pickles.

Now let’s put on our bibs and get down to the taste. The rib tips were nice and charred on the outside while still maintaining their succulence. A balanced amount of marbled fat led to a juicy robust flavor. However, the ribs could have had more spices for a punchier flavor profile.

The pulled pork was one of the more unusual interpretations of pulled pork I have had. Normally pulled pork is stringy and voluminous, but this dish was denser and arrived as four or five solid chunks of meat. I’m not too much of a barbecue purist, so I was open to this different type of pork.

However, I think the entire flavor could have been lifted by a larger surface area to activate more taste buds. Also, this would have

allowed the delicious sauces to permeate a little more into the meat. I really liked the thickness and texture present in the Carolina Gold sauce. I thought it was a cohesive acid that activated some of the proteins to release mouthwatering flavors.

The menu has surprising depth, ranging from a pulled pork Reuben to a taco with Texas caviar. I would’ve gone for a dinner with some more variety, but the prices were a little prohibitive for sampling a range of dishes. For my two-meat dinner, my friend’s pulled chicken, and an iced tea, the ticket came to $31. While the food was good, the prices might prevent the restaurant from becoming a regular dinner spot for students.

Jennifer Packer Exhibits Body of Work at Renaissance Society

BY CYNTHIA HUANG MAROON CONTRIBUTOR

There is a certain vulnerability to Jennifer Packer’s first solo institutional exhibition in the Renaissance Society, which is only fitting given that the exhibition is named Tenderheaded.

In Tenderheaded, Packer makes observations on the everyday through her artwork, which ranges from portraitures to still life.

She paints the funereal and the mundane, the contemplative and the chaotic.

Though notable, distinct, and varied, the pieces operate together as a continued narrative bonded through tenderness.

These cultural narratives can be seen through how Packer views the idea of being “tenderheaded” not just as an emotional idea, but also a political one, as tenderheaded is a word often used to describe black women.

In an interview with the Observer, Packer maintained that being tenderheaded is “an assessment of not only physical sensitivity, but also an emotional sensitivity, perhaps bordering on weakness. But the weakness isn’t necessarily a fault—it’s more of way of noting the need to take extra care of that person.”

Packer puts her heart on her canvases.

Her willingness to be so open in her artwork invites our attentions, creating waves of emotions. Each piece evokes different feelings.

Grace, with all its red hues, speaks of a dull passion. An Exercise in Tenderness, painted almost entirely in blue, is regal yet fragile.

Untitled (numbered six in the exhibition) has a rough sort of vibrancy to it, whereas Untitled (numbered seven in the exhibition)

screams of heartache and despair, though they both depict bouquets.

Although she mainly utilizes a minimalistic palette, Packer provides visual breaks in the form of vibrant hues, inviting the question of why. Ain’t I is dominated by an almost-dirty yellow, but is complemented by two dashes of green. The figure in Tia is hazy, but has distinct, brightly colored shoes.

In For James III, the subject’s brilliant blue eyes immediately beg for attention; they seem to stare right at you. These visual breaks are jarring and unexpected, but entice the viewer.

Packer also plays with form and perception. She paints mostly in loose strokes, but occasionally focuses on specific details.

In April, Restless, the subject is barely outlined, and Packer’s loose, yellow strokes extend beyond the outline of the subject to the environment they are in. The typewriter and flowers in the upper left-hand corner of the painting, however, are incredibly precise. In such a way, Packer’s paintings appear to be works-in-progress, yet simultaneously seem complete.

In an interview with Art Critical, Packer maintained that this sense of partial completion is for the sake of protecting the subjects of her artwork: “I want to know how to present a personal relationship without damaging the individual or putting them in harm’s way.”

However, omitting these details enhances the emotion. Although most of the figures are merely outlined and seem to exist in a cloud of color, this very lack of definition blurs the subjects and their environments. This heightened complexity and vulnerability

Across 1. Got 100 on 5. With 30D and 36D, a clue to the circled letters 8. Parker, sometimes 13. It may be skipped 14. Caravel of 1492 15. “You ___!”

16. Creature with a powerful bite 17. Lakers forward Lamar 18. Prickly pear range 19. Penta- plus one 20. It makes a good study?

22. Madras sch.

23. Glyph 25. With severity 27. Music genre 28. Tantrum 29. Thing to crack 30. Common article 33. Undo 35. “Rogue One” vehicle 37. TV channel?

39. Windows file suffix

highlights the often-confusing relationships people have with their environments, both physical and cultural.

In an interview with Callaloo, Packer emphasized the political nature of her art: “My inclination to paint bodies, especially from life, is a completely political one. We belong here. We deserve to be seen and acknowledged in real time. We deserve to be

heard and to be imaged with shameless generosity and accuracy.”

By painting black bodies in everyday environments, Packer expands a prevailing sense of vulnerability encapsulating the unapologetic strength of a culture.

Tenderheaded will be on display in the Renaissance Society (Cobb Hall, fourth floor) through November 5.

Estelle Higgins

Jennifer Packer’s Tenderheaded is on display at the Renaissance Society.

Estelle Higgins

Packer explores the politics of cultural narratives through painting black bodies.

NO ONE WINS

BY CHRISTOPHER JONES 40. Start to -type?

41. Designer Chanel 42. Rises 44. Once called, at weddings 45. Puppy pinch 46. Semiconductor giant 47. Safari subunit 49. Outshine 51. Current measure 54. Avatar, for Nintendo 55. Tardy 57. Female elephants 59. Power outlet?

61. Office nos.?

62. They’re yoked 63. Medici handouts 64. Tirade 65. 63,360 inches 66. Japanese immigrant 67. Text format 68. Ichthyologists’ studies Down

1. Vault 2. Preps, as an apple 3. Adhesive 4. Relocate 5. Lunar, in a way 6. “___ out?”

7. They’re mostly open space 8. Your, in Cannes 9. Wonder 10. “Shot heard round the world” locale 11. HRC scandal 12. Irascible 14. Zero chance 21. Diminutive ending 24. Beethoven’s birthplace 26. Raise 28. Sent, old-style 30. See 5A 31. Aussie trees with a long life span 32. Surgical removals 34. Euclid and

Pythagoras 36. See 5A 38. “___ for the latter” 40. 2016 viral vid from Daimaou Kosaka 42. “Radio ___” (Queen hit) 43. Absolute greatest 48. Change into 49. One of the five basic tastes 50. F1 racer Jean 51. Memo headers 52. “Chicago” heroine 53. Bob ___, “To Kill a Mockingbird” antagonist 56. Midterm, for one 58. “Yoshi’s Island” platform 60. Owed The solution to this week’s puzzle will be published next week, alongside the names of the first three solvers to email a picture of the completed puzzle to editor@chicagomaroon.com.

7

THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 20, 2017

Open House Chicago Opens Doors to City

BY KUBA SOKOLOWSKI MAROON CONTRIBUTOR

This past weekend, over 200 architecturally significant buildings—including private residences, offices, places of worship, entertainment venues, and more—opened their doors to the city to celebrate Open House Chicago. Organized annually by the Chicago Architecture Foundation since 2011, the celebration allows visitors to tour buildings normally closed to the public.

Kuba Sokolowski

At the intersection of Lincoln, Southport, and Wellington, the massive St. Alphonsus Church looms over the storefronts and residential buildings of Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Elevated from the street level by stone steps on its facade, the church’s Gothic architecture is immediately visible from the six-way intersection below. Built in 1896, it is currently the only church in Chicago to offer monthly services in German.

Peering east over Southport, St. Alphonsus’s facade features hefty, light-colored stones stained with green runoff from the rusted ornamental finishes on the towers and the rooftop. Pointed arches and metallic pinnacles command the eye upwards to appreciate the detailed crosses lining the central tower and the sky. Characterized by heavy building materials and the earthy colors of brown, black, and gray, St. Alphonsus’s exterior is solemn and mature.

But the east entrance tells a different story. Hooded by a tunnel-like series of shrinking Gothic archways, the powder-blue doors are plain, bright, and decorated with clean, white squares that cling to the doors like empty pic-

neighbors.

The double doors at the corner of the building depict two stylized human figures set in silver against a backdrop of dark glass, and the entryway is flanked by ostentatiously Art Deco–style sconces.

Inside, an Open House volunteer welcomed the visitors into the outer lobby, a compact space encircled by metallic fluted pilasters and small, vibrant mosaics.

The inner lobby is long and spacious, anchored by a magnificent fireplace. Broad strips of colorful forest imagery on a background of dark wood paneling flank the pyramidal black fireplace, above which hangs an elegant mirror etched with geometric lines. A small crowd gathered around the fireplace as an Open House volun-

teer explained a mosaic set into the mantle—a humorous rebus whose encoded instruction to “put coal on” the fire was thwarted by generational changes in the way we talk about punctuation.

Although restored with the installation of new infrastructure, the building’s original elevators— characterized by etched mirrors and ornate silver finishes—remain in use to this day. Beside the north elevator lobby, two sets of gold-painted wooden doors carved with twin cranes lead to a balcony overlooking an indoor swimming pool. Although the room has yet to be refurbished fully to its original state, the team has successfully restored the walls and ceiling based on a photograph taken after the Powhatan’s completion.

St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church 1429 West Wellington­Avenue — Lakeview

The Powhatan, one of Chicago’s most iconic Art Deco–inspired residences, towers over the eastern edge of historic Kenwood just north of Hyde Park. Constructed with a reinforced concrete frame and clad in Indiana limestone, the apartment tower was completed in 1929. Residents of the luxury coop can boast not only of living in a designated Chicago Landmark, but in Chicago’s only building with 24-hour elevator operators.

At 22 stories, the Powhatan towers over neighboring Burnham Park, affording the east-facing windows a view over Lake Michigan. The proximity to the lake is alluded to in the wavy patterns at the bottom of the colorful terracotta mosaics that separate each of the top 18 stories from their vertical

ture frames.

The entrance foyer has walls painted a warm yellow-beige and greets visitors with a mural of the eponymous saint and the faces of smiling cherubs carved into a white plaster molding. Most striking, however, is the cobalt ceiling bisected by white structural ribs sprouting from the light gray floral design in the center.

The cobalt ceiling continues to the main body of the church, where it expands over the pews in three central groined peaks like a rich, untouchable sky. A geometric starlike form plated in silver covers the center of each groin, and delicate white ribs coalesce into the char-

acteristic Gothic archways that line each side of the nave. Each archway is supported by a pale green column topped off with an ornate golden capital, behind which are beautiful stained-glass windows illuminated by the morning light.

Amid all this color, the altar at the west end of the church is surprisingly desaturated. The ceiling above the altar boasts a groined vault of its own, but plated in an iridescent material with a silver sheen. Above the altar, two more sets of stained-glass windows frame a pastel triptych mural; below, earthy red marble steps bring the light and airy focal point of the church back to earth.

The Powhatan 4950 South Chicago Beach Drive­— Kenwood

Ross Barney Architects 10 West Hubbard Street­— Loop

Kuba Sokolowski

Kuba Sokolowski

Walking down Hubbard Street in the Loop, it’s easy to miss the entrance to the white brick former-warehouse-turned-office of Chicago-based architecture firm Ross Barney. The ground floor of the former warehouse now has street-level access to bars, restaurants, and a colorful printer’s shop.

Although the building’s exterior is cheery in its bright simplicity, it’s nowhere as monumental as the Gothic St. Alphonsus or as rich as Palette and Chisel’s brownstone.

It does, however, participate in an architectural dialogue with past visions of grandeur: The brick pillar supporting the awning of the entrance incorporates a simple version of a classical capital, and the roof extends slightly over the street in a simplified allusion to

any classical temple’s entablature.

A volunteer led visitors through a barren hallway to an elevator in the back. On the fourth floor, doors open to an unexpected vista: the open office space of Ross Barney Architects. Founded in 1981 by Carol Ross Barney, the firm has recently completed projects including the CTA’s Cermak–McCormack Station, the Fermilab Illinois Accelerator Research Center, and the South Campus Chiller Plant at Oklahoma State University.

The firm’s office now takes up the top two floors—the fourth and fifth—of the warehouse, which are united by a two-story atrium that filters in bright light from overhead. Compared with the chaos of the street and the claustrophobic nature of the dingy entryway and

elevator, the layout of the office is open, energetic, and streamlined.

The ceiling is supported by a series of rustic wooden pillars that imitate steel I-beams with a softer edge. Industrial track lights hang suspended from the ceiling over a village of cubicles with frosted glass walls.

The Open House allowed visitors to roam the office and view paper blueprints, digital renderings, and wood-and-cardstock mockups of the firm’s latest designs. Members of the Ross Barney team milled about explaining their projects, which included a renewal program for Chicago’s waterfront, a new architecture building for U of I, and an aesthetic overhaul of the Belmont Blue Line station in Avondale.

Continued online.

8

THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 20, 2017

SPORTS Maroons Continue to Dominate UAA WOMEN’S SOCCER

BY DIESTEFANO LOMA SPORTS STAFF

The University of Chicago women’s soccer team remains undefeated and continues to dominate in extraordinary fashion, making easy work of Case Western Reserve University with a 3–0 win.

From the start of the season, the Maroons have put other teams on notice with their blowout victories and continue to reiterate that they are a juggernaut and the biggest roadblock every team must face.

Although best known for her dimes and dribbles, fourth-year Mia Calamari’s skills are limitless, having broken the deadlock after magnificently striking the ball from 30 yards out, which would find the back of the net in the seventh minute. She would be assisted by second-year Mackenzie Peebles, who recorded her fifth assist.

While no more goals were scored in the first half, the Maroons looked to extend their lead, with second-year Hanna Watkins having two headers on goal in the span of a minute. Fourth-year Kelsey Moore would also strike a ball that was saved by the keeper.

She would later go on to have a total of four shots on target. Their opponents, on the other hand, would not have a single opportunity to shoot the ball.

As the second half began, the Maroons would have no problem continuing to show their dominance. In the 46th minute, Calamari delivered a stellar cross that the Spartans’ defender would attempt to clear, but headed it in for an own goal. The blowout would end around the 75th minute, when a corner kick by second-year Rachel Dias redirected off a header from first-year Claudia Hodgetts, and

allowed second-year Julia Lodoen to head it in and extend the lead by a third goal.

The Maroons (14–0), stay ranked No. 1 as they continue to make history. When asked if the team acknowledges this feat or if they move on after each game, Calamari said, “I think we do a nice mix of both, recognizing the success we’ve had on the field and also thinking about what’s brought us that success, and trying to build upon that every game and every practice.”

Calamari went on to speak of the intimidation faced by being the No. 1 ranked team, stating, “I think being the No. 1 ranked team, we have a target on our back because it’s always nice to win a big upset and you don’t have much to lose. So, I think teams come out and work really hard against us, but I think we come out even harder and make

sure that they know that we show up to play every game.”

As a fourth-year, Calamari spoke happily of the chance to work with the first-years. “It’s been really exciting this season watching them grow and seeing what the future of this team looks like, because they’re super talented and super hard working,” she said. “I think all of the seniors think it’s nice to know the program is in really good hands.”

From the start of the whistle, UChicago would dominate the pitch on both ends, especially when it came to opportunities created.

The University of Chicago women’s soccer team would outshoot their opponents by a 24–4 margin.

The defense has been pivotal in clearing out balls and pressuring the other team, which is why 14 shots the Maroons took were on goal, while none of the shots tak-

en by the Spartans were on goal.

The University of Chicago women’s soccer team was constantly on the offensive, having also taken a total of 19 corner kicks, while Case Western Reserve only had one.

The University of Chicago women’s soccer team is sound and always plays with energy and a purpose that eclipses each team they face. They are confident with their style of play when it comes to offense and defense. “I think we have been focusing more on the offensive part, and just trusting defensively that if we put the work in, it’ll be there. I think both are important, but it really depends on the game,” third-year Jenna McKinney said.

The Maroons will next face off against NYU on October 27 at 1:30 p.m. EST.

Sailing Team Finishes First in Ann Arbor SAILING

BY SIDDHARTH KAPOOR SPORTS EDITOR

The UChicago Sailing Club is on the rise. As a member of the Midwest Collegiate Sailing Association (MCSA), the sailing club competes against neighboring schools like the University of Michigan, who the Maroons beat this past weekend to win the Carey Price Memorial Regatta. The first-place win follows a series of strong results, including three top-10 finishes and a respectable 12th place finish at the MCSA Fall Conference Championships.

In addition to strong results, the sailing club prides itself on its sense of camaraderie and inclusiveness. Being a relatively small group, relationships matter most at the sailing club.

“Getting involved with college sailing, I didn’t know what to expect. But it’s been great to be a part of a stellar organiza-

tion that is committed to working hard and getting results. This weekend’s regatta performance is just an example of that,” fourthyear captain David Millstein said.

The club meets for practice at the Columbia Yacht Club, located at 111 North Lake Shore Drive, approximately 15 minutes away from campus. The club is open to all skill levels, from beginners to experienced sailors. Beginners practice on Monday and Friday afternoons from 3:15–6:30 p.m. while experienced sailors practice on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons from 3:15–6:30 p.m.

This year’s club has the most senior sailors ever. As a result, the club is open to new sailors and is even looking for underclassmen to fill leadership roles.

The seniors’ experience and support will help the new sailors acclimate faster. In addition, the

University of Michigan Sailing Team

The sailing team poses with their trophy from the Carey Price Memorial Regatta.

club is also looking to buy new boats. To pay for the new equipment and other fees, the dues for the club are set at $200 for fall

UPCOMING GAMES SPORT

DAY

Opponent

TIME

Football

Saturday

Beloit (Homecoming)

1:30 p.m.

and $200 for spring.

The sailing club will be back in action soon at the Hope College Regatta from Nov 4–5 before

taking part in the MCSA Fall Championships at Northwestern University from Nov 11–12.

M AROON

SPORT Men’s Soccer

Women’s Soccer

SCORE BOARD W/L

Opponent

Score

L

North Park

0 –1

W

Illinois Tech

8 –0

This crossword originally appeared in The M aroon on Friday, October 13. It was successfully completed by (1) Lizet Jonzales, Seb Viyegaz Megia, Markó Aneyea, Bree Morealeas, and Daved Mandyeta, and (2) Annie Nazzaro and Emmi Russo (group solved). Names are printed as submitted.