OCTOBER 27, 2017
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892
Hyde Park Halloween Scaled Down
Zimmer Testifies on Free Speech BY KATHERINE VEGA DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR
University president Robert Zimmer spoke at a Senate hearing yesterday, titled “Exploring Free Speech on College Campuses.” The hearing was held by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and it featured testimonies from the Southern Poverty Law Center president and university professors. The event opened with a statement from committee chairman Senator Lamar Alexander, a Republican from Tennessee, regarding tensions on college campuses where event speakers had been interrupted by protesters. He expressed disapproval at the idea that controversial speakers might not be allowed to visit campuses or complete their talks due to opposition from students. A lexander stated in his opening remarks that Zimmer and other university leaders had “taken action to reaffirm their commitment to free speech.” “Universities should be the place where people of different views may speak, audiences can listen, and many contrasting
viewpoints are encouraged,” Alexander said. “There should be some sensible ways to allow that while still protecting freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment.” In his testimony, Zimmer stated that free speech on college campuses is at a crucial tipping point and has implications nationwide. He argued that critical thinking skills such as synthesizing different perspectives or understanding history and context— skills which rely on freedom of expression—are at the cornerstone of a good education. “If the education that we provide does not give students the opportunity to acquire these skills and abilities, they will be underprepared to make informed decisions in the complex and uncertain world they will confront upon entering the workplace,” Zimmer said. “Intrinsic to students attaining these skills is an environment of ongoing intellectual challenge of which free expression and open discourse is an essential part.” Zimmer discussed at length the “Chicago Principles,” which are included in the University’s Continued on page 3
BY CAROLINE KUBZANSKY NEWS REPORTER
PRESIDENT ZIMMER President Zimmer speaks at a Senate hearing hosted by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
PROFESSOR STANGER
SENATOR ALEXANDER
Allison Stanger, professor of international politics and Economics at Middlebury College, witnesses the Senate hearing.
Senator Lamar Alexander witnesses the Senate hearing early Thursday morning.
DNC Chair Talks Future of Democratic Party BY LUCIA GENG NEWS REPORTER
The Institute of Politics (IOP) hosted Tom Perez, chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), in an event at International House on Wednesday. Perez, a former civil rights attorney who served as Labor Secretary under former President Barack Obama, spoke with
IOP Fellow and Washington Post correspondent Karen Tumulty about the current political climate and Democrats’ strategy going forward. He began by describing the responsibilities of his job, saying that the DNC’s mission is to “elect Democrats up and down the ticket…by making sure we have strong parties…and strong partnerships everywhere.” Responding to Tumulty’s comment that the Democrats
have been “absolutely decimated” in the past eight years, Perez said that he was aware that the Democratic Party “became all too frequently the party of the coasts” and emphasized a need for Democrats to make politics personal rather than transactional. He stressed the importance of consistent field organizing and said, “We have taken the term ‘off year’ out of our lexicon.” As Perez discussed the Democrats’ recent success in state leg-
Unionization Battle Continues Page 4
Professor Denis Hirschfeldt writes on behalf of the AAUP, urging the University administration to accept the unionization vote; The Maroon Editorial Board calls for the same.
Humanities Day Celebrates Curiosity and Creativity Across Disciplines Page 5 Celebrating its 38th year, Humanities Day this year was as eclectic as ever, inspiring more questions than answers.
VOL. 129, ISSUE 10
islature elections in Oklahoma, New Hampshire, and Florida, Tumulty posed the question of whether or not it is appropriate for the DNC to support candidates that do not pass the “litmus test” on abortion. “Unity doesn’t mean unanimity…what we have to do as a party…is come together around our shared values,” Perez said in response. “When people ask about litmus tests, I say look at the Republican Party.” Continued on page 3
Crystal King-Smith, Wentworth district commander for the Chicago Police Department, has requested that community organizers of a “Hyde Park Halloween” for local teenagers scale down their original plans. There will no longer be a DJ, a spoken word exhibition, Nerf wars, or bubble soccer for teenagers coming to the event, as originally planned. Five-dollar movies will still be shown in Harper Theater, and over 60 adult volunteers will be present in the area on the nights of October 28 and October 31. There will also be a prisoner transport vehicle nearby as a visual deterrent for possible vandals. “That was at the request of the police officers who worked Halloween in Hyde Park last year…. This is what the officers need in order to do their job,” event organizer LaKeisha Hamilton said. Last Halloween, hundreds of teenagers converged on 53rd Street to “purge” the area, throwing eggs and shooting paintball guns, resulting in arrests. Hyde Park Halloween has been planned as a response to this unrest. “[The teenagers had] been there for years, but due to social media, the number of young people who were there last year increased,” Hamilton explained. The goal of Hyde Park Halloween was to distract teenagers who were planning on coming to “bust on Hyde Park,” in a similar vein to last year’s Continued on page 3