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TUESDAY • JANUARY 10, 2012

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Public policy professor launches bid for Congress Marina Fang News Contributor A lecturer in the Department of Public Policy Studies could be the next U of C professor to challenge incumbent Representative Bobby Rush (D-IL) for the first congressional district, after Barack Obama tried 10 years ago.

Ray Lodato (A.M. ’87, Ph.D. ’97), who works as Senior Survey Director at the National Opinion Research Center, filed official campaign paperwork on December 27 for the March 20 Democratic primary. His congressional bid marks a return to politics after a decade in teaching and research.

ISSUE 19 • VOLUME 123

With new Ex Libris, coffee’s bold return

His decision to run for Congress is rooted in what he views as “an incredible moment” in American politics.

“I think that we’re really at a realignment of the political landscape, and I think we’re at a point where there’s a chance to make important structural changes in public policy especially,” he said in an interview.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the first congressional district spans from Chicago’s South Side to the city’s southwestern suburbs. Rush has represented the district since 1993, and defeated Obama in a 2000 primary challenge LODATO continued on page 2

Students flocked to the study space in the new Ex Libris Café after its opening on Monday. | THE CHICAGO MAROON

AUMER SHUGHOURY

World Bank chief: China just warming up Joy Crane News Staff Chief Economist of the World Bank Justin Yifu Lin (Ph.D. ’86) lectured at his former residence in International House on Friday to unravel the tale behind the last 30 years of Chinese economic growth, as well as the costs that growth has exacted and the uncertainties that lie ahead.

In his new book Demystifying the Chinese Economy, Lin argues against misconceptions about China’s past and provides insight into its

future. The talk was structured around five questions which probed into the causes and effects of China’s status as the world’s second largest economy and its 9.9 percent growth rate for the past 32 years.

Lin, the author of 18 books, discussed the origins of China’s achievement, highlighting its resistance to encroaching global trends and its provision of some transitory protection from the state.

Jennifer Standish News Staff Emerging from the dank reaches of the A Level, Ex Libris Café opened in its new, sunlit location yesterday morning on the ground level of the Joseph Regenstein library.

The café, which student baristas opened to customers at 9 a.m., remained busy throughout the day. General Manager Jake Newman, a fourth-year, said that the café’s new start is an opportunity for the 21 employees to do business differently.

“We looked at what was most popular and a lot of the times we were over-

stocking items that weren’t selling ,” he said. “What that has made us do is think more about spreading out the menu wisely, and who we’re trying to serve as a student-run coffee shop.”

Library administrators announced the new location for the formerly subterranean cafe last April.

Employees who worked there last spring first heard of the transition alongside the rest of the University, and doubts briefly arose about the future of the cafe’s student-run status, but they were quickly put to rest, even as construction on the new location continued through fall quarter and into the

beginning of this quarter.

According to Clara Spera, Harper Cafe’s financial manager, administrators and student cafés were all aware that Ex Libris would not open for the beginning of the academic year. Administrators then projected a November opening last October that never materialized.

However, since all workers in the University’s four student-run coffee shops are ORCSA employees, several Ex Libris workers from last year were able to find work at Harper Café (Common Knowledge) and Hallowed Grounds. Meanwhile, Stacey Brown, an ORCSA admin-

istrator who coordinates student coffee shops, helped other Ex Libris employees find work elsewhere, according to Newman.

“Anyone who wanted to continue working was given work. Nobody was put out,” said Newman, who worked at Hallowed Grounds last quarter.

The moving of Ex Libris employees to Harper and Hallowed Grounds was not a top-down, unilateral decision, Spera said, and the new hires did not hinder the cafés’ business.

“We worked out all together how to come to that decision. Nothing was EX LIBRIS continued on page 2

CHINA continued on page 2

New dance floor brings the swing back to Ida Noyes Celia Bever News Staff

Justin Yifu Lin, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of the World Bank speaks at International House during a Leonard D. White Memorial Lecture on Friday afternoon.

JAMIE MANLEY | THE CHICAGO MAROON

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The Ida Noyes Hall Dance Room reopened last Wednesday with a new floor after two months of partial closure and renovation.

Administrators closed the room in November after a student was injured while dancing on the old floor.

“It’s a tremendous improvement,” said fourth-year Persephone Ma, who is president of the Dance Council and executive director of the RSO University Ballet.

In the past, multiple dance RSOs had lobbied for better

maintenance of the floor, which had an uneven surface caused by holes and bubbles in the ‘marley,’ a term used to describe the performance dance surface that sits on top of the floor itself.

Over winter break, the marley and wood floor were demolished and new floor components were put in. A new dehumidifier system was also installed to combat the moisture problems that had contributed to the damage, according to University spokesperson Jeremy Manier.

The floor is currently partially covered by temporary marley taken from Mandel Hall, but the

permanent marley is set to arrive later in the month. To minimize disruption to dance groups, it will be installed when the room would not otherwise be occupied, Manier said.

“I’m really happy with everything [the administration] has been doing,” Ma said.

The room was closed for a week in November while safety inspectors came to examine the damage. For the rest of the quarter, the middle third of the room was blocked off and dance groups used the space around it.

“It wasn’t ideal,” said thirdyear Shir Yehoshua, technical director of Dance Council and

co-director of Maya, a dance RSO on campus. “ORCSA did a really good job helping us relocate,” she added.

ORCSA found space for dance groups to practice in the Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Space and Ratner Athletics Center.

Ma said that she and other dance RSO leaders were regularly updated on the progress of the renovation.

“It couldn’t have gone better,” Yehoshua said of the renovation The University would not release the cost figures for the project, but Manier said the renovation was completed within its designated budget and on time.

IN ARTS

IN VIEWPOINTS

Text and Drugs and Rock & Roll fights the man » Page 5

Lingering on the same page

True story or tall tale? Either way it fails » Page 5

Turn off, tune out, log off

» Page 3 » Page 3

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THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | January 10, 2012

Lodato hopes to bring experience under Obama, Preckwinkle, against incumbent Rush

Professor Ray Lodato recently announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Congress in the First Congressional District of Illinois..

COURTESY OF RAY LODATO FOR CONGRESS

LODATO continued from front

for the seat.

Lodata worked for Obama during his first campaign for the Illinois State Senate, and said that he was inspired by the president’s journey from Hyde Park to the White House.

“We’ve travelled in the same circles,” he said.

He was also the deputy campaign manager for current Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle (A.B. ’69, M.A.T. ’77) during her first fourth ward aldermanic campaign.

“One of the things that I was taught from working on all these campaigns was you can only do something in your own area,” he said. “What you have to do is to make sure that you take care of the issues and concerns of the people who are your

neighbors.”

Lodato, who teaches courses on environmental policy, stresses the development of clean energ y as a path to economic revitalization. “Instead of importing technolog y from California or from Germany or from China, why don’t we build that technolog y here?” He believes that his background in academia gives him the broad credentials to address the diverse concerns of the first district.

“I’ve seen [people in academia] who don’t want anything to do with—and I hate the term—the real world. They want to be insulated from it,” he said. “You can use your education to be part of a process, to be part of a community, and I think that’s what I’ve done.”

Four other Democrats are on the Illinois State Board of Elections candidate list.

After delays, student coffee shops brought in new hires EX LIBRIS continued from front

forced upon anyone,” Spera said. “We were not hindered in any way by taking on Ex Libris employees, and many are now our close friends.”

Harper hired four Ex Libris employees, according to Spera, while Hallowed Grounds hired two or three, though this number could not be confirmed by print time.

Newman did not know what delayed the café’s opening. Brown and Assistant Director for Access and Facilities Jim Vaughan were unable to be reached in time for this article.

Newman said that the new venue will

offer more salads and grab-and-go items, but will not have a microwave and will lack the ubiquitous containers of Rajun Cajun and Snail Thai that other studentrun coffee shops serve.

Graduate students Rachael Kyne and Katie Krywokulski both agreed that the location and overall design of the new café were significant improvements.

“It’s so much better”, Kyne said.

As for getting a late-night caffeine fix, third-year John Anton put it succinctly: “The best part is not having to leave the Reg.” —Additional reporting by Harunobu Coryne and Giovanni Wrobel.

Widening income gap in China a cost of its growth CHINA continued from front

“In contrast to other countries, China did not follow the Washington Consensus during our reforms,” he said.

However, Lin cited growing income inequality as a cost for China’s miraculous economic U-turn. “The widening of economic disparities is causing social resentment,” he said. “There is a transfer of wealth from poor people to large corporations because of the heavily subsidized large estate banks.”

During the question and answer period, an audience member asked about the environmental costs of China’s growth. Lin acknowledged such problems, but he urged the audience to take them in a historical context.

“The [environmental] problems should be seen in stages,” he said. “Remember that London used to be called the ‘foggy city?’

This was because they too were then in the manufacturing stage.”

Regarding China’s economic trajectory,

Lin is “optimistic” and believes the country can maintain an eight percent growth for another 20 years: China’s per capita income growth in relation to that of the United States matches those of Taiwan, Korea, and Japan during their boom periods, and all three countries maintained this growth rate for two decades.

Lin pointed out the lessons that China’s story may offer to developing nations. He emphasized the need for emerging economies to structure themselves according to their comparative advantages—an idea he traces back to his university education.

“The University of Chicago taught me that the way to distinguish between a good economist and a bad economist is that good economists believe in comparative advantage.”

True to his name, a Confucian reference that means “a persistent man on a long journey,” Lin’s message was clear: The Chinese economic narrative has only just begun.

VIEWPOINTS

Editorial & Op-Ed JANUARY 10, 2012

Demanding diversity CAPS should make an effort to broaden offerings outside of finance and consulting The student newspaper of the University of Chicago since 1892 ADAM JANOFSKY Editor-in-Chief CAMILLE VAN HORNE Managing Editor MAHMOUD BAHRANI Senior Editor AMY MYERS Senior Editor JONATHAN LAI News Editor HARUNOBU CORYNE News Editor SAM LEVINE News Editor PETER IANAKIEV Viewpoints Editor EMILY WANG Viewpoints Editor CHARNA ALBERT Arts Editor DANIEL LEWIS Sports Editor DOUGLAS EVERSON, JR Head Designer KEVIN WANG Web Editor ALICE BLACKWOOD Head Copy Editor DON HO Head Copy Editor GABE VALLEY Head Copy Editor DARREN LEOW Photo Editor JAMIE MANLEY Photo Editor REBECCA GUTERMAN Assoc. News Editor

This past Saturday, second and thirdyears gathered at the Hilton Chicago for Taking the Next Step, the College’s annual program that brings students together with alumni from a variety of fields. Featuring panels on everything from Advertising to Entertainment and Creative Arts to Sustainability, the event highlights the impressively wide range of career paths taken by alumni.

Unfortunately, many of the University’s other career advising efforts do not share Taking the Next Step’s commitment to equal representation of different career paths. In recent years, the University has expanded its CCI (Chicago Careers in…) and CCC (Chicago Career Connection) programs as well as the number of internships offered, but these changes still fall short of meeting student needs in terms of internship and job diversity.

This lack of diversity is particularly evident in the Jeff Metcalf Fellows Pro-

gram. In spite of steady growth over the last 15 years, the program still features internships mostly in finance or business. Industries like science and technology, in contrast, are largely neglected; of the 170 currently posted Metcalfs, 104 are classified under finance, banking, or business, 11 are in journalism, nine are in science and technology, six are in law, and a whopping one internship is in manufacturing. As a result, a large number of students interested in lesserrepresented industries vie for just a few select internships. This is especially problematic because many internships not offered through the University are unpaid. CCI grants address this issue in part by permitting students to find their own opportunities, but are nevertheless flawed since they require students to have received and accepted an internship offer by early April, before many companies make final decisions.

On-Campus Recruiting, a subset of

CCC, likewise falls short in its array of options. The program relies heavily on companies with large alumni bases, resulting in recruitment mostly from the same financial institutions and small boutique firms from year to year. As CAPS continues its expansion, it should look to diversify by seeking out and bringing in as many Fortune 500 companies as possible for campus recruitment, in addition to companies with strong U of C ties like Morningstar or J.P. Morgan. Even though a good portion of the student body is looking to one day go into finance or business, it is certainly not guaranteed that each of these students will be able to secure a coveted job at a big-time bank or firm.

Additionally, students with diverse interests—including finance—can find many positions offered by companies in industries like consumer products, retail, and manufacturing. Reflecting this, CAPS should consider broaden-

ing the depth and scope of each CCI program to match the comprehensiveness of CCIB, and each should offer a greater number and variety of internships in their targeted industries.

While CAPS has gone a long way toward addressing the needs of an increasingly career-oriented student body facing a difficult economic climate— Taking the Next Step is a testament to this progress—there is room for improvement. It’s unreasonable to assume that students can build large networks on their own based on their specific interests without the University’s assistance. U of C students have a wide range of interests and aspirations, and it’s about time CAPS worked for everyone, not just the future one percent.

The Editorial Board consists of the Editor-in-Chief, Viewpoints Editors, and an additional Editorial Board member.

LINDA QIU Assoc. News Editor CRYSTAL TSOI Assoc. News Editor GIOVANNI WROBEL Assoc. News Editor AJAY BATRA Assoc. Viewpoints Editor TOMI OBARO Assoc. Arts Editor VICENTE FERNANDEZ Assoc. Sports Editor

Lingering on the same page Reading for efficiency shouldn’t take precedence over reading for enjoyment

MATTHEW SCHAEFER Assoc. Sports Editor TYRONALD JORDAN Business Manager VIVIAN HUA Undergraduate Business Executive VINCENT MCGILL Delivery Coordinator HAYLEY LAMBERSON Ed. Board Member HYEONG-SUN CHO Designer SONIA DHAWAN Designer ALYSSA LAWTHER Designer SARAH LI Designer AUTUMN NI Designer AMITA PRABHU Designer BELLA WU Designer

By Chris Stavitsky Viewpoints Columnist

CATIE ARBONA Copy Editor AMISHI BAJAJ Copy Editor JANE BARTMAN Copy Editor MARTIA BRADLEY Copy Editor ELIZABETH BYNUM Copy Editor NISHANTH IYENGAR Copy Editor MICHELLE LEE Copy Editor KATIE MOCK Copy Editor LANE SMITH Copy Editor JEN XIA Copy Editor ESTHER YU Copy Editor BEN ZIGTERMAN Copy Editor

I was ecstatic by the time I finished reading pp. 1–31 and 44–56 in Anna Grimshaw’s The Ethnographer’s Eye: Ways of Seeing in Modern Anthropology. It was a little over three hours since I’d begun taking notes, and my little bullet-pointed summaries marched through 10 single-spaced pages, concise and carefully manicured like bonsai trees. I was proud of myself for grasping in totality the history of early cinema, from Edison’s cabinet-like kinematoscope to the Lumière brothers’ short, perfect scenes. I understood

why the paths of film and anthropology had diverged, and I was well-versed in Grimshaw’s critique of the different anthropological schools, from modern to romantic to enlightened. I was filled with a feeling of accomplishment that made me realize why I chose this school in the first place.

The knowledge high lasted until I realized that in three hours I’d only done one-sixth of the required reading for one-fourth of my classes. If I were to do all of my assigned reading at that rate, factoring in time for sleeping, eating, class, and transit, I would have negative three hours per week of free time. I felt like a first-year as I feverishly Googled “how to read in college,” finding the following quotation on a Swarthmore College web page: “The first thing you should know about reading in college is that it bears little or no resemblance to the sort of reading you do for pleasure, or for your own edification.”

I pictured a series of miserable faces bent low over books, their eyebrows

scrunched into angry inchworms.

This wasn’t particularly difficult to imagine, as all I needed to do was lift up my own head to see grim expressions all around the Reg. The person who was closest to looking happy was asleep in a chair.

After thinking about the sentence’s message some more, I realized I didn’t understand it. I was, perhaps mistakenly, under the impression that the University of Chicago prides itself on helping students edify themselves, that we as students came here because we enjoyed learning. Why would I read something that gave me no pleasure and wasn’t truly necessary to learn?

For the first time I can remember, I enjoy all the classes I’m taking. And yet here someone is telling me that I’m not supposed to enjoy them. I’m not supposed to do all the reading and absorb every detail about how Nanook of the North launched an entire genre of documentary film, even though there’s nothing I’d like more.

It’s undeniable that I don’t read ef-

ficiently. I’ve struggled with this since middle school. My mom bought and forced me to watch a series of tapes called “Where There’s a Will, There’s an A,” which I mostly ignored; a year later I was enrolled in a speed-reading class, which appears to have been as useful as a water balloon thrown at a tank. But it occurs to me now for the first time that perhaps I don’t want to read efficiently. I’d like to linger on issues that interest me, and think about them—not register some point like a machine and then move systematically on to the next. I’d like to get something out of everything I choose to read, at the moment I read it, whether I perfectly retain the knowledge or not. I do not anticipate changing the way I do things—I’m already a thirdyear in college—but this is the first time in my lifelong school career that I’ve suspected I may have been reading the right way the entire time.

Chris Stavitsky is a third-year in the College majoring in English.

Turn off, tune out, log off Taking breaks from technology is key to finding time for real-world pleasures The Chicago Maroon is published twice weekly during autumn, winter, and spring quarters Circulation: 5,500.

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Online and in print (I assume someone, somewhere, must still be reading actual newsprint), everyone is suggesting you observe the Digital Sabbath.

The Computer Detox. As we enter the tail end of that silly season in media

where everyone tries to tell you what your New Year’s resolutions should be, it seems like going off the grid has become a perennial favorite.

There’s good reason for this. It has become a cliché to point out how utterly deluged we are with information. We wake up and check five different websites before rolling out of bed. We’re glued to our phones on the way to class.

If we’re sitting somewhere, there’s an excellent chance we have a laptop open and are flipping between homework and Facebook. At parties, at dinner, and out and about, we pivot constantly between the people we’re actually with and another world entirely.

There have been no comprehensive studies yet of the physical and psycho-

logical effects of a lifetime of being connected to the Internet or watching television almost every waking moment, but this is what social researchers tell us is the life we are leading. A study released two years ago found that the average American youth spends more than seven and a half hours per day using entertainment media, and because of multitasking was actually exposed to almost 11 hours of content. Those interviewed who used media even more heavily tended to have lower grades and were more likely to report boredom, sadness, and behavioral problems.

I’m no Luddite. I like digital technology. I like how it has made keeping in touch easier. I enjoy having a wealth of information at my fingertips. I LOVE

setting bills to Auto Pay. But a big part of the dream of this technical revolution, like so many others, was to have more time to spend on what is really important, instead of less. That’s clearly not what is happening.

There’s something worrisome about this assault on our sense of the here and now. The fear, I think, is that we are becoming a society of distracted and disengaged individuals. Even as we’ve gained an incredible platform with which to connect to people across town and around the globe, we sense an erosion of the close physical interaction—and, when needed, opportunities for solitude—that once seemed so essential to human life.

TECH continued on page 4

THE CHICAGO MAROON | VIEWPOINTS | January 10, 2012

4

The Right focus Mainstream Republican candidates should take a page from fringe contenders on campaign issues Santorum’s critics ignore a theme that has arguably been just as central to his campaign as issues like abortion and homosexuality: The ongoing decline in social mobility. The promise that your station in life will not be fixed by the family you happen to be born into is a central part of the American Dream, but the evidence that our society may no longer be keeping that promise is mounting. For example, a recent study indicates that 42 percent of American sons with parents in the bottom fifth of the income distribution remained in that bracket as adults, while the same figure ranged from 23 to 30 percent for sons and daughters in the United Kingdom and Scandinavia. Santorum has mentioned studies highlighting the decrease in upward mobility in debates and is virtually the only Republican candidate to call any attention to it.

Santorum’s social conservatism has also enabled him to address a dimension of the mobility crisis that even those political figures who have taken note of it—mainly on the left—have missed: Its connection to problems in the American family. According to a 2007 Child Trends study, only 7 percent of collegeeducated mothers have had a child out of wedlock, while the figure for mothers without college degrees is 50 percent; divorce rates follow a similar pattern. These disparities are likely among the main causes of declining mobility:

By Ajay Ravichandran Viewpoints Columnist The past week saw a striking development in the Republican presidential contest that will likely have a substantial effect on today’s crucial New Hampshire primary. Two candidates long relegated to the fringes of the race, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul, have become serious contenders after strong showings in last week’s Iowa caucuses. Their rapid rise is widely viewed as a sign of the large gap between ordinary Americans’ priorities and those of the GOP’s base: While most people worry about the still-weak economy, many Republicans are enthusing over the socially conservative Santorum and the libertarian Paul. However, a closer look at the two campaigns suggests that they are actually speaking to middle-class voters’ economic concerns in a way that more mainstream politicians should take note of.

Marriage tends to significantly improve both spouses’ financial situations and children, who benefit from the stability marriage provides, are much likelier to succeed economically. Santorum’s personal stories about how growing up in a close-knit family enabled him to rise above his working-class origins, and his emphasis on the connections between social and economic hardship have enabled him to connect with aspects of voters’ lives that most politicians seem utterly unaware of.

Paul’s message might initially seem even further removed from the economic concerns of ordinary people than Santorum’s. His central message seems to be that the two main policies that most economists think would address the ongoing problems of slow growth and high unemployment—fiscal stimulus and increasing the money supply—are, at best, unwise and, at worst, tyrannical. However, Paul’s willingness to depart so radically from the elite consensus may actually reassure many voters that he feels sympathy for their plight.

Like most Americans, Republican primary voters were badly shaken by the economic collapse and have spent much of the past several years trying to understand how things could go wrong so quickly. Most Republicans have decided to credit the Obama administration with causing a meltdown that had occurred

before it took office, but many may have concluded that such a dramatic crash could only be caused by something more fundamental: a political and economic elite that is rotten to the core. Paul’s effort to distance himself from that elite by rejecting its shared assumptions has these voters convinced that he understands the seriousness of the problems they face in a way that others do not.

Critics of these candidates will likely object that neither has plausible solutions to the problems he has identified. Paul’s claims that we should abolish the Fed and return to the gold standard are rejected even by right-of-center economists, and Santorum’s proposal to eliminate the corporate tax is unlikely to address the deeply rooted social problems that he points to.

However, it is precisely because their solutions are so inadequate that the rest of us should care about the forces that produced them. When important problems like declining social mobility and high unemployment are neglected, cranks and has-beens who take those problems seriously gain influence over public debate, leading more mainstream voices to echo their ideas.

Those who dismissed Iowa voters as out of touch would do well to keep this point in mind.

Ajay Ravichandran is a fourth-year in the College majoring in philosophy.

Small lifestyle changes are most effective in reducing digital dependency is the previously mentioned “Digital Sabbath,” in which you cut yourself off for a day, or even the entire weekend, every week. I haven’t given this a shot but, as someone who instinctively reaches into his pocket for his phone every 15 seconds, even when he knows it’s not there, this sounds pretty difficult. The various accounts (on blogs!) of people who have participated seem to agree, though many wind up loving it.

However, going offline once a week doesn’t really sound like a holistic solution. You’ll still be getting bombarded six days out of seven. Perhaps what we need is a constant, conscious effort to indulge a little less. Putting our laptop away when we’re not working, and keeping the phone in

TECH continued from page 3 Yes, there is something enjoyable and even addictive about sites like Facebook. But if you think about the most significant moments you’ve had in your friendships and relationships, I’m willing to bet most of them occurred in real life. There are plenty of amazing and worthwhile things to check out on the Internet, but the sense of wonder, the immense satisfaction of hiking a trail or standing in front of a painting can’t be so easily digitized. I don’t think I’m the only one who wants more of these types of experiences in my life.

So how do we get there? Eliminating technology completely from our lives isn’t viable, or even desirable, for most of us. One compromise plan

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our pocket if we can help it. We could also use a change in practice by our schools and employers, who have decided that they are now entitled to email us 24/7 and expect a swift response, tethering us permanently to the Internet even if we don’t want to be.

Sometimes the best resolutions are the ones we might actually be able to keep. So don’t worry if you can’t shut it all down every week. But let’s see if we can’t make 2012 a time when, just a little more often than last year, we try to be well and truly here.

David Kaner is a second-year in the College majoring in Law, Letters, and Society.

The Chicago Maroon welcomes opinions and responses from its readers. Send op-ed submissions and letters to: The Chicago Maroon attn: Viewpoints 1212 East 59th Street Chicago, IL 60637 E-mail: Viewpoints@ChicagoMaroon.com The editors reserve the right to edit materials for clarity and space. Letters to the editor should be limited to 400 words.

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ARTS

Trivial Pursuits JANUARY 10, 2012

Text and Drugs and Rock & Roll fights the man Sarah Miller Arts Staff With the advent of popular films like Exit Through the Gift Shop and the growing celebrity of artists like Shepard Fairey, street art is having a moment. It’s only natural that local galleries want to cash in, and in a major city like Chicago, it’s relatively easy to do. At the Maxwell Colette Gallery’s most recent exhibit, Text and Drugs and Rock &Roll,—a play on the Ian Dury punk rock classic, “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll”—street art takes center stage. Featuring the work of more than 40 artists, the exhibit uses street imagery to challenge societal norms in true countercultural style.

Situated on North Ashland Avenue several blocks from the closest Blue Line stop, the Maxwell Colette Gallery is no easy find. After aimlessly wandering for more than two hours with Google Maps directions in hand, I finally came upon the modern gallery nestled between rundown restaurants and apartments.

The bright, open space is an unlikely host of the subversive, sometimes grungy street art of its most recent exhibit. But each piece was clearly carefully selected, and the well-lit gallery serves as an effective locale for taking street art off the streets.

Curator Billy Craven wisely forgoes captions on any of the artwork, allowing viewers to draw their own

conclusions about each exhibit.

One artist open to a variety of interpretations is notorious Chicago tagger Weed Wolf. Most famous for his graffiti and marijuana leaf signature, a Chicago Reader poll recently named Wolf the “Best Established Artist” of 2011. One of Wolf ’s more provocative works is a mirror image of a cat smoking a joint. The original image is of one cat, but Wolf duplicates the image and places it adjacent to the original. The cat serves as one of the poster images for the exhibit. Other Wolf works featured include sketches of guns, knives, and grenades as well as an animation of a waterfall flowing with his signature. Though suggestive of drugs, rebellion, and violence, Wolf ’s works highlight the angst of modern society.

TEXT AND DRUGS AND ROCK & ROLL Maxwell Colette Gallery 908 N. Ashland Ave

Taking the “text” aspect of the exhibit one step further, Londonbased artist Mark O’Brien incorporates brand-name labels in his work.

Staying true to his style as an artist, O’Brien uses recycled cardboard Budweiser packages to make a vintage Les Paul guitar. Shoes made from Stella Artois packaging accompany the guitar. His piece, “Beer and

Mark O’Brien uses recycled Stella Artois boxes to fashion shoes in Text and Drugs and Rock & Roll.

COURTESY OF MAXWELL COLETTE GALLERY

Shoes,” questions the cult of branding and its significance on materials that are easily destroyed and reused.

O’Brien is also one of the few artists at the exhibit to use the guitar as a representation of rock & roll; other artists opt for subtler symbols.

Like O’Brien, Ron Copeland questions the legitimacy of the corporate world and branding, but he uses advertising. Arranged comic-book style

in colorful panels, his ads sell everything from robots to suits. In a world where zebra-print Snuggies are sold, his ads underscore the absurdity underlying our consumerist society.

Originally from Utah, Colt Bowden focuses more on the “street” aspect of street art. His collections of street signs vary. Some simply contain city names like “New York” or “Louisville,” while others give a

True story or tall tale? Either way it fails Angela Qian Arts Staff I walked into the tiny arena of the Gorilla Tango Theater with high hopes and saw a solitary man standing behind the counter, exchanging a friendly “f*** you” with the patron standing in front of him. Despite this, I was excited. Not even the poor customer service perturbed me as I paid $10 for my ticket and received a small ballot. My curiosity grew as five of the performers sat on stage and a sixth began to speak. Unfortunately the introduction to “True Story,” an improv comedy event, was destined to be the same as the rest of the performance: halting and bland.

The six on stage were each going to deliver a monologue, explained the speaker, and the audience would decide which one was true. In an effort to enliven and engage the audience, the speaker said each performer would be brought up in random order, depending on what numbers the audience called out. Though I had been told this would be improv comedy, the six stories I heard were read off of white printed pages clutched tightly in each performer’s hand, peppered with “uh’s” and pauses.

The night started with the tale of a precocious ninth-

grader who got a girl to kiss him by telling her he’d split the profits of a bet he’d made to kiss her. It was a riveting piece of jealousy and anger, and there was an opportunity for the smug, self-proclaimed playboy, the lover of hot Canadian women, to get his comeuppance. But the writer performed the piece flatly, with only flashes of humor.

TRUE STORY Gorilla Tango Theatre 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave

A heart-wrenching tale of a boy whose mother began a school-wide campaign to block TV in the homes of Boy - Meets - World -addicted elementary school children came next. The boy slowly spiraled into depression as he dealt with the subsequent withdrawal symptoms. That was followed by a story about a man who had a penchant for Asian women, but in all his experience with prostitutes, had never actually slept with one. An enigmatic pimp friend named ‘the Doctor’ sent him to a Thai massage parlor. In excruciating detail, the narrator told us the minute events leading up to his “happy ending”

therein. This was followed by an irreverent story of a first date, to my ears only humorous because of its insensitivity. The story ended harshly when the narrator, an anorexic male, refused a kiss and brusquely told his poor date that girl saliva was loaded with calories. Not to mention the story of the girl who had love affairs with Denny’s and other fast food restaurants, including an “experimental lesbian” stage with Wendy’s, and was currently experiencing full satisfaction with Five Guys, or the tale of the fascinating red squirrels that did windmills when rocks were thrown on them at a mundane summer retreat. Throughout the six stories, my expectations sunk lower and lower until they pooled in the soles of my shoes.

These were not actors. The six valiant performers were writers, and all they did was read their short stories to us.

The audience chuckled sporadically but wasn’t anymore engaged than if they had read the stories on some upstart, indie Internet magazine.

What, then, was the purpose of drawing us here, if it was only to hear these stories read aloud? This was not meant to be a reading, and the medium of acting was lost. Although I

applaud the courage it took for the writers to put themselves out there, I didn’t find any of the stories by these would-be actors particularly well done, either. Indeed, most of the humor seemed forced, or relied on innuendos.

If there was any redeeming quality in the ‘True Story’ show, it was that each tale was banal enough to possibly be true. Maybe. There were no glaring, extravagant fictions, but neither did any monologue give itself away as obviously true.

At least the show was balanced; no story was too long.

And at least the audience did chuckle. Sometimes.

So which story was true?

Much to my horror, it was the story of the Thai prostitute. I had hoped that the so-called “happy ending” at which the performer had lewdly smirked was completely false. Only one person in the sparse audience guessed correctly—a friend of mine who looked at the certificate to a Costa Rican restaurant that was his prize and said that at least the ten dollars he’d put down hadn’t been completely wasted. I, however, had no such luck, and it was with empty hands that I walked out of the theater, with the disappointed feeling of an evening not worth its price.

deeper portrayal of city life with curt messages like “Fight” and “Hobos Arrested on Site.”

In an ‘Occupy’ world, “Text and Drugs, and Rock & Roll” has an especial resonance. Its art takes to task our unjust, materialistic society in scathing, creative fashion.

If you couldn’t make it to the protests, take a trip to this exhibit as a sign of solidarity.

Battle for Brooklyn shoots and scores Michaela Cross Arts Contributor Making a documentary is an uncertain art. There is no real way a director can ensure that the people and events being filmed will develop into an interesting story and the time they are investing will be paid back in full. Battle for Brooklyn , directed by Michael Galinsky and Suki Hawley, stands as a shining example of what happens when documentaries turn out right, when interesting people and events come together to create a fascinating journey and do it in front of a camera.

BATTLE Michael Galinsky Gene Siskel Film Center January 12, 7:45 p.m.

The film centers around Daniel Goldstein, a graphic designer who discovers that his Brooklyn loft is about to become part of a new sports center for Brooklyn’s new basketball team, the Nets. Goldstein’s real estate trouble compels him to lead the com-

munity’s battle against the dirty dealings and abuses of power which threaten and eventually lead to the unlawful demolition of more than 1,000 residents’ homes. During the fight, Goldstein refuses to leave the condemned apartment complex, losing money and even his fiancée, but gaining both a family and purpose in the cause. The neighborhood is decimated, but Goldstein, along with a few other leaders in the community, succeeds in fighting the decision for seven years while drawing media attention toward the struggle. He also manages to highlight the corruption of the politicians who were simply handing over private property to a developer in the name of eminent domain. By the end of the film we feel a sense, not of defeat, but of triumph in what Goldstein and his neighbors accomplish and in the transformation he himself undergoes.

It’s hard to imagine why the story Battle for Brooklyn tells didn’t garner more press coverage. The idea that a private businessman like Bryan Ratner—who BATTLE continued on page 6

6

THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | January 10, 2012

At MCA’s First Friday, hob nob with the young and fashionable Morgan McCarty Arts Staff The problem with First Fridays at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) is that they only happen once a month. I’ve been trying to go for the past year or so, and have, quite honestly, never been able to go—maybe because, until now, I wasn’t old enough. I persuaded a friend to accompany me last Friday to the MCA and we happily jumped on the 6 bus, headed downtown.

The event runs from 6-10 p.m., but plan to arrive earlier rather than later as people pack the gallery halls pretty quickly. Word to the wise, life is much easier if you buy your tickets ahead of time. You can get a discounted ticket and sidestep the purchasing lines upon arrival.

Before delving into the event itself, can I just take a moment to comment on the magical mystery that surrounds a museum at night? The doors lock at closing time and the night guards begin their shifts, watching over sleeping giants of artistic works. It’s an intriguing feeling, one borne out of an attraction towards the forbidden.

I think there are a couple of movies starring Ben

Battle looks at realities of eminent domain BATTLE continued from page 5 was responsible for the Nets’ new development project—can ask a residential neighborhood to be handed over to him and get away with it is astonishing, but that is exactly what happens in this documentary.

Through the eyes of Goldstein, we see the interests of a $4 billion business deal completely bypass democratic measures. Propaganda and bribery obfuscate the people’s understanding of what is going on. The ‘footprint’ of the future Atlantic Yards development which Ratner originally commissioned Frank Gehry to design lay in a mostly poor neighborhood with a number of wealthy residents whom Ratner was able to buy off, leaving the rest of the neighborhood at the mercy of the plummeting value of their condemned houses. Goldstein is the only member of his apartment complex to refuse the $1 million Ratner offers and the gag order attached to it. Instead he forms and heads the group Develop Don’t Destroy to oppose the abuse of eminent domain, an action the government usually reserves for the building of highways or public utilities.

As they take their struggle through both the courts and the streets, Goldstein and his fellow activists have to contend with divides within the neighborhood itself, as Ratner funds a local community group to oppose Develop Don’t Destroy, with the false promise of future jobs. With unkempt hair, stubble, and a generally disheveled look about him, Goldstein in the beginning of this film looks more like a stubborn curmudgeon than a leader for civil rights, but over the course of the documentary, which spans eight years’ worth of legal struggles, we see him transform into a spokesman for this cause and an object of much media attention. We also watch Goldstein as his work leads him to his future wife, another activist working with Develop Don’t Destroy, named Shabnam Merchant. By the end of the film they are married and have a baby daughter.

Through this film Galinsky gives us a glimpse into the influence corporations have on our legal and political systems, and the power they possess to displace 1,000 citizens with the simple signing of a check. The story is captivating, the message is powerful, and it is hard not to be touched by the struggle Goldstein, along with his fellow activists, went through for a cause they knew was lost from the start.

Stiller that center around similar themes.

Moment of romanticism aside, walking up though the gift shop stairs we found ourselves in the main entry hall, with a bar to our right, a live jazz band to our left (Isaiah Spencer and the New Orleans Jazz Band) and a ton of happy,

FIRST FRIDAYS Museum of Contemporary Art 220 E. Chicago Ave

mingling twenty-and thirty-somethings in between. We decided to find the coat check, but it took a little longer than expected. Regardless, coats checked, we made our way through the bubbly, chatty crowd, past the jazz band. A seated woman with tickets of the make of a carnival fair, asked us if we would like to buy drink tickets. The ticket attendant’s sign offered a variety of fairly priced drinks for a cocktail hour (the money is going back to the museum, right?).

As we meandered through the crowd, we

found the jazz band the most entertaining, energy-infusing aspect of the main floor.

These guys were clearly having a ton of fun.

Even people just chatting with their backs turned to the band had their heads bopping and feet tapping. Watch out, though: Unless you’ve always dreamed of being a tambourine player, don’t walk by them too closely, because one of the band members might toss you a tambourine and invite you to play. A little later, we walked passed Wolfgang Puck’s complimentary hors d’oeuvres and into the galleries on the main floor. We could hear echoes of the music and conversation, two sounds not heard often enough in a museum and pleasantly welcomed.

Walking through the galleries alongside more fellow visitors than normal was surprisingly enjoyable. Accompanied by the giddy music, their comments were interesting and their enthusiasm clearly heightened. The whole experience felt more like a tasting of the museum than a full meal, making me want to come back to spend some time with the exhibits I admired at first glance.

Patrons were offered a couple of chances to become participants in the evening’s festivities, with the chance to engage in a dance and movement workshop offered on the top floor by Hubbard Street 2 or to take advantage of the massage therapists located on the second floor. Sadly though, a live DJ eventually replaced both patron tambourine players and jazz band. Personally, I preferred the live music, but perhaps that’s just my personal reluctance to think of the MCA as a nightclub.

If you’re 21 or older, First Fridays at the Museum of Contemporar y Art is one great way to experience the cocktail hour before dinner or a nig ht out on the town. You’ll come out of curiosity and return for more. If you’re heading to dinner after stopping by, you mig ht want to make your reser vations a little later than you ordinarily. You’re g oing to want to stick around and wander, embracing the energ y that fills the museum with the laug hter, conversation, and music that makes the experience of the current exhibits all the more enjoyable.

The Oriental Institute Members’ Lecture Series Presents:

Fred Donner University of Chicago Photo by Jan Sturmann

How Islam Began: New Views Wednesday · January 11 Breasted Hall · 7:00PM The Oriental Institute 1155 East 58th Street Free and Open to the Public Reception to Follow The Members’ Lecture Series is made possible by the generous support of Oriental Institute Members

THE CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | January 10, 2012

Chicago splits dual meet at Knox Wrestling Amanda Dobbyn Sports Contributor Chicago was one of ten teams competing at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois for Saturday’s dual meet. The wrestling team competed against four other schools— Loras College, Knox College, Central College, and Wabash College—and finished the day even, with two wins and two losses. The Maroons started off the meet slow, losing to Loras 15–18, but eventually bounced back, defeating Knox 37–15 and Central 17–15. In their fourth match of the dual, however, the Maroons fell to Wabash 14–22, ranked 30th.

Leo Kocher, head coach of the Maroons, appreciated the level of competition in Galesburg. “While we dominated one of the duals [against Knox] we had a good challenge in the other three. There are ten weight classes contested in a dual meet and two of those, Loras and Central, we split 5–5 in the

matches,� Kocher said. “We split 4–6 in our matches against Wabash, but two of our losses went into overtime. So we had some good competitive tests.� Even though the team lost to nationally-ranked Wabash, Josh Hotta was excited about the performance. “My proudest moment would have to be having the close dual with Wabash,� Hotta said. “It showed that we can be competitive on a national level.� One notable outing came from third-year James Layton. He went 3–1 on the day and was named the UAA Athlete of the Week. The team hopes to build off the Knox performance, which puts them at 5–4 on the season. “Now we have to use our success at the Knox duals to focus in on the national qualifiers,� second-year Ryan Klein said. “From where we started at the beginning of the season, this group is about halfway to where we ultimately want to be,� Kocher said. “It is just a matter of higher mental concentration, higher intensity, and a belief that hard, disciplined, work will pay off.�

Chicago will hit the road for the Elmhurst Invitational on January 14 at 9 a.m.

Team confident heading into home invitational W. SWIM & DIVE continued from back those that didn’t swim over the break back into shape.�

That training, it seems, paid off. The Maroons finished with 13 individual winners and two winning relays. “I’m proud that the team was able to come back from break and swim so well,�

Levens said. “We put up some great times, and hopefully we’ll just keep getting faster as we start to wrap up the season.�

Schmidt thinks that this meet is going to be important to the psyche of the team. “Because we had to train really hard this week to get back on track for conference and national championships, performing this well while all of us were sore and tired is a good confidence booster,� she said.

Coming up, the Maroons can look forward to their own University of Chicago Invitational this weekend on Friday, January 13, and Saturday, January 14. With longer days and tougher competition, the Maroons have their work cut out for them. “Our next meet is an invitational, so it’ll be a little longer and tougher mentally than a dual meet,� Levens said. “It’ll be a chance to make sure that we can stay focused through three sessions. Being undefeated is great, and gives us a little extra confidence going into the rest of our season.�

The Maroons will look to keep their undefeated streak alive at the Chicago Invitational, using this win against Kalamazoo College as motivation to just keep swimming.

Sex, Salvation, and Slaying the Beloved: God the Father and Buffy Dinner and Conversation with Linn Tonstad

Wednesday, January 11, 6 pm Brent House, 5540 S. Woodlawn

7

Maroons coast to victory over Marian despite twenty-four turnovers W. BASKETBALL continued from back ets from fourth-year center Taylor Simpson and eight straight points from Bryanne Halfhill.

The lead stretched out to as much as 11 after an Ely three-pointer. Wash U made one last push, getting the lead down to one on several occasions. With just 1:17 left, a three-pointer by Lucy Montgomery gave Chicago a one-point edge, prompting Roussell to use a time-out. A layup from Meghan Herrick out of the time-out put pressure on Wash U to come up with a bucket. A strong defensive stand and yet another Halfhill three-pointer put the game out of reach.

Besides Halfhill’s big night, Simpson also put an efficient line, scoring 14 points off 5–8 shooting from the field to go along with eight rebounds. Morgan Herrick, in

her first game with extended minutes after undergoing her fourth knee surgery, also chipped in 10 points to go along with six assists and five rebounds.

Chicago took to the court again yesterday against Marian (WI). The team, known for its three-point shooting, struggled to get open looks against a stingy Chicago defense.

Chicago struggled to take care of the ball offensively, but was able to put the Sabres away by a score of 63–52 behind strong play from Joanna Torres (3–4 from behind the arc) and Taylor Simpson (14 points, six rebounds). “Twenty-four turnovers is way too many. It’s disconcerting how poorly we took care of the basketball,� Roussell said. “We thought we had this game buried and I think we coasted.�

The Maroons fly to Pittsburgh to take on Carnegie this Friday.

Sotos: “Just sitting there pouting...doesn’t do any good�

M. BASKETBALL continued from back kept the score tight in the first half. The Maroons had one lead in the first ten minutes that lasted 34 seconds. In those ten minutes, fourth-year guard Matt Johnson did not score a single point.

But with 8:39 left in the half, Johnson hit a three-pointer to put the Maroons within two. Then, with 6:28 left in the half, he nailed a jumper to give the Maroons a five-point lead.

The senior guard did not stop there, scoring 15 first-half points en route to a 41–36 advantage for the Maroons at halftime. He would finish the night with 18 points.

The Bears’ senior forward Dylan Richter

(20 pts) hit on a three just seven seconds into the second half to cut Chicago’s lead to two.

There were nine lead changes in the second half, all of them coming within the first ten minutes.

Wash U led for the remainder of the game, although Chicago was within three points (70–67) after Stefanou hit from three-point range with 4:46 left.

The Bears retaliated and expanded their lead, resulting in the Maroons’ loss.

Sotos believes that the team needs to look forward, not backward. “Just sitting there pouting about it doesn’t do you any good,� he said.

Chicago tips off at Carnegie Mellon at 8 p.m. on Friday.

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SPORTS

IN QUOTES “Continue living by the mantra that says if at first you don’t succeed, try taking advantage of a system that overwhelmingly favors your conference.”

—The Onion’s “Keys to the BCS National Championship.”

Top-ranked rivals clash at Wash U Women’s Basketball Mahmoud Bahrani Senior Editor As far as rivalries go, Wash U (10–2) versus Chicago (11–0) is one of the biggest in D-III sports.

Wash U was a behemoth in the late ’90s, winning consecutive national titles from 1998-2001.

Remember all the commotion being made about Connecticut’s unbeaten streak last year? Wash U’s win streak is only nine games shorter, at 81. The past couple of years, however, Chicago has taken the title of ‘Best Team in the Midwest,’ knocking off Wash U twice last year in the regular season and winning the UAA crown. Wash U was down, but not out—they ultimately came back in the Elite Eight to defeat the Maroons. The loss still lingered in the minds of some Chicago athletes as they walked into the Washington University Field House, an always raucous environment.

“There was a lot of energ y in the g ym,” fourth-year forward Morgan Herrick said. “I think most of it stemmed off both teams as we were more than ready to play each other since the last

time we faced each other in the NCAA tournament.”

“The atmosphere is always loud and energetic. Wash U fans are supportive of their team and they let any opposing teams know it,” said fourth-year forward Meghan Herrick. “This type of energ y makes it fun to play in such a rivalry game.”

The game lived up to the hype, as the game was a back-and-forth affair that featured big-time players making big-time plays down the stretch. Fourth-year guard Bryanne Halfhill knocked down a three-pointer in the opening minutes of the game to give Chicago an early edge. Halfhill would continue to rain threes all night, finishing 5–8 from beyond the arc, and leading the Maroons to a 65–62 victory.

“When all of our kids are playing well, it’s hard to stop all of them. I think she was the benefactor of that,” head coach Aaron Roussell said. “It’s not that they want to leave her alone, I just think she was the benefactor of her defender having to help in other places and she got open…

It wasn’t just her, but I think it was a big reason why we won that game.”

Chicago controlled the early parts of the first half, stretching the lead out to five on a threepointer from third-year guard and NYU transfer Maggie Ely. Wash U took control after that, going on a 20–8 run to close out the half.

“Wash U is a well-coached team and has good players,” Morgan Herrick said. “They capitalized on our defensive lapses when we didn’t get back in transition and let them have second chance points.”

Part of the problem, according to fourth-year forward Meghan Herrick, came from stagnation on the offensive end.

“I think we were playing timid.

Normally we are constantly moving within our offense and take shots as they come, but this game we knew they were sagging heavily off of us, so we didn’t want to take the first open three, because there were plenty of shooting opportunities,” said Meghan Herrick. “I think we got into our own heads a little bit and did not play within ourselves.”

The lead was quickly whittled down at the start of the second half thanks to consecutive buckW. BASKETBALL continued on page 7

First-year Hannah Ballard drives to the basket, bringing the University of Chicago’s Women’s basketball team one step closer to a 63-52 win against Marian.

DANIEL SELLON | THE CHICAGO MAROON

Chicago falls in hoops opener

Dominant season continues

Men’s Basketball

Men’s Swimming & Diving

Alex Sotiropoulos Sports Staff The Maroons (7–5, 0–1 UAA) did all but win in Saturday’s UAA opener at Wash U (9–3, 1–0 UAA).

In spite of taking control of the first half, leading 41–36, the Maroons were outscored 43–31 in the second half, resulting in a 79–72 loss.

Even with Wash U’s undefeated record at home, fourth-year guard Tommy Sotos said that while the Maroons played well, they did not play great.

“That’s probably as tough a place as there is in our conference to go get a win when they have a good team,” Sotos said. “[It’s] a really tough place, and they’re a good team this year; they really are.”

Offensively, the Maroons saw themselves relying heavily on shots from behind the arc throughout the game. In the first half they shot 50 percent from three-point range, sinking eight of 16.

In the second half, the Maroons ran into trouble. Chicago converted on just two of

its 13 attempts, with fourth-year forward Steve Stefanou (22 points, 10 rebounds) and fourth-year point guard Michael Sustarsic (six points) making the only three-point shots of the quarter.

“When [three-pointers] go in, we win; when they don’t, we struggle,” Sotos said.

“We got open looks. I thought all the looks that I missed were open looks.”

Still, head coach Mike McGrath does not credit the loss to missed three pointers. Instead, he believes that offensive rebounds determined the course of the game.

While the Maroons out-rebounded the Bears on the offensive end (13–9), Wash U had 14 second-chance points. More importantly, the offensive rebounds of the Bears allowed them to get into a shooting rhythm. “[Offensive rebounds] allowed two of [Wash U’s] shooters [third-year guard Ben Hoener and second-year guard Tim Cooney] to feel a little bit better,” he said. “Hoener and Cooney got comfortable shooting the ball because they were able to get some [shots].”

For his efforts, Cooney was named UAA Men’s Basketball Co-Player of the Week.

The loss for the Maroons comes after they M. BASKETBALL continued on page 7

Sarah Langs Sports Staff The men’s swimming and diving team (4–0) beat Kalamazoo College (4–2) by a score of 214–86 on Saturday. In a strong performance, the Maroons won each event in swimming, and all but one in diving.

“It was a very impressive performance,” head coach Jason Weber said.

Though the team trained in Florida and various other locations during winter break, it remained to be seen how the Maroons would resume their season. In hopes of combating any residual lack of form accumulated from the time off, the team continued to train hard throughout the week, and, evidently, it paid off.

“It was very encouraging to see how well we swam after a tough week of training,” assistant coach Krista Carlson said.

Not only did the Maroons swim well, but many of them also managed to set personal, seasonal, and school bests.

Third-year diver Bobby Morales set a new school record in 3-meter diving. First-year swimmer Andrew Salomon, first-year swimmer Andrew Angeles, fourth-year swimmer Marius

Aleksa, and second-year swimmer Eric Hallman also had notable performances.

As for future meets, the team is thinking past this weekend toward the postseason.

“We are really excited for the Chicago Invitational,” Carlson said, “but it’s just another stepping-stone to our ultimate goal of swimming well at conference and qualifying for NCAAs.” One way the Maroons are keeping conference and NCAA competition in mind as they compete is by viewing individual meet results in context.

“Overall times are not that important right now, but it’s nice to see people going faster as the season progresses,” Weber said.

Ideally, as the swimmers improve throughout the season, they will be readying themselves for heightened competition during later meets.

“It looks as though our team is staying tough, mentally as well as physically,” Carlson said.

While emphasizing that the future is important, Chicago’s more immediate attention is focused on the Chicago Invitational.

“I’m confident that we will continue to improve and should post more great performances this weekend,” Weber said.

The Maroons will host the Chicago Invitational this Friday and Saturday at Ratner Athletics Center, at 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. respectively.

Kalamawho? Maroons remain unbeaten with victory at Ratner Women’s Swimming & Diving Liane Rousseau Sports Staff The University of Chicago women’s swimming and diving team raced past Kalamazoo College in a dual meet this past Saturday at home in the Myers-McLoraine Pool. The team improved to 5–0 on the season with a 209–90 victory. Kalamazoo

fell to 3–3.

Fourth-year Tara Levens, a winner in the 200-yard medley relay, the 50-yard freestyle, and the 200-yard backstroke, thought the event reinforced the team’s high national and regional status.

“A win over Kalamazoo was pretty expected. We’ve gone through this season continually ranked number one in the Midwest,” Levens said, “which is pretty exciting and a sign of how far the program has come over the last few years.”

Third-year diver Becky Schmidt, a winner in the 1-meter and 3-meter, offered a similar sentiment.

“This dominant showing after the twoweek break is a great way to kick off the second half of the season,” Schmidt said.

The Maroons are coming off an undefeated fall season, having wrapped up the quarter with a first-place finish at the Phoenix Classic. Still, the hard work put in during their training trip to Key Largo, Florida can be largely credited for the suc-

cess this weekend.

“Our training trip was critical to our performance this week,” Schmidt said. “Spending the first week of break doing nothing but diving in Florida gave all of us time to practice our difficult new dives so that we were able to successfully complete them our first week back.”

“It was a tough week. We swam a lot more than we usually do,” Levens said. “This first week back was pretty high yardage to get W. SWIM & DIVE continued on page 7