011615 Chicago Maroon

FRIDAY • JANUARY 16, 2015

CHICAGOMAROON.COM

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892

Jesse Jackson Sr. commemorates MLK

South Siders on Obama library: “bring it on home” Marina Fang & Ankit Jain Senior News Editor & Senior News Staff

Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. delivered a keynote address at the University’s 25th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration on Thursday. The event took place at Rockefeller Chapel and highlighted MLK’s role in the American civil rights movement.

MARTA BAKULA | THE CHICAGO MAROON

Noah Goldblatt News Staff

Focusing on his relationship with his good friend and colleague Martin Luther King, Jr., the Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. headlined the University’s 25th annual Martin Luther King Day celebration in Rockefeller Chapel, where King himself once spoke.

Jackson, a civil rights activist and leader, founded the

Rainbow PUSH Coalition to advocate for empowerment, peace, equality, and socioeconomic justice. He is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and worked closely with King and other civil rights leaders in the past.

King gave speeches at the University of Chicago twice in his life, and Rockefeller Chapel was the site of his first major speech in the city of Chicago. At the end of his life King even penned a letter to

the head of the Chapel at the time stating his desire to return to Rockefeller soon, but he was unable to before his assassination.

Jackson focused on the city of Chicago in his speech. He lamented the closing of businesses across the South Side, repeatedly mentioning the large number of grocery and drug stores that have been shut down. He also focused on educational disparity in JESSE continued on page 2

UChicago startups win funding Dagny Vaughn Maroon Contributor Four University startups, ranging in focus from healthcare to education to computer technology, recently received a total of $406,000 in funding from the University Innovation Fund, which supports University-affiliated projects. The University Innovation Fund is part of the Chicago Innovation Exchange in conjunction with

UChicagoTech and the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Booth School of Business.

The fund is designed to “help bridge the gap between basic research funding and commercial investment,” according to Jason Pariso, the Director of Operations for the University of Chicago Innovation Fund. Essentially, the fund enables University research, allowing projects to expand beyond labs and

into communities.

Two of the selected startups aim to further research in the field of education.

The Becoming Effective Learners Project has developed a survey to study how non-cognitive factors impact a student’s learning.

The survey will help collect data about how these factors work together and how they affect learning in different classroom settings, accordSTART continued on page 2

NEWS IN BRIEF Students deprived of Internet for 40 minutes The University’s network lost connection to the Internet last Tuesday evening.

About 40 minutes later, connection to the Internet was restored.

An Information Technology Services status announcement posted online

Tuesday said engineers were working on maintaining the connection and looking into what caused the problem.

According to the announcement, connectivity was lost in Beijing, Hong Kong, and India where the University has international centers.

A source said the outage may have been due to a network card issue. A network card is a piece of computer hardware that connects a computer to a larger network, allowing data exchange.

—Adam Thorp

ISSUE 20 • VOLUME 126

Community members packed into two fiery meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss the potential construction of the Obama Presidential Library on park land. The meetings, hosted by the Chicago Park District, were each attended by hundreds of people from the University, the advisory board, and community members from across the South Side.

Last month the Barack Obama Foundation expressed concern that neither the University nor the City of Chicago owns the land proposed by the University for the library in Washington Park and Jackson Park. In response, the Park District has begun considering the transfer of the proposed sites to the City, which would then make the land available to the foundation if the South Side were to be selected to the library.

The Chicago Park District is a special jurisdictional district with its own institutional powers and authority, separate from the City’s authority.

The University and the City are concerned that if the park land is not brought under City control as the foundation seems to desire, the University of Chicago’s bid will not be successful. Columbia University, whom many con-

sider the University’s chief rival for the library, owns all of the land it has proposed as the site for its library.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Avis LaVelle, vice president of the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners, said that the issue of transferring the land would “potentially come before the board” and that the board would not immediately take action on the matter. She did add, though, that she hoped City leaders could “help tilt the decision in favor of Chicago.”

However, she did not specify if the board would decide before late March, when the foundation is expected to announce its final decision.

Derek Douglas, the University’s Vice President for Civic Engagement, said in a prepared statement that community feedback led the University to selecting the two sites. “Community members told us the Presidential Center should go where it can bring the most economic benefit. That led us away from University-owned property in Hyde Park,” he said. “We also heard from the community that it was important that current residents not be displaced by the library and that they should benefit from it. While there are vacant lots in Woodlawn and Washington Park, there is not a sufficient parcel of contiguous land for the Presidential Center campus.”

Nearly everyone who spoke at the meetings supported bringing the library to the South Side. Any audience member had the opportunity to speak. Many speakers and audience members wore shirts and held signs imploring Obama to “bring it on home,” citing the first family’s personal connections to the South Side.

“I want to welcome the President back home. I want to welcome Michelle back home. I want to welcome the girls back home. And I want to welcome economic development, jobs, and opportunities in improved education, and safety, and other things that go along with this to our communities,” 20th Ward Alderman Willie Cochran said.

However, several attendees said that there were ways to bring the library to the South Side without using public park land. “These parks were designed by one of the most visionary landscape architects, Frederick Law Olmsted,” Friends of the Park chair Lauren Moltz said. “They’re neither the City of Chicago’s, the Chicago Park District’s, or the University of Chicago’s to carve up and hand it away.”

Friends of the Park and other groups opposed to using park land prefer that the library be constructed on the 11 acres of vacant land that the University currently owns at East 55th Street and King LIBRARY continued on page 2

Univ. announces Diversity Council Katherine Vega News Staff University President Robert Zimmer and Provost Eric D. Isaacs outlined specifics for an upcoming campus climate discussion and a new Diversity Advisory Council in an e-mail to faculty, staff, and students on Wednesday.

The announcement came a month after Isaacs and Zimmer announced new inclusion efforts, including the creation of the council, and just a few days after they published a statement regarding free expression.

Associate Professor of American History Adam Green will chair the Diversity Advisory Council. Four students—from the College, graduate, and professional schools—will be selected for council positions following an application process. Zimmer and Isaacs will make the final appointments.

The council’s goals are to make recommendations on University programming, to address the concerns of underrepresented students, and to promote general inclusiveness and equality, according to the application website.

Meetings are expected to begin in early February.

The campus climate discussion will take place on Thursday, January 22 and will be limited to 150 students. Isaacs, Director of OMSA and Associate Dean of Students Karlene Burrell-McRae will host the discussion.

The announcement did not contain specifics on the two campus climate assessments, one of which will examine sexual assault and misconduct and one of which will examine diversity, inclusion, and underrepresented groups.

IN VIEWPOINTS

IN ARTS

IN SPORTS

Local library lives on » Page 3

Empire bows down to leads » Page 5

Chicago tests the waters against DI Panthers » Back page

Queen Anne Boleyn sings her head off at Lyric » Page 6

Track & Field: Veterans lead the pack to WI » Page 7

What’s in a name? » Page 4

THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | January 16, 2015

2

Jackson speaks out on racial inequality JESSE continued from front

the city, discussing the 50 public schools that have closed in the area.

He compared the plight of black students to an unfair football game, noting that while in football everyone plays by the same rules, it would be a different game if it went by the same rules of the current system in America.

“If blacks had to go 12 yards for a first down and whites had to run eight yards, it wouldn’t be a fair game,” Jackson said.

Jackson went on to question why schools with vastly different levels of resources were taking the same tests, noting that students from the South Side are at a clear disadvantage when it comes to college admissions. He also pointed out that the way resources are distributed among the local schools is consistently unfair.

“Not by race; by resources they enact legal segregation. One school is high, one school is low…[King] would be disappointed,” Jackson said.

When asked how the average student can make a difference, Jackson emphasized the need for broader access to education. “The first thing you can do is try to make education more affordable,” he said.

He also described how the high levels of tuition across the country are restricting educational opportunities for students who may not be able to cope with the costs of college in 2015.

“The fight to make education more affordable is a good one,” Jackson said.

Another consistent theme throughout his speech was that while the youth of today need to continue the fight of his and King’s generation, they also need to make their opinions heard by voting. He described speaking to teenagers in Ferguson, Missouri and the importance of encouraging youth to exercise their right to vote.

“You have to use your strengths to make a decision about the multiple options you are given,” he said.

Ernest Green, the eldest member of the group of black students who tried to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957, spoke prior to Jackson’s speech.

His son Adam Green, the master of the Social Sciences Division in the College, led a Q&A session with him regarding King’s work and the drive for equality. Ernest Green was adamant that current civil rights movements need direction and support to make real change.

“It can’t be a leaderless movement. It needs focus; it needs resources,” he said.

In a similar vein, at the end of his speech, Jackson implored students to come together regardless of race or religion and make a change as a group.

“Make multicultural connections and learn how different people can make a difference,” Jackson said.

CORRECTION The January 13 article “Community wants answers before Obama library” mistakenly reported that the University’s proposed bid for the Obama presidential library overlapped with an arboretum in Jackson Park. It actually overlaps with the proposed bid in Washington Park.

University gives out $406,000 from new fund START continued from front

ing to Camille Farrington, a researcher for the project.

“The ultimate goals of the project are to research basic knowledge and to provide data back to schools to help them learn ways to improve,” Farrington said. The group will use the funding to help expand and update the survey platform.

MyPath Planning Wizard is a program that helps teachers build a curriculum that fits the needs of their classes. “We noticed that when a math textbook is published digitally, nothing really is improved. This curriculum we are designing will give teachers more feedback about the lesson they are teaching and how it is impacting the students,” Meg Bates, a member of the MyPath Planning Wizard group, said. “For example, if a teacher has to delete a lesson from their plan, the program will give feedback on how it will impact the students.” With the funding, the group plans to develop a prototype to test in classrooms, beginning in Chicago schools.

The other two projects focus on research in health care and computer technology.

Researchers from the University’s Department of Medicine are working on a treatment for hypertriglyceridemia, a condition linked to coronary artery disease, diabetes, and pancreatitis. “We are working on a peptide-based treatment strategy to stimulate the triglyceride (TG) hydrolytic activity of lipases in the body, which regulate blood TG levels,” John Ancsin, a leader of the research team, wrote in an e-mail. The group plans to use the money award to test the efficacy of lead peptide agents in lowering plasma TG in mice models of hypertriglyceridemia, according to Ancsin.

Parallel.Works is a project dedicated to

developing technology for scientific and technical computing. The technology will enable complex and compute-intensive modeling, simulation, and analytic workflows to be performed on parallel computing systems, according to an overview written by Pariso.

The Parallel.Works researchers were unavailable for comment on their project or their intentions for the funding.

The projects that received funding were picked after a rigorous selection process.

“Fund recipients have been vetted through an in-depth process, which helps the committee determine which teams and technologies merit investment,” Pariso wrote in an e-mail.

Projects wishing to be funded must be affiliated with the University and first submit a pre-proposal, which is then reviewed by a committee of entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts. After receiving support from Innovation Fund associates who help screen, research, and support the projects, the ideas are once again presented with a specific use for the requested funding. Finally, the remaining teams are evaluated for potential to move toward the marketplace.

The Becoming Effective Learners received $151,000, Parallel.Works received $120,000, MyPath Planning Wizard received $100,000, and the researchers from the Department of Medicine received $35,000.

“Each of these four teams has a unique technology in an evolving industry with a strong team ready to take their research to the stage,” Pariso said. “They were chosen because we believe their technology has the potential to have a large impact in its field.”

The four UChicago startups that were finally selected for the Fall 2014 cycle will join more than 30 projects previously invested in by the Fund.

Obama library meetings draw hundreds You have books, but do you have a

book collection? t Do you love searching for books on a particular topic?

t Are you interested in the physical features of books, such as illustrations or bindings? t Are you passionate about owning books by a favorite author or on a specific topic?

If so, you may be eligible to win the…

T. Kimball Brooker Prize For Undergraduate Book Collecting Prizes awarded: $2,000 to a fourth-year student $750 to a second-year student

LIBRARY continued from front

Drive, just west of Washington Park. They questioned whether the proposed 20–25 acres of land are necessary. Most presidential libraries have used up to 50 acres of land, but the buildings typically take up only around three acres.

Other community members raised concerns about the University’s role in the planning process and said the proposed land transfer amounted to a University land grab.

“Why would you want to give the first black president’s presidential library to an institution that has not at all shown any concern, care, or priority for your lives?” Fearless Leading by the Youth (FLY) member Veronica Morris-Moore said.

Mayoral candidates Chuy García and Bob Fioretti both spoke at Tuesday’s meeting and expressed their opposition to the use of park land for the library. “The people of Chicago are rightly opposed to encroachment on their public park lands. Yet the Mayor wants to allow a private institution to confiscate land they do not own: people’s land,” García said.

“The parks belong to all of us, and I stand with the growing public campaign to keep it that way.”

Some attendees pointed out that other museums and cultural institutions in Chicago are

NEWS IN BRIEF Shuttle accident near Breckinridge

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m., Wednesday, February 25, 2015 to brookerprize@lib.uchicago.edu www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/alumnifriends/brooker

located on or near parks, such as the nearby Museum of Science of Industry. Many felt that building the library does not mean making a choice between parks and the wellbeing of the community.

“I don’t want to fight. I want to win. Bring it on home,” said Carol Adams, former president of the DuSable Museum of African American History and member of the University’s Obama library community advisory board.

Meanwhile, city officials are determined to strengthen the case for making Chicago the home of the library.

“I want this to be an easy decision for President Obama and the first lady,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel told reporters on Tuesday. “I don’t want to look back after the decision and say, ‘Well, you should have done something,’ when it’s all within our power to actually make it easy for the president to pick Chicago and pick whatever location he decides, because of the tremendous opportunity this will have for the city of Chicago.”

Attendees of Wednesday’s meeting seemed indignant that New York City was even in the running, given Obama’s political roots in Chicago. KLEO Community Life Center director Torrey Barrett called it a “slap in the face” should Obama choose Columbia University’s proposal.

One South shuttle rear-ended another outside of Breckinridge Hall Monday night. The accident took place at 10:19 p.m. on South Blackstone Avenue.

The first shuttle had completed its route and was out of service at the time of the accident. There were no students on board. The second shuttle was carrying five student passengers when it struck the back of the other bus.

The crash damaged both shuttles, but no passengers or drivers required medical attention. Stephanie Creech, manager of corporate communications at FirstGroup America, which operates the shuttle company First Transit, wrote in a statement that the driver of the second shuttle has been suspended pending review of the incident.

Further details are unknown, making the cause of the accident unclear.

—Maggie Loughran

VIEWPOINTS

Editorial & Op-Ed JANUARY 16, 2015

Local library lives on University’s bid for Obama library holds promise for South Side cultural and economic growth, but first, community concerns must be addressed

ELEANOR HYUN

| THE

CHICAGO MAROON

In the coming months, the Barack Obama Foundation will choose a winning bid for the Obama presidential library. This month, the University has gained support from local aldermen, mayor

Rahm Emanuel, and many community groups. However, the University’s bid for the Obama Library has not been without setbacks.

Questions have been raised by community members and

the Barack Obama Foundation regarding the University’s potential use of Chicago park lands. The University’s current plans incorporate the use of park land, which it justifies by touting both

the economic and educational benefits the library would bring to the greater South Side community. The editorial board would like to extend its support for the University’s bid for the presi-

dential library. However, the concerns of voices within these communities are valid, particularly with regard to the issue of park land, and must be addressed as the process towards selection draws ever nearer.

The main concern brought up by community members is that the library will encroach upon available park land in Chicago—a concern that the editorial board shares. The two proposed build sites, in Washington Park and Jackson Park, are both between 20-30 acres.

However, the Washington Park site would combine 20 acres of park land with 10 acres of land already owned by the University. The editorial board supports the University’s bid for the Obama library, but does not believe this bid needs to entail the further removal of Chicago’s limited park lands. There is historical precedent to suggest that the 10 acres the University already owns next to the Washington Park site are sufficient to house the library. The John F. Kennedy library sits on a 10 acre lot, while the library building itself takes up little more than three acres. By restricting construction to its current 10 acre lot, not only will the University protect valuable park space in an urban area, but it will also further encourage the support of community members who

question the University’s dedication to supporting its surrounding community.

Regardless of building site difficulties, if the University’s bid is successful the South Side will reap the benefits. Building the library on the South Side would benefit both the University and the surrounding communities.

Whichever of these sites is chosen, it will be a hub for community activity, providing educational and business opportunities. The library will create 1,900 permanent jobs, according to an economic study commissioned by the University, and increase local earnings by $56 million per year. The study estimates that 800,000 visitors will visit the library each year, drawing a new wave of tourists and visitors who would not otherwise visit the historic South Side. If the University’s bid is selected, the library has the potential to become a national landmark and a source of great pride for the community. By tailoring its bid more closely to the interests of local community members, the University will be able to be foster support for the library while also forging a closer relationship with the surrounding community.

—The Maroon Editorial Board Ankit Jain recused himself from this editorial.

What’s in a name?

The student newspaper of the University of Chicago since 1892 Emma Broder, Editor-in-Chief Joy Crane, Editor-in-Chief Jonah Rabb, Managing Editor The Maroon Editorial Board consists of Harini Jaganathan, Ankit Jain, Nina Katemauswa, Liam Leddy, Mara McCollom, Kiran Misra, Jake Walerius, and Sarah Zimmerman.

Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Grey City Editor Kristin Lin, Grey City Editor Sarah Manhardt, News Editor Christine Schmidt, News Editor Kiran Misra, Viewpoints Editor James Mackenzie, Arts Editor Tatiana Fields, Sports Editor Marina Fang, Senior News Editor Liam Leddy, Senior Viewpoints Editor Sarah Langs, Senior Sports Editor Jake Walerius, Senior Sports Editor Natalie Friedberg, Deputy News Editor Alec Goodwin, Deputy News Editor Marta Bakula, Associate News Editor Raymond Fang, Associate News Editor Nina Katemauswa, Associate Viewpoints Editor Sarah Zimmerman, Associate Viewpoints Editor Andrew McVea, Associate Arts Editor Evangeline Reid, Associate Arts Editor Ellen Rodnianski, Associate Arts Editor Helen Petersen, Associate Sports Editor Zachary Themer, Associate Sports Editor Peter Tang, Photo Editor Frank Yan, Senior Photo Editor Frank Wang, Associate Photo Editor Annie Cantara, Head Designer Sophie Downes, Head Copy Editor Alan Hassler, Head Copy Editor Sherry He, Head Copy Editor Hannah Rausch, Head Copy Editor Emily Harwell, Social Media Editor Amber Love, Video Editor

Megan Daknis, Copy Editor Katie Day, Copy Editor Jacqueline Feng, Copy Editor Kyra Martin, Copy Editor Katarina Mentzelopoulos, Copy Editor Rebecca Naimon, Copy Editor Morganne Ramsey, Copy Editor Erica Sun, Copy Editor Amy Wang, Copy Editor Michelle Zhao, Copy Editor Katie Bart, Designer Kelsey Dunn, Designer Emily Harwell, Designer Stephanie Liu, Designer Wei Yi Ow, Designer Morganne Ramsey, Designer Elle Rathbun, Designer Kaitlyn Shen, Designer Julia Xu, Designer Jen Xue, Designer Andrew Koski, Illustrator Alice Xiao, Illustrator Lenise Lee, Business Manager Nathan Peereboom, Chief Financial Officer Kay Li, Director of Data Analysis Harry Backlund, Distributor Editor-in-Chief E-mail: editor@ChicagoMaroon.com Newsroom Phone: 773.702.1403 Business Phone: 773.702.9555 Fax: 773.702.3032 Public Editor: PublicEditor@ChicagoMaroon.com For advertising inquiries, please contact Ads@ChicagoMaroon.com The Chicago Maroon is published twice weekly during autumn, winter, and spring quarters.

Circulation: 6,800. © 2014 The Chicago Maroon, Ida Noyes Hall, 1212 East 59th Street Chicago, IL 60637

It’s easy to rally around a love of free speech when we’re ignoring the fact that there is no agreement on what “free speech” means

Liam Leddy

Sprezzatura Earlier this week, Wall Street Journal columnist and UChicago alumnus Bret Stephens put out an article discussing the state of freedom of speech following the Charlie Hebdo murders. In his article, Stephens— whose Wikipedia personal life section reads like something just short of Tony Stark’s—opens with a recap of the hoopla that occurred during and after Dan Savage’s visit to our campus last May, and dismisses the student organization QUIP’s response as oversensitive. Stephens moves on to strongly espouse the idea of what he calls “truly free speech,” and closes with his support of the University’s recent statement on its commitment to free inquiry.

Stephens’ voice is just one of many that has spoken up in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo murders. Free

speech is the topic of the moment, and the world has exploded in a cacophony of opinions about its existence as a fundamental right of man. And the thing is, at least in the reported news and opinions, the uproar hasn’t really been an argument. Nobody’s saying speech shouldn’t be free. So in response to several people being killed, we’ve elected them as exemplars of an ideal we pretty much all agree upon, and are proceeding to collectively rub one out over how much we agree upon it.

But, besides the obvious problems like saying news is news mostly because it sells we’re all kind of missing a less obvious problem. We all agree that free speech is great, right? So why are there so many problems around it?

Well, because what the hell is free speech?

We all think free speech is great, and so does Bret Stephens, the Pope, and the Maroon Editorial Board, but nobody really agrees on what free speech is. Some think it means the right to say anything to anyone, anytime, anywhere, in whatever shoes; others think it should stop short of criticizing religion, and some think there should be a clear delineation between free speech and hate speech (whatever the hell that is). But really, the truth is we’re all quibbling over the definition of something that’s indefinable, an ideal that lacks the concreteness to actually be idealized. Absolute free speech (that is, being able to say literally whatever you want) does not exist anywhere. Yelling “fire” in a crowded theater might have legal repercussions (but the penis game probably won’t), and so might threatening to murder somebody. So, how do we decide what needs to be censored and what needn’t? What should be said and what shouldn’t is almost entirely a subjective matter. Now would be the SPEECH continued on page 4

4

THE CHICAGO MAROON | VIEWPOINTS | January 16, 2015

“It’s foolish to stand united in support of our own individual definitions of an ideal that none of us truly understand.�

CLASSIFIEDS Classified advertising in The Chicago Maroon is $4 for each line. Lines are 45 characters long including spaces and punctuation. Special headings are 20-character lines at $5 per line. Submit all ads in person, by e-mail, or by mail to The Chicago Maroon, Ida Noyes Hall, Lower Level Rm 026, 1212 E. 59th St., Chicago, IL 60637. The Chicago Maroon accepts Mastercard & Visa. Call (773) 702-9555.

80+ yo woman, sharp and wise, lives close to Hyde Park, with intermediate Hebrew is looking for volunteer to advance her Hebrew. Exchange for lessons in Russian possible. 312-225-1704.

Lydia_usha@rush.edu

SPEECH continued from page 3 point where I ask the question, “Who’s qualified to decide what speech is free and allowed, and what speech isn’t?� Except, the answer is rather obvious: None of us are. We all just do it anyway.

Including, it would seem, Bret Stephens. Stephens regards QUIP’s uproar over the t-word as essentially ridiculous, and goes on to sound like something of a cranky old man reviling how the world’s just all gone to shit and we’ll all forget about the right to free speech until someone else dies because of it. Stephens holds up free speech as a grand achievement of modernity, to be treasured and never lost. But Stephens doesn’t seem to recognize or care that what he calls free speech isn’t what others call free speech. He glorifies the committee that recently released UChicago’s newest commitment to free inquiry, even encouraging everyone to send their kids here. But the thing is, it’s not really clear if Stephens and the committee agree at all on what they think free speech is. Stephens, again, endorses “truly free� speech, while the committee says that free speech “does not, of course, mean that individuals may say whatever they wish, wherever they wish� and goes on to qualify exceptions regarding privacy and legality. Oh, but of course. I don’t

know if this is what Bret Stephens thinks free speech is, and, well, it’s not really my problem.

The point is that it’s nonsensical to agree that something is great when we ignore the fact that we don’t agree what it is.

So what am I really asking for? Up to this point in the article I’ve pretty much been walking around taking dumps in people’s desk drawers without leaving supplies for clean up. What do I, the entirely unqualified straight, white, male college student criticizing a Pulitzer Prize winner, actually want? Do we need to agree on what free speech is before we talk about it? Regardless of whether free speech is allowed, banned, diluted or whatever else, it’s foolish to stand united in support of our own individual definitions of an ideal that none of us truly understand, and people will continue to be hurt regardless of whether we do. Obviously preventing death and violence is a priority, but trying to agree on the definition of free speech? That’s not gonna happen. I guess the best we can do is keep arguing about it in the Wall Street Journal comment section. Oh, wait, except for those are moderated. Whoops.

Liam Leddy is a third-year in the College majoring in Economics.

SUBMISSIONS 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

YOUR AD HERE

advertise in the MAROON ADS@CHICAGOMAROON.COM

The editors reserve the right to edit materials for clarity and space. Letters to the editor should be limited to 400 words. Op-ed submissions, 800 words

big

Make a

difference

become a

Large Pizza up to 3 Toppings

stressbuster!

only

STRESSBUSTERS TRAINS UCHICAGO STUDENTS TO PROVIDE 5-MINUTE BACKRUBS AT EVENTS

$10!

AROUND CAMPUS.

1H[W 7UDLQLQJ APPLY ONLINE TODAY DW XFKLFDJRVWUHVVEXVWHUV FRP

Carry-out or Delivery Order online! www.papajohns.com

Hyde Park Location 1418 E. 53rd Street (773) 752-7272

0RQGD\ 2FWREHU WK 30 30 5H\QROGV &OXE

Mention this coupon to receive offer

ARTS

What is art?

JANUARY 16, 2015

Empire bows down to leads Inherent Vice finds virtue in its visual style James MacKenzie Arts Editor There’s a certain majesty, a sense of royalty if you will, to Terrence Howard's performance in Fox's new drama Empire. Playing Lucious Lyon, a gangster-turned-gangster-rapper-turnedrecord-label-owner, there are a great many stereotypes and acting tropes from which Howard could draw. He turns to almost none of them, drawing instead from the likes of Shakespeare and the regal characters he portrays.

Every move he makes, each word he speaks, is deliberate and controlled.

He turns smoothly, walks softly, but enunciates each syllable with an iron core. He sits in chairs like they are thrones, gazing unblinkingly and projecting power without moving an inch. It is hard not to look at him and see a king.

And his queen, or more accurately, ex-wife (Taraji P. Henson), might be even better. She is just as controlled, but moves with pace and purpose. Her words have an edge of steel to them, and her co-stars seem to feel it whenever she opens her mouth.

Her character, Cookie, has just been released from prison after spending a quarter century taking the rap for Lyon's old drug-dealing ring, and she wants compensation for the milliondollar business whose existence is owed to her. These two leads have gravity in their performances: The rest of the cast revolves around them, and scenes are warped and bent by their

Ellen Rodnianski Associate Arts Editor presence. When they are on screen together, you can count on some serious fireworks.

Unfortunately, the rest of the show cannot live up to the standards set by its excellent leads. The story picks up when Lyon is diagnosed with a case of ALS that will kill him in three years, ice buckets be damned.

His label is about to go public and he has to choose one of his three sons to inherit leadership of the label after his death: one a talented rapper lacking in intelligence and work ethic, one kindhearted but disliked by his father for his homosexuality, and one who is adept at the business side of the label but has no artistic inclinations. The three sons at once compete with each other and get caught in the web of intrigue between their estranged parents.

Empire is a succession drama in the classical sense; it is not a coincidence that Howard and Henson perform more like monarchs than music moguls. One of the characters unsubtly name-drops King Lear in the first episode, and the setting is very similar to Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. However, it may prove difficult to execute a tale so reliant on deceit and plotting when the dialogue is so bald-faced.

There are never any embarrassing lines in the vein of Fox’s other new drama Gotham, but the script almost completely lacks subtext; every character says exactly what they mean in every EMPIRE continued on page 6

All eyes are on lead actor Terrence Howard in new drama Empire.

COURTESY OF

20TH TELEVISION

In the shipping industry, the term inherent vice refers to forms of risk that cannot be avoided: glasses breaking, rice spilling, and so on. Unsurprisingly, this definition functions as a broader theme in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice, the very first adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s novel of the same name. The film explores how the often unjust, drug, sex, and crime-filled world of 1970s Los Angeles has circumstances that cannot be evaded.

The storyline of the film is without a doubt a confusing one, and those viewers who come to the cinema unprepared for what’s to come will struggle to follow the plot line. This is one of those films that stays very true to its original source, which might perplex the average viewer. That said, the movie is definitely worth watching.

To sum it up, the plot of Anderson’s film revolves around Doc Sportello ( Joaquin Phoenix), a hippie, pot-smoking private eye, receiving a night visit from ex-girlfriend Shasta (Katherine Waterston) who tells him that there is a plot to capture her billionaire boyfriend. The next day, the disappearance of the aforementioned billionaire as well as of Shasta is announced and Doc sets out to figure out what happened and to help the extraordinarily corrupt LAPD with the case. Multiple plot lines and the psychedelic element of the setting encourage an active role in the viewers.

The film is stylistically striking.

Cinematographically—the grainy quality to the image, the result of the use of 35mm film, and the frequent use of superimpositions (when two shots are visible on screen at the same time, as though on top of each other) create an almost dreamlike, psychedelic quality, which pulls the viewer into the marijuana-filled world of the main character. The narration by the hippie character Sortilège ( Joanna Newsom), a close and (naturally) pot-smoking friend of Doc’s, often has a near-poetic and spiritual quality. A moment demon-

Doc Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) reacts to a striking photograph.

COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. STUDIOS

strating this poeticism occurs during Shasta’s night visit to Doc, when she says, “Back when they were together she could go weeks without anything more complicated than a pout. Now she was laying some heavy combination of face ingredients on Doc that he couldn’t read at all.”

Inherent Vice is the second film in the last two years in which Phoenix plays a character whose wardrobe is worth taking note of—the first being Spike Jonze’s Her. Clearly to highlight Doc’s hippie quality, the costume choices are often ironically underlined, such as when he is asked to wear a suit and tie to a meeting with a corrupt lawyer and instead arrives wearing a large Native American necklace, black turtleneck, and a suede jacket. The contrast and symbiosis of the hippie world and of the highly criminal world is an unceasing theme in the film. The most striking example of these two different worlds interacting is portrayed through the absurd and oftentimes confusing, yet highly entertaining, relationship between Doc and the “renaissance cop,” “Bigfoot” Bjornsen ( Josh Brolin).

Amusingly introduced by the narrator as the “old hippie-hating mad dog” with a “John Wayne walk” and a “little shit-twinkle in his eye that says civil rights violations,” the character of “Bigfoot”—ironically one of the less corrupt members of the LAPD— continuously gives well-meaning Doc

a hard time despite needing his help for the progress of the high-profile case.

The acting in the film is stellar.

Phoenix delivers Doc Sportello with ease that engages and entertains even the most clueless viewer. Brolin stands out for his unexpected and very well executed comedic performance. Waterston keeps the gaze of any viewer with her muse-like, mysterious quality. Memorable smaller roles include that of Benicio Del Toro as Sauncho Smilax, the maritime lawyer who gets Doc out of trouble with “Bigfoot” and also provides valuable information, as well as Owen Wilson in his portrayal of Coy Harlingen, an ex–Saxophone player regretting a serious life decision. Other prominent actors starring in the film include Eric Robertson as the kidnapped billionaire, Martin Short as the corrupt Dr. Rudy, and Reese Witherspoon as Deputy D.A. Penny Kimball.

Inherent Vice stylistically is unlike any film (or at least unlike any film the author of this review has seen before). If describing a movie as cool was critically acceptable, then Inherent Vice, with its grainy quality, first-rate acting, intriguing plot, and an original soundtrack scored by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, is a very cool movie. It’s definitely worth paying $12 for, but only if you are prepared to stay mentally engaged for 147 minutes.

Sunday, January 18, Oriental Institute, Breasted Hall, 2 p.m., free

play Lady Precious Stream, which follows the titular daughter of the prime minister as her family looks for someone for her to marry. Although she is expected to marry a wealthy Chinese nobleman, Precious instead finds herself in love with the family’s poor gardener. As Precious and her lover navigate the disapproval of her parents and the challenges of their socioeconomic class, the traditional performances are incorporated into the play’s scenes.

Before the show, all ticket holders are also treated to a catered Chinese meal from the Chinatown restaurant Northern City.

theSketch

Arts, Briefly.

The Imaginary Funeral It might’ve been more thematically appropriate for Halloween season, but next Thursday, Midway Studios will be hosting a panel on death and funeral art for the morbidly inclined among us. Entitled The Imaginary Funeral: Image, Artifact, and the Work of Mourning, the panel is presented by the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry and the Neubauer Collegium. The workshop will focus on the various artistic projects and rituals that humans have historically and currently performed in accompaniment with the deaths and funerals of our fellows.

That means death masks, mummification, cadaver stuffing—you name it, they’re going to talk about it.

Panelists will include professors from several related fields, including

history of medicine, art history, and anthropology. But readers need not have any background or interest in these fields to attend. All you need is a healthy dose of necrophilia...that came out wrong.

Thursday, January 22, Midway Studios 108, 5–8 p.m., free Oriental Institute Film Screenings This weekend, the Oriental Institute will inaugurate a series of monthly film screenings that will run through June (with the exception of February). On Sunday afternoon, there will be a showing of a 57-minute documentary film, Breaking Ground: The Story of the Oriental Institute, produced by Chicago Public Television’s WTTW. The film discusses the origins and subsequent development of the

Oriental Institute, and includes information on the Institute’s digs at various sites in the Middle East. The Oriental Institute established the Chicago House in Luxor, Egypt.

Founded in 1924, Chicago House performs the Epigraphic Survey, a project that documents, investigates, and conserves monuments from the ancient city of Thebes.

These monthly film screenings cover a wide range of topics pertaining to the Middle East, from the development of the written word in ancient civilizations (Sign, Symbol and Script: Origins of Written Communication and the Birth of the Alphabet to be screened in March) to Saddam Hussein’s policy of displacement and resettlement of the Marsh Arabs (Braving Iraq to be screened in June).

Chinese Undergraduate Student Association Show It’s winter quarter, and that can only mean one thing: It’s cultural festival season. From the South Asian Students Association (SASA) show to the African Caribbean Students Association (ACSA) show, winter and spring quarters are chock full of student organizations showing off their unique cultural identities and traditions. The Chinese Undergraduate Student Association (CUSA) show kicks things off this weekend with a mix of traditional Chinese songs, dances, and martial arts.

The show is based off of the famous early–20th century Chinese

Saturday, January 17, Mandel Hall, 6–10 p.m., $10 in advance, $12 at the door

THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | January 16, 2015

6

“Unfortunately, the rest of the show cannot live up to the standards set by its excellent leads” EMPIRE continued from page 5

scene. Conflicts are quick to come out in the open and often even quicker to be resolved.

It doesn’t help that the cast, apart from Howard and Henson, leaves much to be

desired. Show creator Lee Daniels (The Butler, Precious) has a track record for coaxing the crazy out of his performers but seems to be playing it safe in Empire. Maybe it’s because they don’t get enough screen

time to grow comfortable in their roles, but more often than not the supporting cast feels like walls for Howard and Henson to bounce their stuff off of. They are very much part of the scenery that the two

leads spend the show chewing up.

Empire feels like the television equivalent of a film like The Theory of Everything or a weaker version of a Bennett Miller film: a performance

piece that lacks structural integrity in other areas of storytelling. Without Howard and Henson, it is doubtful that Empire could stand up on its own merits, and it remains to be seen whether it is even pos-

sible for performances alone to carry a TV show in the long run. Nevertheless, those two make the show fun to watch and the scenario has the potential for some excellent soapy melodrama.

Queen Anne Boleyn sings her head off at Chicago's Lyric Opera MJ Chen Arts Staff How can I begin to describe the triumph that is Lyric’s Anna Bolena?

Written in the Italian bel canto style, Gaetano Donizetti’s opera is exciting for its sheer athleticism—sky-high tessituras, gushing coloratura runs, and demand for superhuman vocal stamina. Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky heads a remarkably consistent cast that delivers musical thrills without skimping on drama, while Kevin Newbury’s sleek production offers illuminating psychological insight into Donizetti’s larger-than-life characters.

Anna Bolena is a voluptuous fantasy on the death of Anne Boleyn, second wife to Henry VIII. The King (John Relyea) tires of Anne (Sondra Radvanovsky), having turned his attentions to her favorite lady-in-waiting, Jane Seymour (Jamie Barton). He seeks to annul their marriage by staging a conspiracy involving her former lover, Lord Richard Percy (Bryan Hymel) and a young page, Smeton (Kelly O’Connor). Anne is sentenced to death after a rigged trial—faced with her impending execution, she loses her wits in one of the most delicious “mad scenes” ever composed.

Sondra Radvanovsky dominates the production musically and dramatically as Queen Anne. Her stalwart soprano cuts through Donizetti’s lush ensembles and orchestration like a chainsaw through butter. Though rarely subtle, her high notes resound with tremendous power. She proves more intimate in duets, including the famous confrontation scene with Jane Seymour (“Dio, que mi vedi in core”), where her voice remains remarkably balanced and never overwhelming (although she seemed to forget one of her lines close to the end). Radvanovsky’s characterization, though, tends to lack nuance, as her anguish defaults to wringing her hands, or falling in a heap, or both. Yet her “mad scene” (“Al dolce guidami . . . Coppia iniqua”) is a dramatic triumph. Queen Anne— fearful, defiant, tormented Queen Anne—disappears. Radvanovsky is a shadow of what Anne Boleyn could have been, sweet and innocent and delicate with a sound to match. Restored to sanity in the cabaletta, her Queen Anne spits venom and cruel irony in her final moments. Though the quality of her high notes declines somewhat, Radvanovsky’s technique stays remarkably consistent through the finale, despite the role’s demand-

ing tessitura and punishing length— almost three hours of continuous singing!

King Henry becomes a villain the moment Donizetti casts him as a bass, and John Relyea’s booming, barking voice is all bite. He can be seductive, as in his duet with Seymour, but even then his dark, smoky tone betrays sinister intent. His attractive, angular features—topped with a bit of scruff— and imposing frame adds realism to the role, giving his character a testosterone boost. In a miracle of casting, Relyea’s bass proves a worthy rival to Radvanovsky’s cannon-like soprano, especially in choruses and ensembles: fittingly for the Act I finale, his brutal low notes pins down a sometimes hysterical soprano line.

Tenor Bryan Hymel plays an ardent Lord Percy, his tone warm enough to heat Chiberia to a balmy 75 degrees.

His high Cs, resplendent in color and breadth, elicited a chorus of bravos from the audience after each cabaletta.

Vocally and physically, Hymel displays sensitivity opposite to Relyea’s swaggering Henry VIII—his soft, youthful looks lend cuddliness and romantic simplicity conducive to Percy’s devotion.

Torn between her love of Henry

and her devotion to the Queen, Jane Seymour is easily the opera’s most complex character. Jamie Barton deploys her luscious mezzo-soprano in a sensitive, engaging performance. Her sound is strong yet mellow, carrying Seymour’s ambition and guilt equally well. Though less vocally imposing than Radvanovsky’s incisive soprano or Relyea’s violent bass, Barton stands her ground in ensembles, carving out space for her uniquely honeyed high notes. The one blip in her characterization was Seymour’s suffering, especially in the second-act duet with Anne—the hand-wringing! The convulsions! I found it a tad overwrought, with all the despair of a vase shattering in slow motion.

Among the supporting cast—which includes solid performances by tenors Richard Ollarsaba and John Irvin as Lord Rochford and Lord Hervey, respectively—Kelley O’Connor stands out as Smeton, the innocent page who sparks the scandal. Though compact, her arias prove memorable thanks to her smoky, attractive mezzo.

Director Kevin Newbury’s production features a minimal set with detailed period costumes and descending pillars, and demarcates space well.

I found the emptiness as an effective

parallel to the experiences of Anna, and to a lesser extent, to the experiences of Henry and Percy: her broken marriage and fearful life at court, the result of futile ambition; his power as the King but unhappiness as a man; his love reciprocated but unattainable.

Musically, conductor Patrick Summers deftly guides the Lyric Orchestra in an energetic, buoyant interpretation of Donizetti’s score. Though he provides good accompaniment to the singers, I felt that the choruses sounded somewhat chaotic and rhythmically uncertain. The brouhaha onstage during the Act I finale did little to help: toddler Elizabeth I running to Anna, then Henry dragging Elizabeth away, then Henry throwing Anna to the ground, then Henry straddling Anna while fake-choking her, and then a giant iron cut-out of a cross descending from the ceiling. Thankfully, the production posed few distractions elsewhere.

My only complaint is that the Lyric waited to launch this glorious Anna Bolena so late in the season. Had it premiered in autumn, my tears would have remained liquid as I left the theater. $20 tickets available for shows tonight at the Lyric Opera

Prepare...

Transform...

Empower...

Become a RESIDENT HEAD Attendance at an information session is required for all Resident Head applicants.

Information sessions will be held at the following dates, times and locations: Saturday, January 10th - 10:00 a.m. - The Fairfax, 1369 E. Hyde Park Blvd.

Monday, January 12th - 7:00 p.m. - Burton Judson Residence Hall, 1005 E. 60th St. Wednesday, January 21st - 7:00 p.m. - Burton Judson Residence Hall, 1005 E. 60th St. For more information about applying visit College Housing at housing.uchicago.edu

THE CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | January 16, 2015

In the Chatter’s Box with Sarah Langs

Jessie Ho is a second-year swimmer from Mountain View, CA. We chatted with her to get some insider info on the life of a Maroon athlete.

CM: What’s your stroke, or event?

JH: I swim freestyle and butterfly, mostly short events. The shortest ones possible, basically.

CM: What’s it like swimming in college, compared to in high school?

JH: In high school, for some people at least, it was less by choice than it is in college. I feel like in college, people generally want to do the sport and want to keep swimming. That’s why they swim in college. Whereas in high school, it’s mostly either because they just need an extracurricular or their parents make them do it. I think both are equally as fun. Maybe more fun in college, especially at a DIII school, because it’s a little bit less intense.

Chicago Maroon: How old were you when you started swimming?

Jessie Ho: I started learning how to swim when I was five, but I didn’t start swimming year-round and practicing with a club team until I was eight years old.

CM: That’s pretty young, still, isn’t it?

JH: Yeah, it is pretty young, but I feel like nowadays a lot of people start pretty young.

Especially just learning how to swim, since it’s good to have water safety.

CM: Did you play any other sports in middle school or high school?

JH: In middle school, I played basketball with my middle school’s team and also did track and field.

But it was just with my middle-school team, so it wasn’t a really big deal or anything. But once high school started, I only swam.

CM: When did you figure out you’d be swimming in college?

JH: I guess it came kind of naturally, because I feel like I’ve devoted so much of my life to swimming that it only felt right to keep swimming in college.

CM: So are there any things that you’ve gotten to do in college that you wouldn’t have otherwise, had you not been a swimmer here? Beyond the obvious of competing and traveling for meets.

JH: The whole swim team has good connections.

For example, we’re part of the Women’s Athletic Association and they recently set up this program for us where we could apply to have a graduated WAA member be assigned to us. We had like a mentor sort of deal, and it was pretty nice. I got matched up with someone who’s from the Bay Area and was working in a field that I’m interested in. That was a nice little perk from swimming.

CM: What about professional or Olympic swimming, do you follow any of that?

JH: Not really. I mean, if something really big happens then I hear about it. But if it doesn’t make the news, then I guess I don’t really know about it.

I don’t follow swimming that religiously. I just hear about what the general population would hear about.

7

Veterans lead the pack to WI Track & Field Russell Mendelson Senior Sports Staff This weekend the Maroons will travel north to compete in their first away meet of the year at the Private School Championships in Kenosha, WI. Chicago had a strong showing in its first meet of the year this past weekend as both the men’s and women’s squads took the top spots respectively at the Phoenix Invitational at Henry Crown Field House.

“My approach has really never changed throughout my career when it comes to competitions; I always go in with the mindset of; ‘I want to jump as high as possible and try to get a new personal record’,” said third-year polevaulter Michael Bennett, who was forced to sit out a round this time last season due to injury.

“After what happened last week in competition I’m going to be putting most of my focus into getting my timing down.”

Bennett finished first in the pole vault at the Phoenix Invitational last week and is currently the reigning indoor DIII champion.

Second-year Timofey Karginov finished first in the men’s mile run Saturday, one of five UChicago men to take first in an individual event.

“A lot of our strong distance runners are currently running shorter events to get valuable speed work in and build up to their respective distances in the 3K and 5K over the course of the season,” Karginov said.

Karginov also pointed out that the middle-distance runners use these early meets to prepare for the 800-meter and mile events later on in the year as well.

“Our goal is to be fully prepared for the conference championship,” said fourthyear jumper Pam Yu. Yu placed first in both the long and triple jumps last weekend.

“This means getting stronger, physically and mentally, and preventing any injuries from occurring by training smarter,” Yu said.

In addition to Yu, thirdyear Nelly Trotter was one of four Chicago women who brought home an individual win last weekend, as she won the high jump with a winning height of 1.59 meters.

“I think this early in the

season everyone is just getting used to competing again; later in the season it will become more difficult as marks and times improve overall,” Trotter said.

“Competing at this point in the season is good because it allows you to understand where you stand and how your peers stand as well early on,” Yu said. “This is advantageous in that I know how much it will take for me to get to where I want by the end of the season.”

The entire team is consistent in stressing the importance of building strength and endurance early on in the season, so as to be as ready as possible come the championships later in the season.

“Currently, our mentality is about building, strengthening, and getting in the best form to prepare for our championship meets,” Karginov said. “This weekend we hope to have another strong outing like our last meet.”

Chicago competes tomorrow at 11 a.m. at Kenosha, aiming for the distinction of best private school among its competitors in the Private School Championships.

CM: That being said, were there any swimmers you looked up to growing up? I swam in middle and high school and remember I was always looking toward Natalie Coughlin, who went to Berkeley.

JH: Yeah! She was my favorite too.

Maroons head north for Elmhurst Invite Wrestling Zach Themer Associate Sports Editor Having won their last five matches, the Maroons look to crumble the competition this weekend and defend their title at the Al Hanke Invitational at Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, IL. At the Al Hanke Invitational, the South Siders will be one of five teams vying for the top prize at the tournament’s 33rd annual rendition. In order to defend their crown, the Maroons will have to fend off four formidable opponents: Elmhurst College, Harper College, the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), and Waubonsee College.

While the Maroons will face stiff competition this weekend, they have had the good fortunes of facing some of the other teams in the tournament already

this season.

Last Saturday, the South Siders topped MSOE by a score of 31–12 at the Lakeland College Duals. In their matchup against MSOE, the Maroons won six of the 10 matches they had, including dominating performances from the likes of second-year Paul Papoutsis in the 165-pound weight class, who topped his opponent by a score of 10–1.

Similarly, first-year Devan Richter manhandled his opponent as well as he won via a fall only 1:39 into the match.

Like they have with MSOE, the Maroons have prior history with Harper College this season. Two weeks ago at the Chicago Duals, the Maroons topped their interstate rivals by a score of 30–21. Led by the likes of fourth-year Adam Wyeth, who won a close matchup in the 141-pound weight class by a score of

8–7, the South Siders were able to secure a comfortable win two weeks ago.

However, the Maroons have not yet had the opportunity this season to take on their other foes this weekend, Elmhurst College and Waubonsee College.

Against these two opponents, the squad will have to face similarly youthful squads that are hungry to win the tournament.

With Elmhurst especially, there is a strong narrative building up. Elmhurst hosts the Al Hanke Invitational, and after losing to Chicago by only six points last year, it wants nothing more than to topple the boys from Hyde Park and reclaimitshome title.

The Al Hanke Invitational will kick off this Saturday at 10 a.m. at Elmhurst College. Individual match times will be posted at a later date on the tournament’s website.

Take an Hour to Change your Life peacecorps.gov/openings Apply today.

1.855.855.1961 | chicago@peacecorps.gov

EGG DONOR NEEDED We are an Ivy League couple seeking the help of a special woman who is healthy, Caucasian, tall, natural blonde hair, blue eyes, and under the age of 29. Please contact our representative at:

info@aperfectmatch.com Or call 1-800-264-8828 $20,000 (minimum) compensation plus all expenses paid IPN: 11/2014

SPORTS

IN QUOTES “When I suck, I’ll retire.”

–Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on his retirement plans

South Siders look to rebound on Neon Night Women’s Basketball Ahmad Allaw Sports Staff Heading into the final two matches of its five-game home stand, Chicago will look to sting the Rochester Yellowjackets (9–3, 1–0) and swoop past the Emory Eagles (8–4, 0–1).

For the Maroons, the upcoming matchups will come against a backdrop of relative success. The South Siders have won five of their last seven games, with one of those losses coming at the hands of No.4 Wash U, by a score of 65–52.

Chicago looks to translate these successes into two more victories.

“During the Wash U game we forced them into 22 turnovers, which was way above their average turnovers per game,” said third-year Caitlin Moore. “We know that our defense can put us in good positions offensively and from our defense we can be successful.”

And the Maroons will have to come prepared to do just that against Rochester, with the Yellow-

jackets coming off of a 24-point win over Emory.

In the midst of these conference games, there is a heightened sense of anticipation, focus, and excitement among the players. This is a chance to prove themselves among a conference foes. Last year, it was Chicago who got the better of its opponent, beating Rochester in twice as many matches. This time around, the Yellowjackets will look for revenge while the Maroons look to continue their recent run of dominance.

“In our game against Rochester we expect to come in prepared, play hard, and get a conference win,” said first-year Elizabeth Nye. For Chicago, the upcoming matchup will come with an added element.

“Friday we play Rochester and it’s Neon Night which usually brings a pretty high-energy crowd, which is always fun and makes the game that much more exciting. We feel like we have a lot to prove after the Wash game and I know I speak for the

team in saying we are really excited to get back out there and compete in another high intensity game,” Moore said.

Two days after the Rochester game, Chicago will take on another one of its conference rivals, the Emory Eagles. A year ago, the teams split their two games, with Emory taking the first and Chicago stealing the second. Both were heated matchups.

However, this year, the Eagles are being led by a formidable trio of captains: third-years Khadijah Sayyid and Ilene Tsao, as well as second-year Shellie Kaniut. Sayyid has been a menace on defense, Tsao a consistent scorer, and Kaniut providing all-around help across the floor. Chicago will have to key in on these three players if it expects to finish its home stretch with a win.

The Rochester game tips off at 6 p.m. on Friday. The Emory match will start at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Both games will take place in Gerald Ratner Athletics Center’s gymnasium.

Second-year guard Stephanie Anderson breaks away in the open court during a game against Loras.

COURTESY OF UCHICAGO ATHLETICS

Chicago tests the waters against DI Panthers Swimming & Diving Helen Petersen Associate Sports Editor The Maroons take to the road this Saturday for the first time since early November to compete against UW–Milwaukee in the Klotsche Natatorium.

Having both hosted and placed first in the Phoenix Fall Classic and the Chicago Invitational, both the men’s and women’s teams have the chance to earn a victory on someone else’s stomping ground, an accomplishment the team has only achieved once thus far this season.

Victory will be no small task for the South Siders as the Panthers are the lone Division I team on both the men’s and women’s schedule.

However, the squad knows all too well that at the end of the day the division ranking has little bearing on overall outcome; the swimmers’ times and the divers’ metrics are all that matter.

“It’ll be fun competing against Milwaukee,” said first-year diver Natalie DeMuro. “We don’t always have a lot of competition at our meets, so it’ll be good for us to get a better idea of where we stand going into championship season.”

On the men’s side, the squad heads into this weekend coming off a stellar performance at the Chicago Invitational, with a No. 12 ranking to boot. The men won nine events last weekend and are looking to build off of that momentum.

“As a team we are shifting our practices from aerobic-based training to anaerobic, meaning that we are beginning to focus on speed, so by the time UAAs rolls around we are swimming as fast as possible,” said third-year swimmer Thomas Meek.

A pair of fourth-years will be looking to finish their college career with a bang.

For the men, fourth-year diver Matt Staab earned UAA Athlete of the Week accolades this week after breaking both the pool and school record, in the three-meter dive. In his effort, Staab also earned victories and NCAA provisional qualifying scores in the one-meter and three-meter dives.

Fourth-year swimmer Jennifer Hill is also rounding out her heavily decorated career as a Maroon. Hill earned victories in all three of the races she competed in on the first day of the Chicago Invite, including appearances on two relay teams and a decisive win in the 200-yard IM with a time of 2:10.62.

“I want to do the best I can with the remaining weeks of the season to help our team achieve its best NCAA finish in history and end my career with a bang,” Hill said.

Hill leads the No. 10–ranked women’s side as they near the UAA Championships. The women are also coming off a promising showing at the Chicago Invitational and feel they have a lot to prove this

weekend.

With UAAs looming in the near future, the Maroons are all too aware of the kind of competition they can expect at the conference’s biggest meet. Six UAA teams are ranked in the top 20 in the country, with Emory topping the women’s side and sitting at third on the men’s side.

“UAAs is going to be fast this year. Each team will be preparing as seriously for UAAs as they will be for nationals since UAAs is going to be a good indicator for how fast people will be swimming at nationals,” Meek said.

The dual meet against UW- Milwaukee begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Tough doubleheader awaits squad following Wash U upset Men’s Basketball Russell Mendelson Senior Sports Staff To begin this year’s conference play, the Maroons took on an undefeated Wash U squad at home, starting a stretch of 14 UAA games to finish out the regular season.

Chicago (6–6, 0–1 UAA) fell to the Bears (12–0, 1–0) by a score of 65–52, snapping a three-game winning streak. The South Siders had won five of their last seven games prior to the loss.

Early in the first half, the Maroons battled to stay within striking distance. Almost three minutes into play, first-year Elizabeth Nye managed to steal the ball from Wash U’s Alyssa Johanson. The possession ended successfully for

Chicago as fourth-year Morgan Donovan passed the ball to second-year Britta Nordstrom, who made the layup to knot the game up early at four.

“My teammates put me in positions where I was able to be successful with my shot, whether it was from their passes or on their drives that occupied multiple players,” said Nordstrom, who scored eight points, going 4–6 from the field.

The four-point tie would be the closest Chicago would get to the Bears, as they found themselves 32–23, a nine-point deficit, after 20 minutes of play.

“Wash U is always a very disciplined team, and they scout us extremely well,” fourth-year Ellie

Greiner said. “I think this gave them the ability to predict our passes and decisions, and we didn’t adjust well enough to get the easy shots we normally do on offense.”

Nevertheless, Greiner made four of six shots behind the arc, and she racked up 14 points and three rebounds on the day.

“We were definitely excited to come out and play them, as we feel that we have something to prove,” said Nordstrom. “We wanted to show that we are a much better team than our record shows.”

There were added emotions among the team leading up to the game.

“Our entire team was extremely pumped up for this game. Wash U is always our biggest rival, and

their solid pre-conference record only increased our sense of urgency in practice and workouts leading up to the game,” Greiner said.

“Unfortunately, this excitement showed itself in nerves, which led us into some poor decisions.”

At the same time, the team went through its same structured preparation as always to prevent opponents from capitalizing on avoidable mistakes.

“We knew it was a big game, but we prepared for this game the same as any other by watching film and learning their personnel,” Nye said.

“We prepared our defense for their offense, so a lot of times it was just knowing where the ball was [going to] be and being in the right place at the right time.”

This strategy worked well for Nye as she managed to accumulate four steals, seven points, and one assist over the course of the game.

Nye also attributed her defensive prowess to the pressure her teammates put on the Bears’ offense, which she believes led to poor Wash U passes.

“We definitely learned that we can play with one of the best teams in the country. But we also learned that we have to do the big things, like rebounding and making good passes in order to do that. But those are things that we have in our control, so that’s definitely a positive,” Nordstrom said.

The Maroons’ next game is a home matchup this Friday against Rochester at 6:30 p.m.