020916 by The Chicago Maroon

FEBRUARY 9, 2016

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892

Shrine Receives $450,000 From Donors BY KAITLYN AKIN NEWS STAFF

Preservation Chicago, an organization that works to preserve historic sites throughout Chicago, announced at a press conference yesterday that it had received enough donations to stabilize the Shrine of Chr ist the K ing church. Located on 64th Street and Woodlawn Avenue, the church was declared hazardous after

a fire last October. $450,000 of donations were pledged anonymously to repair the building and make it safe, but more funds would be required for a full-scale restoration. C om mu n it y a nd pa r i sh members have been working to raise money and awareness in hopes of stalling the destruction of the church since the Archdiocese of Chicago filed for a demolition permit last month. Continued on page 3

Statements Released in Response to Leaked AEPi E-mails BY SONIA SCHLESINGER SENIOR NEWS REPORTER

Courtesy of The Chicago Tribune

An FBI wanted poster offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of the individual above, wanted for five bank robberies.

“Pinball Bandit” University Will Accept Bids for New Shuttle Company Commits Five Bank Robberies BY HILLEL STEINMETZ MAROON CONTRIBUTOR

The University is expecting new companies to bid for the contract to manage its shuttle services later this spring. The University presently employs First Transit, a transport company based in Cincinnati, to operate its shuttle system. Its fiveyear contract ends in August 2016, before which the University will reach an agreement with First Transit or another shuttle service

company. The University expects to publish a detailed request for proposals with guidelines for companies this April. Bridget Malone, the communications manager for the University’s Department of Safety and Security, said in an e-mail that First Transit manages campus transport systems by training and hiring drivers, in addition to providing the University with the vehicles used for the shuttle system. According to its website, Continued on page 3

Hyde Park Locals Discuss Plans for Washington and Jackson Parks BY GARRETT WILLIAMS MAROON CONTRIBUTOR

Hyde Park locals reconvened at the Washington Park Refectory on Monday evening to continue talks concerning upgrades to Jackson and Washington Parks. Either Jackson Park or Washington Park will be selected as the site for the Barack Obama presidential library. The open dialogue was prefaced by community activist Timuel Black (A.M. ’54), who celebrated

his 97th birthday this past December. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the social values that neighborhood parks afford to the surrounding community; these values, Mr. Black argued, are integral to the cultural biography of the South Side parks system. Patricia O’Donnell, the landscape architect overseeing the South Side parks project, led the remainder of the workshop in conjunction with Robert Karr, presiContinued on page 3

BY GABE BENNETT-BRANDT MAROON CONTRIBUTOR

The FBI has released new i n formation rega rd i ng the activities of the bank robber they are calling the “Pinball Bandit.” So named for the frequency and relative proximity of his crimes, the Pinball Bandit committed a reported five robberies between January 13 and February 2, including two at a Chase bank in Hyde Park. The FBI recently identified the perpetrator of the five robberies as the same individual. Although previous statements from the FBI and a M A ROON article published on February 5 described the two Hyde Park robberies as unrelated, new information released by the FBI suggests that the Pinball Bandit is in fact responsible for all five robberies. A n i nd iv idua l mat ch i ng the suspect’s description entered the MB Financial Bank on Broadway Street and Chase banks on Taylor Street, Division Street, and 53rd Street and threateningly demanded money from bank employees. The suspect robbed the 53rd Street bank twice. While no weapon was used or displayed

The ɑβγ’s of Inclusivity

during any of the five robberies, the suspect is believed to be armed and dangerous. The FBI is offering a reward for any information leading to the suspect’s arrest. According to the official report by Special Agent Garret Croon, “the Pinball Bandit is described by witnesses as a male, black, 25 to 35 years old, 5’8” to 6’1” tall with a slim to medium build, and brown eyes.” The suspect, who has been spotted in dark, hooded clothing with tan boots and some form of head coverage, is still on the loose. During last Tuesday’s robbery, the suspect entered the 53rd Street bank about 20 minutes before its 6 p.m. closing time and demanded money from the teller. The incident was captured on the bank’s su r vei l la nce ca mera. L ess than three weeks prior, the same bank was robbed at 5:50 p.m. In both cases, the amount of money taken was not made public. Anyone who recognizes the Bandit or possesses information about his whereabouts is advised to call the Chicago FBI Field Office at (312) 421–6700 or the local police.

Page 11 “If we want change, we need to rely on those within the system to hold each other accountable...”

Page 4

MAB’s Third Winter Showcase Rolls Out Best Lineup to Date Page 8

“Greek life, and fraternity life in particular, is dangerous, hateful, and discriminatory.”

Ron Funches headlined this year’s comedy event.

UC h ic a g o ’s Pa n hel len ic Council and the Institute of Politics’ Leaders of Color Initiative have issued statements in response to the A EP i emails leaked last week. T he Panhellenic Council, comprised of the A lpha Omicron Pi, Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, and Pi Beta Phi sororities, announced on Friday that it has decided to suspend AEPi from 2016 Greek Week. A c c or d i n g t o t he st at e ment, the fraternity’s e-mails are contrary to the mission of Greek Week, a week-long competition that takes place in May and aims to “promote inclusiveness…and to foster unity between all Greek affiliated organizations within our community.” Panhellenic Council President third-year Saachi Gupta declined to comment on the council’s decision to exclude AEPi from the event. T he Multicultural Greek Council (MGC), which includes the Latino, African-American, and Asian interest fraternities and sororities, will hold a discussion this Thursday on diversity in Greek life. The MGC ’s event description explains that while some students of color hope t o ban Greek life from campus, “this ignores both the legacy and contributions of Multicultural Greek Organizations formed to counter hateful and exclusionary practices.” Participants in the event will discuss the role of Multicultural Greek Organizations on campus in the midst of racial tensions. In addition to the Greek Organizations’ responses, The Leaders of Color Initiative, an Institute of Politics program that aims to address racial and ethnic disparities on campus, Continued on page 2

Squad Defeats Two Ranked Opponents Over the Weekend

Page 4

In Defense of Frat-ricide

VOL. 127, ISSUE 27

The women’s team traveled to Milwaukee while the men stayed home.

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THE CHICAGO MAROON - FEBRUARY 9, 2016

UChicago Amnesty International Publishes First Annual Journal BY JONATHAN HOGEBACK MAROON CONTRIBUTOR

UChicago Amnesty International, the on-campus branch of the international human rights organization, is planning to release its fi rst annual Human Rights Journal later this month. The journal, which will highlight global human rights issues, will contain four or five articles written by UChicago students. It will be distributed around campus and the Hyde Park and Englewood communities, as well as published online. According to second-year Julian Duggan, the publications chair for UChicago Amnesty, the organization hopes that the journal will inform people about lesser-known issues related to human rights. “ The main purpose is similar to our core mission, which is just to raise awareness of issues that people otherwise wouldn’t be aware of,” he said. As an example, Duggan spoke of an article on a human rights crisis in Burma, where there is severe religious and ethnic discrimination toward the Rohingya people, a Muslim minority. “I am fairly in touch with human rights crises around the world, I keep up with this kind of news, but I had never heard of the Rohingya people,” he said.

Other articles being considered for the journal focus on the Syrian refugee crisis, the intersection of women’s rights, water, and climate change, the philosophy of torture within the United States and abroad, and sex traffi cking in the United States. UChicago Amnesty will receive $450 in funding from the Student Government Finance Committee to put toward publication of the journal, according to the minutes from the January 19 committee meeting. The group expects to print between 120 and 145 copies. In addition to the print version of the journal, the online edition that will be published on UChicago Amnesty’s website will include an extra article or two. Most of the group’s existing events focus on engagement with the student body, such as the recent Who’s Right For You? event in Reynolds Club, which classified current presidential candidates based on their positions on various human rights issues. Duggan said that he hopes the journal, because it is being distributed beyond the campus community, will increase the off- campus profi le of the group as well. The journal will be the fi rst of its kind from any Amnesty International student group on record with the regional coordinator, according to Duggan.

Students Propose Ideas to Combat Homelessness in Chicago

Courtesy of Suhel Singh

Students gather at the Booth School of Business to consider various strategies on how to tackle the problem of homelessness in Chicago during a BCG case competition.

BY ALICE XIAO MAROON CONTRIBUTOR

At the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) case competition last month, Students proposed recommendations for methods to combat homelessness. More than 160 students participated from both the College and various graduate divisions, excluding the Booth School of Business. The case prompt asked participants to “design a model for the Chicago Interagency Council on Homelessness that includes stakeholder outreach, stakeholder responsibilities, and interagency programs and initiatives.” The event was organized by fourth-year Suhel Singh, president of Alpha Kappa Psi, 2,500 students and faculty following and Ph.D. candidate Anthony Martinez, controversy over students’ Halloween UChicago Consulting leader and BCG representative. Teams of five or fewer participants costumes. “Students of color deserve the same researched and presented their ideas to a sense of security and safety provided panel of Chicago aldermen and BCG judges. to their white counterparts,” the state- Student groups received 10 days total to proment said. “ The University cannot re- cess given data, conduct additional research, main complicit or complacent in inci- and present in two rounds between January 16 and 23. Five groups progressed to the fident of bias.” nal round, with two groups each winning a cash prize of $200. “A winning group should have the ability to come up with a convincing hypothesis, present relevant data, and ultimately tell a compelling story that conveys their approach,” Martinez said, providing the judge’s perspective. Both winning presentations defined responsibilities of stakeholders, outlined methods of progress-checking, and exhibited plausibility, timeliness, and thought that strengthened existing initiatives. The winning team of graduate students was comprised of Harris School of Public Policy master’s degree students Ivy Sun and Weichen Hu, and Ph.D. candidates Atiya Khan, Kristina Pagel, and Martin Scheeler. The team proposed the creation of a new agency that more efficiently matched needs to services.

Statement From Panhellenic Bans AEPi From Participating in Greek Week Continued from front

published its own statement on Tuesday. This statement calls on the University to make a number of changes, such as expanding the Core Curriculum to include authors of color, hiring a more diverse faculty, and requiring sensitivity training for students, faculty, and staff. Similar demands were made in a November 2014 petition signed by over

The winning team of undergraduate students was comprise of second-years Natasha Shebalina, Claron Niu, Putter Thepkanjana, Jan Ertl, and Joshua Lam. The team presented a data-driven approach to centralize the collection and dispersion of data in order to eliminate overlap and fragmentation. Both teams highlighted the need to more efficiently match needs to service providers, cut costs through technology and reorganization methods, and broaden the variety of services offered to the homeless beyond just supportive housing. “In the beginning, there was an overwhelming amount of information to sift through, and group discussion was what really allowed us to identify good ideas… After the first round, we realized that homelessness was a local problem, and solutions should be more tailored to the regional needs,” Sun said. In particular, Sun said that the group realized the north and south parts of Chicago cannot be efficiently serviced the same way due to the cultural and demographical differences. This was addressed in their final winning proposal, in which they added to the organizational structure an additional component at the city level. The UChicago Poverty Lab is expected to forward the winning teams’ presentations to various city agencies in the upcoming months, a step towards getting ideas implemented. The goal is to build and maintain a relationship between the University and the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services and All Chicago, the main organizations for combating homelessness in conjunction with the Mayor’s office. Students can find ways to extend their ideas and innovations through these channels of implementation. “Events like this let students see that consulting can be more than just increasing profits and adding economic value—it is a vehicle for creating real social impact,” Martinez said.

CORRECTIONS: The February 5 article entitled Campus Reacts to Leak of Racist, Islamophobic AEPi E-mails originally misstated the year of the Halloween costume controversy. It occurred in 2014, not 2015. The article published on February 5 about Jason Lieb’s resignation referred to Graduate Students United as the Graduate Students Union and inaccurately transcribed its statement. Due to an editing error, the location of the bank was reported incorrectly in the headline of the February 5 article about bank robberies on East 53rd Street.

THE CHICAGO MAROON - FEBRUARY 9, 2016

SG Community Service Fund Allocates Only 75 Percent of its Funding BY EMILY FEIGENBAUM NEWS STAFF

Last year, the Community Service Fund (CSF), a funding organization led by Student Government (SG) and the University Community Service Center (UCSC), utilized only 75 percent of its funding. The CSF seeks to endow Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) with capital for on- and off-campus service initiatives. A lthough 40 different proposals were submitted to the CSF last year, most did not meet the CSF requirements and funding requests were almost double the allotted budget. The Student Government Funding Code states that the CSF may not allocate any funds that would cause a deficit in the Student Activities Fee. “Last year we utilized about 75 percent of our funding, but this year we’re on track to allocate over 90 percent, if not 100 percent of our funds,” CSF Chair and second-year undergraduate student A kanksha Shah said. “ The amount of funding utilized is dependent on a lot of things: how many proposals are submitted, the amount requested for each proposal, and how much the committee chooses to spend during Annual Allocations.” According to Shah, SG allocates an annual budget of $79,500 to the CSF. The CSF committee then allots the given funding six times a year—during third and seventh weeks of autumn and winter quarters, during the third week of spring quarter, and during the Annual Allocation at the end of spring quarter. “Any unused allocated funds would be rolled over to use for operations the

following year,” SG Chief of Finance and first-year graduate student Cesar Dominguez said. Title IV of the Student Government Funding Code mandates that the CSF may only fund community service initiatives if over 50 percent of its beneficiaries are from outside of the University. This rule can only be waived in special circumstances in which the project constitutes a reasonable value to the community. Additionally, all RSOs must contribute at least 10 percent of the proposal’s cost through fundraising or sponsorship efforts. “We fund a wide range of community service initiatives, ranging from funds for tutoring supplies, to spring break service trips, to mentoring events. We will fund all kinds of service, so long as the majority of people benefiting are from the community,” Shah said. Funding applications are open to both underg raduate and g raduate RSOs, with undergraduate students submitting proposals for over half of the funded projects. To apply, groups fill out a proposal that requires a detailed line-item budget, information about the project, a target demographic, and financial information about the RSO. The RSO adviser then reviews the proposal and a club representative is sent to answer questions about the proposal at the CSF meeting. Finally, the CSF informs the Student Government Assembly of its decision and the Assembly approves the funding request. In the past, the CSF has funded spring break trips for University law students to assist public defenders, materials for students to be able to tutor in clean rooms in hospitals, and events for local middle schools.

“It’s best practice to go out to bid...to maintain competitive pricing, service, and fleet options” Continued from front

First Transit also offers other operational services, such as supplying tracking technology and maintaining and repairing vehicles. Beth Tindel, the director for transportation services and parking at the University of Chicago, said that the University decided to search for a new company to ensure reasonable services at fair costs. “It’s best practice to go out to bid every three to five years to maintain competitive pricing, service, and fleet options,” Tindel wrote in an e-mail. According to Malone, First Transit is welcome to participate in the bidding pro-

cess as long as it meets the University’s guidelines. Drivers currently working for the University’s shuttle services will have the option of applying to work as drivers for the next company contracted by the University, or they can choose to continue working for First Transit. Paulina Torres, a Class of 2019 College Council representative, said that Student Government (SG) is seeking to advance environmentally friendly alternatives to current shuttles. The SG Committee on Campus Sustainability is leading an effort to promote the use of either hybrid or electric power options for the vehicles.

Courtesy of the University of Chicago

People board one of the University’s several shuttles that run all across campus.

“When [landmarks] are destroyed, it destroys part of our culture” Continued from front

The Coalition to Save the Shrine is a grassroots organization of local citizens working to save the 92-year-old church. Along with a number of local and national preservationist groups, it has been advocating for the stabilization of the building to provide more time to examine alternative solutions. According to Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago, a handful of donors gave most of the $450,000, and would be willing to give more if necessary. T he A rchdiocese has yet to announce any plans to withdraw its application for demolition, but says that it is looking forward to hearing Preservation Chicago’s proposal. “ We continue to be guided by the safety concerns expressed by the City of Chicago and the engineers who reviewed the building after the fire, and we will continue to work with the Institute of Christ the King as we con-

sider options for the future of the shrine property,” Susan Burritt, spokesperson for the Archdiocese, said. The building has been on the brink of demolition before. In 20 03, the church, which was then St. Gelasius, was declared a landmark by the Landmarks Commission right before it was supposed to be torn down. The building was then restored and the Institute of Christ the King, a Catholic religious group, began to use the church. “Landmarks mean a lot to all of us collectively as citizens of the City of Chicago. When they’re destroyed, it destroys part of our culture and architectural heritage,” Miller said. Although the fate of the Shrine is still uncertain, the Coalition and its partners are optimistic about the future. “I hope that the Archdiocese will see the spirit here at work—the spirit of faith, hope, and love,” Jack Spicer, chair of the Preservation Committee of the Hyde Park Historical Society, said.

Adam Thorp | The Chicago Maroon

Members of the Save the Shrine Coalition protest the plan to demolish Shrine of Christ the King Church on 64th and Woodlawn.

Meeting Addresses Safety Hazards, Design Plans for Park Space Continued from front

dent of Project 120 Chicago. This nonprofit organization works to “promote ecology and community vitality” through the development of improved landscapes and infrastructure in Chicago’s South Side. Project 120 Chicago, which is considering a name change to “South Parks Alliance” for transparency, is responsible for spearheading the South Side parks project in cooperation with the Chicago Park District. The project’s main objectives in Washington Park include optimizing pedestrian and biking paths in addition to slowing traffic on the Morgan Drive thoroughfare. Community members generally agreed with the proposed changes. Attendees were especially concerned with the safety hazards raised by drivers using Morgan Drive as a shortcut through the park. O’Donnell plans to address these hazards through the construction of guardrails, speed tables, and proper bus stop spaces. “This is a park, not a highway,” O’Donnell said. The applause that followed her words exemplified the sentiments of many Washington Park area residents and regulars. The latter half of the meeting discussed plans for Jackson Park. O’Donnell also ad-

dressed improper drainage and flooding at the east end of the Midway, which would ideally be remedied through the Project 120 Chicago framework. There was dispute in regards to the plans for a Jackson Park “Phoenix Pavilion and Music Court,” a small amphitheater that would act as a music venue and community center. Current plans place this structure just south of the Museum of Science and Industry. Several attendees voiced their concerns that this project would both contribute to noise pollution in the park and negatively impact Chicagoans who wish to enjoy the natural beauty that Jackson Park has to offer. The Jackson Park component of this plan alone is a $13 million undertaking. These funds are to be raised through both private and public channels. Project 120 Chicago, in cooperation with the Chicago Park District, has negotiated federal funding to match private fundraising at a 35 percent to 65 percent ratio, wherein 65 percent will come from federal funding. As of now, $7 million of these funds have been activated, but further private fundraising is needed in order to increase public backing. Washington Park, however, has not yet received any funding.

THE CHICAGO MAROON - FEBRUARY 9, 2016

VIEWPOINTS

In Defense of Frat-ricide Fraternities Protect and Promote Those Who Need it Least

Lily Grossbard

Opinions of the Bard As a queer, Jewish woman at this University who is also passionate about social justice, I don’t think I need to tell you that I was absolutely appalled and ashamed when, this past Wednesday, BuzzFeed leaked a series of e-mails sent by members, current and past, of the University of Chicago’s chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) containing racist, Islamophobic, misog-

ynistic, homophobic, and ableist material. I won’t waste time quoting too much of the article, since the material is potentially triggering to some and since anyone who wants to be horrified can look it up online, but I will say that before I finished reading it, I found myself instinctively clenching my fists and grinding my teeth in anger and frustration, on be-

half of myself and others who I knew would be similarly affected by this absolutely disgusting and inexcusable behavior. There are a lot of reasons why I—and apparently others, judging by responses to the BuzzFeed article across various social media platforms and on the Facebook page Overheard at UChicago—don’t think Greek life, as a whole, should exist. But I want to talk specifically about fraternities right now. Fraternities, in the loosest sense, have their roots in Greek society—they are almost as old as Continued on page 6

Sarah Komanapalli

The ɑβγ’s of Inclusivity The Most Effective Way to Change Greek Life Is From the Inside Out

Grace Hauck

The independent student newspaper of the University of Chicago since 1892. Eleanor Hyun, Editor-in-Chief Sarah Manhardt, Deputy Editor-in-Chief The MAROON Editorial Board consists of the Editor-in-Chief, Deputy Editor-in-Chief & editors of THE MAROON.

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GMO and Science Free It’s High Time the Debate Over Genetically Modified Organisms Was Put to Rest

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in individuals —just look at groups at the high school level such as sports teams, country clubs, or even individual households. These behaviors are prevalent in spaces well beyond the sphere of Greek life, and will continue in other outlets rega rd less of what happens at fraternities on the UChicago campus. If anything, I want to propose that Greek life can help dissipate these behaviors and ideologies with the proper leadership and an improvement in accountability from within Greek life.

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problems surrounding Greek life in our community. The fact that Greek life, both here at UChicago and at schools across the country, perpetuates certain intolerable and grotesque behaviors is a reality that all of us, participants especially, must recognize. But the root of the problem is not in the existence of Greek life itself, and so eliminating the institution will ultimately fail to rid our campus of these harmful behaviors and hateful ideologies. Greek life does not create these attitudes or cultivate these ideologies

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As an active member of the University of Chicago’s Greek life community, I was left confused, saddened, and unsure of how to respond to BuzzFeed’s release last week of a series of racist and sexist e-mails sent over the past several years by our campus chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi). However, while many students are calling for the abolishment of fraternities altogether or for the University to take formal action against the Greek community, I ultimately believe that this would be the wrong approach to the undeniable

Regina Filomeno, business manager 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 For advertising inquiries, please contact Ads@ChicagoMaroon.com or (773) 702-9555 Circulation: 5,500. © 2016 THE CHICAGO MAROONIda Noyes Hall, 1212 East 59th Street, Chicago, IL 60637

Natalie Denby

Ink by the Barrel If you were to believe any upscale grocery store where “GMO-free” labels adorn every other product as far as the eye can see, you’d think genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are the literal incarnation of the devil. In places like these, it’s easy to assume that genetically modifying your food must be dangerous. Growing up with a pantry stocked with such items myself, I came to revile GMOs, and I assumed anyone

with a brain would too. Many of us seem to believe that a bunch of mad scientists in a musty basement somewhere are making Frankenstein’s monsters out of corn (according to the FDA, 88 percent of the corn you eat is genetically modified). But if you actually want to prove that GMOs are scary and evil, you aren’t likely to find any scientific studies supporting your answer. Although the Internet

is full of articles claiming to have identified various health risks tied to GMOs, there is a consensus in the scientific community that GMOs have no adverse effect on human health, and studies that suggest otherwise have been lambasted. GMOs are carefully screened for potential health risks and environmental damage before approval, a process which involves the FDA, USDA, and EPA. Nothing can be approved for sale unless it clears every hurdle requiring GMOs to be as safe as any non-genetically modified food. Yet genetic modifications are greeted with fear Continued on page 5

THE CHICAGO MAROON - FEBRUARY 9, 2016

“While information on what products use GMOs should be available, a prominent label is deliberately misleading.” Continued from page 4

and hostility, even though the conventional agricultural practices we’ve relied on for millennia amount to little more than crude genetic manipulation themselves. If you want evidence of the irrationality of the anti-GMO movement, look no further than the controversy surrounding AquAdvantage. AquAdvantage is the first (and only) genetically modified animal to be approved for consumption in the U.S. as of November 2015. It’s a sterile salmon, exclusively female, that’s been modified to grow larger and more quickly. Information on AquAdvantage was first submitted to the FDA over 20 years ago. The actual approval process took five years to be completed after stiff opposition from consumers, advocacy groups, and even Congress (a group of senators asked the FDA to reject the salmon). T he concer ns about the salmon are numerous: that it’ ll escape into the ocean; that, once escaped, it’ll kill off all other salmon; that it’s unsafe to eat; and that it’s dangerous for the environment. All of these issues have been addressed over the past 20 years —Aqu Advantage is exclusively female and sterile, and can only be raised and

handled on land-based tanks in Panama and Canada. The idea of a sterile fish f lopping out of its land-locked container, making its way to the ocean, and ruthlessly destroying its

AquAdvantage. The FDA has also concluded that the fish doesn’t pose an environmental risk. But the numerous redundancies put in place to ensure

ically modified salmon). Lisa Murkowski, a Republican senator from Alaska, has threatened to block the appointment of the FDA’s next chief over the approval of AquAdvantage

surroundings is, admittedly, terrifying. It’s also ridiculous. As for health, the FDA’s rigorous studies (a summary which can be found on the F DA’s website) have been unable to identify any significant health risks from the consumption of

safety have satisfied almost nobody. T he announcement of the fish’s approval was met with condemnation from consumer groups, politicians, and restaurant chains (many of which were quick to announce that they would not sell genet-

and has demanded mandatory labeling. Most Americans support this measure, even though the mandatory labeling of GMOs implies that it poses a health risk of some kind— which it doesn’t. While information on what products use

Meera Joshi

GMOs should be available, a prominent label is deliberately misleading. It’s an attempt to scare consumers who are already panicking about a safe, well-regulated practice. While labeling food hardly seems sinister, the fear that drives the GMO-labeling movement is actually very dangerous. People who refuse to put “frankenfish” on their table are in danger of believ ing that science doesn’t matter. Gut-feelings trump facts, and evidence is disregarded. This is the same belief that drives anti-vaxxers and every other anti-science movement under the sun. If we are to embrace the spirit of innovation that has driven the human race for so long, we’re going to have to admit that facts matter more than instinctive aversion. Yes, there are risks associated with genetic modification. And yes, GMOs are “unnatural.” But then again, building skyscrapers is unnatural and risky. So is driving a car, or flying a plane. Risk means only that we should proceed with caution— which is what we’re already doing. It is not a license to stop the course of progress. Natalie Denby is a first-year in the College majoring in public policy.

Letter: Former I-House Directors Defend Dorm’s Tradition and History The University of Chicago’s decision to devote International House entirely to undergraduate housing violates the objective to which the building was dedicated in 1932 by its founder, John D. Rockefeller, Jr.: “The purpose of the International House generally is to establish a center of common interest, an exchange of views between students of various nations, and to promote the ideals of world peace and general welfare through mutual understanding and good will, it will be the purpose of the house to foster and encourage and which it is hoped will result in expression of such ideals by the residents of the house upon their return to posts of influence in their respective countries.”

Pressure to create additional accommodations for undergraduates has already eaten away at the space allotted for international graduate students and researchers. Now it threatens to take the last of their rooms. If the University did not have any alternative quarters for undergraduates, it would be a bit easier to justify the violation of Rockefeller’s intention. However, there is clearly ample space in other buildings for undergraduate housing. For more than eight decades, scholars—most of them adult graduate students and postdoctoral researchers—from around the world, working in various disciplines, have lived together and learned from one another in that appropriately named

building. There is ample evidence that the experience of living, studying, dining, and enjoying convivial fellowship together has indeed contributed to international understanding, not only among these people as individuals, but more significantly through their widespread influence. The tradition of a community of international scholars having a “home away from home” in International House has a value that cannot be equated with its distinguished series of public programs dealing with international affairs. The administration’s claim of the necessity of the displacement of those people is regrettably unpersuasive. Certainly, what is “temporary” from the perspective of the ad-

ministration is permanent from the point of view of the international community that will be evicted. The irony of removing the international community from International House at the same time the University aspires to be a “global university” is surely apparent. While creating “hundreds of programs, initiatives, and partnerships in over 38 nations and on every continent,” with numerous study abroad programs for College students and four overseas University of Chicago Centers, the oldest international program on campus, with a record of enduring influence over eight decades, is summarily destroyed. Each of us served as Director of the International House.

Our experience, the experience of current residents, and abundant testimony from some 40,000 former residents around the world overwhelmingly support the continuing importance of the purpose for which it was created. Evicting the current community of international scholars ignores the distinguished history and traditions of International House. This is a decision that should be reversed.

— R a l p h W. N i c h o l a s , I-House Director 1993—2000; Henry Pernet, I-House Director 2000—2003; William L. McCartney, I-House Director 2005— 2010

THE CHICAGO MAROON - FEBRUARY 9, 2016

“Can we really change an institution so entrenched in such exclusionary values?” Continued from page 4

democracy itself. The fraternity as a staple of the American educational institution has existed since around the 1820s. Among the stif ling and conservative world of 19th-century American academia, fraternities quickly grew in popularity as a way for groups of students—entirely male, since universities were at this point still segregated by gender, and entirely upper-class, since a college education was the province solely of the upper classes—to have some fun, bond, and let off some pent-up academic anxieties. Needless to say, as the culture of universities as a whole changed—with curricula shifting from religious to liberal arts education, and schools becoming integrated by race and gender beginning in the early 20th century—fraternities remained entirely male-dominated, primarily white upper-class institutions: truly the epitome of the “old boys’ club.” Fraternities were founded and continue to be centered on the hedonistic celebration of cisgender, heterosexual masculinity, often to the exclusion

of individuals of other races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds, and involving the degradation and abuse of women and queer and trans individuals. In every sense, “boys being boys” has traditionally meant, and continues to mean blatant hazing, bullying, harassment, misogyny, and discrimination, sometimes even to the point of rape, murder, and violent hate crimes. We can yell as much as we want about the reformation of frat culture, insist that “it doesn’t have to be like this,” that all we need to do to change attitudes, mindsets, and behaviors is hold a few more teach-ins on diversity and inclusivity, write another set of rules, add another individual to “hold people accountable.” But the reality is that the very idea of a fraternity—a group of men for the promotion of men’s activities, men’s bonding, men’s well-being—is superfluous, and frankly, sexist in a society already stacked against individuals of other genders. It’s like asking why we don’t have support groups for “men in tech”—tech already is a man’s world. And society is a man’s world, too. To say that fraternities don’t

perpetuate rape culture, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, racism, drug and alcohol abuse, and general disregard for the common values of the communities in which they situate themselves is to blatantly deny reality. Numerous court cases attest to the physical and emotional harm that fraternity brothers have time and again brought upon those within and without their ranks. It is a culture predicated on young men one-upping one another’s inappropriate and dangerous behaviors. Moreover, fraternities are for the most part entirely unregulated and without oversight. Individual chapters are completely independent of the universities in which they operate. And while each fraternity may have some overall organization among chapters at respective universities, there is nothing comparable to the National Panhellenic Conference, a group that oversees a large number of sororities and acts collectively to regulate them. The simplistic statement that “frat bros are bad people” is also one that is patently untrue, and not at all what I would like readers to take away from this article.

Discrimination based on membership in a group is exactly what I am speaking out against—and furthermore, there is often little that can be said about an individual based on their participa-

“Greek life, and fraternity life in particular, is dangerous, hateful, and discriminatory”

tion (or lack thereof) in a given community. I count fraternity brothers and sorority sisters alike among my friends here, and my view of Greek life and culture has limited—if any—impact on my relationships with these individuals. But at the same time, Greek life, and fraternity life in particular, is dangerous, hateful, and discriminatory. I have heard many students, particularly

those who participate in Greek life, claim that the best way to change this culture is from within. But I question this—can we really change an institution so entrenched in such exclusionary values? In particular, to my “ally bros”—my “feminist bros,” my “gay bros,” and my “black bros,” among others—I ask you one question: can you really be a good ally to marginalized communities when you actively condone a racist, sexist, homophobic institution by your active participation in it? If you think the answer is yes, I would ask you to rethink your definition of “ally.” Ultimately, I envision an A mer ica n campus w ithout Greek life—a campus without an institution that is, quite literally, founded in the “old boys’ club” tradition of sexism, homophobia, racism, classism, and transphobia. As America, and particularly the modern American campus, progresses into the 21st century, let’s leave Greek life behind. Lily Grossbard is a first-year in the College double majoring in math and gender and sexuality studies.

“...we must remain optimistic that students at such a high-end, open-minded academic institution...have the awareness, resources, and guidance to do better” Continued from page 4

I say this because, unfortunately, no matter how objectionable we believe certain ideas or practices to be, we ultimately have no jurisdiction in chang ing the way these individuals—fraternity brothers or not—act or perceive the world around themselves. We can try to convince them to think and feel otherwise, but we cannot do anything that would infringe on their privacy or right to free speech. If that is our goal, we are fighting a losing battle that will end in a stalemate. On the practical side of things, Greek institutions at UChicago are not officially associated with the University; they are privately funded and therefore outside of the University’s jurisdiction. If we want change, we need to rely on those within the system to hold each other accountable —for better or worse, the University has no power here. Certainly, it can discourage student involvement in Greek life by announcing that students affiliated can be expelled. With that option being almost entirely unrealistic, we must remain optimistic that students at such a high-end, open-minded a c adem i c i n s t it ut i o n l i ke UChicago have the awareness, resources, and guidance to do

better—there just needs to be a stronger push from within. This is not to say that outside action has no role; for example, a party was thrown by non-Greek-affiliated students th is past weekend entitled “Don’t Party Where You Can’t Pledge,” where students were

“...members of the Greek life community need to step up”

invited to reject frat parties in favor of a more inclusive Saturday-night scene. Furthermore, funds from the party went to student g roups a f fected by A E P i’s hur tful statements, including, among others, the Clothesline Project, the Organization of Black Students, the Phoenix Survivors A lliance, Students for Justice in Palestine, and the Muslim Student Association. But actions like this, from outside of the Greek system, are unfortunately not enough to create fundamental

and lasting changes in terms of attitudes on this campus toward diversity and inclusion. Ultimately, this means that members of the Greek life community need to step up. The current problem is that we are too comfortable with our reputation. We have a sense of being untouchable, and of being blind to the problems of exclusion that plague our communities. Greek life glorifies males, especially white, cisgender, heterosexual males, placing them on a pedestal even higher than the one which they already possess in our society, allowing them to feel safe dismissing accountability. This means that the individuals who need to hold others accountable are those who are most deeply invested and the most powerful in Greek life, like older members and fraternity presidents. They are the ones who can encourage change in their brothers and in their chapters moving forward. Lastly, we have to remember how lucky we are as students to live in a community where we are able to debate these issues so openly. Too many students at universities around the country lack the ability to even speak up in response to incidents like these for fear of repercussions. That said, UChicago is a world-re-

nowned educational institution that advertises itself as being an inclusive place that houses diverse population of students and faculty, and for this reason, among others, we have every right to demand the best from each and every member of our community. A group of our peers has led us to question the diverse, open, and inspiring culture this university has worked so hard to establish, and this is the reason that we cannot wait for the University to take some kind of inevitably ineffective bureaucratic action; the University provides the platform for students to be able to address these problems that are within our control, problems that we can and need to fix ourselves. Students should not feel as if they can join a Greek organization and release themselves from the human obligation of respecting the values of those in their community. Overall, I am calling on all members of the UChicago Greek community to hold each other, and themselves, accountable. Within every fraternity and sorority here, I am confident, as a member with broad interaction among the chapters, that the majority of the members hold dear the values of diversity and inclusion that I have enumerated above, which

I believe is unique to Greek life at UChicago in comparison to other universities. But these members have been dangerously silent. We need them to wake up from the sense of security that Greek life perpetuates within them, and to understand that just as social norms progress and abandon tradition, Greek life must do the same. There are many ways in which we can begin to have these necessary conversations—perhaps through a formal avenue such as a more proactive Inter-Fraternal Council, or informal measures such as meetings between presidents of individual chapters. But ultimately, the era in which we accept the type of behavior that was revealed by the leaked A EPi e-mails must come to an end. Perhaps our fraternity brothers and sorority sisters can even lead the way for those at other universities to improve Greek life nationally, a task most pertinent to the development of our nation’s youth. Let’s pledge together—to change the face of Greek life at our school. Editor’s note: Stacey Reimann is The M A ROON ’S video editor. Stacey Reimann is a second-year in the College double majoring in Law, Letters, and Society and philosophy.

THE CHICAGO MAROON - FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Answers to Friday’s crossword puzzle, “Mixed Drinks.”

The “Credibility Revolution” in Empirical Law and Economics

Julius Kreeger Professor of Law

A 31

D A S

S 61

G 55

3:45 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

S 42

G 26

J 19

Weymouth Kirkland Courtroom University of Chicago Law School 1111 East 60th Street Chicago, IL 60637

Reception Follows

Tuesday, February 16th

Dhammika Dharmapala

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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. Op-ed submissions, 800 words.

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THE CHICAGO MAROON - FEBRUARY 9, 2016

ARTS

MAB’s Third Winter Showcase Rolls Out Best Lineup to Date BY ANDREW MCVEA SENIOR ARTS EDITOR

A college student, a single dad, and a middle-aged stoner walk into a comedy show—stop me if you’ve heard this one. This joke played out last Friday night in Mandel Hall as the Major Activities Board ( M AB) hosted its third annual Winter Comedy Show featuring fourth-year Peter Moller, comedian Shane Torres, and headliner Ron Funches. Moller kicked things off, beginning with a selfaware routine about doing stand-up on a big stage. Before talking about his mother’s obsession with posture and the UChicago’s undue emphasis on math, Moller shared the rules he set out for himself for the show: fi rst of all, don’t be nervous. Compared to the years of experience Funches and Torres bring to the table, Moller was a defi nite newcomer to stand-up, but he

managed to use his lack of experience to his advantage. Not only were his jokes about flubbing lines and not knowing what to do onstage quite funny, but he also created an endearing brand of comedy that masked any real nerves he might have been feeling. Towa rd the end of his set, Moller delighted the crowd w ith some UChicago-specific comedy. “Clap if you’ve been to the Reg! Clap if you’re a senior! Clap if you’re in AEPi!” This last joke ended up receiving some of the biggest laughs of the evening. Compared to the bundle of energy that Moller brought t o the stage, Torres was as cool and calm as a late autumn breeze. He never rushed his stories, and his experience really shined when he interacted with the crowd (mostly to comment on how weird we all are). He was particularly merciless when making

fun of homeschooled kids and improv comedians, the “homeschooled kids of the comedy world.” Of the three acts, Torres’s ended up being the least memorable, but he consistently got big laughs and warmed up the crowd for Funches’s more rambling comedic style. L ast on stage was F unches. I had never heard of Funches, or his television show Undateable, but he was absolutely adorable. W henever he interacted with the crowd or told a particularly silly joke, he would burst out into an infectious, preteen-g i rl g iggle. T his, combined with his rather raunchy humor —which ranged from topics like masturbating with coconut oil and calling your pets the n-word—made for a wonderfully dissonant, but ultimately hilarious, comedic atmosphere. W hen talking about the joys of being newly rich, he outlined a conversation he would have

with his new neighbors who have real jobs. “I just get high on pot and mumble into a microphone. You did not realize that was a lucrative profession.” Based on how much he did mumble that evening, it follows that the fi rst part was also true during his UChicago set. R e c r e at io n a l d r u g use aside, Funches was always completely in control of his set, and of the crowd. A lot of his material seemed off-the-cuff because he was so natural onstage and laughed so hard at his own jokes. I’m all for professionalism, but his mental state arguably added to the relaxed atmosphere in Mandel. This year’s show had the strongest lineup of any MAB comedy show so far. Funches was the most memorable performer and brought the biggest and most consistent laughs, but Moller and Torres held their own and worked well together. Each built on the others’ comedy and pe-

Darien Ahn

Fourth-year Peter Moller opened MAB’s Winter Comedy Show in Mandel Hall last Friday night.

riodically referenced the previous performers during their own sets. It was a far cry from two years ago, when Chicago rapper Calez opened for Hannibal Buress (for whatever reason). Even last year— which featured two solid comedians leading up to Sasheer Zamata —was

somewhat disjointed compared to this year’s group. While this will probably be the only time we see these three performers on the same comedy slate, Moller, Torres, and Funches were a comedic force for the evening, leaving attendees with faces and chests burning.

UBallet’s Giselle Dances Through Heartbreak BY ALEXIA BACIGALUPI ARTS STAFF

Wor d le s s s p e e c h , timeless emotions, endless nuance: ballet is an art form like no other. Little compares to the precise yet melancholy f lock of swans in Swan Lake dancing in unison t o a f lutt er i ng Tcha ik o v s k y s c o r e o r t he heart-wrenching tragedy of Juliet draping her limp body across Romeo’s. U Ba l let — the on ly ballet RSO on campus— pr e s ent e d it s w i nt e r production, Giselle, on January 30 and 31 at the L ogan Center Performance Hall. The audience ranged from small children who whispered l o ud ly a s t he l i g ht s dimmed to parents who quietly shushed them in anticipation of the performance. A study in contrasts, Giselle balances a lighthearted, climactic first ac t w it h a h au nt i n g, mou r n f u l s e c ond ac t . Giselle is a village girl who loves to dance. A lthough Hilarion wishes t o ma r r y Gisel le, her heart belongs to Duke Albrecht, who disguises h i msel f as a common peasant. Hilarion is suspicious of A lbrecht, so

when a group of nobles, including A lbrecht’s fiancé, stop by the village, Albrecht cannot deny his true identity. Giselle — de s pit e her mot her ’s

brecht also comes to visit Giselle’s grave and nearly endures the same fate, but Giselle inter venes with Myrtha, the Queen of the Wili. Although they

Emma Tehrani

Second-year male lead Keegan Morris lifts fi rst-year female lead Riko Kanaida in UBallet’s production of Giselle.

warnings not to exer t herself due to her weak heart—dances herself to death in a fit of passion. In the second act, Giselle joins the ranks of the Wilis—the spirits of women who have died of broken hea r ts that dance for eternity in the woods. As Hilarion comes to mourn Giselle, the Wilis overtake him, forcing him to dance through the night until he, too, dies of exhaustion. A l-

dance through the night, Albrecht is spared as the morning sun rises. The large cast of over 50 dancers — comprised of undergraduates, grad students, a nd other members of the Hyde Pa rk commun ity—was directed by fourth-year Emma Tehrani. The group is committed to its dual mandate of both performing ballet and introducing it to first-time audiences and

da ncers. T ha n ks t o a choreographers. The colno-cut audition process, laborative atmosphere dancers come from a wide ensured that there was variety of backgrounds; “a feeling of camaradesome have never danced rie within the cast,” obbefore while others have served first-year K hepdanced with pre-profes- h r en C h a mb er s , who sional companies. In ad- made his first foray into dition to promoting bal- ballet with Giselle. let within the UChicago The support extended community, UBallet of- beyond improving techfers free weekly classes n iq ue a nd pr ac t ic i n g from basic to advanced choreog raphy. “ People levels, and its shows are are lending each other open to the general pub- m a k e up , m o v i n g s e t lic. pieces, helping out with W hat sets U B a l let pr op s a nd c o s t u me s ,” apart from many other sa id th i rd-yea r Ch r is dance groups is its in- Chen, UBallet’s co-artisclusive and supportive tic director, in an e-mail. atmosphere in spite of “ The other dance groups it s huge member sh ip. on campus I have been “ T he n at u r e of U B a l- a part of don’t have that let is that dancers with level of involvement outmore training and expe- side of the actual dancrience guide newcomers ing.” Sunday’s performance into the ballet world and help intermediate danc- was marked by the enthuers improve technique siasm of its female lead, and performance qual- first-year Riko Kanaida. ity,” said Natalie Genz “I found out about UBalJerkins (A B ’ 10), who let at UChicago [and] danced as a Wili and has w rot e about it i n my remained involved with application essay,” she the company post-gradu- wrote in an e-mail. Her ation. “Our organization coquettish play fulness would collapse under the brought Giselle’s youthweight of our own egos ful charm to life as she if we couldn’t channel spun around the stage—a training into education teenage girl giddy with her first love. The lifts and inclusion.” Some of the more ex- of the pas de deux with perienced dancers also the Duke, played by secser ved as stagers and ond-year Keegan Morris,

were sometimes slightly unsteady but executed with flair. Unfortunately, technical difficulties dogged the production. As the lights dimmed for intermission, the curtains would not close, and Giselle’s “dead” b o dy wa s e v e nt u a l ly dragged away by Hilarion, who was played with panache by second-year Kyle Wickham. The large ensemble cast of villagers dancing in the background crowded the bare stage, breeding blunders as a result. The mediocre lighting detracted from the sunny mood of the first act, but it was rectified in the second act when a loud fog machine set the eerie tone for the menacing Willis. T he precar ious balance U Ballet attempts to strike between putting on quality performances and introducing ballet to a wider audience is not unlike that of a more hesitant novice dancer, but what the production sometimes lost in the chaos on stage was counteracted by the enthusiasm and exuberance of the dancers. UBallet will be performing Sleeping Beauty on May 21 and 22 in Mandel Hall.

THE CHICAGO MAROON - FEBRUARY 9, 2016

And the Oscar Goes to, Part I: The Depth of Animation BY KENNETH TALBOTT LA VEGA MAROON CONTRIBUTOR

T he 8 8th A c ademy Awards, which will be held on Febr ua r y 2 8 , h ave gener at e d a lot of attention, both positive and negative. Will L eona rdo D iCapr io f inally w in B est Actor? Will Academy president C he r yl B o one I s a a c s successfully implement change in the nomination process in order to more accurately ref lect the diverse talent in the film industry? Will the ceremony feature even more sel f-referentia l humor regarding the predominantly white and male Academy, as well as the film industry at large? A nd will that even be funny this time? I invite M A ROON readers to take a step with me away from the frustrations we may be exper iencing toward the

Oscars, and momentarily category, though for fans set aside the heavy social of Kaufman’s dark, witty, and cultural implications surreal work (he wrote attached to this historic Being John Malkovich ceremony. For just a few and Eternal Sunshine of minutes, I would like to the Spotless Mind ) this shift our attention to one comes as no surprise. T he f i l m r e v ol v e s of the categories that has not received much of the around a one-night stand Osca rs’ spotl ight th is between Michael, a selfyear but which consists help author who suffers of five masterful works from the delusion that of art that vary hugely in everyone in the world is technique, theme, style, actually the same person in different bodies, and and place of origin. In the f irst install- Lisa, who appears to be ment of a three-part Os- “not like the others,” poscars analysis, let’s talk sessing her own distinct about the nominees for voice (cou r tesy of the the Best Animated Fea- talented Jennifer Jason Leigh). What begins as a ture Film Oscar. The first film on the gloomy tale, punctuated ballot, Paramount P ic- by dreary backdrops and tures’ Anomalisa, is a monotonous pacing, destop-motion adult drama volves into a manic sew r i t t e n b y C h a r l i e quence of travesties as K aufman and directed the protagonist progresand produced by K auf- sively loses his mind. P r o duc e d w it h u nman and Duke Johnson. Anomalisa is, in many c om fo r t a bly r e a l i s t i c ways, not the kind of film 3-D printed puppets and one would expect to see funded entirely on Kickin the A nimated F ilm starter, Anomalisa is a

painstakingly animated, painfully depressing surrealist chef-d’oeuvre that reaffirms Kaufman’s reputation as one of the most or ig i na l a nd w icked ly smart filmmakers of our time. So much about this film is simply unforgettable, including the most fascinating (and hopefully the last) hyper-realistic puppet sex scene I’ve ever watched. The second film, Boy & the World, is a whirlwind of color, music, emotion, and nostalgia hailing from Brazil. At 80 minutes, this brief, mostly-silent 2013 film makes a l a s t i n g i mpr e s s ion . Combining trad itiona l hand-drawn animation w it h c omput e r - g e ne r at ed sh ap e s a nd pat terns, Boy & the World distinguishes itself from its fellow nominees by its varied use of contrast. Director Alê Abreu juxtaposes explosions of vibrant colors with oppres-

sive hues of industrial smog, freewheeling dots and strokes with concentric shapes and rigid geometry, Basquiat-esque scribbles, and arrangements of collaged pro paganda reminiscent of the Russian avant-garde. All are united to tell the story of a rural farm boy ex plor i ng a Bra z i l ia n i ndustr ia l complex i n search of his father. While the film’s narrative is often subordinated to its not-so-subtle sociopolitical themes, most of the film’s brill ia nce ac tua l ly st ems from its youthful energy and its nostalgic study of childlike innocence and joie de vivre. Boy & the World is the kind of film that, if v iewed by the right person at the right age, can incite a deeply emotional passion for art and creativity, possibly for the rest of their life. I won’t s p end t o o much time talking about

the one film in this category everyone seems to be familiar with: Pixar A nimation Studios’ Inside Out. The consensus seems to be that this gorgeously rendered family film is yet another iconic tour de force from arguably the best feature film animation studio of our time. Its intelligent and nuanced screenplay goes beyond what is required for a successful P ixar film, while its charming characters and impressive voice casting provide the hearts to complement the brains. T he last two f i lms on the ba l lot a re the U.K.’s Shaun the Sheep Movie and Japan’s When Marnie was T here. A s Anomalisa inhabits one end of the stop-motion f ilm spectr um, Shaun the Sheep Movie dances sweetly on the opposite end, providing the kind of harmless humor and Continued on page 10

Shared Languages Workshop Braids Cultures Together BY NOAH CHRISTIANS MAROON CONTRIBUTOR

Across from the Garfield Green Line Station there are quite a few a ba nd one d bu i ld i n g s . If you’ve taken the 55 t h r o u g h Wa s h i n g t o n Park in the winter, you know that this area looks run-down and pretty lifeless. But recently a few empty spaces have been occupied, remodeled, and now shine their own light onto busy East Garfield Boulevard: a bookstore, a swanky coffee shop, and the wide-windowed Arts Incubator, all resisting the noisy g r ime w ith their own warm vibes. L ast Wed nesd ay, I was lucky enough to participate in a Shared Language workshop at the Arts Incubator. According

to the Incubator’s website, Shared Language “ is a community classroom and exhibition that uses a broad definition of language to investigate modes of communication and the transfer of knowledge through experimental learning.” Oh boy, I thought as I made my way across Washington Park to get to the class. A UChicago program with a tagline straight out of a linguistics textbook. M o r e s p e c i f i c a l l y, Shared Language is a c om mu n it y cl a s sr o om initiative within the Arts and Public Life program sponsored by the University. All of the classes are held in a casual hangout setting at the Arts Incubator building located at 301 East Garfield Boulevard. University Director of A rts and Public

Life Theaster Gates was instrumental in creating the Incubator, which opened in May 2013. “A r tists need space and resources to deepen thei r practices, sha re t hei r wa r e s , p er for m their chops, and communities like Washington Park benefit from new sources of creative energy. That’s why artists are such an essential element of a successful social space,” Gates said in an interview upon the space’s opening. The Shared Language class I took at the Incubator was about braiding: braiding as cultural practice, as communicative medium, and, for me, as a wacky bonus to having a man-bun. I was hoping to pick up a little technique and some perspective, then maybe leave early.

Instead, I learned firsthand about hair-straightening, hair-relaxing, and how important braids are to women in Mali. It’s one thing to read about a black woman’s experience with her hair; it’s another thing entirely to discuss it with a room full of people. After reading a bit of bell hooks’s Straightening Our Hair, my class of eight waded into an indefinite discussion. K nowing little about the social implications of relaxed or naturally nappy hair, I had a lot to learn. A young girl sitting across from me was kind enough to explain her personal hair history; having relaxed and straightened it with treatments for years, she was beginning to experiment with her natural hair textures.

Many of the other stu- only learned something dents in my group were but participated in anwomen training to earn other culture. So if you want to rebeautician licenses in the state of Illinois. When we ally touch what you learn, moved from the politics take your readings off the and culture of braiding page, and have some conto the practice portion of versations that you can’t class, everyone crowded or won’t have in the classa rou nd t o ta l k about room, I suggest you check how to twist hair, work out Shared Language’s complex braids, and deal website, as well as its with the unique needs of upcoming exhibition and fort-building workshop. clients. I struggled as my fin- In between, there are gers tangled in some fake a plethora of exciting hair until our instructor’s conversations to be had, mother, a Malian native, arts to be explored, and took pity and showed me stories to be written. Fair what she called “the four- warning: you might get in-one.” A simple braid for tangled up in it like I did! Shared Language: A the professional students in the room, this braid Community Cla ssroom was a challenge for me. continues until March After a lot of frustrating 11, with a f ull list of weaving, however, I man- events available at arts. aged to make a passable uchicago.edu/sharedlanfishtail braid. I left feel- guage. ing proud that I had not

A Weekend of Workshops Questions Art, Sanity, Fortune BY SAMANTHA HOFFMAN MAROON CONTRIBUTOR

W hen I walked into the Frances X. Kinahan Theater this Saturday afternoon to catch the matinee of A Weekend of Workshops, I was not prepared to question my sanity. A Weekend of Workshops is a series of short excer pts a nd or ig i na l pieces of theater put on by University Theater, generally in fall and winter quarters. This weekend,

the show featured two workshops, with a short i nt er m i s sion fol lowed by a second show by another performance group. On Thursday and Friday nights, the second show was a commedia lazzi showcase —a fast-paced gag routine—while both the Saturday matinee and evening shows featured a performance of Wittgenstein’s Mistress by the Classical Entertainment Society. T he f irst workshop,

Context, was written and directed by fourth-year Kayla Mathisen and featured first-years Elise Lemp, Joshua Maymir, Juhi Muthal, and secondyear Kennedy Green. Set in an art gallery, it questioned the true meaning and worth of art. The second workshop, The Monkey’s Paw, was adapted by Brandon McCallister from a short story by W. W. Jacobs and starred second-years Natalie Pasquinelli and

Joshua Mark and firstye a r s Nat e C h a nd ler and Saisha Talwar. In it, a veteran of the British army who served in India tells the story of a charmed monkey’s paw that grants three wishes to each of three men. The veteran’s friend uses his third wish to wish for death; the veteran himself says the paw has caused him “a lot of mischief.” As might be expected, the play becomes a “ be careful what you

wish for ” parable, but, overall, it was very well done. Many people left after the intermission, which turned out to be a mistake. What came next was the highlight of the afternoon, and the part that made me doubt my rationality: the Classical Entertainment Society’s presentation of Wittgenstein’s Mistress, an adaptation of a book by the same name. I knew the production was a one-woman show;

what I had not known was that a one-woman show could involve more than an hour of acting, dance, and movement that occasionally took the actress outside of the theater. Wittgenstein’s Mistress is hard to explain, but it essentially tells the story of a madwoman, her life, and her travels. Well-executed, it was my favorite part of the workshops. When I walked back out into the daylight, my head was spinning.

THE CHICAGO MAROON - FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Where Fun Goes to Jam: UChicago’s Chapter in American Folk BY MAY HUANG ARTS STAFF

The 56th Annual UChicago Folk Festival will take place this coming weekend, February 12 and 13. Featuring live performances on both nights as well as free music and dance workshops at Ida Noyes Hall on Saturday, the festival invites the Hyde Park community not only to spectate but to participate in what has been a longstanding celebration of folk music on campus. The first UChicago Folk Festival was held in 1961, less than a decade after the formation of the Folklore Society. It was organized by musicologist Mike Fleischer (X ’63), who played the mandolin in a band with his roommate Jon Aaron (A.B. ’64) on the guitar and fellow first-year David Gedalecia (X ’64) on the banjo. Together, the trio was known as “The Stony Island Boys” and the three were among the first attendees of the Folk Festival when it began. Although the festival always takes place on campus, its roots are grounded in the development of folk music nationwide. In the late ’50s, many contemporary bands were giving folk music a “pop feel” in that they commercialized it for pop culture and stripped it of its traditional roots. “People in the folk world felt that it wasn’t authentic enough,” explained Mark Guarino, a journalist who is working on a book about the folk history of Chicago. The festival started at the height of the folk revival as a “reaction against rock and roll” and as a “railing against” what many people, including Fleischer, felt was “sort of a bastardization of folk music at the time.” “These festivals popped up because of the interest of showing where this music really originated,” Guarino said. Fleischer’s vision of bringing in non-commercial artists to “teach and explain their craft to students who would have no exposure to that music”

still continues today. hippie culture,” said Warren living off campus in those the Butterfield band ever UC was a unique place for all However, back in the day, Leming, a founding member days. Students would have got together,” Gedalecia said. of that.” contacting artists was no easy of the rock and folklore band “hootenannies,” or jam ses- “We’d listen to some music There has always been a task. Indeed, Fleischer did Wilderness Road and a for- sions, in Woodward Court, with Paul in his room in B-J, diverse range of music genres not always know who wrote mer member of Second City. an old dormitory where the and I would jam with him on featured at the festival. “Peothe folk songs later refash- In his words, it was an “as- Booth School of Business is piano.” ple were just getting introioned by pop bands, nor did toundingly progressive” time now. “That’s where all the One could find many well- duced to musicians from the he have convenient means for Chicago, and UChicago folk musicians used to hang known musicians and bands black community and from of reaching out to the artists was at the heart of this rad- out,” Gedalecia remembered. at the festival, including The Appalachia,” Gedalecia said. The bands would also New Lost City Ramblers from When the folk festival first whose 1920s and ’30s record- ical progress. He mentioned ings he listened to. Guarino Chicago Mob Scene, a 1957 practice in Pierce Tower, New York and Joan Baez at started, he said, “there was contrasted the ease of find- album produced by artists which stood where Campus the 1963 festival. Ralph just a lot of interchange and ing artists on Spotify with living near UChicago, as “ev- North is now being built. Un- Stanley from The Stanley you could always find peohow Fleischer and his friends idence that there was a very surprisingly, as Gedalecia Brothers said to Gedalecia ple playing here and there,” would personally travel south vital folk scene in the UChi- said, “That first folk festival while he was playing, “Keep which is what gave the festito find performers: “Back cago as early as the ’50s.” was a really major event on playing that banjo, young fel- vals a “nice kind of commuthen, it was more of a trea- According to Leming, the campus for the Hyde Park low!”—advice that he would nity feeling.” sure hunt.” Next week’s festival will festival became “the model community [and] for all of repeat 40 years later, when Through these “treasure for what was duplicated a the folk musicians who were Gedalecia met him again at echo this diversity. The Fat hunts,” Fleischer struck gold. thousand times nationwide.” Babies, a jazz group, will be at the University.” Indeed, he a show in Ohio. He and his friends travelled Apart from being a reac- even said that musical instruYet perhaps the most sur- performing alongside the Inas far as Arkansas to the tion to the changing nature of ments were considered college real experience The Stony ternational Polka Association farms of artists such as coun- folk music at the time and to staples. “I’d heard that there Island Boys had was meeting Tribute Band. There will also try singer Jimmy Driftwood. events of nationwide signifi- was a lot of folk music going a “raggedy kind of guy” at the be classic bluegrass from the Later, in 1963, Fred Mc- cance, the festival was also on so I thought I should bring festival who listened to them Patuxent Partners. Dowell came to Chicago all launched in response to a those instruments,” he said play for half an hour and who “I think it means that peothe way from Mississippi to widespread interest in music about his banjo and mandolin. Fleischer introduced to them ple are still interested in the perform for the first time in on a local and campus level. Gedalecia’s anecdotes as Bob Dylan. At the time, diversity that exists within public in front of a white audi“The UChicago folk fes- highlight the strong pres- Gedalecia said, “it was no big the American music tradience at the third annual festi- tival emerged out of a wide- ence of folk music on campus. deal because he was not the tion,” Gedalecia said about val. These student-performer spread interest among the “Some of my friends went on Bob Dylan of a couple years the various groups performcollaborations, Guarino ex- students and people in Hyde to become substantially well- later.” Indeed, Fleischer even ing next week. plained, represented “an in- Park,” said Gedalecia, who known figures in blues mu- played duets with him on When talking about teraction between completely later became the Michael O. sic,” he remembered. Then- WUCB, the folk music show the University of Chidifferent sets of people—col- Fisher Professor of History physics major Elvin Bishop, on the University Radio cago’s legacy, most people lege students who were 20 at The College of Wooster in who later played in the same Station, before he became a immediately think about our economics faculty and years old, urban people living Ohio. “It kind of emerged in band before launching a solo global phenomenon. Although Gedalecia left the range of Nobel Prize in Chicago” and “people living an organic way from the com- career, was in Gedalecia’s year. Norman Dayron, who UChicago after a year, he winners affiliated with in farms or small communi- munity itself.” Over the phone, he won a Grammy in 1980 for credits his continued musical our school. The history of ties who worked simple jobs and did not have very high mentioned something that producing the album Rare involvement to the folk scene the folk festival, however, education level and were de- sounded familiar: “Every Blues, also attended during on campus. The Stony Island shows that Hyde Park has Boys were featured at the also been a thriving hub for cades older.” Connected by weekend, there was a party Gedalecia’s time. During his first year, University of Michigan Folk banjo-pickers and bluegrass their shared interest in folk somewhere.” Aside from parrevival, however, “they got ticipating in big jam sessions Gedalecia met Paul Butter- Festival in 1960 and also lovers who loved to jam. It is along and got to know each at Washington Square Park field, who would later form played a solo concert at the these musicians who demonother and developed a trust every Sunday and playing in the Paul Butterfield Blues Woodstock Playhouse in New strate, as Leming simply put it, that “The U of C was”— coffee houses, people would band with guitarist Michael York in 1961. and real respect.” “I’d never still be playing and hopefully always will The process of bringing also play in each other’s Bloomfield. “We were both the festival to life was truly apartments, especially since freshmen at UC and we bluegrass if I had not gone to be—“a mecca for all kinds a student effort. Guarino de- there were many students hung out quite a bit before UC,” Gedalecia said. “I think of interesting people.” scribed the whole endeavor as “an underground thing” that was “really about who you knew.” As a result, the connections formed brought many artists and music enthusiasts into a tight-knit musical community. All of this was happening during a historically significant period in Chicago. “This is at the dawn of the civil rights movement, at the dawn of the beginnings of anti-war movement, and at the beginCourtesy of the Folklore Society ning of what was to become The UChicago Folklore Society jams out to celebrate its 50th anniversary in Ida Noyes.

“So much about this film is simply unforgettable, including the most hyper-realistic puppet sex scene I’ve ever watched.” Continued from page 9

top-form family entertainment that could only come from Aardman Animations (the creators of Wallace & Gromit). Silly yet humble, th is f i lm does not strive to be anything more that what it wants to be: wholesome kid-friendly claymation

with a big beating heart. W h e n M a r ni e Wa s T here, Stud io Gh ibl i’s fifth Animated Feature Film nominee, is a delicat e emotiona l explo ration of a f r iendship between a recently relocated, socially anxious teenager and the ghost of a g irl whose aristo-

cratic family once owned a nea rby aba ndoned mansion. This film, although tame compared to the past achievements of Studio Ghibli, is essential viewing for anyone interested in animation because it does justice to the elusive theme of female adolescent friend-

ship in a way that only a few other f ilms, animated or real, have been able to do. It’s not just about girls discovering their interest in boys; it’s a cinematic manifestation of girls embodying girlhood together, which is a refreshing phenomenon to watch.

I’m fairly certain Inside Out will take home the Oscar in this category, partly due to Pixar’s reputation but also b e c au s e , de s pit e t he streng ths of the other f ilms in this categor y, Inside O ut ach ieves a unique, universally enjoyable charm without

sacr i f icing any of the components that make it an extraordinary feat of f ilmmaking. It is a c r owd-ple a s er i n t he highest sense of the word. But I’m open to surprises, and I would be happy to see any of these diverse works of art take home an Oscar on the 28th.

THE CHICAGO MAROON - FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Squad Defeats Two Ranked Opponents Over Weekend TENNIS

BY ZACHARY PIERCE SPORTS STAFF

T he Chicago men’s team stayed home this weekend to take on two ranked opponents while the women’s squad traveled to Milwaukee for its second match of the season. On Friday, the Maroons hosted the No. 10 Kenyon College Lords and on Saturday they turned around and took on the No. 26 U W–W hitewater Warhawks. The squad came out swinging and won 6 –3 over the Lords, g iv i ng the M a roons a 4 – 0 record, while putting Kenyon down to 1–1 on the season. The men went on to beat the Warhawks 8 –1, extending the Maroons’ record to 5 – 0. The women took a tough loss to a Division I team, UW–Milwaukee. They lost at a margin of 6 –1 for their first loss of the season. The men’s side traveled to

the nearby indoor tennis facility XS Tennis located in the South Side to face Kenyon, who hail from Gambier, OH. In singles play the two teams split the six matches evenly and came to a 3 –3 draw. The Maroons earned wins from their second, fourth, and sixth spots. At the second spot third-year Sven K ranz won 7– 6 (8 – 6), 6 –1 after a tightly contested first set. First-year Charlie Pei found victory easily at 6–0, 6 –1, as did second-year David Liu who won 6 –3, 6 –1. Doubles play is what truly won the matchup for the Maroons. They were able to sweep the Lords in all three matchups. “It was a great weekend at home to beat two very tough opponents. We came out in both matches with a lot of energy and it showed in our doubles and carried into our singles. The next two weeks

University of Chicago Athletics Department

Second-year Courtney Warren returns a ball last season.

of practice will be extremely important as we prepare for the National Indoor Championships,” fourth-year Gordon Zhang said. On Saturday, the men were able t o conti nue thei r hot streak, taking down No. 26 U W–W hitewater by a landslide 8 –1. The only loss came at the No. 1 doubles match, but after that, the squad dominated the Warhawks. Only two of the seven matches the South Siders won went more than two sets, and the lone drop was hotly contested. This posits the men’s team as currently undefeated, and they have also won 26 of 30 singles matches so far this season. Since less than half of the squad are upperclassmen, this is certainly promising for the very young squad. On the other ha nd , the wome n s t r u g g l e d a g a i n s t their DI opponents when they traveled to Wisconsin for the weekend. They were swept in doubles and only had one win in singles play. The win came from fourth-year Lucy Tang at the fifth spot who won 7– 6 (7–4), 6 –2 after a closely contested first set. Rachel Kim, a first-year on the team, said, “Even though we did not win this weekend, we played our best and brought great energy against a tough team.” The next matchup for the women comes against another DI opponent, Georgetown, on Friday, February 19 at 2 p.m., followed by No. 38 Kalamazoo on Saturday, February 20 at 11 a.m. Both matches are at XS Tennis, where the women will look to bounce back after this tough loss. The men’s next matchups are at the ITA DIII National Team Indoor Championship in Pepper Pike, OH this February 19 –21.

Chicago Upsets DI Univesity of Illinois– Chicago SWIM & DIVE

BY RHEA BHOJWANI SPORTS STAFF

The Maroons put on a show with several eye-opening finishes in a diving invitational against the Univesity of Illinois– Chicago Flames just a short bus trip from their home in Hyde Park. Both the Chicago men and women emerged victorious even though they seemed to be the underdogs: this weekend saw them compete against a slew of DI divers for success. The field averaged between 13 and 20 participants per event. First-year Anna Girlich finished the day as Chicago’s top diver, snatching second place on the women’s three-meter board with a score of 254.15. Girlich also fi nished in third place on the one-meter dive with a score of 247.60. In addition to Girlich’s impressive showing, second-year Monica Kieff placed 15th on both the one-meter (185.90) and three-meter (202.80) boards. When asked about her strong performance against UIC, Girlich said, “I feel that Saturday’s meet was a good tune-up for all of us. We have a better idea of what to focus on this upcoming week before we leave for conference.” Second-year Dean Boures was the sole diver representing the Maroon men. He ended the meet with a pair of seventhplace finishes. Boures scored 242.75 in the one-meter dive as well as a 201.65 in the three-meter dive. Although swimming is often seen as a collection of individual performances, Girlich noted that the team atmosphere is incredibly important. “I feel I have improved over the course of the season by becoming more and more consistent with each meet,

and increasing the difficulty of some of my dives,” she said. “My teammates have done the same and I think we all feed off of each other’s improvements.” As for the immediate future, Girlich said, “we are preparing for our championship meets differently than the rest of the season by focusing on the dives that we already have instead of trying to learn something new.” Based on past performances, the divers certainly have a plethora of great dives in their arsenals. “We will be doing our dives in the order we will compete them in these bigger meets to try to simulate how we will perform there as best as we can,” the fi rst-year said. Girlich also acknowledged that the team is a great source of support and is one of the main reasons individuals have been so successful. “We try to motivate each other by staying positive at practice and at meets and encouraging each other before we have to perform some of our harder dives. The atmosphere in the locker room has been very positive and we are all super excited for conference,” she said. The meet this weekend will certainly be an opportunity for both teams to fine-tune their techniques heading into the UAA Championships. The men stand at 5–4 overall while the women are at an incredible 7–1 on the season, their only loss coming at the hands of DI UW– Milwaukee. The Maroons will be getting ready for their two-day meet at the Midwest Invitational as they return home to the Myers-McLoraine Pool. The meet will take place from Friday to Saturday this weekend, and will feature all members of the swim and dive squads.

South Siders Fall to Augustana WRESTLING

BY DAVID KERR SPORTS STAFF

The wrestling team picked up its ninth loss of the season on Friday as it dropped its match against Augustana College 35 –16. The Maroons performed valiantly as they picked up four weight class wins, but had trouble competing with the veteran experience of the Vikings. The latest loss for the Maroons brings their overall record to 3 – 9, while Augustana improved its record to 7– 6. The Maroons got off to a hot start as two of their top f i rst-yea rs, L ouis Dema rco

a nd M as on W i l l i a ms , won the first two matches of the evening. Demarco notched a 5 –2 decision at 133 pounds in the first match. To follow up Dema rco was Wi lliams, who pinned his opponent in the third period of the second mat ch at 141 pounds. Wi lliams had a big adjustment going into the match as he had moved weight classes from 149 pounds. “A big change for me ind iv idua l ly was goi ng dow n a weight class…. I d id not change much of my offense, but I felt like I had an advantage in size. I was glad I got the pin for the team because

it had us in good position to possibly win down the stretch along with the performances of the rest of the team,” Williams said. A fter the two quick wins for the young duo of the Maroons, Augustana came right back to go up 17–9 in the team score with two forfeits and a technical fall. The Maroons responded with their veteran leaders as second-year Nick Ferraro and third-year Paul Papoutsis not ched w i ns t o make the score 17–16. Ferraro controlled his match in a dominating fashion as he won 11–3 by major decision. “ I feel l i ke I per formed

well, the kid I wrestled I will wrestle again at regionals so it felt good to get a win over him before then. I worked [on] some things I needed to improve at for the end of the season, and I’m definitely improving on my feet and I think that it showed on Friday,” Ferraro said. After Ferraro’s win, it was downhill for the Maroons. The Vikings notched three straight first period pins to give them a 35 –16 lead over the Maroons that would prove to be insurmountable. The Maroons were a victim of their own youth as the Vikings took advantage of the lack of veteran presence on the team.

“ The team wrestled pretty well, I thought, but the score ma kes it look l i ke we lost badly. We have five freshman i n the sta r ti ng l i neup and we are all trying to improve and learn still. We just need to continue to work hard and listen to our coaches and we should be in good position to win the conference title this weekend,” Williams said. T hat con ference title is this Saturday at Ratner Athletics Center as the Maroons will take on Case Western and N Y U. The Maroons will look to shake off this loss and take home another UA A championship.

THE CHICAGO MAROON - FEBRUARY 9, 2016

SPORTS IN-QUOTES... Sports Analyst Darren Rovell provides a recap of last night’s Super Bowl: “Top two trends after Super Bowl: Budweiser & Papa John.”

Maroons Falter in Weekend Rematches WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BY EMMETT ROSENBAUM SPORTS STAFF

It was a tough weekend for the women’s basketball team on the road. After beginning to show some signs of a late season run, the team dropped its Friday game against Emory 71–64, and lost to No. 13 Rochester on Sunday by a score of 75 – 64. A fter winning three in row, the team now falls to 12–8 on the season and 4–5 in conference. The team came out strong in its first game on Emory’s home court. Both receiving a solid contr ibution f rom the bench (19 points) and severely limiting the Eagles’ offensive opportunities, the Maroons headed into halftime holding a 34–28 lead. Emory pulled within two points late in the second half, setting up what

seemed like an exciting f i n ish. Un for tunately, things fell apart for the Maroons in the fourth quarter. The team was outscored 26–17, and the Eagles walked away with the win. Much of the blame for the loss falls upon the team’s work on the boards, as it was outrebounded 35 –26. However, it was actually the defensive miscues at the end of the game that sealed the deal for Chicago. “We had breakdowns in our defense,” said second-year guard Elizabeth Nye. “It’s usually our defense that drives our offense and energy so we fell apart at the end.” The Maroons looked to bounce back from the loss in their game on Sunday, but they faced a nationally-ranked Yellowjackets squad that they had just upset the previous week-

end. However, the Maroons put themselves behind the eight ball early, and trailed 33–21 at the half. Things got even worse in the second hal f as Rochester pulled away even further behind some very efficient shooting. While Nye, who had 21 points on the night to go with five rebounds and three assists, led a strong fourth quarter push, it wasn’t enough to make up Rochester’s big lead. The Maroons were their own worst enemy in the game, shooting a pitiful 2 /15 f rom th ree -poi nt range while also having poor showing from the free throw line and on the boards. However, the team isn’t getting discouraged. With five games left in the season, all against conference opponents, they are focusing on regaining

Buzzer Beater Gives Rochester the Win at Home MEN’S BASKETBALL

BY MICHAEL PERRY SPORTS STAFF

It was a disappointing weekend for the No. 21 South Siders as they travelled to Emory and Rochester, eventually dropping both games. The Maroons (14–6 overall, 5–4 UAA) have dropped four games in a row after an impressive 13-game win streak. The weekend started with the Maroons traveling to Atlanta to take on the Emory Eagles, who sit atop the UAA standings with an 8–1 conference record. Although the South Siders were looking to take revenge after Emory broke their win streak last week, the Eagles won by a score of 61–53. After Chicago initially jumped out to a 7–2 lead, the Eagles streaked past and never looked back. The Maroons used a 9–0 run to tie the game at 21 each but Emory led at half 28–24 and outscored Chicago by four in the second half to push the deficit to eight. T he game aga inst Emory was an opportunity for the Maroons to make up ground in the UAA and chase a playoff bid, which now becomes more difficult. “We needed that game to put ourselves in competition for the conference title, and

unfortunately we didn’t get it done,” second-year guard Jake Fenlon said. “We hope to bounce back, however, and win games to give ourselves the best chance for an at-large bid to the playoffs.” Second-year forward Collin Barthel was able to take away some positives from the loss. “I think we figured out as a team how to battle through adversity. It was easy when things were going good to have leadership and accountability, but when things started going poorly we have to dig deep and find out what kind of character our team had,” he said The squad then travelled north to Rochester to take on a Yellowjacket team that was 7–2 in the UAA, second only to Emory. The Maroons lost a heartbreaker in overtime 77–76. Despite leading by three at halftime, the Maroons found themselves down 15 points with 4:24 left in the game. It was a gut-check opportunity for the team, and it responded with an impressive 15–2 run lead by thirdyear guard Tyler Howard to put the Maroons down by two with less than a minute to go. Howard finished the game with 22 points and three assists. “The run was a huge mo-

ment for our team to show that we were able to stick together through some turmoil and adversity,” Barthel said. Down by three with time expiring, Fenlon, who is from Rochester, hit a buzzer-beater in his hometown to tie the game at 66–66 and send it to overtime. Despite their best efforts, the Maroons fell victim to a buzzer-beater from Rochester in overtime, this one for the win. The South Siders were leading by three at the end of overtime when they fouled to presumably only give Rochester a chance for two points. The home team, however, strategically missed the second free-throw and secured the rebound. Third-year Yellowjacket Mack Montague then hit the game-winning three. “We were down 15 in the second half and just kept fighting. Jake Fenlon hit a huge three to send us into overtime. We controlled most of overtime before they hit the buzzer-beater. It was a tough loss to swallow,” Howard said. The squad has five more games left in the regular season to earn a playoff bid. Their next game is Friday versus Carnegie Mellon at 8 p.m.

their identity heading into this home stretch. “We’re going to work on getting back to what makes us, us,” noted Nye. “We’re going to work hard and play good defense and we’ll be fi ne.” As they now sit below .500 in conference play, every game is going to represent a do-or-die situation for the Maroons. In particular, their upcoming game against Carnegie Mellon, with whom they’re tied in the standings, could represent the turning point of the season. “We’re going to play hard and fi nish strong,” stated a passionate Nye. “We still have to play every game with pride.” The Maroons square off against the Carnegie Mellon Tartans on Friday, February 12. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Ratner Athletic Center.

University of Chicago Athletics Department

Third-year forward Britta Nordstrom looks down the court in a game earlier this season.

Women Take Gold at Windy City Invite TRACK & FIELD

BY FRANCES MCDONALD SPORTS STAFF

T he women’s track a nd f ield t e a m s p e d past i nt ense competitors to take the title at the Windy City Rumble this past Saturday. The women’s team garnered 119 points and placed first out of 11 teams by a large margin, with the runner-up L oyola University, a DI team, scoring 86 points. The men’s team missed out at first place by seven points, placing second behind DI Valparaiso University, which won first out of 10 teams with 165 points. The winning women’s team had two first-place f i n ishes on Satu rd ay. One came from fourthy e a r t h r o we r N k e m d i l i m N w a o k o l o wh o th rew 16 . 2 8m du r i ng the weight throw event. The other first place finish of the day came from the 4x400 – meter relay that finished in 3:58.87. T he team consisted of fourth-year Alison Pildner, f irst-year A lexand r a T homp s on , f i r st ye a r E m m a K o et her, and fourth-year Rebecca

Askins-Gast. A quartet of second-place finishes came from second-year long jumper Vivian Barclay who launched herself 5.16m, second-year pole vaulter Angel Fluet of 3 . 37m, fou r th-yea r 8 0 0 -meter runner Brianna Hickey of 2:18.32, and first-year 400-meter runner Emma Koether of 59.37. The women’s team also grabbed four thirdplace finishes. The men’s team had t h r e e f i r s t -pl ac e f i nishes, accompanied by seven second-place finishes. Sprinters secondye a r Tem i s a n O s owa (60 -meter) and fourthyear Jacob R omeo (2 0 0 -met er) b oth f i nished in first place with times of 7.14 and 23.06, r e s p e c t ively. S e c ondyear hurdler Will Ackerman won f irst place in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.74, and placed second in the high jump successfully clearing 1.86m. Distance r un ners scored fou r s e c ond-pl ac e f i n i she s including the distance medley relay (10:38.73), ran by second-year Jacob Amiri, first-year Benja-

min Chaimberg, thirdyear Nicholas Niels en, and second-yea r Peter K reuch. Distance r unners also accounted for three third-place finishes as well. For the throwers, third-year A ndrew Maneval came in second, h au l i n g t he s hot put 14.72m. “ T h i s we ekend put both teams in a g reat position for the upcoming post season that is quickly approaching. The team felt excited and confident about the Division I competition going into the meet and were ecstatic about the wins on both sides,” Amiri said. T he next week w ill take place this weekend on February 12 and 13 at the Chicagoland Championships in Naperville, IL. The women compete at 5 p.m. on Friday, while the men compete at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.