TUESDAY • APRIL 3, 2012
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892
CHICAGOMAROON.COM
SG finally acquires van for RSO use
Israel envoy warns of Iran amid student protests
ISSUE 34 • VOLUME 123
Crime, education on table at Woodlawn talks
Marina Fang News Staff
Celia Bever News Staff
Student Government (SG) has leased a van that RSOs and athletic clubs can use for free to reduce their transportation costs, fulfilling an SG promise that was delayed for over a year and half. Groups wishing to utilize the van will be able to sign up via an online form, according to SG President Youssef Kalad. SG is also considering a partnership with the University Community Service Center (UCSC) to make the van more directly accessible to Community Service RSOs (CSRSOs). Kalad said that the approximately $5,500 required to lease the van has come out of SG’s operational budget for spring quarter. While student groups will not have to pay a fee to gain access to the vans now, they may be required to in the future to sustain the program. “We hope to offer the van in the future in a fiscally responsible manner that ensures it sticks around. This may mean charging a small fee to ensure that we’re covering costs,” Kalad wrote in an e-mail. There is also the possibility of leasing additional vans if the demand exists. Originally planned to launch in fall
However, Oren indicated that Israel has made sacrifices in the interest of peace and argued that the Palestinian government shares most of the blame in stalling the peace process. “Now, the impediment is the unwillingness of Palestinian leadership to sit down and discuss a two-state solution,” he said. The roughly 15 picketers outside took umbrage with the ambassador’s point. As the talk went on, they chanted, “We reject Israel’s war crimes! We reject the murder of civilians! We reject
Over 200 community members gathered at the School of Social Service Administration (SSA) Saturday morning to discuss crime, education, and other neighborhood issues at the third annual Woodlawn Community Summit. The summit consisted of talks by city officials and community figures with “breakout sessions” where community members split into smaller discussion groups that focused on safety, urban agriculture, the business community, and land use. Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent Garry McCarthy noted that CPD’s battles against drug trafficking, gang violence, and illegal guns are continuous and evolving. Jean-Claude Brizard, CEO of Chicago Public Schools (CPS), discussed the problem of low test scores and dropout rates and entreated community members to actively participate in improving the school district. Rudolph Nimocks, Director of Community Partnerships at the University’s Office of Civic Engagement, has lived in Woodlawn for 60 years and has watched the neighborhood grow. “It’s well on its way to complete restoration,” he said. He believes that Woodlawn will soon be “one of the
ISRAEL continued on page 3
WOODLAWN continued on page 2
VANS continued on page 2
Student and community protesters gather outside International House, where Israeli ambassador Michael Oren spoke Monday afternoon about a global response to Iran’s nuclear program, settlements in the West Bank, and his country’s standing abroad. GRIFFIN DENNIS | THE CHICAGO MAROON
Alexandra Garfinkle News Staff Michael Oren, Israeli ambassador to the United States, underscored the threat posed by a nuclear-armed Iran and dispelled notions of a diplomatic rift between Israel and the U.S. at a talk yesterday evening at International House. Members of the RSO Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) picketed outside the lecture, which focused on Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian settlement conflict, but also dwelled on the issue of
Israel’s standing around the world and its historical relations with the U.S. Oren quoted former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in describing Iran’s nuclear program as “the greatest threat.” And yet, Oren said, “Nobody wants to take military action against Iran.” Oren also laid out the delicacy of Israel’s settlement disputes in Biblical terms. “It is nearly impossible for the Jewish state to be able to tell a Jew that he or she cannot live in his or her ancestral homeland,” he said.
Senegal trip could replace Cape Town program 2012 Orientation will launch first-years into community service Raghav Verma News Staff
(From left) Third-years Autumn McConnico, Kelly Go, Rahul Roy, and Hayley Doner relax in a cave in Clanwilliam, South Africa.
The Study Abroad office might expand its autumn African Civilizations semester in Paris to include a trip to Dakar, Senegal, as a successor to the discontinued Cape Town program in South Africa. “Immediate considerations for Dakar would be in the context of an extended excursion at the conclusion of the autumn-quarter African Civilizations program in Paris,” Director of Study Abroad Sarah Walter said in an e-mail. Any final decision would rest with a faculty committee and the Dean of the College, Walter added. Professor Emeritus of African History Ralph Austen is one of several professors of African and African-American studies who are informing the discussion about alternatives to the cancelled program. He confirmed that a Dakar trip is on the table. SENEGAL continued on page 2
COURTESY OF JULIA DRATEL
TUES
WED
76° 46°
54° 40°
THURS
FRI
49° 38°
55° 40°
Temperatures in Fahrenheit - Courtesy of The Weather Channel
Benjamin Pokross Associate News Editor A new pre-orientation program, Chicago Bound, will allow first-year students to learn about community service opportunities in the city of Chicago. Twenty first-years will participate in a pilot from September 16 to September 22 this fall, the week preceding O-Week. Amy Chan, director of the University Community Service Center (UCSC), said she wants it to expose incoming freshmen to the city, though she has not planned the exact activities yet. “One of the greatest assets of the University is that it’s located in the city of Chicago,” Chan said. We want students to see that their learning extends beyond campus and Hyde Park.” First-years will have to apply to the program, but Chan hopes that the program will attract both students who have experience in community service and those who want to learn more. Four upperclassmen will help lead the program
by serving as student leaders, and help design the pilot. The first-years who are selected will be able to make connections with members of the larger community, according to Chan, and other students. “We see these students joining one of the 58 CS RSOs and applying to the various internship and leadership programs at UCSC.” The idea for the program came from Chan’s observations of other universities, where she noted that most of them have a community service program for incoming freshman. While this summer’s program is only a pilot, Chan is confident that the program will expand in the coming years. “UCSC hopes to expand...and gradually increase the number of student participants each year,” she said. Community Service RSO leaders had a generally positive reaction to the announcement of the program. ORIENTATION continued on page 2
IN VIEWPOINTS
IN ARTS
Global positioning
Mirror, Mirror is the fairest flop of them all » Page 7
Dethroning the welfare queen
From Gossip to gaga: Taylor Momsen gets a new gig » Page 7
» Page 5 » Page 5
THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | April 3, 2012
2
Bova: Community service not valued at the University of Chicago ORIENTATION continued from front
“I would have wanted to go as a first-year,” fourthyear Libby Bova, the president of Partnership for the Advancement of Refugee Rights, said. “Community service is not as valued a part of the university experience at the University of Chicago as it should be.” Third-year Akshaya Kannan, co-president of Students for Health Equity, also felt it would be good exposure for incoming students and for her RSO. “It would create a space for us to advertise,” she said.
Cape Town program cut after departures of head faculty SENEGAL continued from front
The Cape Town semester was cut after its head faculty, anthropology and social sciences professors Jean Comaroff and John Comaroff, decided to leave for Harvard University. “The Cape Town program is going to Harvard along with the Comaroffs,” Austen said in an e-mail. First-year Ashwin Ganti had hoped to apply to the Cape Town program next year to study colonial history and is relieved that there will be some opportunity to travel to the continent. Dakar is known for its striking architecture that dates from its time as a French colony. “West Africa and South Africa do have different histories, so the experience would be a little different, but it would still be interesting to explore that part of Africa, especially since I haven’t learned as much about it,” Ganti said. Second-year Jamie Keiles, who will be in the Paris program this fall, is unsure of how a trip to Dakar would fit into the curriculum, which she expected would focus on Paris’s population of African immigrants. She remains optimistic, however. “Part of the study abroad is being thrust out of your comfort zone and being in as many places as possible,” she said.
“I’ve been to dozens of these events,” says skeptical resident WOODLAWN continued from front
most desirable communities in Chicago,” citing the global economic downturn and the problems in CPS as the largest obstacles to the neighborhood’s growth. Community improvement will be supported by the University, Nimocks said, citing the Urban Education Institute as a specific program that would support education improvement. “You have to give these kids mobility,” he said, “they want some sort of actualization.” If the neighborhood youth is not pushed on a path to college, Nimocks said, they will find their sense of self in violence and drug dealing. Past collaboration with the University has included support for the Woodlawn Children’s Promise Community and help to secure a $30 million federal grant to renovate an affordable housing complex in the neighborhood. “I’ve been to dozens of these kinds of events,” said Anton Seals Jr., a South Shore resident with background in Woodlawn politics, “so I’m never clear what the outcomes will be,” he said, noting that often the “power brokers” have already made the relevant decisions. But Seals expressed optimism about this summit as a “community engagement strategy.” The members of the community are not involved, he said, “except in these kinds of settings.”
As Harvard divests, U of C sticks with HEI Jennifer Standish News Staff Joining several of its peer institutions, Harvard University decided this past week not to reinvest in HEI Hotels and Resorts once its current contract ends, a move likely to resonate with students here who have been agitating against the U of C’s investment in the company for years. The company has caught allegations of unfair labor practices and of antipathy toward unions. Students opposed to HEI cite complaints that the company has threatened employees attempting to unionize with mass layoffs. The U of C would not comment on its investment activities. However, according to fourthyear Brita Hofwolt, a member of Southside Solidarity Network (SSN), U of C invests in HEI’s largest private equity fund, contributing to a pot of $515,350,000 for hotel acquisition and development. President of the Harvard Management Company (HMC) Jane L. Mendillo stated that Harvard’s decision was rooted in “factors related to the HMC portfolio and its strategy and needs,” not HEI’s controversial labor practices, the Harvard Crimson reported Sunday. University spokesperson Steve Kloehn said that
the U of C’s decision to invest in HEI, which runs hotels like Hilton and Marriott, does not pivot around the company’s public image. However, he said, “The University’s investment team does perform thorough due diligence to ensure that the entities in which it invests and their managers have no history of illegal behavior and have a strong track record of meeting the professional norms of their businesses.” Kloehn also quoted from the Kalven Report, a document stressing University neutrality in politically sensitive issues. Campus student groups have criticized the report for being a catch-all response to their objections to University policy, and in March Student Government sponsored a forum questioning the document’s use. Still, first-year Emma LaBounty said that SSN is looking for ways to reengage the administration. “The main issue is that the University has an unwillingness to engage in dialogue,” LaBounty said. “So our energy is focused on contacting other RSOs and other advocates against HEI investment.” With momentum gaining on campuses across the nation, students are coordinating their efforts into “a unique campaign with tangible impacts,” LaBounty said. –Additional reporting by Crystal Tsoi.
Students will need training in order to use newly acquired van VANS continued from front
of last year under the 2010-2011 SG executive slate, the project has faced significant delays due to logistical complications with getting the project approved. “You need to initially get a good sense of demand, then begin figuring out what levels of legal and other certification the University needs you to comply with, then find funding and begin comparing financial options, and where we’re at now, coordinate delivery and operational administration to make sure it works well for student groups,” Kalad said. Student drivers will not require a special license to operate the vans, Kalad said, but will have to undergo a special training with UCSC to get certified for the University’s insurance plan. Kalad is satisfied with SG’s efforts to provide this option for student groups. “At the end of the day, demonstrating the need for the program, finding funding, and complying with University protocols were all worth it, knowing we could bring something like this to campus.”
This contest is no joke! But... it is a joke contest! In recognition of National Humor Month, the Health Promotion and Wellness Department invites you to submit your best UChicago joke! What do you
How do you….
call a… Knock, Knock…
A guy walked into a bar…
Why did the chicken…
Keep it clean and positive. The top three jokes will win fun prizes and Facebook fame! Submit your joke on our wall at www.facebook.com/UChicagoHealthandWellness. Don’t have a Facebook account? Don’t worry, email us at wellness.uchicago@gmail.com Entries must be received by April 24th, 2012
Look out for funny flyers, chalked jokes, and the rest of Health Promotion and Wellness’s humor campaign around campus! Have you laughed today? Humor is an important component to health and wellness. For more information on the wellness benefits of laughter and humor visit the Health Promotion and Wellness website. Let us know what you think. Contact Health Promotion and Wellness Website: wellness.uchicago.edu Twitter: @WellnesUchicago Facebook: UChicagoHealthandWellness T
THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | April 3, 2012
Copyrights kill freedoms, tech activist claims Ankit Jain News Staff Programmer and software freedom activist Richard Stallman delivered a rousing attack on copyright law and proprietary software Monday afternoon at the International House Auditorium. In a two-hour lecture, Stallman claimed that current copyright law and proprietary software was an attack on fundamental freedoms and outlined his own vision for how copyright law should work. “If you’re using a nonfree program, then it has taken away your freedom,� he said. “We can’t allow the power over our citizens that came to be in the age of the printing press.� Striking a defiant tone from the onset of his speech, Stallman laid out in no uncertain terms his absolutist perspective
between free and proprietary software. “With software there’s just two possibilities, either the users control the program or the program controls the users,� he said. For Stallman there are four essential freedoms that everyone should have in regards to software: the ability to run the program as one wishes, the ability to study and change the source code, the freedom to share exact copies, and the freedom to share modified copies. Proprietary programs, Stallman explained, take away these fundamental freedoms and, by requiring that their users use them in certain ways and to perform specific functions, end up becoming instruments of control. “A non-free program is simply an instrument of unjust power. A non-free program is an injustice. It should not exist. Non-free software is
unethical,� he said. Stallman explained how current copyright law is rooted in a reality that no longer exists. Copyright law was originally created for a world of centralized distribution centers. In a world where anyone can now distribute information through the Internet, the current copyright laws do not work. “[Copyright law] is no longer an industrial regulation on publishers, controlled by authors, with benefits going to the public,� he said. “It’s now a restriction on the general public, controlled mostly by the publishers, just in the name of the authors.� Third-year Ben Scholz attended the talk and found Stallman’s arguments convincing. “Ultimately I found his arguments pretty wellthought out and rational, despite his maybe crazy demeanor,� he said.
CORRECTIONS Âť The March 30 article “Student Anger Subsides After Pierce Renovationsâ€?
misspelled the last name of Wick House RA Sam Ngooi.
3
Ambassador sees “strategic threat� in anti-Israel rhetoric
Israeli Ambassador Micheal Oren answers audience questions from moderator and professor of Near Eastern history Fred Donner about Israeli-American and regional relations Monday afternoon at the International House. GRIFFIN DENNIS | THE CHICAGO MAROON ISRAEL continued from front
Israel’s apartheid!� Oren, Israeli ambassador since 2009 and historian of the Middle East, offered a long-view account of the relationship between Israel and America, beginning with the pilgrims, who, according to Oren, viewed themselves as the “new Israelites.� Oren claimed that a Biblical narrative is ingrained in American society, and that American democratic values are ingrained in Israeli society. “If you go to some places in the United States, you’ll find a Ben-Gurion Street, a Golda Meir Street. If you go to my hometown, Jerusalem, you’ll find a Lincoln Street and a Washington Street,� he said. Commercial ties have also emerged in the past 20 years, fur-
ther connecting the two countries. According to Oren, Israel is now America’s twentieth largest export destination. “When most American companies were outsourcing jobs to Asia, Israel was outsourcing jobs to the U.S.,� Oren said. Fourth-year David Akinin was relieved to see civility during the lecture, considering the protests that interrupted former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s lecture at the University in 2009. “I was looking to see a change in our campus, as [Olmert’s] reception was disappointing and embarrassing,� Akinin said. “It was wonderful to be able to hear [Oren] bring historical perspective, connecting American history and the achievements of the
state of Israel.� The talk’s moderator, professor of Near Eastern history Fred Donner, read questions submitted from the audience at the end, including one which expressed concern about challenges to the legitimacy of Israel as a nation. “We have to take the de-legitimization issue seriously. We view it not as a PR problem, but as a strategic threat,� Oren said in response. Third-year Sami Kishawi, a protester involved with SJP, stated that the group was not protesting Israel’s right to exist. “Nothing here is anti-Semitic. I believe in a solution that’s equal to all sides,� he said. However, she said, “The principles of truth and justice should not be applied selectively.�
The University of Chicago Law School Proudly Presents
Economy, Law, and Entrepreneurialism: A Conversation with Sam Zell with Dean Michael H. Schill
FRESH.
FAST. TASTY.
Tuesday, April 3 Š 12:25 p.m. University of Chicago Law School Sam Zell’s investments span industries and continents, and include interests LQ ÀQDQFH HQHUJ\ WUDQVSRUWDWLRQ FRPPXQLFDWLRQV DQG UHDO HVWDWH +H LV UHFRJQL]HG DV D IRXQGLQJ IDWKHU RI WRGD\¡V SXEOLF UHDO HVWDWH LQGXVWU\ DIWHU FUHDWLQJ WKUHH RI WKH ODUJHVW UHDO HVWDWH LQYHVWPHQW WUXVWV 5(,7V LQ KLVWRU\ $ QDWLYH &KLFDJRDQ =HOO KROGV D EDFKHORU¡V GHJUHH DQG D - ' IURP WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ RI 0LFKLJDQ +H EHJDQ KLV FDUHHU LQ UHDO HVWDWH DV DQ XQGHUJUDGXDWH DW WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ E\ PDQDJLQJ DSDUWPHQW EXLOGLQJV WKURXJKRXW 6RXWKHDVW 0LFKLJDQ +H LV D IUHTXHQW FRQWULEXWRU RI DUWLFOHV WR YDULRXV SXEOLFDWLRQV DQG LV RIWHQ KHDUG DV D NH\QRWH VSHDNHU WKURXJKRXW WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV DQG (XURSH 7KLV HYHQW LV IUHH DQG RSHQ WR WKH SXEOLF )RU VSHFLDO DVVLVWDQFH RU QHHGV SOHDVH FRQWDFW 5HEHFFD .ODII DW /XQFK ZLOO EH SURYLGHG
FREAKY FAST
DELIVERY! Š2011 JIMMY JOHN’S FRANCHISE, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
4
THE CHICAGO MAROON | ADVERTISEMENT | April 3, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SUMMER SESSION ’12
If you’re a standout, you’ll fit right in. There is a difference between communicating ideas and experiencing them. It’s the difference between memorizing a foreign language and thinking in one. Between studying ruins and excavating them. Between analyzing dreams and living them. The difference is huge. And it’s the very essence of the University of Chicago Summer Session. Where students are engaged at every level—intellectually, socially, personally, and professionally. Where you can benefit from the value of taking university courses in an accelerated, intensive format. Join us this summer for an extraordinary learning experience at the academic home to more than 85 Nobel laureates. For students in high school, college, and beyond. June 18–August 24, 2012, 3, 4, 5, or 6-week sessions
For more information: summer.uchicago.edu/go/UCMARO 773.702.6033 summer@uchicago.edu
VIEWPOINTS
Editorial & Op-Ed APRIL 3, 2012
Global positioning Study Abroad should expand programs in underrepresented areas The student newspaper of the University of Chicago since 1892 ADAM JANOFSKY Editor-in-Chief CAMILLE VAN HORNE Managing Editor JORDAN LARSON Editor-in-Chief-Elect SHARAN SHETTY Editor-in-Chief-Elect COLIN BRADLEY Managing Editor-Elect MAHMOUD BAHRANI Senior Editor DOUGLAS EVERSON, JR Senior Editor SAM LEVINE Senior Editor HARUNOBU CORYNE News Editor REBECCA GUTERMAN News Editor GIOVANNI WROBEL News Editor EMILY WANG Viewpoints Editor AJAY BATRA Viewpoints Editor CHARNA ALBERT Arts Editor HANNAH GOLD Arts Editor TOMI OBARO Arts Editor DANIEL LEWIS Sports Editor VICENTE FERNANDEZ Sports Editor BELLA WU Head Designer KEVIN WANG Web Editor ALICE BLACKWOOD Head Copy Editor DON HO Head Copy Editor JEN XIA Head Copy Editor DARREN LEOW Photo Editor JAMIE MANLEY Photo Editor BEN POKROSS Assoc. News Editor LINDA QIU Assoc. News Editor CRYSTAL TSOI Assoc. News Editor DAVID KANER Assoc. Viewpoints Editor
The allure of studying abroad, of escaping campus and being immersed in a new country, community, and language, has always been especially strong at the U of C, where many students choose to spend a quarter or more outside Hyde Park. The Study Abroad office has typically met this demand, offering a wide selection of over 40 programs. Currently, however, the diversity of options is lacking : There are 20 University-run Europe programs and four University-run programs in Asia, but only one University-run program in both Africa (Cairo) and Latin America (Oaxaca). And with the recent discontinuation of the Cape Town program, an already slim offering in Africa has been even further diminished. The Study Abroad office must make increasing African and Latin American opportunities its first priority. The Oaxaca program remains the U of C’s only University-run Latin American study abroad option. Both of the other available programs—in the Dominican Republic and Guanajuato—are not University-run. With its large Latin American Studies program,
the University should have no doubt that students would have a strong interest in additional study abroad options in Latin America, and more specifically, should look to establish programs in South America, where it currently has no offerings. There is a similar dearth of study abroad options in the University’s African civilizations program. Due to the suspension of the Cape Town program, there is now not a single African civilizations program located on the continent. Beside the African civilizations program located in Paris, the only remaining opportunities with a focus on African studies are the autumn Tanzania program and the winter Botswana program. Both of these opportunities are affiliated, and neither fulfills the civilization requirement for the College. The Cape Town program was the oldest and most established U of C program in Africa. The Cairo program—the second-oldest and now the only remaining civilizations offering in Africa— focuses on Middle Eastern civilization and has experienced instability in recent years; this past
winter’s program was conducted entirely in Morocco. Granted, the Study Abroad office cannot be accused of having a Eurocentric agenda: the recent opening of the 23,000-square-foot center in Beijing illustrates the Study Abroad office’s commitment to expanding beyond England, France, and Spain. Nevertheless, more work should be done to sustain our presence in Africa and Latin America in order to ensure that students’ diverse interests are met as fully as possible. The University should first look to reinstitute a program in South Africa—though a large portion of its faculty will no longer be able to participate, it still has a decade-old infrastructure set up with respected local universities, academics, and NGOs. Students spent time in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and were one of few study abroad groups in the world who had permission to spend weeks in Kruger National Park. Such benefits are hard to construct from scratch, and the Study Abroad office would do well to capitalize on already existing connections. If continuing a South African
program is impossible, the Study Abroad office should look to create other civilization programs in Africa. Unfortunately, instead of establishing a new program in Africa itself, the most serious proposal under consideration is focused on expanding the African civilizations in Paris program. This is perhaps the least desirable option possible: having the Paris program take an excursion to Senegal is a pale substitute for spending two months on the continent and fully engaging with local culture and history. The Civ requirement is predicated on the study of the world’s greatest civilizations, and, more importantly, on “direct encounters with some of its most significant documents and monuments.” If the Study Abroad office and the University want to ensure balance among European, African, Asian, and Latin American programs, they need to focus on providing these direct experiences within each continent, rather than outside it.
The Editorial Board consists of the Editor-in-Chief, Editors-in-ChiefElect and the Viewpoints Editors.
EMMA BRODER Assoc. Arts Editor ALICE BUCKNELL Assoc. Arts Editor SCOTTY CAMPBELL Assoc. Arts Editor DANIEL RIVERA Assoc. Arts Editor SARAH LANGS Assoc. Sports Editor MATTHEW SCHAEFER Assoc. Sports Editor TIFFANY TAN Assoc. Photo Editor TYRONALD JORDAN Business Manager
Dethroning the welfare queen
Prejudicial review In light of the Trayvon Martin incident, we all stand to benefit from honest self-reflection about race
Those who vilify the welfare state attempt to preserve their own privilege
VIVIAN HUA Undergraduate Business Executive VINCENT MCGILL Delivery Coordinator SONIA DHAWAN Designer ANDREW GREEN Designer ALYSSA LAWTHER Designer SARAH LI Designer CATIE ARBONA Copy Editor AMISHI BAJAJ Copy Editor JANE BARTMAN Copy Editor MARTIA BRADLEY Copy Editor ELIZABETH BYNUM Copy Editor LISA FAN Copy Editor
By Christopher Ivan Viewpoints Columnist
ALAN HASSLER Copy Editor NISHANTH IYENGAR Copy Editor MICHELLE LEE Copy Editor KATIE MOCK Copy Editor LANE SMITH Copy Editor ESTHER YU Copy Editor BEN ZIGTERMAN Copy Editor
The Chicago Maroon is published twice weekly during autumn, winter, and spring quarters Circulation: 5,500. The opinions expressed in the Viewpoints section are not necessarily those of the Maroon. © 2011 The Chicago Maroon, Ida Noyes Hall, 1212 East 59th Street Chicago, IL 60637 Editor-in-Chief Phone: 773.834.1611 Newsroom Phone: 773.702.1403 Business Phone: 773.702.9555 Fax: 773.702.3032 CONTACT News: News@ChicagoMaroon.com Viewpoints: Viewpoints@ChicagoMaroon.com Arts: Arts@ChicagoMaroon.com Sports: Sports@ChicagoMaroon.com Photography: Photo@ChicagoMaroon.com Design: Douglas@ChicagoMaroon.com Copy: CopyEditors@ChicagoMaroon.com Advertising: Ads@ChicagoMaroon.com
The most potent weapon in the conservative arsenal is the myth of the welfare queen. The argument that American society is plagued by hordes of lazy, greedy freeloaders hell-bent on extracting as much money, food, and benefits from the public dole as they can, justifies a lot of the poor-hating rhetoric regularly spewed in town halls, on the campaign trail, and around dinner tables all over the nation. They have no incentive to work, the logic goes. The nanny state pays their bills, gives them healthcare, and provides them food stamps as they irresponsibly rack up debt. And, lest we forget, they used to sell food stamps on street corners at a discount to buy their drugs. Good thing the government instituted those Link cards, and is continuing its rollback of the welfare program. Well, the welfare queen is a myth. It’s the cornerstone principle in a decades-old attack on the public safety net, on taxing the
very wealthy, on keeping in public hands anything the market is hungering for—whether it is garbage collection, water provision, mental health, or education. “Free market” extremists want everything in private hands. Does the market invariably get everything wrong, or does the private sector always convert people into commodities? Of course not. Does the private sector, under the all-important profit incentive, vigilantly seek to minimize employment and benefits for workers wherever possible? Of course it does. And the myth of the welfare queen feeds into this logic. It’s the effective fear-mongering clarion call of the super rich, used to frighten middle-class America into supporting the school closings, privatizations, and attacks on the safety net that are always happening somewhere else. That is, until they come knocking on your door—and at that point, your community is too confused and fragmented to do anything about it, with the most directly affected groups left to fight a losing battle against the combined forces of the state and private sector. Why a myth? Why not an accurate depiction of the poor mired in the laziness that, with the proper incentive, could be shattered to allow the destitute to raise themselves up? Well, for WELFARE continued on page 6
By Maya Fraser Viewpoints Columnist A white teenager walks down the street of a residential neighborhood. He is pursued by a black member of the neighborhood watch patrolling in his SUV. The patrolman exits his vehicle, and a confrontation occurs that results in the teenager being shot. This situation should be familiar: It is the Trayvon Martin shooting, with the races of the two players reversed. However, it is not the same story, and would most likely not have had the same ending. I cannot believe that the police would have failed to conduct an investigation if a black man had shot a white teenager. It is for this reason that so many have protested the handling of this case. They, and I, for that matter, think that the race of the individuals involved led police to assume that they knew who could be deemed guilty. Government should not shrink from the problem of racial conflict: Instead, it should implement safeguards to prevent officials from making prejudiced decisions. Yet race was mysteriously absent from discussions of the case, both by GOP candidates Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, and even in state-
ments by President Obama, who limited his “racial” commentary to, “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.” Far from glossing over the issue of race, Gingrich actively denied that it was a factor in either the shooting or the national attention given to the case. In response to Obama’s comment, Gingrich accused Obama of “trying to turn it into a racial issue.” Those who deny the importance of race in this issue fail to acknowledge the continued presence of racism and prejudice in America and their effects on our everyday decisions. Though the discussion of this incident has been conducted on the national stage, it is especially important that we, as residents or frequenters of Hyde Park, consider the conversation in contemplating our own racial issues. The Trayvon Martin case is not an isolated incident, but simply an extreme case of something that occurs every day in Chicago, every day in Hyde Park, and every day on our campus. In the past few years, there have been several high-profile cases within the campus community in which black students or University affiliates were arrested or interrogated by the police for perfectly innocent behavior (for example, carrying speakers down the street). These police were probably not immoral, nor are they likely to have held bigoted beliefs. Instead, they fell prey to the unconscious prejudices that most Americans share. Studies have consistently shown that juries RACE continued on page 6
THE CHICAGO MAROON | VIEWPOINTS | April 3, 2012
6
Composite sketch “Etch-A-Sketch” candidate Mitt Romney shows willingness to shape his policies to reflect the collective will of his constituents Minjae Kim Viewpoints Contributor If you’ve followed Republican primary politics the last few weeks, chances are you’ve heard the analog y between Mitt Romney’s political stances and an Etch-A-Sketch. In an interview, when asked if Romney was worried that his “severely conservative” political position would hurt him in the general election, Romney’s campaign staff said that the general election is a totally new game—the campaign can start over, just as you can start over your drawing in an Etch-ASketch. Romney’s competitors have criticized him for flip-flopping simply in order to win votes, and his campaign staffer’s comment made it even more official that the governor is a political opportunist. Although it is likely that Romney will win the Republican Party nomination, his EtchA-Sketch stance has been widely criticized by both conservatives and liberals. However, why do we dislike Romney’s Etch-a-Sketch politics? Yes, the critics have pointed out that Romney has lied about his political stances, and the deceptions of politicians should be criticized for obvious reasons; the political will of constituents cannot be translated into concrete results when they are represented by lying elected officials. How-
ever, how about flip-flopping on policy alone? As the governor of Massachusetts, Romney helped implement the state’s healthcare program, which very much resembles the President’s recently passed national program. Yet, Romney now criticizes “Obamacare.” His political position, in other words, has shifted from one that mandated healthcare coverage for all to one that prioritizes individual freedom. And this shift has to do with the conservative basis of the Republican Party. Romney needs to win the nomination from the Republican Party first in order to run in the general election, and, in order to do so, he needs to appeal to the conservative core of the Party’s support. Santorum and Gingrich—more conservative primary competitors—have pointed out this shift in Romney’s political stance as an example of his untrustworthiness. Romney, they say, would not protect conservative values under political pressure. But do we want politicians who maintain their political stance dogmatically, regardless of constituents’ demands? We elect officials to their respective positions because we believe that they will best represent our demands via policy and politicking. We exercise our political will (dare I say, general will) via these elected officials, not because they are su-
perior to us, but because they will best translate our abstract will into concrete result. Finally, we expect elected officials to change their political stance when we change our own political stance, depending on the social, economic, historical and other contexts. We do not expect elected officials to hold on to their views just for the sake of ideological purity; we want them to switch their stance when we deem it necessary. The democratic institution of election makes sure that officials either listen to their constituents or risk losing their jobs. So, I would prefer an elected official to change his view when he is pressured from his constituents to do so, rather than hold onto one dogmatic view regardless of public opinion. After all, the effectiveness of politicians depends on their ability to translate their constituents’ political will into policy, not on their capacity to form their own political stances. If we elect officials based on the latter quality, then we are electing individuals who may have the same views as us in some cases, but who will not act in line with our demands. This, of course, requires me to acknowledge that the political positions of elected officials that I once liked may evolve into political positions that I dislike. Politicians, after all, will listen to the “whim of the masses” or the
Blaming the disenfranchised for their plight is contradictory WELFARE continued from page 5 starters, raising oneself up requires social programs: educational loans, decent schools, good leaders and role models to dispel legitimate alienation in low-income youth, after-school programs, fair policing, and simply put, access to decently-paying jobs through modern, affordable public transit. It is no coincidence that deindustrialization, a widening income gap, decreasing public services, increasing crime rates, poverty, and welfare claims have all followed the same trajectories since at least the 1970s. Yet, everyone’s favorite story is mom or dad X, who rode three hours each day to the city center, for his or her 14 hour work day making $8.50 an hour, all while raising two to seven kids. These kinds of people exist in far greater numbers than you might think, but the difficulties that face them are absurd. To expect that the bulk of any populace will come around if we institutionalize “the right incentives” is criminal. So, keep rolling back public services, and instead of people suddenly feeling like they have the necessary motivation to demean themselves by serving the well-off in our “service” economy, we will see more of what we are already seeing— increased drug use, crime rates, suicide, and violence. Not to mention even more fractured homes, shootings, racial segregation, and the ever widening gap between princes and paupers. What is traditionally thought of as “welfare” has, for the past decade or so, been called the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. It requires recipients to have employment within two years, is revoked after five years, and has undergone a series of state-specific decreases
on maximum possible provision since its redesign under Clinton. This is part of the wider shift from Americans seeking to aid the poor as a communal duty, to blaming them as part of the increasing emphasis on the “every man for himself ” attitude fomented by private interests. Rather than articulating or understanding the plight of the disenfranchised, it is much easier to blame them as part of the persistent misconception that we all “go it alone,” that we don’t actually live in something called a society and rely heavily on publicly operated or subsidized services. Therefore, every public program that doesn’t conspicuously put money in our pockets must be another instance of the nanny state, directed by some liberal cabal with an army of brainwashed young people at its disposal. It makes perfect sense if you see society as some kind of dog-eat-dog fight for economic survival and not as, well, a society. It also, unfortunately for us all, is an argument that plays right into the hands of moneyed interests. The “keep your hands off my [insert object of fear-mongering ]” of the conservative fringe is reflective of the true “Generation Me” that is passively facilitating this nation’s self-destruction. Yet, America’s tradition of cooperation and community runs far deeper than any tradition of go-it-alone homesteaders slashing their way across the continent. Pioneer families almost never trekked alone—that would be boundlessly stupid, a sure way to get your family killed. No one in this life ever truly goes it alone, so it is not for the powerful few to institutionalize poverty for the many. Christopher Ivan is a graduate student in the MAPSS program.
NIA SOTTO
| THE CHICAGO MAROON
“irrational mob,” rather than my “rational expectations.” In other words, I have to acknowledge that things won’t work the way I want. And I’m ok with that. As much as I would like to believe that I make rational decisions, I can really only vote based on my narrow interests and limited knowledge of policy content. As much as I believe in my moral integrity, I know that I am also exposed to political, social and economic interests that shape my voting behavior. And, no matter how much I think I know, I ac-
knowledge that I may be wrong a lot of times, maybe more often than I am right. So, I welcome you, Etch-ASketch Mitt Romney. I hope you flip-flop, not to lie about your past political records, but to factor constituents’ changing demands into your decision-making process. Then, we will be one step closer to having a democracy that works. Minjae Kim is a fourth-year in the College majoring in political science.
Racial isssues must be confronted, not condoned or swept under the rug RACE continued from page 5 are much more likely to choose capital punishment for blacks than for whites, that employers are less likely to interview employees with “stereotypically black” names than those with “stereotypically white” names, and that many Americans, even black Americans, find it much more difficult to form positive associations with black faces than with white. It is often difficult for people to admit that these prejudices exist, either because they are unconscious, or because they want to think that they are “good people” who would never judge someone on the basis of race. But refusing to admit the problem, or insisting that America does not struggle with racial issues, will only condone our failure to take needed action, not make the problem disappear. My prejudices are apparent to me everyday I walk down the streets of Hyde Park. I know that I am more anxious when passing black men on the street than I am when passing people of other races. I feel guilty about this, but I also posit that this is the case for a large number of people reading this column. Ultimately, this demands that I ask: What is my responsibility to other people in light of my prejudices, and what can I do to fulfill that responsibility? There is no denying that race has a great effect upon how we see an individual and how that individual sees herself. It would also be difficult to argue that there are no statistical, albeit still unfair, bases for these prejudices: If you are mugged in Hyde Park, it will probably be by a black male. However, we owe it to the individuals we meet to evaluate them upon their actions, not upon what we think their actions might be. This is most important in situations where our actions will directly affect that individual—for example, hiring, police work, and teaching. As a private individual, a good rule of thumb is to mentally change the race of the individual and
see if you act in the same way that you would have otherwise. If your action would be different, you should think about why this is the case and reevaluate your action. Self-reflection goes a long way toward correcting bias. For individuals in official positions, such as in business or government, this is not adequate. People have unconscious prejudices whose effects are magnified when they are in positions of power. In these situations, organizations should use some kind of “control,” where no races are used. In cases of hiring, this can be as simple as covering the names of candidates while reviewing their resumes. In police matters, someone who does not know the races of those involved should review the case and offer their opinion. These measures would go a long way towards controlling institutionalized prejudice, and perhaps most importantly, help people evaluate their actions and change them for the better. Maya Fraser is a second-year in the College majoring in sociology.
SUBMISSIONS The Chicago Maroon welcomes opinions and responses from its readers. Send op-ed submissions and letters to: The Chicago Maroon attn: Viewpoints 1212 East 59th Street Chicago, IL 60637 E-mail: Viewpoints@ChicagoMaroon.com 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.
ARTS
Trivial Pursuits APRIL 03, 2012
Mirror, Mirror is the fairest flop of them all Daniel Rivera Associate Arts Editor When news broke that 2012 would welcome not one, but two new major studio adaptations of the Grimm Brothers’ classic “Snow White,” Hollywood exploded in a fit of wagging tongues and early bets: Which Queen would reign supreme—Julia Roberts or Charlize Theron? Of the poisoned princesses, who would end up fairest of them all—Lily Collins or Kristen Stewart?
MIRROR, MIRROR Tarsem Singh AMC Loews
Well, with the release of Tarsem Singh’s Mirror, Mirror, Rupert Sanders’s Snow White and Huntsman, due out in June, can breathe a sigh of relief. The fairy tale bar has been set so low that even the seven dwarves would throw it a side-eye. To many, this might not be particularly surprising. Singh, whose best film to date is 2006’s stunning The Fall, has garnered a reputation for producing movies of unparalleled style that often forgo substance for vision. With-
out a strong script, he offers up mediocre popcorn flicks like last year’s Immortals. Add to this an ever-more-apathetic Julia Roberts, whose ennui shone through even in Mirror’s three-minute trailer, and model-turned-actress Lily Collins, and prospects weren’t promising. You know the story, and outside of a few turned phrases, Mirror, Mirror doesn’t change much. Armie Hammer is winning as Prince Alcott, and Nathan Lane is a breath of life as the Queen’s hand, but otherwise everything expected to go wrong, does. Julia Roberts, whose star power has been fading rapidly with a flaming tail of box office flops, has officially lost whatever charm her canyon-wide smile once held. Her stiff and cold exterior could’ve lent itself quite naturally to the role of an evil queen, but Roberts doesn’t much seem like she’s into the “acting thing” anymore. She vaguely channels a detached imperiousness into the script, which works when her Queen is bored, or humorously irreverent. But otherwise, she’s just being Julia Roberts, wearing a crown. There’s no menace, or malice, and what could’ve been a fun turn for her (had she indulged in it) ends up being totally yawn-inducing. Lily Collins, daughter of singer
Lily Collins as Snow White in Mirror, Mirror is a pretty, pretty vapid princess. COURTESY OF RELATIVITY MEDIA
Phil Collins, is our fabled princess, and in stills she’s an absolutely perfect Snow White. Porcelain skin? Check. Thick, arched eyebrows? Check. Doe eyes? Check. Screen presence? Scratch. Collins moves through the movie like she might be at a photoshoot, never
looking a shade less than flawless but with the acting prowess of that awkward girl who did the news in middle school and could never get the hang of reading lines off the teleprompter. Okay, she’s not quite that bad, but, at best, she’s entirely bland and distant, never
establishing chemistry with her dwarf allies or, more tragically, her prince. She has a bit of a moment near the end with Roberts as she takes a dagger to an apple, but, of course, by that point the movie’s about to end and no one’s MIRROR continued on page 9
From Gossip to gaga: Taylor Momsen gets a new gig
Taylor Momsen takes off her Constance uniform (and her top) in pursuit of rock ‘n roll dreams. COURTESY OF SPIN MAGAZINE
Anastasia Golovashkina Arts Staff You can tell a lot about a band from the fans that wade (or claw, or drunkenly threaten) their way to the front rows of their shows. For Taylor Momsen’s punk-rock quartet The Pretty Reckless, those fans are a portion-controlled mix of underage Gossip Girls and the parents who chauffeur them. It’s the kind of crowd you’d expect from a Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift concert, if either of those artists aligned themselves with the rock genre. But Momsen, though the same age as Bieber, packs twice the vocal punch. The Maroon had a chance to chat with Taylor Momsen before The Pretty Reckless played at Chicago’s Bottom Lounge on March 29. “We’ve actually been really busy
writing our second record right now,” Momsen told us in an interview earlier this month. “We just got back from doing Soundwave Festival in Australia, and we’re about to start a two-month headline tour, ‘The Medicine,’ in North and South America.” While the band’s adolescent crowd may still prefer a sugar pill to “The Medicine,” Momsen’s young band has paid its dues, from performing at the likes of Lollapalooza and Warped Tour to opening for brandname bands like Evanescence and Marilyn Manson. Warped Tour? “It’s definitely its own little thing!” Momsen told us. “I mean, many festivals are very similar: lots of bands, lots of schedules, sound check. But at Warped Tour, there is no sound check, and you don’t know what time you’re play-
ing until the day of. There have been quite a few days when you’re just getting out of bed, and you’re on stage in 20 minutes! So, you just get on stage and have fun with it.” “Now,” Momsen added, “we’re ready for anything.” But it seems like Reckless has been ready from the beginning. Since founding the band in 2009, Momsen has yet to take a real vacation: “It’s been kind of non-stop,” Momsen said. “With writing, recording, touring. Right after we finish up ‘The Medicine,’ we’ll be going straight into recording a second record.” Momsen writes the songs and does almost all the interviews, but, as anyone who attends their shows would know, there are three other band members to account for. How, then, does a Reckless record come
together? “Every song is written so differently—there’s really no direct process,” Momsen says. “But I think that when you’re writing a record, you’re in a certain place in your life, and it cohesively just ends up coming together as a reflection of that place—of that theme, of whatever it is you’re writing about. It can be love, or it can be emotion, or whatever the fuck it is, you know. But it comes together.” “The most challenging part about it all is that writing can be a torturous process. You’re just coming up with nothing and nothing forever—and then, you finally have something, and that’s the best feeling on the planet [laughs]. It’s the best.” The interplay of rock and roll, sex, and religion is especially prevalent in the band’s live performanc-
es of their single “Goin’ Down”: “Hey there Father, I don’t wanna bother you/But I’ve got a sin to confess,” Momsen croons in the opening lines of the controversial song. “I’m just sixteen, if you know what I mean/Do you mind if I take off my dress?” The song’s lyrics have obvious religious and sexual themes, so it’s no surprise that the band’s tradition of asking an audience member to come on stage and strip got started in a church. “I don’t remember where we were playing, but it was in the U.S, and it was in a church, and it was a very weird environment. It was a very strange show. So we asked if anyone wanted to get on stage, and this chick in the front row just fucking took her top off and jumped on stage,” Momsen recalled. “Then, it kind of just became a ‘thing.’ It gets the crowd excited, and we get a great response!” Thursday’s show was no exception. Though her July 26, 1993 birth date makes her the age of a typical college freshman, thanks to hits like How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) (she played Cindy Lou Who) and her role as black sheep Jenny Humphrey on the hit show Gossip Girl, she’s already made a name for herself on screens and stages—both big and small—worldwide. But with her last episode of Gossip Girl having aired on May 17, 2010, it’s been a while since Momsen has occupied the small screen, or been seen anywhere except in an amphitheater or MOMSEN continued on page 10
8
THE CHICAGO MAROON | ADVERTISEMENT | April 03, 2012
2012 Summer Sports Programs
Boys & Girls Currently in Grades K-8 Full Day, Morning, Afternoon Sessions June 11 to August 2/3 summersportsprograms@uchicago.edu (773) 702-9065 athletics.uchicago.edu/sssc/sssc.htm
Earlybird Registration Savings through April 15
THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | April 03, 2012
Leukemia awareness concert channels YouTube Angela Qian Arts Staff “My mom better not see this on YouTube,� Michelle Martinez laughed, a joking reference to the fact that all the performers at the Perfect Match concert on April 1st first became popular because of their YouTube video channels. She was referring to the love song she’d sung and the teasing dance she’d performed for an audience member she’d asked to come on stage, just one of the many highlights of the performance at Mandel Hall that night. This was the second concert hosted by Lambda Phi Epsilon to both raise awareness for the lack of minority representation in the national bone marrow registry and to help find a donor for leukemia patient Janet Liang, a graduate student at UCLA who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2009 and has since taken to YouTube to find a bone marrow donor. The event was organized by Lambda members including second-year Matthew Lee, Vice President of External Relations; first-year Daryl Xu, the Social Chair; and third-year Paul Park. In comparison to their last concert, Lee said that they were able to get a lot more donors and more talents to perform this time around. The lineup was impressively long, with ten artists performing a variety of covers and original compositions in the three-hour-long concert. Flying in from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and even Canada, the full list of performers included Veronica Summers, Eppic, Jess Moskaluke, Alex G, J Reyez, JustKidding Films, Tiffany Alvord, Arden Cho, Michelle Martinez, and Lil Crazed. The first half of the concert was very energetic, with many lively personalities that drew audience approval. Although some performers were more experienced than others, each art-
ist was very professional and showcased their singing, dancing, and music gracefully. Eppic was especially engaged with the crowd, receiving loud cheers and applause for his performance. The talented and vocally powerful Jess Moskaluke performed song covers as well as original compositions. Most of the audience was excited to see Arden Cho—an actress, model, and, lately, singer—who was possibly the most well-known of the lineup. After the intermission, J Reyez also drew many audience members to the front, eliciting screams and cheers with their last English-language cover of the famous song “Wedding Dress,â€? originally by Taeyang. The proceeds from the concert went to the Asian American Donor Program. According to Lee, the program’s nation-wide efforts hosting drives to raise awareness for the lack of minority representation in the bone marrow registry have resulted in over three hundred people signing up for the registry. Xu, who planned a similar concert during high school, contacted many artists asking them to support the Janet Liang cause and gained a lot of support. Lee said that many of the artists, made aware of Janet Liang’s sickness by YouTube and other social networking sites, performed for a cheaper price or for free, and that the issue had been getting a lot of attention on a national scale. However, Lee admits that the U of C student body is not as receptive to the YouTube artist community or as aware of the cause they are trying to further, despite its popularity elsewhere. “We want to make this an annual thing,â€? Lee said, adding that they would, however, like to only have two or three artists perform at a time instead. “We hoped that this concert would start off something, and every year‌bring in a new patient to try and save her life.â€?
Summer is a great time to catch up, get ahead or try something new. s Choose from more than 300 courses. s )MMERSE YOURSELF IN AN INTENSIVE LANGUAGE OR SCIENCE SEQUENCE s 'ET AHEAD ON CREDITS TOWARD YOUR DEGREE s %XPERIENCE ALL .ORTHWESTERN AND #HICAGO HAVE TO OFFER IN THE SUMMER
Registration opens April 2. Classes begin June 18. www.northwestern.edu/summer
9
Fairytale adaptation needs to take a good, hard look at itself in the mirror MIRROR continued from page 7 particularly sorry about it. Singh, with help from the late Eiko Ishioka as costume designer, does everything he can to bring the story to life without an emotive cast or particularly inventive script. Indeed, the costumes are lavish, colorful, structural—Ishioka made not just clothing, but pieces of art. Within Singh’s trademark fantastical and lush scenescapes, everything inanimate pops. But whether or not the movie would be gorgeous was never questioned. It was all about whether or not there’d be a story to substantiate it—would this be The Fall, or Immortals? Unfortunately, it’s the latter.
And not even the mega-catchy Bollywood song and dance at Mirror’s conclusion can save it from utter lifelessness. Thus, unless you’re eight, I’d recommend saving your money for June’s Snow White and the Huntsman. While I can’t promise that Stewart will be any more lively than Collins, at least she has gravitas in her own right. And Theron looks a hell of a lot more convincing in the Hunstman trailer than Roberts looked at any point in Mirror, Mirror. Or, even better— break out your Princess Bride DVD and settle in for the night. Trust me when I say that you’ll save both your money and your childhood.
CLASSIFIEDS Classified advertising in The Chicago Maroon is $3 for each line. Lines are 45 characters long including spaces and punctuation. Special headings are 20-character lines at $4 per line. Submit all ads in person, by e-mail, or by mail to The Chicago Maroon, Ida Noyes Hall, Lower Level Rm 026, 1212 E. 59th St., Chicago, IL 60637. The Chicago Maroon accepts Mastercard & Visa. Call (773) 702-9555. 562 E ST LAWRENCE Student Housing.3 Bedroom owner occupied apt. Fully furnished. All paid utilities plus cable ready Shared bathroom. Will house 6 students.$600.00 per student. Call Ms. Franks 773-266-1715./ 562 e.50th pl.(St.LawrenceAve)
YOUR AD HERE advertise in the maroon ADS@CHICAGOMAROON.COM
5430 S HARPER 5430 S. Harper, Unit 2S Brand new renovation. Beautiful Two (2) Bedroom One (1) BA plus Sunroom completely renovated apartment in attractive six (6) unit building featuring: New cabinet kitchen with all new appliances, including dishwasher and microwave, new bathroom, central air cond., and prewired for internet and cable. Beautifully refinished hardwood floors, and good natural light. Building features: on-site laundry, bicycle room and storage lockers in basement and large private back yard for barbequing. Great location near Treasure Island shopping center and university shuttle. $1250 Call Jerry 312-608-1234, jettinger@ hallmark-johnson.com
THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | April 03, 2012
10
The unbearable lightness of Andrew Bird
Break It Yourself is the sixth album from the Chicago-based alternative artist Andrew Bird. COURTESY OF MOM & POP MUSIC
Scotty Campbell Associate Arts Editor Like a mid-class doze on one of the recent unseasonably warm days, Andrew
Bird’s latest album Break It Yourself exists somewhere between wakefulness and sleep. Snippets of song and atmospheric instrumentals weave among clever, never-
The Pretty Reckless lights up Bottom Lounge MOMSEN continued from page 7 music video, for that matter. Has she retired? “No, I don’t think of it that way at all. It was a big part of my life,” Momsen told the Maroon. Her use of the past tense is powerful, as is her ability to redirect an interview. Reminded that she’s “been in the spotlight since the age of two” and that “many people know [her], or first got to know [her], as ‘little Jenny Humphrey’ from Gossip Girl, or as the Grinch’s no-less-‘little’ Cindy Lou,” she responded with overt hesitation: “I mean… it’s definitely a very different kind of life. There have been difficulties, but I think that you have to take everything with a grain of salt.” But then her voice, and her mood, picked up as she turned her thoughts to music: “But I love acting, and I love making music, and I love touring, and I love everything about what I do! That—the public eye—it’s cool; it’s just something that comes along with it.” Music might just be what the band’s theme of “Light Me Up” song, album, and tour titles is all about. Momsen doesn’t need a lighter to lighten up; she just needs a tune. From the moment that Momsen first took the stage that night, clad in a white t-shirt with her trademark blond hair and signature black hole eyes (past a two-inch diameter, “raccoon” becomes a bit of an understatement), everyone in the Bottom Lounge was hooked, not just her hard-core fans, but, to a large extent, even the photographers, venue employees, and awkward back-of-the-pit parental chaperones as well. It didn’t matter that the front row was packed with Jenny Humphrey aficionados; it mattered that she was finally in her element, that she was “lit up” by simply making music. Her fans (most too young to smoke, though Momsen, ever the role model, claims to have picked up the habit by age sixteen) reflect these sentiments, “lighting up” the venues with their own unwitting karaoke and fervent flash photography. In that respect, The Pretty Reckless is live rock at its best. If you haven’t heard them yet, it sounds nothing like you’d expect (and yes, Momsen’s young voice is really that raw and powerful in real life). Music: that’s “the medicine.” That’s the real Momsen.
too-heavy lyrics, which are as much an expression of the spring as is the invitingly balmy climate. Released earlier last month by Mom & Pop records, the album shows the prolific whistler, violinist, and singer reaching at once backward, into the traditions of country ballads, and forward, into ambient music, all in the context of an easygoing suite of folksy tunes. The hazy start of the opening song, “Desperation Breeds…” develops into a quiet track about bees. Pizzicato notes on Bird’s violin, bouncy and light, join gentle percussion, evoking the insects’ signature sound. More substantial songs follow, like the country-folk “Danse Carribe,” in which Bird’s famous melodic whistling joins his rousing violin. Other tracks, like “Lazy Projector,” echo this country sound. However, the
slow melody begins to lag, and the repetitive percussion doesn’t help move the song along, despite Bird’s virtuosic whistling.
BREAK IT YOURSELF Andrew Bird Mom & Pop
Fortunately, the lively “Eyeoneye” breaks through the otherwise-lumbering ballads, with Bird displaying not only a talent for looping and effects, but also a powerful, emotive voice. Combined with danceable drums, his lyrics, which include a pun on “ionize” and the album title, make for the most exciting track on an otherwise calm album. The remaining songs complete the lilting sound of the album. There’s “Sifters,”
a nautical-theme expression of love in which Bird sings over constant arpeggios from a muted guitar. A female singer joins Bird on another seafaring track, “Lusitania,” and the two perform an effective duet. However, the many similarities in melodies between these songs—and the rest of the album—render it repetitive as a work. Standing alone, the summery ballads might be striking, but they become dry with lack of variation over the course of Break It Yourself. Bird offers much in terms of instrumentals, but his vocals are staid. The atmospheric “Hole in the Ocean Floor” offers a contrast to the straightforward early tracks. Bouncing pizzicato notes flit in and out of low violin drones, here layered into an ensemble, and are joined after a while by Bird’s voice, which also weaves in between the
instruments. Though it is the longest song, it also has the fewest lyrics. The ambient instrumentals shine here: Bird shows his ability to sustain a song with little melody but much texture. Electronic effects blend seamlessly into the acoustic instruments, and the vocals become part of the violin as the whistling disappears into the drones. The song fades, but it wears a rhythm in the listener’s mind, like the ocean mentioned in its title; it closes as gently as it begins. When the final instrumental-only track, “Belles,” starts, you feel that you’ve awoken from a warm slumber. A return to Break It Yourself’s dreamland will always be pleasant, and Bird will be there to welcome you in. As the ambient crickets sing in “Belles,” it seems that summer is just around the corner.
The Oriental Institute Members’ Lecture Series Presents:
Professor Janet Johnson Oriental Institute
Women’s Rights in Ancient Egypt Wednesday · April 4 Breasted Hall · 7:00PM The Oriental Institute 1155 East 58th Street Free and Open to the Public Reception to Follow The Members’ Lecture Series is made possible by the generous support of Oriental Institute Members
11
THE CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | April 03, 2012
Big innings the difference in sweep of Rochester Baseball Sarah Langs Associate Sports Editor Doing their best Ernie Banks impression on Saturday, the South Siders “played two.” It was a sweep. In a doubleheader at home against Rochester College (15–13), the Maroons (10–5) won the first game 10–8 and the second game 5–4. The first matchup was characterized by significant offensive output and a number of fielding errors. Chicago committed five throughout the game, while Rochester committed three. The teams’ hitting, on the other hand, was firing on all cylinders. Though the Maroons gave up an early run, they quickly erased a 1–0 deficit with three runs in the bottom of the second. Rochester outscored Chicago 4–1 over the next three innings before Chicago’s offense broke out in the bottom of the sixth. As he has already done a few times this season, third-year outfielder and pitcher Jack Cinoman started the Maroon rally. His leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth sparked what would turn into a six-run frame. The inning was highlighted by a two-run triple from secondyear outfielder and first baseman Brett Huff. Later in the inning, first-year infielder Kyle Engel hit an RBI double that was soon followed by third-year outfielder
Ben Bullock’s two-RBI double, which capped off the inning’s scoring. The Maroons batted around, scoring six runs in a single inning for the second time this season. The winning pitcher in game one was second-year Claude Lockhart (2–1). The second game was not quite as high-scoring, but Chicago’s offense, yet again, had a big inning. In the bottom of the second, with the Maroons down 3–0, first-year infielder Jake Mavropoulos led off with a single. After that, first-year infielder and outfielder Jayson Gorski reached base on a walk, and both were moved up a base by second-year outfielder Connor Bartelman. Engel plated Mavropoulos with a single, and from there the floodgates opened. The Maroons went on to score four more runs in the inning, five total, in the bottom of the second. The big hit came from Cinoman, who hit a three-run triple to put the team’s run total at five. The winning pitcher in game two was Cinoman (2–1), with secondyear William Katzka notching his third save of the season. “Will has always been someone that we can rely on late in the game to help push our team to win,” Engel said. The wins were certainly a boon to a Chicago team that had been struggling after a loss to Wheaton last week. “After a long four days off
First-year Kyle Engel tags a Rochester player sliding into third base in Sunday’s home game. COURTESY OF DAVE HILBERT
without playing any games, it was important to come back with two wins [on Sunday], and that we did,” Schwabe said. Rochester came into the games highly-touted, having played quite a few more games than the Maroons. “Our goal has always been to be tough at home, and it was nice to come out and beat a quality opponent at J. Kyle Anderson Field,” Schwabe said. “Jake
Worship for Holy Week Sunday, April 1, 5:30 pm Palm Sunday Liturgy (Brent House)
Mavropoulos played extremely well for us in the second game and gave us the spark we needed to come out on top.” The wins are certainly worthy of praise, but the team’s overall play in both of the games was a bit sloppy. “We weren’t at our best offensively or defensively, so I’d say that playing through our mistakes helped us win the games,” Engel said. Up next, the Maroons will be
You have books, but do you have a
book collection?
Monday and Tuesday, April 3 and 4, 9:00 pm
Compline (Brent House)
Thursday, April 5, noon
Maundy Thursday Liturgy with footwashing (Bond Chapel—behind Swift Hall)
• Do you love searching for books on
Thursday, April 5, 2 pm- Friday, April 6, 7 am
Maundy Thursday Vigil (Brent House)
• Are you interested in the physical
Friday, April 6, 6:00 pm
Good Friday Liturgy (Brent House)
Sunday, April 8, 5:30 pm Easter Sunday Eucharist and Festive Supper (Brent House) Bring a dish to share!
All are welcome to join us in the commemoration of our faith’s holiest events.
BRENT The Episcopal Center at the University of Chicago House www.brenthouse.org
taking on Concordia Chicago (14–5) and Benedictine (8–9). “These next few games are going to be extremely tough. We need to shore up our defensive efforts and maintain our focus at the plate if we want to win,” Schwabe said. The South Siders will play Concordia Chicago at 3 p.m. on J. Kyle Anderson Field this afternoon. Tomorrow, the game will be in the same locale and at the same time, against Benedictine.
a particular topic? features of books, such as illustrations or bindings? • Are you passionate about owning books by a favorite author or on a specific topic?
If so, you may be eligible to win the…
5540 South Woodlawn Avenue • Chicago, IL 60637 • 773/947-8744
T. Kimball Brooker Prize For Undergraduate Book Collecting Prizes awarded: $1,000 to a fourth-year student $500 to a second-year student Applications are due by 11:59 p.m., Wednesday, April 4, 2012 to brookerprize@lib.uchicago.edu www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/alumnifriends/brooker
SPORTS
IN QUOTES “Well, how about the rumor that Tim Tebow went on a date with Taylor Swift... Now we know what he’s been praying for.” —Reba McEntire, co-host of the American Country Music Awards, about Swift’s rumored romance with the Jets QB.
Back on track: Maroons take second at Ted Haydon Invitational Track and Field Jake Walerius Associate Sports Editor It wasn’t quite a winning return for track and field. But it was close: The men’s and women’s squads finished second at Saturday’s Ted Haydon Invitational at Stagg Field. The men (115 points) finished four points behind St. Francis (Ill.), and the women (112.5) fell to Loyola (124). In the buildup to the meet, head coach Chris Hall described it as an opportunity for the Maroons to knock the rust off and get back into a competitive mindset after a long layoff. So far, the signs are encouraging. “I think that we did relatively well,” third-year distance runner Julia Sizek said. “There were definitely some people who did great despite having mid-season slumps in indoor, and it was great to see them improving again. I hope that we can continue this momentum through the rest of the season.” On the men’s side, the Maroons had two victories. Fourth-year Daniel Heck won the hammer throw (46.76m) and third-year Isaac Dalke finished first in the 3000m (8:37.55) ahead of teammate Billy Whitmore (8:39.61). Thirdyear Dee Brizzolara also had an encouraging start to the outdoor season, finishing second and
fourth in the 200m (22.57) and 100m (11.41), respectively. There may not have been many individual victories, but Chicago performed with consistency across the board. In a meet in which the focus was more on individual preparation and improvement than on team goals, the ability of individual Maroons to record scoring performances shows, if nothing else, that they haven’t let their extended break affect their focus. “The team had some good performances,” fourth-year high jumper Donny Chi said. “Good times all around, and it got us back into the track mindset. We’re looking more prepared for conference than we were for indoors. Mine sucked, but if I’m going to have a crappy meet, I might as well have it now.” For the women, it was the jumpers who looked most impressive, with first-year Pam Yu and fourth-year Madison Allen, who were both coming off strong indoor seasons, performing particularly well. Yu won the triple jump (10.70m) and the long jump (5.13m) and Allen finished second in the long jump with a distance of 5.01m. Second-year Lyda Harris was also victorious in the pole vault (2.58m). Fourthyear Paige Peltzer, who finished second in the high jump after missing a large portion of the indoor season due to injury, performed encouragingly as well.
From left to right, third-year Isaac Dalke, first-year Renat Zalov, and third-year Gregor Siegmund run in the Chicago Duals track meet during the winter quarter. JAMIE MANLEY | THE CHICAGO MAROON
It may not have been the most memorable day Chicago ever had, but it was valuable preparation and the team benefited from finally getting outside and back on the track. “I think that we were not necessarily pumped to be moving
outside, but at some point you must,” Sizek said. “We definitely are moving toward a better position in the conference, and I hope that we can continue to do well, because we need to make up for lost ground in the last two weeks.” The Maroons will now turn
their attention to next weekend’s Chicagoland Championship, the indoor equivalent of which they won earlier this year. Like Chi says, this was the week to get bad performances out of the way. Excuses will be harder to come by as the season goes on.
South Siders capture three of four on weekend roadtrip
Second-year Maddie McManus strikes the ball in last season’s game against Illinois Wesleyan. COURTESY OF DAVE HILBERT
Softball Derek Tsang Associate Sports Editor Three shutouts, three victories. Sometimes, winning is that simple. The Maroons took three of four games this past weekend, beating Wheaton (15–6), Calvin (5–10), and Illinois Wesleyan (12–3) by three, eight, and one run, respectively, to their opponents’
nil before losing 6–2 to Illinois Wesleyan in the nightcap of their Sunday doubleheader. Third-year Kim Cygan (8–1) threw complete-game shutouts against Wheaton and IllinoisWesleyan before pitching three scoreless frames in the second game against Illinois-Wesleyan to extend her scoreless innings streak to 19.0. Fourth-year Sarah Neuhaus (4–3) and first-year Emily Ashbridge (0– 1) combined to blank Calvin in a
four-hitter. “Our pitching was solid throughout the four games,” head coach Ruth Kmak said. “Our pitching will keep us in games, but we need our offense to step up, execute, and finish in these close games against quality opponents.” In Saturday’s Wheaton Invitational, in which Cygan won the MVP award, the Maroons racked up hits and plated runs with ease. Against Calvin, Chicago strung
together four straight two-out hits in the third inning, scoring four. Second-year Kaitlyn Carpenter, who extended her hitting streak to seven games over the weekend, led with a triple and scored on second-year Julia Covello’s RBI single. First-year Raechel Cloud reached base with a single, then fourth-year Liz Payonk punctuated the inning with a threerun homer—her team-high third on the year. “I have been trying to take my coaches’ advice about taking every at-bat as a new opportunity and not to dwell on a previous at-bat,” Carpenter said. “I also think that I’ve been getting lucky; some of the ways I get on base are ridiculous and probably shouldn’t happen.” The outfielder, hitting a team-high .485 on the season, was also central to Chicago’s emphasis on being aggressive on the base paths; they got four stolen bases over the weekend, three of them from Carpenter, and worked to get extra bases on a bevy of sacrifice hits and doubles. “Overall, we have seen a marked improvement in our base-running this season,” Kmak said. “We are more aggressive overall and are putting the opposing defense in position to have to make difficult plays…we are willing to intelligently take risks.” Against Wheaton, the Maroons scored two quick runs in the second, including one by the
pitcher, Cygan. They cruised the rest of the way behind Cygan, who only allowed three hits with no walks to lower her ERA to 0.73 after weekend action. Illinois-Wesleyan proved a greater challenge for the Maroons on Sunday afternoon. The first game— in which second-year Maddie McManus scored the game’s only run to give Chicago the lead in the second inning—saw twelve runners left on base by the Maroons, and nine by the Titans. Chicago scored only the second run of the year off of the Titans’ Molly McCready, but they could have had more; eight of the stranded Maroons were primed in scoring position. “We need to take better advantage of those opportunities against quality teams,” Kmak said. The second game saw IllinoisWesleyan put up two runs in each of the first three innings. The Maroons scored a run in the third and another in the sixth, but could not muster a rally as the Titans’ Victoria Whitaker and Jessica Toth spread out Chicago’s eight baserunners over several innings. “Splitting is always a bummer,” Carpenter said. “The games were a learning experience, and we know our weaknesses. We just need to work on the small things now.” The Maroons play next on Friday at Lawrence and on Saturday at UW– Oshkosh in a pair of doubleheaders.