APRIL 6, 2018
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892
VOL. 129, ISSUE 37
UCPD Shoots Fourth-Year Charles Thomas
Protests to continue Friday after UCPD shot a student who was having a manic episode. He ran toward the cop with a metal rod.
Staff member Kirsten Gindler holds a sign at I-House , where about 150 people made noise at the windows of an event while President Zimmer was discussing free speech. She said the shooting is “completely unconscionable but also not surprising given the climate here.” (Photo: David Yunis). The portrait of Thomas was provided. This article is by Lee Harris, Pete Grieve, Katie Akin, Camille Kirsch, and Grace Hauck. About 150 members of the University community rallied in protest of the campus police Thursday afternoon, as fourth-
year Charles Thomas was recovering in the intensive care unit from being shot in the shoulder by a University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) officer. Thomas is facing multiple felony charges for aggravated assault of a peace officer and criminal damage to property af-
ter police say he charged at an officer with a metal bar in the alley between the 5300 block of South Kimbark Avenue and South Woodlawn Avenue. Thomas’s attorney, Steven Goldman, told the Chicago Tribune Thursday that Thomas was not charging the officer but, rather, trying to exit the al-
ley to get away. Another large protest is expected at 12:30 p.m. Friday, hosted by UChicago United and titled “Rally Against UCPD Violence.” Tuesday night, campus police were Continued on page 2
Protests Outside Nirenberg to Become Interim Div School Dean Zimmer Talk BY SPENCER DEMBNER NEWS REPORTER
BY GRACE HAUCK AND CAROLINE KUBZANSKY NEWS REPORTERS
Thursday evening, University President Robert J. Zimmer and Dean of the College John Boyer took questions from students in International House (I-House). On the other side of the wall, more than 100 activists protested the actions of the administration and the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD), chanting and holding posters on the lawn outside. Graduate Students United (GSU) initially organized the rally to call on University officials to engage in negotiations with the union, which withdrew its certificate of representation from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in February to continue seeking a union contract Continued on page 3
Executive Vice Provost David Nirenberg will become interim dean of the Divinity School effective June 1, 2018, according to an e-mail sent on April 3 to Divinity School students by President Robert J. Zimmer and Provost Daniel Diermeier. Nirenberg is a distinguished service professor of medieval history and social thought, whose research focuses on interactions between Abrahamic religions. He replaces Laurie Zoloth, who took the position when she joined UChicago from Northwestern University last summer. Her tenure saw a publicized dispute with the coffee shop Grounds of Being over rent expenses, which was resolved in March. Zoloth will assume a new position as a senior adviser to the provost.
As executive vice provost, Nirenberg became responsible for a new engagement process with graduate students in February, when Graduate Students United (GSU) withdrew its certificate of representation from National Labor Relations Board proceedings. “I have asked Executive Vice Provost David Nirenberg to convene graduate students, faculty, and staff who will help identify ways to improve graduate student life at the University,” Diermeier said in a February 14 e-mail announcing the withdrawal of GSU’s case. “Such direct engagement with students was not possible under the law while the union petition was in effect.” GSU, which vowed to continue pressuring the University in February and has long been skeptical of the engagement process, used Nirenberg’s appointment to underscore their case. “In case anyone thought the admin-
istration was serious about a new engagement process with grad students, word is that its public face is shifting from central admin to being Interim Dean of the Div School,” GSU wrote in a since-deleted tweet on April 3. “Let’s bargain already.” In their e-mail announcing Nirenberg’s new appointment, however, Zimmer and Diermeier claimed the process would continue. “During his service as Interim Dean, David will retain the title of Executive Vice Provost,” the e-mail said. “In that capacity and, among other things, he will further the University’s efforts to sustain and improve graduate student life, education, and research.” In a statement to T he M aroon, University spokesperson Marielle Sainvilus confirmed that Nirenberg would retain his title but did not comment further.
Crossword: On Another Level Advertising in The Maroon If you want to place an ad in T he M aroon, please e-mail ads@chicagomaroon.com or visit chicagomaroon.com/ pages/advertise.
Probation Extended for Editor Who Resigned to Protest Bannon Page 4 Eyler-Driscoll: “This is obviously a retaliation by the University for political speech.”
Senior Spotlight: Chandler Carroll Page 8
Excerpts from articles and comments published in T he Chicago Maroon may be duplicated and redistributed in other media and non-commercial publications without the prior consent of The Chicago Maroon so long as the redistributed article is not altered from the original without the consent of the Editorial Team. Commercial republication of material in The Chicago Maroon is prohibited without the consent of the Editorial Team or, in the case of reader comments, the author. All rights reserved. © The Chicago Maroon 2018
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THE CHICAGO MAROON - APRIL 6, 2018
Events 4/6–4/9 Today
Student Shot by UCPD Charged With Felonies Continued from front
Ulysses Owens Jr.’s Songs of Freedom Logan Center for the Arts, 7 p.m. Concert featuring landmark songs from the 1960s by Joni Mitchell, Abbey Lincoln, and Nina Simone. Saturday Women in Peace and Security Sanctuary Café. 11 a.m. Ayse Kadayifci, an international relations expert and Director of the M.A. Conflict Resolution program at Georgetown University, hosts brunch at the Sanctuary Café. Event sponsored by the Peacebuilding Project and the Women in International Affairs Program. Third A nnual Washing ton Park Arts Festival 5350 South Prairie Ave., 12 p.m. An afternoon of performance, food, and retail vendors. Featuring campus groups like the Chicago Swing Dance Society and the Underground Collective as well as community groups like Burke Elementary School Band. There will be offerings from Yassa African Restaurant and Jennifer’s Edibles and retail items like Cutie Bumps and Better Belly.
Premios OLAS Cultural Show Mandel Hall, 5 p.m. Run by the Organization of Latin American Students, this cultural show will feature a range of student performances (ranging from a telenovela skit to merengue) and dinner from local Chicago food vendors. Tuesday Ambassador of Austria at the UCPD Institute of Politics, 10 a.m. The IOP welcomes His Excellency Dr. Wolfgang A. Waldner, the ambassador of Austria. Waldner will discuss the future of the European Union.
Support Our Advertisers Page Four: Check out the Fundamentals Colloquium by Robert Bird and Brook Ziporyn on Tuesday, April 10, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. in Classics 110. Page Four: Howa rd Brown Hea lth provides sexual health services. Rush University Medical Center is seeking participants for a study. Jimmy Johns delivers fresh sandwiches. The Fundamentals department will host a discussion on the power of books. Online: The University of Illinois is taking applications for its fall 2018 Master of Science in Financial Engineering program. If you want to place an ad in T he M ar o on , please e-mail ads@ chicagomaroon.com or visit chicagomaroon.com/ pages/advertise.
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called to investigate what the University described as a burglary in progress— Thomas was wearing a visor covering his face and smashing door and car windows with a metal bar. Friends have said Thomas is usually gentle, and that the violent outburst was uncharacteristic and seemed to be a manic episode. There is a history of bipolar disorder in his family, though his mother said he had not been diagnosed or shown signs. Thomas was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for treatment following the incident. He is in a stable condition, according to a statement by the University on Wednesday. According to Thomas’s mother, Kathleen Thomas, he is receiving psychiatric treatment and was expected to be released from the intensive care unit Thursday. The officer who shot Thomas has been placed on mandatory administrative leave pending the outcome of a University Department of Safety and Security investigation of the incident. The Chicago Police Department (CPD) said Wednesday that it was investigating whether the shooting was lawful. Activists said Thursday that campus police could have restrained Thomas by taking him to the ground without shooting him. They also said UCPD has a history of racist interactions—Thomas is half black and half Japanese. Kenwood Academy junior Alycia Kamil Moaton, with the anti-violence youth coalition GoodKidsMadCity, called attention to the fact that the University has not released the officer’s name. Bodycam and dashboard footage released by the University shows officers confronting Thomas. As he walks toward them, an officer can be heard shouting, “Put down the weapon!” while Thomas shouts, “What the fuck do you want?” and “Fuck you.” About a minute after the officers arrive on the scene, Thomas begins running toward the individual wearing the body camera, who commanded Thomas again to drop the weapon, and then fired a single shot into his shoulder. Kathleen Thomas said she has never seen anything like the behavior her son displayed Tuesday night. “To me it was obvious he was having some sort of psychiatric episode, a manic episode,” she said. “And he’s never had anything like that before. He’s never been in trouble. The voice he was using, the way he was acting, his demeanor, it’s nothing I’ve seen from him, ever.” “I’m grateful that he wasn’t killed,” she said. “I realize it was a very tense situation. I do sort of wonder: Were there alternative methods that could have been used other than using bullets to handle the situation? I’m not sure exactly what the policy is, or
University of Chicago Police Department
The University released body-cam footage of the shooting, which is on our site. what the training is, but in the video they used the word ‘mental’; so they realized that he was having a mental health episode. If they realized that, was there a different way to handle it so he didn’t get shot?” Student Government (SG) President Calvin Cottrell said in a statement to The M aroon that “this incident raises major questions around training, de-escalation practices, and oversight of UCPD. Why wasn’t a Taser used? What forms of de-escalation, if any, were used? What training in deescalation do UCPD officers get? And is the Independent Review Board (IRB) for UCPD an effective body?” A spokesperson for the University said that UCPD officers do not carry Tasers. On Thursday evening, International House hosted President Robert Zimmer and Dean John Boyer for a campus forum, where undergraduates asked questions. Protesters who showed up at the rally Thursday, which was organized by Graduate Students United, made noise at the windows of the event. Zimmer said the shooting was tragic, but Dean Boyer said it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time. Thomas was charged Thursday with three felony counts—one for aggravated assault of a peace officer, and two for criminal property damage worth more than $300,000—and two misdemeanor counts for criminal damage to property, according to a report by the Chicago Sun-Times. According to the Chicago Tribune, Thomas’s bond has been set at $15,000. Cook County Judge Stephanie Miller also ordered that Thomas be kept on electronic home monitoring as a condition of his bond. Postdoctoral fellow Guy Emerson Mount, who teaches a class that Thomas is taking, said he led intense, painful discussions in class on Thursday. “On Tuesday of last week, he was in class. On Tuesday of this week, he was shot by the campus police at the University of Chicago,” he said. “He’s known by his classmates as a kind student; as a gen-
tle student, as someone who wouldn’t hurt anyone—obviously he had a mental health episode as everyone can see on the film, but there are many other ways this could have been handled and students are all very concerned.” Miller said she took Thomas’s clean criminal record and family history of mental disorders into account when setting bond. Steven Goldman, Thomas’s attorney, told the court that the incident was related to Thomas’s mental health issues. Adom Getachew, an assistant professor of political science and a member of Chicago’s Resist, Reimagine, Rebuild Coalition, helped coordinate a rally at Daley Plaza Wednesday night in solidarity with justice for victims of state violence. Planned on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the rally highlighted the recent shooting of Stephon Clark in Sacramento, as well as the shooting at UChicago this week. “What happened at the University of Chicago is emblematic of what we see around policing in other contexts—certain kinds of responses when there is no alternative except to call 911, and we have to create alternative kinds of responses in our communities,” Getachew told The Maroon.
Stuart McDonald
Charles Thomas rowed on the University of Chicago crew team.
SG Organizes Sexual Assault Awareness Event Several dozen students marched on the main quad Monday evening to raise awareness of sexual violence on university campuses. The demonstration was organized by Student Government (SG)’s Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Committee (SAAP). It was preceded by a “Take Back the Night” ceremony featuring speeches and performances—the first of several programs planned by the SAAP in honor of National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Take Back the Night drew a crowd that filled the McCormick Tribune Lounge. The audience, which was predominantly female, listened to speeches and songs by committee members, musical performers, and survivors
of sexual assault and rape. One speaker, third-year Anna Li, said while visibly holding back tears: “My story begins like many others. I was a freshman…I thought I knew a lot about consent and rape culture. I certainly never thought that rape was something that could happen to me too. He was my friend.” Li went on to recount her story of sexual assault and the subsequent Title IX investigation she underwent two years ago at Northwestern University. She transferred to UChicago after her appeal of a “not guilty” verdict was denied. When she left the stage, she received resounding applause.
The event also featured routines by the student arts groups Maya and the Underground Collective, including dances, songs, and spoken word poetry. After the performances and speeches ended, the students made signs and marched to the quad, where the Women’s Ensemble sang “What Happens When a Woman,” a song about female empowerment. “Sexual violence is not inevitable,” Mihailescu said toward the end of the event. “It’s not a mistake, it’s not an accident. It’s something that’s 100 percent preventable…let’s all come together to face the injustices we see every day. —Jake Biderman, news reporter
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THE CHICAGO MAROON - APRIL 6, 2018
150 People Protest Outside Zimmer-Boyer Free Speech Event Continued from front
outside of the NLRB process. “The original goal for the protest was to bring the admin to the bargaining table. We asked them to recognize us. The NLRB recognized us. They always refuse to bargain with us. They always refuse to recognize us. We’re here to demand recognition,” said Claudio Gonzales, a math Ph.D. student and GSU organizer. A lthough the bargaining team of Faculty Forward, the union of non-tenure track instructors, reached an agreement with the University just last month, GSU has not yet reached an agreement. Protesters noted that, earlier this week, Georgetown University administrators agreed to let graduate students vote this spring on whether to join the American Federation of Teachers union. Thursday’s protest, however, also focused on issues surrounding policing and gun reform. Activists from across the city came to Hyde Park to express their frustration with campus police, who on Tuesday shot a University of Chicago student wielding a large metal pole. In a Facebook description for the event, GSU wrote, “We’re both humbled that many friends from beyond UChicago may come to this event to raise their voices against Tuesday night’s shooting by the UCPD. We’re excited to rally with you in solidarity.” The rally began at 4:45 p.m. on the steps of the Booth School of Business, just as snow began to fall. The group began marching to I-House around 5 p.m, alternating between chants advocating union recognition (“Bargain now” and “What do we want? Contract! When do we want it? Now!”) and chants critical of the UCPD (“Disarm UCPD” and “No justice, no peace, no racist police”). While some activists held posters that read “Work with us, not Trump,” “Slavery built UChicago,” and “Defend mental health,” others held signs that
directly referenced the recent shooting: “Campus cops shot a student” and “‘He’s a mental,’ you said. So you SHOT him?” W hen the group arrived at I-House, the activists gathered around the steps on South Dorchester Avenue, around the corner from the building’s main entrance. As more and more people joined the protest, speakers repeatedly called on activists to “Make some noise,” eliciting cheers from the crowd directed toward the I-House windows. Me a nwh i le , i n s ide t he I-House Assembly Hall, moderator and Institute of Politics (IOP) Director David Axelrod opened the forum by asking Zimmer and Boyer for an update on Tuesday’s shooting, which he said he believed to be the first incident of its kind in recent memory. “I don’t know if there’s anything that new to say. This is a tragic incident for all those involved. We were very focused on getting what information that we did have out as quickly as possible in terms of making the videos that we did have available…and there’s a mandatory investigation on the use of firearms from our police,” Zimmer said. Axelrod also asked Zimmer how he felt about the University’s response to the shooting, Zimmer again emphasized the UCPD firearms investigation. Boyer added that spring quarter can be a high pressure time for undergraduates as they try to find summer internships and organize their coursework. Chants of “fire him now” began outside the western window of the Assembly Hall about five minutes after the start of the event, making it difficult for attendees to hear the speakers. “I do not view what I’m saying as some revolutionary departure. This is not really some sort of theological principle. This is about doing our job, and our job as a university is to provide a rigorous and empowering and challenging education that is going to impart intellectual skills that are going to serve students for their whole lives. The conclu-
David Yunis
Protesters supporting graduate student unionization and opposing UCPD gather outside I-House, where President Zimmer was participating in a forum about the University’s free speech policy. sions about free expression…is ultimately about the quality of the education that we’re offering,” Zimmer said. Boyer referenced the origin of the Core curriculum in what he called the “golden age of academic freedom,” when then-University president Robert Maynard Hutchins defended the University in what has since become known as the Walgreen affair. “It’s very interesting that the first kind of golden age of the defense of academic freedom came in the ’30s with Hutchins and the Walgreen affairs in exactly the same years when the Core Curriculum was founded. A condition of liberal education is kind of this probing, discursive, and in-yourface debating of texts…and the conjunction between these two is not accidental,” Boyer said. However, Zimmer and Boyer also acknowledged that there are limits to free speech, as demonstrated by the events this past summer in Charlottesville, VA. “That had been a place where free expression was being used as a word to cover what I view as overtly threatening, weapon-
Jamie Ehrlich
Zimmer participated in an undergraduate forum about free speech issues Thursday. During the event, he said the shooting was tragic. At times it was difficult to hear him over the noise of protesters outside.
ized behavior. Explicit threats and certainly threats that act on weaponry [are] over the line and unacceptable,” Zimmer said. The challenge, he went on to admit, is distinguishing between what is challenging behavior and what is genuinely threatening. “The hard part comes when people say, ‘Okay, we get that part, but I think that this is a threat.’ Then somebody says ‘Why is that a threat? That’s just a challenge.’ So I think…threats do exist, and one needs to recognize that. But one wants to have a very clear sense that simply challenging, objectionable, even obnoxious behavior is by itself not to be considered a threat,” Zimmer said. Outside, students and activists argued that the University and the UCPD itself may be the real threat. Postdoctoral fellow Guy Emerson Mount, a former grad student organizer, spoke about his student, demanding reparations in wake of the shooting. “On Tuesday of last week, he was in class. On Tuesday of this week, he was shot by the campus police at the University of Chicago,” Mount said. “Charles was shot under a system of punitive justice which says that if you break a law of the state, you must be punished for it. Restorative justice says we must heal people who have been harmed and must bring together people who are responsible for harm that has happened. In this case, the University of Chicago has harmed Charles. The University of Chicago needs to make reparations to Charles and his family for the harm they have caused.” Mount also helped to organize a rally at Daley Plaza on Wednesday evening in solidarity with justice for victims of state-sponsored violence. Several other UChicago students and professors attended the event. Alycia Moaton, a representative of the youth movement GoodKidsMadCity, raised ques-
tions Thursday about why the UCPD officer thought a gun was necessary. “The footage that was taken from the body cam of the officer who shot him clearly shows that he was not the only officer who was on the scene that night. There were many of them there, so I’m confused as to why Charles couldn’t be gently taken down by another officer and why he had to be shot on the scene that night,” Moaton said, adding, “Victims of police shootings with mental health issues cannot be ignored any longer.” For GSU organizer and music history Ph.D. candidate Chaz Lee, the issues of policing and graduate student unionization on campus are closely interconnected. “I think the shooting on Tuesday night is a horrific example of what happens when the University and the University’s policies are not fully accountable to its community. I think that a lot of us are out here in solidarity with the student and the student’s family,” Lee said. “The University could be putting a lot more resources toward engaging with students over mental health issues, providing resources that are not just going towards an armed private police force.” As the I-House forum wound down, some students left the building to join the protest outside. GSU organizer Claudio Gonzales, who had previously been inside I-House, spoke to the crowd. “The University would rather uplift someone like Steve Bannon, a white supremacist, than listen to their own graduate students. It’s this very edgy thinglift up the most radical, crazy voices. But they won’t recognize us, literally the democratic voice of all of these grad students. We’ve got all these people, an overwhelming majority of graduate students… but they refuse to bargain with us. That’s a lack of free speech.”
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THE CHICAGO MAROON - APRIL 6, 2018
Probation Extended for ProMarket Editor Who Resigned to Protest Bannon BY PETE GRIEVE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
P roMarket editor Samantha Eyler-Driscoll, who resigned from the editorial board of the publication to speak out against Steve Bannon’s invitation to campus, informed her supervisors Wednesday morning that she was rejecting their requirement that she resume her original job responsibilities. “ This is obviously a retaliation by the University for political speech by staff, and it’s not appropriate at all, particularly not in this case when they’re being lauded as free speech champions—including for hate speech,” she said in an interview Wednesday. ProMarket is the blog of the Stigler Center at the Booth School. According to its website, “ The Stigler Center aims to promote and disseminate research on regulatory capture, crony capitalism, and the various distortions that special interest groups impose on capitalism.” The faculty director of the center, Luigi Zingales, had invited Bannon to speak at an event on campus, T he M a roon reported in January, but it is not clear that the event is still likely to happen. Eyler-Driscoll said she does not want to be associated in any way with Zingales’s decision to try to give Bannon a platform on campus, so she tried to recuse herself from the event. But Zingales then asked her to produce promotional materials for Bannon’s visit, which prompted her to resign from the editorial board. Her resignation from the editorial
Grace Hauck (left) / Pete Grieve (right)
Eyler-Driscoll rejected management’s terms for extending her probation in continued fallout after she recused herself from promoting Zingales’s event with Bannon. board did not mean she quit her job entirely; she has continued to moderate board meetings in a non-voting capacity and work at ProMarket in the less -senior position of managing editor, with Zingales holding final editorial authority over the blog. Eyler-Driscoll was required to meet with human resources on April 2 to discuss “next steps.” HR informed her in that meeting that her management had determined it was necessary for her to resume the original responsi-
bilities outlined in her job description in order for the Center to function. During the meeting, they agreed to Eyler-Driscoll’s request to still moderate board meetings in a nonvoting capacity and to be recused from Bannon-related tasks, and also that they would consider allowing her to retain the title “Managing Editor.” HR also gave her an updated job description sheet that says she must conform to the “values of the center as measured by the University, Chicago
Booth and the Stigler Center.” Eyler-Driscoll said those values weren’t defined in any specific terms. “I guess ‘Stigler values’ means being champions of hate speech, I don’t know,” she said. Eyler-Driscoll’s probationary period has been extended for three months, she learned at the meeting, because HR says they were not able to evaluate her performance for the period of time that she has been off the editorial board. To be clear, Eyler-Driscoll was not placed on a disciplinary probation; new hires at ProMarket start their job on a probationary status. The extension of the probation is a retaliatory move, however, she said. She said she complied with the terms of the renegotiation after she resigned from the editorial board. “ With them having granted all of the main exclusions from the renegotiation and given that what they in effect appeared to mean with ‘resumption of original responsibilities’ was that we reverse the change to the workf low that Luig i made and that was not part of the renegotiation, their stated grounds for extension of the probation are not valid.” HR responded to Eyler-Driscoll’s rejection of their new stipulations by saying they will schedule a meeting next week. Zingales could not immediately be reached for comment.
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THE POWER OF BOOKS with
Robert Bird
Slavic Languages and Literatures and
Brook Ziporyn Divinity School
Tuesday, April 10th, 4:30-6:30 pm — Classics 110 — Reception to follow This event is recommended for students considering a major in Fundamentals. Persons who may need assistance should contact fundamentals@uchicago.edu.
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THE CHICAGO MAROON - APRIL 6, 2018
ARTS
SASA Stages a Romance and We Fall in Love BY LEXI FRANCISZKOWICZ MAROON CONTRIBUTOR
For the fifth year in a row, the South American Students Association (SASA) sold out over 800 seats in Mandel Hall, drawing a line that spilled out of Reynolds and wrapped around the building last Saturday. Unofficially UChicago’s most anticipated event this year, SASA: A Love Story featured 10 student performance groups and a student-made rom-com. The overarching story follows two UChicago students, Shiv and Sanjana (played by fourth-years Raghunath Kadamangudi and Shilpa Mantri) who meet in Reynolds Club and eventually fall in love years after they graduate from UChicago. The acting was wonderfully comical, drawing laughs from the crowd throughout the show. Each performance was woven into the narrative to convey the love story, beginning with a performance by a classical music group which highlighted Indian and Pakistani music. Later on, the show moved to lively performances by dance groups Apsara, Raas, Tamil, and Bollywood Dreams. Hip-hip group PhiNix captivated the crowd mid-show, and they were followed by the energetic Bhangra team, whose name translates literally into “intoxicated with joy.” Both performances electrified the
crowd, as the dancers asked to “hear some noise” and clapped along with the audience. Apart from its music and dance, however, SASA is also a fundraising event; after the intermission, SASA showed a video for RefugeeOne, an organization committed to the integration of refugees into American life. Part of SASA’s proceeds will go to this organization. A true community event, the show also featured an act to commemorate the fourth-years performing for SASA, as they danced together to a mix of contemporary and classical music for their final show. Another highlight was AAG, UChicago’s South Asian a cappella group, which performed mash-ups of songs ranging from those found in Bollywood movies to pop songs heard on the radio. The show was rounded out with a performance by Fusion, a dance group that combined modern and traditional dance moves for a satisfying conclusion to a lively show. With over 200 students involved, SASA was quite a production, and it was clear that all the rehearsals paid off. Through acting, dancing, and singing acts that built on each other to create an entertaining story, by the end the audience members felt like they were participating alongside the performers.
Yao Xen Tan
Yao Xen Tan
Sophia Corning
Yao Xen Tan
DOVA Artists Exhibit a Multimedia Experience BY JAD DAHSHAN AND JONATHAN MANDEL ARTS STAFF
Last Thursday saw the opening of a particularly special exhibition at the Logan Center: the Department of Visual Art’s annual B.A. thesis exhibition. Every spring, the thesis exhibition highlights the work of undergraduate visual arts students who elect to enter the time-intensive and laborious studio track in their fourth year. Amidst sumptuous platters of food and throngs of eager gallery-goers, 10 students unveiled their new work in the aptly titled exhibition, New Work. “Someone threw [the title] out there, and we all thought it was good,” shared Karen Xu, one of the 10 artists, in an interview with The Maroon. “It was short and simple, but also really funny…. It was a play on the whole quarter being like: ‘Make sure you have new work! Make sure you have new work!’” The exhibit matches the surprising depth of the title. An incredible and incredibly diverse array of artwork is on display, ranging from more traditional mediums like painting, photography, and sculpture,
to fashion, installation, and even virtual reality. Using her second major in computer science, Xu employed this final medium as part of her exploration of how technology, design, and fine art intersect materially and spatially. She encourages students interested in visual arts not to shy away from science, and vice versa. Her work is a testament to the fruitfulness of the synergy between these two often-separated fields. Across from the invisible world of Xu’s exhibit was a much flashier spectacle. Sartorial and satirical, Aleksandra Majka’s “Ready-To-Wear” features models dressed in aesthetically pleasing but otherwise extremely uncomfortable and operationally impossible outfits, ranging from a dress made of breakable mirrors to a bodysuit covered in pins. Enticing and menacing, Majka’s work takes the maxim “beauty is pain” to its absurdist extreme, challenging viewers to question how much they are willing to suffer to look good. Drawing inspiration from designers like Iris van Herpen and Alexander McQueen, Majka’s work is also influenced by her time in the studio track, which pushed her toward new experimental horizons that ultimately re-
fined her art. In enormous font outside the gallery is the pun, “The New Work Times.” Indeed, much like a contemporary newspaper, the show is a media minefield bursting with a variety of themes and styles. Adjacent to Majka’s futuristic avatars is Grace Hauck’s photography exhibit. Part of an ongoing project to gather stories of individuals’ experiences with Chicago law enforcement, Hauck has two photos mounted on her portion of the gallery wall with corresponding audio files of the interviews conducted with their subjects. Noise-cancelling headphones allow visitors to retreat from the hustle and bustle of their surroundings and dip into the worlds narrated by Hauck’s interviewees: two women recounting their time as police officers and the institutional sexism that hindered but did not thwart them. One might reasonably expect some difficulties to arise in coordinating a show as large and variegated as New Work, but any such difficulties are hard for the viewer to detect. “A huge anticipated difficulty was dividing up the gallery and making sure everyone had adequate space to show their work
in the way they wanted,” artist Mary Grace Bilby explained over e-mail. “Ultimately, our group is very supportive of each other and each other’s work, so the gallery came together pretty cohesively.” In many cases, the anticipated challenge of fitting into the gallery space resolved itself serendipitously. Luke Clohisy’s sculptural “Projections” intercedes between two series of Bilby’s paintings, creating a nice conversation; many participants in Xu’s virtual reality piece reported that the sounds from Sean Allen’s adjacent “eek” informed their experience of the virtual space. This is not to say, nonetheless, that assembling New Work didn’t have its fair share of difficulties. “My piece is an installation, and so it’s very much site-specific, and the gallery wasn’t technically ready until two days before the opening. So the majority of the things have been made in the past 72 hours—that was a challenge!” artist Julia Huang told The Maroon. Xu echoed Huang’s sentiment: “There would be people in the gallery until 3 a.m., 5 a.m. An hour before the show, it did not look like this!” Continued on page 6
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THE CHICAGO MAROON - APRIL 6, 2018
“It was a play on the whole quarter being like: ‘Make sure you have new work!’” Continued from page 5
As diverse as the art in New Work may be, the artists have something in common—an unremitting appreciation for the Department of Visual Arts. “Professors and other mentors would really push me to articulate what concepts I was pushing and what deeper intellectual meanings are behind the work,” reflected Xu. “Really being forced to think about it made me grow as an artist.” Bilby noted that visual arts education doesn’t just come from the outstanding professors but from the group of students attracted to the department: “Learning about the artwork of my peers has been one of my favorite and most rewarding aspects of my time in the
visual arts major.” Beyond art, students like Julia Huang cited their involvement with DoVA as a source of inspiration for overcoming fears of failure and engaging in endeavors at which they might otherwise balk. Though its title may be modest, the pieces presented in New Work are captivating. The final line of the exhibition’s four-line description proclaims, “I love New Work.” So do we. New Work will be on display in the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts until April 22. Karen Xu’s virtual reality piece “Interior Exterior” is available for experience every Tuesday through Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Alexandra Nisenoff
Isle of Dogs Finds Beauty in Garbage Island but Leaves a Whiff of Cultural Insensitivity BY MICHAEL SHERMAN MAROON CONTRIBUTOR
Wes Anderson has returned to stop motion animation with his new film, Isle of Dogs, after his first foray using this technique in Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). The release of Isle of Dogs has drawn much anticipation, as have projects from most of the current crop of auteur directors, whether they be Martin Scorsese or the Coen brothers; Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom (2012) and Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) earn him that status, too. Fortunately for fans of Anderson, Isle of Dogs lives up to, and perhaps even exceeds, the expectations set by his previous works—though not without some controversy. Set in the near future in dystopian Japan, newly-elected mayor Kobayashi of the fictional city Megasaki banishes all dogs to Trash Island as a result of the flu virus spreading through the dog population. He does so in spite of his political rival’s efforts to concoct a cure. The first dog deported, Spots, is a guard dog for Atari Kobayashi, the nephew and ward of the mayor. The film uses this framework to examine corrupt politicians, suppression of scientific knowledge, and the power of student journalism and protest. In the current American political climate, addressing these issues in different mediums of art could not be more prescient or necessary. The central storyline, revolving around Atari’s mission to find Spots, allows Anderson to create one of the most curious atmospheres on film since Grand Budapest Hotel. As is characteristic of Anderson films,
actors speak blunt, forceful dialogue without the emotional affect one would expect. The audience is left to fill in the emotional gaps left by this cinematic technique, which at times can be awkward, yet still leaves viewers feeling intensely joyous or sad. Viewers will leave this film feeling that it is truly possible to become the person—or dog, as it were—that you want to be. At the same time, the film engages with the universally paralyzing fear of mortality. Appearances aside, Isle of Dogs is not just a film for children (rather, the film is rated PG-13). Although the film uses stop motion animation in the same vein as Fantastic Mr. Fox, older audiences should let go of the false pretense that Isle of Dogs is too infantile for their taste. It will be interesting to see whether adult audiences are dissuaded by Isle of Dogs’ use of stop motion. While engaging more adult themes than Fantastic Mr. Fox, the cinematography and mise-en-scène is undeniably, unabashedly Wes Anderson. However, in the nearly decade-long gap between the creation of the two films, Anderson has become more ambitious in what he asks from his animators. Unlike his previous films, Isle of Dogs displays Anderson’s ability to create and find the beauty in what is literally garbage. It’s easy to find beauty in the nostalgia of 1960s summer camps and decadent European hotels, but Anderson proves his virtuosic ability to find pure aesthetic beauty even in a setting as ugly as Trash Island. Anderson’s meticulous attention to the most insignificant details of filmmaking is what separates him from merely good directors and makes him one of the most
technically competent directors working today. While many directors would ignore the images displayed on TVs within the film, Anderson uses this tiny detail to pay homage to the Japanese culture from which he is borrowing. Rather than just playing miniature versions of the content that occurs in the world of film, Anderson’s TVs use an entirely different, 2D animation style that mimics the art style of anime. And the scene in which a chef prepares sushi beautifully alludes to the legacy of anime’s wonderful depiction of making food. Yet, Anderson’s technical and formal achievements in depicting Japanese culture are undermined by problematic artistic choices. Film critic Justin Chang, first in a wave of critique, noted the biggest of these problems: Anderson’s choice to dub English over Japanese rather than using English subtitles. At any point in the film
where there would be extended Japanese dialogue, Frances McDormand’s character, an English interpreter, loudly dubs over the original language. The effect is a loss of connection to any of the Japanese-speaking characters, who begin to feel external. One might ask: Why does this story need to be told in Japan? It appears as if Anderson found himself with a compelling story that fit into the context of his existing filmography, but had also binge watched a set of Akira Kurosawa films and felt obliged to make a “Japanese” film. Despite this frustration, Isle of Dogs is still the film to go see in theaters this quarter. The emotional resonance, commitment to technical excellence, and attention to aesthetic beauty ultimately outweigh the problems that do exist.
Courtesy of FOX Searchlight
Isle of Dogs displays a world in which dogs have been banished to Trash Island.
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THE CHICAGO MAROON - APRIL 6, 2018
VIEWPOINTS An Open Letter on the UCPD Shooting Dear colleagues, students, friends, and neighbors, As scholars, activists, and practitioners who work on issues of state violence and human rights and who care deeply about the cohesion, safety, and well-being of members of the University of Chicago community, the surrounding neighborhoods, and the city in which we reside, we write with grave concern in response to the recent shooting of a student by an officer of the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD). According to The Chicago M aroon, on the night of Tuesday, April 3, an officer of the UCPD shot and gravely wounded a University of Chicago student, following reports that the student allegedly broke car and apartment windows with a metal pipe in what the student’s friend described as a “manic episode.” As of this writing, the student remains hospitalized. No official University communication has focused on the singular fact that, in our view, is of paramount importance: A member of our community was grievously injured with a firearm by a police officer while in the midst of what has been reported as a mental health crisis. This tragic episode of institutional violence raises important questions about the University’s commitment to the safety and well-being of its students and the broader community. To this student and to all those who love
him, we send this unequivocal message: We are deeply sorry for what happened. We wish you the easiest possible recovery and we are terribly dismayed that the University so badly failed to create a safe environment for you at a time of vulnerability. We cannot imagine the level of trauma this must have caused to you and your loved ones. We send you a message of care and support during what we know will be an ongoing period of recovery. This incident itself is shocking and awful. It also illuminates a broader set of issues, rooted in the University’s long history as an actor in this community. Those include but are not limited to: • The implications of the fact that the University of Chicago has empowered an entity to use deadly force against community members • The lack of accountability and effective community oversight of the UCPD, one of the largest private police forces in the United States, operating over a mere six square miles • The ongoing lack of enforceable guidelines regarding the use of nonlethal and deadly force • The fact that police are inadequate and inappropriate first responders in the case of mental health crises, a concern which should be at the forefront given the prevalence of untreated mental health issues in our com-
munity. The shooting also takes place within a broader national context of countless instances of lethal police violence, many against individuals experiencing mental health crises. The day prior to the tragic shooting in our community, the Supreme Court issued a decision that will only increase police authority to shoot people with impunity and disregard for human life. Just last month, the superintendent of the Chicago Police Department validated the police killing of Bettie Jones and Quintonio LeGrier, who was also in the midst of a mental health crisis. If we are to create a more just and safe environment for our students, faculty, staff, and community residents, we must strive to uphold human rights and human dignity and hold the University’s private police force to a higher standard of accountability. As we write, many factual details regarding this incident remain unclear. As more details emerge, many in the observing public may focus on adjudicating the facts of the case and whether the shooting was justified. As tends to be the case in police shooting incidents, there will be divergent interpretations of police accounts and body camera footage. We argue that many of these details—whether the student charged the officer, whether the officers ordered him to drop the pipe he was holding—are in fact
irrelevant to the undisputed facts and the crucial concerns they raise for our community. Three officers approached a civilian who was not armed with a deadly weapon, and they fired a gun at him, endangering his life. This horrifying fact should be the center of our discourse, and our efforts going forward should be focused on ensuring that such a thing can never happen again. In solidarity, Eve L. Ewing, A.B. ’08 Provost’s Postdoctoral Scholar School of Social Service Administration University of Chicago Yanilda González Assistant Professor School of Social Service Administration University of Chicago Susan Gzesh, A.B. ‘72 Executive Director and Senior Lecturer Pozen Family Center for Human Rights University of Chicago Reuben Miller, A.M. ‘07 Assistant Professor School of Social Service Administration University of Chicago
SPORTS
Maroons Split Double-Header BASEBALL
BY ANNA ROSE SPORTS STAFF
On Monday, the University of Chicago baseball team had their home opener in the freezing weather against the Buccaneers of Beloit College. The Maroons played a double-header, splitting even with one win and one loss. With only seven-inning games, the Maroons needed a strong start. In game one, the Maroons unfortunately fell short, losing 4–1. The squad struggled offensively, only tallying three total hits over the course of the game. Third-year first baseman Brady Sarkon was hit by the pitch at all three of his plate appearances. First-year catcher Jake Fauske com-
mented on the defeat, “The loss stemmed from a combination of a rough start from our arm on the mound and our hitters having a tough time at the plate in the early innings of game one.” In game two, the Maroons were able to redeem themselves, coming out on top with a score of 8–1. The team struggled offensively for the first few innings but were able to tally six runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth inning. Fourth-year outfielder Max Larsen led the way with two runs, and Connor Hickey, Ian Bohn, Brady Sarkon, Payton Jancsy, James Kelly, and Brian Lyle all contributed one each. “In seven-inning ball games, you have to be ready to go from the first pitch onward,”
commented third-year outfielder Josh Parks about the team’s performance during both games. “We got exposed in the first game. Thanks to some stellar pitching from both Jacob Petersen and David Clarke, we were able to regain our focus on both sides of the ball and get a much needed split.” First-year Jake Fauske echoed his teammate’s sentiments: “The team did well in the win by executing with runners in scoring positions, with each individual doing their job.” The Maroons are only looking to improve from here. With several home games in sight, the team is excited for the season ahead as the weather gets warmer. “The team is excited to be outside play-
ing, especially now that we’ve started home games,” Fauske added. “Our excitement will only grow as the weather heats up, and I am excited to see what is in store for us as a team moving forward.” “Moving forward, the key for us is going to be holding ourselves to a higher standard each time we take the field,” Parks said. “If we’re able to hold each other accountable, and with our upcoming schedule, I am confident in our chances to get hot as we hit the halfway mark of the season.” The Maroons’ season continues on Saturday when they take on Central Iowa College for another home double-header with games at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
ON ANOTHER LEVEL
Across 1. A-rated*
BY CHRISTOPHER JONES
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58. Cold war winner
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67. Swiss capital
27. Tropical trees
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8
THE CHICAGO MAROON - APRIL 6, 2018
SPORTS
Senior Spotlight: Chandler Carroll FOOTBALL
BY THOMAS GORDON SPORTS STAFF
T here are certain athletes who coaches say are a once-in-a-lifetime type of player to coach. These players change a game in seconds, are easily coachable, and act as model students and model humans. For the University of Chicago football team and head coach Chris Wilkerson, two-time captain, all-conference, and Academic All-American Chandler Carroll is one of those players. As Wilkerson puts it, “Chandler is the total package and truly epitomizes what UChicago student-athletes are all about.” Carroll went above and beyond the role of just being a football player. It would be an understatement to say Carroll was a great competitor. He will be leaving this school as one of the most decorated players in the history of the program, arguably the best running back in school history. This is the man who owns the records for most points in a career, most rushing touchdowns, and most total touchdowns and rushing attempts, and who also finished second in career rushing yards and career all-purpose yards. As Wilkerson describes it, “His unique skill set allowed him to leave with eight school records while being number two in five more categories.” Carroll was an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses due to both his rushing skill and his ability to catch passes from the backfield—the total package for an offensive player. It was not only Carroll’s athleticism that set him apart, but also his mentality and football IQ that truly made him special. First-year linebacker Graham Repp speaks high praise of the running back: “Chandler is one of the toughest guys I’ve ever met, both physically and men-
Chandler Carroll on one of his 859 career carries. tally.” This mental toughness is a trait that Wilkerson highlights as well, along with Carroll’s competitive nature. In addition to his mental toughness, Carroll’s football IQ allows him to be extremely adaptable and coachable as a player. He was able “to flourish in three different offensive systems over his four-year career,” according to Wilkerson. Weaker players would have succumbed to the lack of stability, but not Carroll. Instead, he thrived and became a more complete player due to the different styles molding him into a truly dynamic competitor. For a player as successful as Carroll, it would be understandable to have an inflated sense of ego. But at the end of
University of Chicago Athletics Dept.
the day, Carroll is not just an athlete. campus and on the football field. WilkerHe has been a successful student at son is optimistic about Carroll’s future UChicago and is in Repp’s opinion “the but will be sad to see him move on from nicest and most down-to-earth person…. this chapter of his life. Wilkerson said His success never got to his head, even about his M VP’s go-getting attitude: though he has been extremely success- “It will serve him well as he enters the ful.” Carroll is as elite in the classroom workforce. He leaves a legacy of excelas he is on the gridiron. He attacks ev- lence behind and will be dearly missed.” erything in life with his tenacious mindCarroll’s legacy will be remembered, set and energy, whether it be perfecting and his presence on campus will be felt a play during practice or working on an even after he graduates, as he has set economic problem set late at night in the standard for what it means to be a the Reg. This hardworking mentality Maroon student-athlete. He finished his has made him an extremely successful football career with 3,979 rushing yards, economics student as well as football 5,186 all-purpose yards, and 46 touchplayer. Carroll fits the definition of stu- downs. Upon graduation, Carroll will be dent-athlete to a tee. working as an investment banker for J.P. Carroll will be greatly missed on Morgan in Chicago.
Coach Kmak Reaches 400 Career Wins SOFTBALL
BY ALYSSA RUDIN SPORTS STAFF
The Maroon softball team enjoyed sweeps against North Park University in their home opener games this week. The team was dominant in both games, earning head coach Ruth Kmak an ex-
citing milestone—her 400th career win. In the first game, the Chicago offense absolutely could not be contained. The Vikings took a four run lead at the top of the first, but they didn’t hold onto that for very long. In the bottom of the first, second-year lead-off hitter Emma Nelson hit a quick homer to get the team
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rolling, and third-year Serena Moss and first-year Skye Collins batted in runners to tie the game back up. From then on, the South Siders dominated. Second-year Holli Jones and first-year Abby Hayes batted in three more runs for the Maroons in the second inning. Hayes earned another RBI in the fourth, and third-year Maeve Garvey consolidated the lead for good with a home run that brought in two on-base players as well. The game ended in a humorous fashion as the North Park catcher attempted to pick off second-year Christie Ambrose, but the throw bounced off of third-year Serena Moss’ helmet, allowing Ambrose to score the twelfth and final run for the Maroons. Fourth-year pitcher Molly Moran earned the start and the win with six strikeouts and four earned runs. The Maroons took home their first victory of the day winning 12–4. Game two was another successful performance for Chicago, although they did not run away with the game quite as distinctly as they did in the first game of the day. Collins’s hot bat went at it again in the second, earning her first collegiate home run. North Park battled to tie things up in the top of the fourth, but the Maroons snatched the momen-
tum back with a three run fifth, with Hayes, Moss, and Garvey all recording RBI. Garvey earned a final RBI in the sixth to reach eight Maroon runs. The Vikings once again tried and failed to come back as second-year Megan Stoppelman held them off in relief. Thirdyear pitcher Jordyne Prussak earned her fifth win of the season and maintained her perfect record while giving up just one earned run in the game. The game ended with a winning score of 8–4. These two games were very meaningful for the team as they got to be present for their coach’s 400th career win. “ The fact that we got to celebrate coach Kmak’s 400th win of her coaching career is very special,” said Moss. “We actually made her a poster and brought her cupcakes to practice yesterday, and she seemed super appreciative. While that was just a very small token of our gratitude, words/actions cannot even begin to describe how grateful I and my teammates are to have her as our coach. Coach Kmak puts her heart and soul into this program, and the fact that we got the chance to celebrate one of the many instances of her hard work paying off is super awesome—especially for the upperclassmen who are now going on their third or fourth season with her.”