041712 Chicago Maroon by The Chicago Maroon

TUESDAY • APRIL 17, 2012

ISSUE 38 • VOLUME 123

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892

CHICAGOMAROON.COM

Community workers protest lack of diversity in campus construction hires Rebecca Guterman News Editor

After three-year hiatus, OLAS gets back into the groove From left to right, fourth-year Ricardo Jose Alvarez Pimentel, first-year Christian Sanchez, fourth-year Yury Elena Bencomo, and fourth-year Marco Villanueva perform at the Organization of Latin American Students Cultural Show Saturday at Mandel Hall. DARREN LEOW | THE CHICAGO MAROON

U of C tweets its way to the online top John Catlin News Staff The U of C came in third place earlier this month for the most-buzzed American universities behind only MIT and Harvard. The Global Language Monitor’s Trend Topper MediaBuzz rankings, compiled every nine months, measures the “Internet brand equity” of colleges and universities using data from social media sites, the blogosphere, and more than 175,000 print and electronic media outlets. U of C spokesperson Jeremy Manier said that the ranking did not surprise him, given the University’s influential faculty and alumni, robust outreach from the Admissions Office, and a historically strong media presence. “University faculty members help shape the public conversation through the impact of their scholarship and more directly as public intellectuals. Many of our faculty members and students write columns and op-eds, run blogs, and are active in any number of online conversations,” Manier wrote in an e-mail.

National coverage of new campus buildings like the Joe and Rika Mansueto Library and the Reva and David Logan Center has also increased the University’s online presence. University media sources also contribute to the buzz. The University News Office, for instance, manages UChicago Live, which streams videos of prominent speakers and events on campus to the University’s 59,000 Facebook fans and allows viewers to comment in real time. “We think this combination of online discussion and in-person events is really exciting, and it’s something we’ll be pursuing more in the future,” Manier said. Hub.uchicago.edu, a new effort to map the University’s Internet presence, compiles the social media pages of all the University programs and divisions—including student and faculty blogs, RSS Feeds, Flickr, YouTube, and Facebook pages—into one online U of C “hub.” The top five in the MediaBuzz rankings were rounded out by Columbia University and University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Specialist advocates Cold War tactics against Iranian nuclear threat Ash Mayo News Contributor Michael Ledeen, long-time foreign policy specialist, argued that a return to Cold War tactics could combat Iran’s enduring hostility at a lecture sponsored by Friends of Israel last night in Harper Memorial. “Iran has killed thousands of Americans, and nobody cares,” Ledeen said, claiming that Iran had been taking those lives since 1979 and is at the center of violence in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ledeen, who worked under the Reagan administration as an adviser to the State and Defense Departments, was not partisan in his criticism of American naivety about Iran. “[Every president] thought they could make a deal

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Temperatures in Fahrenheit - Courtesy of The Weather Channel

with Iran—every one of them,” Ledeen said. He attributed their mistakes to an American misconception of human nature. “Americans believe all men are basically equal and that all men are basically good. And not just equal but basically the same…but that’s not true,” Ledeen said. That difference marks a larger divide between the U.S. and Iran when it comes to diplomatic relations, he pointed out. “[Iranians] think it is their religious obligation to destroy us,” he said. However, he does not believe that the situation needs to devolve into violence. “We brought down the Soviet empire without firing a shot. We can certainly bring IRAN continued on page 2

Neighborhood residents and leaders of the Save Our Communities Coalition marched onto campus yesterday morning, demanding University jobs for local residents in compliance with the University’s Memorandum of Understanding. The protesters began at East 58th Street and South Stony Island Avenue around 8 a.m. and continued to march until they stopped outside the Administration building at 10:00 a.m., chanting “UChicago hates black people.” According to the coalition, which prefers to speak with one voice, the group began with about 35 people and shrunk to around 10 by the time they arrived in front of the Administration building. The U of C, in conjunction with the City of Chicago, agreed to the memorandum last summer, stipulating that it will increase employment opportunities for the community as much as possible to facilitate a positive relationship with the South Side. Though the University has continued to construct and renovate buildings around campus, it

has not hired any coalition-affiliated residents in months, said the group, despite the submission of 40 to 50 community member applications in February. Facilities Services Business Diversity Manager Victor Alvarez encouraged them to submit those applications but is no longer responding to their inquiries about hiring status, according to the coalition. Currently, minority and local worker hours must constitute at least 30 percent of total employee hours, quotas that the University has exceeded, according to U of C spokesperson Jeremy Manier. As of December 31, 43.72 percent of construction hours were by minority and female workers, totaling to over $8.8 million in wages, Manier wrote in an e-mail. He also said that more than half of wages on these projects were earned by Chicago residents. Minority and female-owned businesses also held 32.83 percent of these major capital projects contracts, which surpasses the 30 percent minimum for that as well. These statistics comprise seven major capital projects on campus, from the completed Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts and Joe and Rika Mansueto Library to the in-progress WilPROTEST continued on page 2

Journalist disputes international perceptions of Israeli democracy Jon Catlin News Staff Max Blumenthal, an award-winning journalist and author, spoke out against Israeli claims to legitimate democracy in a talk entitled “Myth, Illusion, and Israel’s Democracy” last night in Stuart Hall. The talk comes just two weeks after U.S. ambassador to Israel Michael Oren touted Israel as the strongest and only democratic U.S. ally in the Middle East. Blumenthal referenced Israel’s unfortunate reaction to Gunther Grass, a Nobel winning German poet, who recently denounced the Israeli nuclear mobilization toward Iran in a poem. “This 84-year-old man has now been barred from entering Israel. Other Palestinian poets have been assassinated by Mossad. That’s what you get for speaking up,” he said. An American-born Jew, Blumenthal is best known for his viral YouTube videos exposing Israeli military brutality, hostile Israeli youth, and seemingly undemocratic laws. “The Western media never receives this footage because nobody ever bothers to translate it from Hebrew or Arabic media outlets,” he said. “One of my goals is to equalize the gap in media coverage to the West.” Blumenthal criticized Israeli laws since the state’s founding for being “demographically,” rather than “democratically,” justified. Numerous laws prohibit non-Jews from marrying, living in certain areas, reclaiming property, and attaining Israeli citizenship. “These laws are oppressive to anyone who isn’t Jpositive–that is, ethnically Jewish,” he said. Blumenthal doesn’t see a solution to the conflict arising from Israel in the near future. “The oppressed are in no position for action. The international community is the only means to change the status quo. The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement is the only path I see to change,” he said.

The talk was sponsored by the RSO Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). Blumenthal is former senior writer at The Daily Beast and author of Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement that Shattered the Party (Nation, 2009) on the rise of radical conservatism in American politics.

Award-winning journalist and best-selling author Max Blumenthal discusses the nature of Israel’s democracy and the realities of its policies toward both its Arab citizens and the Palestinians living under its occupation during a talk in Stuart Hall Monday evening. JULIA REINITZ | THE CHICAGO MAROON

IN VIEWPOINTS

IN ARTS

Embrace the non-believers » Page 4

Court Theatre stages America’s demons with ‘Angels’ » Page 6

Occupational therapy » Page 4

How to succeed in video blogging without really trying » Page 10

THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | April 13, 17, 2012

Ledeen: words are best weapon against Iran IRAN continued from front

down the Iranian…the way to do Iran is to send in the words.” Food, radio, and pamphlets are the weapons in this war, according to Ledeen. He concluded with a modern version of the Marshall Plan, which gave aid to countries in danger of coming under Communist rule during the Cold War.

The divisions among higher leaders of the Iranian government make the country an easier target, according to Ledeen. “This regime is ready to go,” he said. “They hate each other and don’t trust each other.” Ledeen’s lecture comes two weeks after Israeli ambassador Michael Oren spoke at IHouse amidst protests from the Students in Justice for Palestine (SJP).

Community group calls Zimmer policies racist PROTEST continued from front

liam Eckhardt Research Center. The community group’s next step is a meeting with the Office of Civic Engagement, delayed to at least May 1, the University told the coalition. As a side agenda, the group wishes to convince the Board of Trustees to oust President Robert Zimmer for his “racist policies,” according to member Paul Johnson. Johnson also criticized the “patronage system,” in which only those associated with Bishop Byron Brazier of the Apostolic Church of God get hired for University projects. “He is a Negro preacher, he receives gifts—benefits—from Rahm Emanuel,” Johnson said. “He doesn’t pay the water tax because the aldermans [of the third, fifth, and 20th wards] give him waivers.” Johnson distinguished between a Negro preacher, who “doesn’t care about his people,” and a real

preacher, who does. The group also referred to other aspects of the University’s presence as elitist, such as the low percentage of African students and faculty in the College and restricted access to trauma care for Grove Park residents. “There are two separate black Americas, separate and unequal,” Johnson said. “There are the very, very few elitist blacks, like Bishop Brazier, and then the rest who are not middle class,” he said. “We don’t discriminate,” he added. “There are two separate white Americas, too, separate and unequal.” The coalition intends to protest frequently again now that the weather is warming up, as well as during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in May. “We’ll protest graduation if [Zimmer] keeps up with racist policies,” president Bob Israel said. “Every day until we get answers.”

CORRECTIONS » The April 13 “Weekly Crime Report” incorrectly stated that one of the

suspects in the incident on 5700 S. Woodlawn Ave. was later found. » The April 13 article “Dozens Arrested As Activists Seize Woodlawn Mental Health Clinic” omitted one source for projected savings. The mayor’s memo stated that the freezing of non-essential workers, in addition to the privatization of clinics, will contribute to the $20 million.

VIEWPOINTS

Editorial & Op-Ed APRIL 17, 2012

Community building Myriad opportunities exist for U of C students to get more involved in the neighborhood The student newspaper of the University of Chicago since 1892 JORDAN LARSON Editor-in-Chief SHARAN SHETTY Editor-in-Chief COLIN BRADLEY Managing 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 MATTHEW SCHAEFER 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 JAMIE MANLEY Photo Editor

The Hyde Park bubble might not be so impermeable, after all. On Friday, Facebook lit up with the news that Chicago Police arrested dozens of protesters who had barricaded themselves inside the Woodlawn Mental Health Center—just steps from South Campus. The same day, both outside activists and local residents began occupying the empty lot across the street, drawing a steady stream of intrigued students all weekend. Meanwhile, preservationists announced they were gearing up for a fight with the University over the 5700 block of Woodlawn Avenue. Additionally, increased gang violence in neighborhoods to our south and west drew concern even as Chief of Police Marlon C. Lynch announced via e–mail a declining crime rate in the Hyde ParkSouth Kenwood community. The past few days, more than most, serve as a reminder that students

should not only be aware that issues exist between the University and the community at large, but also understand and strive to address them. Anyone with a cursory familiarity with local history knows there has long been friction between the U of C and its surroundings. Whether it’s town and gown tensions here in Hyde Park or the complex issues of race and class that trouble the University’s interactions with adjacent neighborhoods, students are partial heirs to a long legacy of mutual mistrust that continues to resonate today. Although it is the Administration that has the greatest sway over that relationship, the student body has a vital role to play in building bridges to the community beyond the quads. Although protests and demonstrations tend to garner publicity, a student doesn’t need to be

an activist to get involved in a way that demonstrates empathy, friendship and, most i mportantly, understanding. Joining a servicebased RSO—there are over 60 of them, many of which are focused on the local community—is another productive option. These RSOs span a broad spectrum of goals and motivations that would appeal to students with a similarly wide array of interests, including working with and teaching local youth, providing meals to the homeless, and promoting health education. But getting involved often starts with getting informed. Local aldermen hold public meetings when pressing community issues demand them, as Fifth Ward Alderman Leslie Hairston did earlier this year and late last year to discuss the University’s Planned Development amendment. Attending meetings of this nature would enable students to

gain perspective on key issues, and would also signify to the community that students know they have a stake in local affairs as well. A consciousness of the history, politics, and sociolog y of the neighborhood benefits more than community relations. It can also enrich the experience of the individual student. The link is obvious for those focused on the humanities and social sciences, who need look no further than their own backyards for deeply interesting subject matter congruent to their academic pursuits. But students of all stripes will find meaning and relevance to many of the broader issues of our day in the stories of their neighbors. They might even find community and friendship, too.

The Editorial Board consists of the Editors-in-Chief and the Viewpoints Editors.

CELIA BEVER Assoc. News Editor MARINA FANG Assoc. News Editor BEN POKROSS Assoc. News Editor LINDA QIU Assoc. News Editor MADHU SRIKANTHA Assoc. News Editor JENNIFER STANDISH Assoc. News Editor

Conflict of interests Personal taste should not be the final arbiter of success when it comes to relationships

DAVID KANER Assoc. Viewpoints Editor 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 DEREK TSANG, Assoc. Sports Editor JAKE WALERIUS, Assoc. Sports Editor SYDNEY COMBS Assoc. Photo Editor TIFFANY TAN Assoc. Photo Editor TYRONALD JORDAN Business Manager VIVIAN HUA Undergraduate Business Executive

By Emily Wang Viewpoints Editor

VINCENT MCGILL Delivery Coordinator HYEONG-SUN CHO Designer SONIA DHAWAN Designer ANDREW GREEN Designer ALYSSA LAWTHER Designer SARAH LI Designer AUTUMN NI Designer AMITA PRABHU Designer AMISHI BAJAJ Copy Editor JANE BARTMAN Copy Editor

“Look, she liked The Original Series more than The Next Generation. I mean, I get that Spock is a really great character, but she’s just objectively wrong. The Next Generation is clearly better. It’s not going to work out.” It’s not going to work out. My friend—let’s call him “Jon”—of-

fered me the above explanation as the reason why he couldn’t envision a future with the girl he was seeing. I wasn’t particularly surprised; this wasn’t the first time Jon had given me a bewildering rationale for why things “weren’t going to work out” between him and the prospect of the week, month, etc. Once, it was because “she didn’t like Bill Murray.” Another deal breaker? She hopped on the Arrested Development train recently, but talked about it as though she single-handedly saved the show from obscurity. Didn’t find that obscure ’90s sketch comedy he sent her funny? File her under “doubtful.” Okay, so I’m probably not being completely fair to Jon. Whenever I point out how ridiculous these petty dismissals sound, he retorts that

these smaller misalignments in interests are indicative of larger incongruities in their respective value sets. Value sets? I’ll bite—for now. After all, on a pretty basic level, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that an individual’s personal taste in popular culture probably does signify the larger cultural and social milieus that she developed and emerged from. And I can’t say that I’m not guilty of the same kind of pop judgment. If someone professed an intense passion for Twilight to me, I mean, that’s kind of a red flag. In a less extreme scenario, it’s also true that I’d be far more inclined to date someone whose favorite novel is Pale Fire than someone who sleeps with a copy of Animal Farm by their side every night. Today, many of our social deci-

sions—both online and off—are predicated on these kinds of judgments. In real life, impulsive, cultural, capital-determined categorizations happen all the time. He’s wearing a Radiohead T-shirt. Probably a pretentious asshole. But at least when you’re face-to-face with someone, there’s the possibility of resisting some or all of the constructed implications of being, say, the “type of guy who wears Radiohead Tshirts.” Online, the importance of this capital is magnified tenfold, because all you’re given to work with is the construct—the curated version of a person. Who wouldn’t instinctually recoil if, after meeting someone in real life, you search for his or her Facebook profile and discover Nickelback listed under the music TASTE continued on page 4

MARTIA BRADLEY Copy Editor SHANICE CASIMIRO Copy Editor LISA FAN Copy Editor ALAN HASSLER Copy Editor NISHANTH IYENGAR Copy Editor MICHELLE LEE Copy Editor

Occupational therapy The Woodlawn Clinic protest exposed some enlightening parallels in public spending

KATIE MOCK Copy Editor ZSOFIA VALYI-NAGY 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. © 2012 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

By Christopher Ivan Viewpoints Columnist Roughly 100 Woodlawn residents, activists, and University of Chicago students joined the ongoing fight to halt the closure of Chicago’s public mental health clinics Thursday and Friday. Chicago has 12 such clinics—six are being closed, and the rest privatized. To no one’s surprise, the

closures are mostly in the Southside, among them the Woodlawn Adult Health Center at East 63 rd Street and South Woodlawn Avenue. STOP (Southsiders Together Organizing for Power) has been fighting to keep all 12 open and funded for months now. They organized the occupation and rally, which included participation by Occupy Chicago. And yet, since its start in 1972, back when discussions of public expenditure weren’t limited to “How much can we cut? How can we use the savings on tax exemptions for wealth [read: not job] creation?”, the Woodlawn clinic has helped thousands of struggling, mentally ill people pull themselves back up and continue

to live their lives. In spite of the successes and years of service, the mayor’s office sees pork to be cut

“

As has been amply noted, those whom the clinics serve are the struggling people who may fall into homelessness, turn to crime, or commit suicide.

”

in the form of the measly $2.3 million needed to fund and staff all 12 clinics. Compare this to the roughly $50 million recently

squandered on riot gear and other NATO summit preparations to “keep the peace,” or to the multimillion dollar subsidies recently given to Chicago’s two major exchanges. As has been amply noted, those whom the clinics serve are the struggling people who may fall into homelessness, turn to crime, or commit suicide. It is widely believed that many of America’s homeless find themselves in that condition precisely because they frequently suffer from mental illness. Instead of appealing to people’s common decency, these closures will represent our collective refusal to equitably share this country’s bounty. We would CLINIC continued on page 5

THE CHICAGO MAROON | VIEWPOINTS | April 17, 2012

Embrace the non-believers As their numbers grow, there are a few things atheists must do to earn acceptance

By Maya Fraser Viewpoints Columnist It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until I was in high school that I would openly admit I was an atheist. For a long time I would tell people that I believed in God because it seemed less intimidating. I worried that people would think there was something wrong with me. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until I had a friend who was very open about her atheism that I publicly admitted my non-belief. Feeling like I was not alone in a sea of beliefs that seemed so alien to me made all the difference. When I got to high school, I went to the other extreme. I resented religion and I made sure that everyone knew it. It was only after coming to college and entering an environment where free dialogue is encouraged and atheism is accepted that I came to see how this approach to religion is both without nuance and fundamentally unhelpful. As more and more Americans self-identify as religiously unaffiliated, agnostic, or atheist, a national dialogue about secularism and its role in the United States is sorely needed. We can already see things changing, as evidenced by the GOPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s misplaced confidence that its religious female voters would be happy to forgo birth control. However, in a political climate in which politicians must constantly profess their religious beliefs in order to be electable, it seems that such a conversation will be next to impossible to have. There is no way that I could be elected to most public offices merely because of my lack of religious beliefs, and this profoundly disturbs me. Religion and America are inextricably linked in many peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minds to the extent that atheists are somehow considered un-American. It is also highly problematic that many of the public faces of atheism, like Richard Dawkins, are so intent upon emphasizing the malignancy of religion and the naĂŻvetĂŠ of those who practice it. Though this response may seem tempting, especially to those who feel as if they have been harmed by religion over the course of their lives, it garners neither converts nor conversation. After all, how can you have a dialogue with those whom you disrespect? What we ultimately cannot afford to do is frame the dialogue as an â&#x20AC;&#x153;us vs. themâ&#x20AC;? conversationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as those crazy religious nuts vs. the godless heathens. That is not what we should strive for as Americans. We are a people that are, at least nominally, united by its belief in common ideals that have nothing to do with whether or not a God exists and what name it goes by. When Christians claim that â&#x20AC;&#x153;America was founded as a Christian nationâ&#x20AC;? or when atheists call religious people â&#x20AC;&#x153;delusional,â&#x20AC;? both groups ignore the important things that should unite them. I doubt that I will ever understand what it feels like to believe in God. Similarly, I expect that many people could not conceive of a worldview without God. There is no changing that, and we may never fully understand each other as a result. Instead of focusing on understanding, we should focus on seeing that the other side truly believes what it believes and accept that. There are several things that I think atheists should keep in mind that would help them enter the conversation I envision and, in doing so, gain more acceptance: 1. Atheists cannot afford to proselytize. Persecuting people for believing in God is just as unacceptable as persecuting people for not believing in God. 2. People who do not believe in God should not hide it. I feel certain that the number of professed atheists is far smaller than the number of people who do not believe in God. As with the gay rights movement, if people realize that they know many atheists who are good and moral people, it becomes difficult to stereotype them as evil or immoral. 3. We should call out politicians and other public

figures who ignore the existence of atheists. When President Obama listed â&#x20AC;&#x153;non-believersâ&#x20AC;? among the list of religious groups in the United States during his 2008 inaugural address, it was significant because few politicians choose to acknowledge the atheists in their constituencies. 4. Finallyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and I think this may be the most difficult thing to doâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;we must at least acknowledge the existence of atheism in schools. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remember atheism ever being mentioned in my elementary or middle school classes, yet there were certainly times that teachers openly expressed belief in God. Teaching children from an early age that atheism is acceptable would foster a similarly healthy openness about it in our society. These points are by no means exhaustive, but their adoption would go a long way toward giving the rising number of atheists a seat at the ongoing national round table. Though we still have far to go, I see some signs that we are moving towards a society that shows more religious toleranceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a Mormon is about to become the GOP presidential nomineeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as well as more tolerance toward those who have no religion. I hope for a time when atheists can become politicians, can be respected as moral people, and can feel accepted as Americans. I hope that time is not too long in coming. Maya Fraser is a second-year in the College majoring in sociology.

Chemistry and common interests together can make for a happy relationship TASTE continued from page 3 section? (Maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an ironic appreciation, you tell yourself.) On online dating sites, these interests play an even bigger role in our decision-making. How are you going to decide on which guy to respond to when your match percentages are all over 90 percent and they all kind of look vaguely similar? Easyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;just take a gander at what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve filled out in their favorites section. That must be a good indicator of compatibility, you reason. People have probably always obsessed over taste. Maybe 50 years ago, Rolling Stones fans decided they could never date Beatles fans. But I just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t imagine that it mattered to the same degree that it does today, when everyone has access to an almost endless wealth of consumable content; when weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been conditioned by the Seinfelds and High Fidelitys of the pop culture canon to glorify the trivial. So what a person actually decides to seek out and, more importantly, enjoy in all that content seems like itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be significant in some way. Yet, at what point do minutiae cease to be meaningful and become, well, just plain minutiae? Does it really matter if we both love Arcade Fire? What if we have no overlapping musical preferences at all? I ask these questions because Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve faced them time and again in the dating world. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sure if I even know whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to me, and

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m worried that this intense preoccupation with having identical interests will only grow with the increasingly predominant role of social networking sites in forming and facilitating our relationships. On the one hand, from personal experience, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think that real-life chemistry can be determined by how well our tastes in various pop culture categories correspond. On the other hand, how is the relationship going to work in the long run if we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t at least occasionally go to the same movies, watch the same shows and concerts, or talk about similar books? Is chemistry, divorced from shared interests, enough? I guess, in the end, taste does matter to meâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;whether this concern with it is innate or cultivated or bothâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the be-all and end-all. I just hope in the future that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be discerning enough to know when it actually matters. And it will, sometimes, though I need to ask myself if Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m simply looking for some kind of superficial sign that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to work out. Maybe then, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be open-minded enough to not immediately write off a prospect when he tells me reading Atlas Shrugged changed his entire life outlookâ&#x20AC;Śbut then again, maybe not. Emily Wang is a second-year in the College majoring in English.

April 21st 9:30 am- Registration 10:00 am- Conference Starts

International House at the University of Chicago Lunch will be provided to those who register in advance

1414 E. 59th Street Chicago, IL

RSVP: mexicotomorrow2012.eventbrite.com More information on: www.mexicanosenuchicago.org

9:30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10:00 am Conference Registration 10:00- 10:20 am Opening Remarks 10:30- 11:30 am A Conversation with Ernesto Cordero

Former Mexican Secretary of Treasury, Former Mexican Secretary of Social Development 11:40- 12:50 pm Panel â&#x20AC;&#x153;Elections, Democracy and Equalityâ&#x20AC;? with JesĂşs Silva Herzog MĂĄrquez and Gina Zabludovksy

12:50 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2:10pm Lunch 2:10- 3:40 pm Panel â&#x20AC;&#x153;Poverty, Economy and Developmentâ&#x20AC;? with Fausto Hernandez, Fernando Turner and Gerardo Esquivel

3:55- 5:25 pm Panel â&#x20AC;&#x153;Security, Organized Crime and Human Rightsâ&#x20AC;? with Jorge Chabat, Luis de la Barreda and Olga Pellicer 5:40- 6:50 pm Keynote Speaker: CuauhtĂŠmoc CĂĄrdenas Former Mayor of Mexico City, Former Governor of the State of MichoacĂĄn, founder of the P.R.D. At the University of Chicago, freedom of expression is vital to our shared goal of the pursuit of knowledge. In order to promote rigorous inquiry, and allow all members of the community to learn and share ideas, we must protect civil discourse. That includes both listening to featured speakers and participating in the question-andanswer session that follows. Disrupting speakers may result in removal from an event. We appreciate your help in supporting these fundamental values. Persons with disabilities who may need assistance should contact the Office of Programs & External Relations in advance of the program at 773-753-2274 With generous financial support from the Tinker Visiting Professor program at the Center for Latin American Studies

THE CHICAGO MAROON | VIEWPOINTS | April 17, 2012

Protestors and police officers frequently face off, but are not so different in many ways CLINIC continued from page 3 sooner turn away traumatized veterans, the homeless, the beaten, and the raped (no hyperbole here—these victimized individuals are often the clients of public mental health clinics), and just let the profit incentive exclude those who can’t afford private help. Arm in arm, dozens of Occupy activists and students human-barricaded the clinic’s three entrances, striving to keep the police from breaking down the doors and arresting the almost 30 people occupying the clinic. We held the police off for almost eight hours, until they finally sawed their way through the back door. In those eight hours, the group I was part of kept its spirits high with chants, songs, jokes, and by sharing our own mental health difficulties—many of us know firsthand what it will be like for the uninsured patients who will have nowhere to go for help come

April 30th, when the curtain is set to fall on the clinics. And of course, there were grim, mostly stone-faced police officers all around us the entire time, “there to protect us,” in one officer’s words (From what? From whom? From ourselves?), making even this kind of light-hearted relationship-building an act of defiance. We regularly offered them food and beverages, but police are forbidden to accept gifts from protesters. Winning their sympathy in this way would break down the positional ties that separate us from them, the barriers without which it would become so much harder for them to rush into a clinic and arrest a bunch of laid-off healthcare workers, the mentally ill, and the homeless, or to forcefully shove us out of the way so that they could get in. As any activist who has faced off with the police before knows, there are very human hearts under those badges.

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Photo: Violins and Glass by Juan Gris

University of Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Scherzo for Spring

Saturday, April 21 | 8 PM Mandel Hall, 1131 E. 57th Street Barbara Schubert, Conductor 2012 Concerto Competition Co-Winners Zidi Chen, violin, and Paul Wang, piano Music of Robert Schumann, Alexander Glazunov, and Antonin Dvorák.

Donations requested: $10 general /$5 students event hotline: 773.702.8069 | music.uchicago.edu Persons with a disability who need assistance should call 773.702.8484.

Though the logic of the protest seems to dictate that it must be “us” against “them,” as they will without fail physically remove or arrest us if ordered, it’s a logic I avoid adopting whenever possible. There was one police officer in particular whom I spoke to many times over the course of the eight hours. He was somewhat sympathetic with our cause, though mostly annoyed that we were “keeping him on the job” well past his shift’s end. He had a great sense of humor, and worked formerly in healthcare. And yet, as seems to be the case for most of the public, he couldn’t understand what we thought we were accomplishing through occupation. When I pointed out that the mayor has refused to meet with STOP members or to consider any path other than that of privatization of public services, and that STOP has already met with almost all of Chicago’s 50 aldermen numerous times to little avail, he acknowledged that maybe there really was nothing left for us to turn to apart from spectacle. When your elected officials are structurally and idiosyncratically barred from putting the interests of the majority first wherever they conflict with the interests of the wealthy few, what can you do short of taking to the streets? Short of occupying the buildings that dispense the vital services people need just to survive in this increasingly distraught and unsympathetic society? After the police broke through and began zip-tying the occupants, we protesters linked arms again to block the wagons loaded with arrested people. It was surreal: At two opposite ends of a side-alley, a line of unarmed protesters faced off against a line of heavily armed police. They had guns, tasers, mace, flak jackets, radios, cars, cuffs. One officer even had some-

thing like a battering ram strapped to his back. Meanwhile, I had a library book in my coat pocket, Said’s Orientalism, and about $75,000 of federal debt on my mind, much of it at 13 percent interest. Library books, college debt, and police gear come from the public weal, as do public clinics. The great irony is, of course, that clinics like the one we are fighting for help keep people off the street, and away from crime and drugs. And the more crime we have, the more politicians sink our money into fancy weapons, aerial drones, and people in blue uniforms. Somehow, this is an easier sell than low-cost public services. Christopher Ivan is a graduate student in the MAPSS program.

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 17, 2012

Court Theatre stages America’s demons with Angels Angela Qian Arts Staff Virginal eyes beware: Angels in America does not skimp on flashing skin, naked butts, and more-than-suggestive body movements. Clocking in at seven hours total, it is not for the faint of heart. But Tony Kushner’s famous two-part play never was for the sexually squeamish, anyway. In this third collaboration between Artistic Director Charles Newell and Tony Kushner, Court Theatre delivers a production that is true to the spirit behind Kushner’s phantasmagoric story of angels, AIDS, Mormons and Valium. Angels centers around two pairs of lovers. Prior Walter (Rob Lindley) and Louis Ironson (Eddie Bennett) are torn apart when Prior contracts HIV. Harper Pitt (Heidi Kettenring) is a Valium junkie who worries that her staunchly conservative husband, Joe (Geoff Packard) is gay. Rounding out the cast of characters is Roy Cohn (Larry Yando), an über-conservative, closeted lawyer dying of AIDS; Belize (Michael Pogue), a black former drag queen and nurse; and Hannah Pitt, Joe’s worried mother. There’s also the titular Angel, who serves as deus ex machina for the piece. Set primarily in New York City in 1985, the play is interspersed with flashbacks and fantastical figures that imbue the piece with a sense of mythology and grandeur. Though a strong political message runs throughout the play, since there’s an emphasis on the AIDS epidemic, the characters transcend historical events, ultimately achieving timelessness and universality. Kushner is said to have once told Newell, “I wanted to write about being alive in the here and now.” That all sounds very Zen, but how does Kushner’s

vision play out at Court? And what does it mean to be alive in the here and now? Part of bringing life to Angels in America is the stage magic. The minimalist set is flexible enough to contain the lives of all eight characters and keep the focus on the particular person or people we’re supposed to be concerned with at the moment. Cut loose from clunky bearings, the sparse staging enables the actors to boldly embody their characters.

ANGELS IN AMERICA Court Theatre Through June 3

Prior—the disease-stricken man burdened with visions of the future—has a huge presence in the plot, and could even be considered the protagonist. But it was Eddie Bennett as Louis, and Michael Pogue as the effervescent Belize, who best held my attention during the performance. Louis is endearing yet vexing, a little lost, filled with grandiose ideas and guilt. His self-hatred, though, ends up inspiring more sympathy than disgust. Pogue is a versatile performer who fluctuated with ease between majesty and sassiness, and conjured some priceless facial expressions to boot. Each of the sordid subplots is hyperintimate, each role packed with such personality and energy and sadness, it’s impossible to think of Louis as a coward for not being able to handle Prior’s illness, or to think of Belize as a one-dimensional confidante and pal who meets all crises with unwavering faith and a ANGELS continued on page 9

Mary Beth Fisher serves as the deus ex machina in Angels in America. COURTESY OF MICHAEL BROSILOW

Documentary highlights 70 years of raw ambition

A heartbreaking work of staggering Jiro. COURTESY OF MAGNOLIA PICTURES

Daniel Rivera Associate Arts Editor When I told my friends that I had to review a documentary about sushi for the Maroon, I got nothing but coughs and shifty eyes in response. I couldn’t blame them for their lack of interest—food porn is great when it’s on your computer screen while you wait for your delivery to come, or when the Travel Channel is having a marathon of No Reservations. But an hour and a half about a man making sushi? We were, to say the least, wary. Yet with promises to stop at Bel-

mont’s La Creperie beforehand, my friends and I found ourselves on the Red Line toward the Century Centre Theater—the only place in town screening David Gelb’s Jiro Dreams of Sushi. The documentary offers a straightforward premise, and sticks to it: Jiro Ono has been making sushi for 70 years, and by now he’s nearly perfected the practice as an art. Jiro’s Tokyo restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro, is one of the few restaurants in the world that boasts the ultimate culinary rating of three Michelin stars. Meals start at 30,000 yen (almost $400, accord-

ing to Google’s current conversion) depending on the available fish, and must be reserved months in advance. The restaurant is comprised of 10 seats at a bar, behind which Jiro serves his customers directly. There aren’t maki rolls at Sukiyabashi Jiro; instead meals consists of 20 pieces of sushi, each a different type of sea creature, all made one at a time. One of the documentary’s simplest pleasures is derived from seeing the stoic Jiro stare intently at his customers as they eat, seemingly oblivious to their discomfort. I guess once you’ve been declared a Living National Treasure by your

country for outstanding culinary contributions, you can get away with that type of thing. Gelb’s approach behind the camera matches the titular chef ’s efficiency and consistency, to less desirable effects. There are only so many times he can tightly frame Jiro’s hands as they wed fish and rice before it begins to get tedious. Similarly, we hear that Jiro’s methods behind the counter, coupled with the flavorings of the cuisine he produces, create together a sort of “edible symphony.” This comparison is made too often, and too heavyhandedly, I’d argue—I can recount at least three separate scenes where someone dropped the metaphor while the sounds of Bach or Mozart blared in the background. Sushi is the star of this movie, undoubtedly, but that alone doesn’t warrant the film’s derivative nature. Rather, it’s Gelb’s refusal to take his camera past the walls of Jiro’s kitchen (or any place which might make the Japanese legend a little uncomfortable). For instance, the movie highlights the lives of Jiro’s highachieving sons. The eldest, Yoshikazu, age 50, is still working under his father, waiting patiently for the day when Sukiyabashi Jiro becomes his. We hear that Jiro dissuaded him from attending college in favor of taking over the family business. We never hear of a wife, nor of any romantic inclinations. When asked if he’s sad about having to spend so much of his life working under his father, Yoshikazu responds simply that as the eldest, it’s what’s expect-

ed of him. He never responds to the idea posed by several other people we meet in the film that to even match the respect Jiro has garnered, Yoshikazu will have to make sushi at least twice as well.

JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI David Gelb Landmark Century Centre Theater

Later in the film we find out that it was Yoshikazu, not Jiro, who served the Michelin Board during all its visits, and that ultimately he is responsible for Sukiyabashi Jiro’s three stars. It’s a subtle placation for the Americans like me who find hard to swallow the traditional Japanese mores we see at play here. If Yoshikazu isn’t to question his fate, why should I? Similarly, Jiro speaks at length about his perceptions of time and work. It takes at least 10 years for any of his apprentices to even be allowed to cook an egg in his restaurant, and after 70 years of crafting sushi, he believes he still hasn’t reached perfection. Work requires total commitment and the total self, offers Jiro. Kicked out of his house at the age of nine with a warning from his parents not to return, it’s easy to see the circumstances that crafted these beliefs. A few of his other notions might be a little more off-putting for some viewers, such as his habit of making SUSHI continued on page 10

THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | April 17, 2012

A family that rhymes together stays together Emma Broder Associate Arts Editor The Dark Room Collective, a group of African American poets who informed one anotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work and initiated a popular reading series in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the late 1980s and early 1990s, gathered for a reunion reading on Thursday night downtown at the Poetry Foundation. The Collectiveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s members included prominent poets Thomas Sayers Ellis, Sharan Strange, Natasha Trethewey, and Kevin Young, all of whom read. Towering and heartfelt on its own, the reunion was also an important event for the Poetry Foundation, which is celebrating both National Poetry Month and Poetry magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s centennial year. It was fitting that as the Poetry community gathered to celebrate its own rich history and the tradition of National Poetry Month, the Dark Room Collective, too, had the opportunity to reaffirm its identity and reflect upon its past. This shared history provoked a certain mood, one that resonated with the large audience who turned up to the event. Everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;poets, couples, and friendsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;relaxed into the experience, teasing and sharing as if with family. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thomas Sayers Ellis, one of the Collective co-founders, approached the Foundation in June 2011 to propose the reunion,â&#x20AC;? wrote program director Stephen Young in an e-mail. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All of the

members of the Collective will be doing tonight what they hope will be the first in a year of reunion readings. The Collective hasn't read together since 1996, and each has gone on to have an amazing career, so it's a treat to see them together again.â&#x20AC;? The Collectiveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poems, when heard as a body of work, are astounding. These are real-deal poets, who balance a sense of rich connection to their roots with an elegant, modern sensibility. Several poets did tributes to Chicago, like Kevin Young, who read an â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ode to the Midwestâ&#x20AC;?: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to be doused/ in cheese/ & fried. I want/ to wander/ the aisles, my heart's/ supermarket stocked high/ as cholesterol.â&#x20AC;? Other of the poets read poems about different places, Boston or Providence, which were not as pertinent to the Poetry Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hometown, but still revealed an important theme of the Collectiveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work: the tension between personal identity and experience. Some Collective members focused more on sensuality and love, like John Keene, who read about a lover â&#x20AC;&#x153;raining down another round of kisses.â&#x20AC;? Natasha Trethewey read a long poem about colonial Mexican casta paintings that depicted the mixed-race children of Spaniards and natives, and a poem about familial love, in which she and her white father toured Thomas Jeffersonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s estate.

The Darkroom Collective, formed in the late â&#x20AC;&#x2122;80s, poses for a photographic flashback. COURTESY OF THE POETRY FOUNDATION

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The worst thing about reunions is how old they make you feel,â&#x20AC;? Trethewey joked before her reading. Nehassaiu deGannes, a poetturned-actress, spoke about being a young poet, saying that the collective saved her from â&#x20AC;&#x153;loneliness, innocence, and ignorance,â&#x20AC;? and compared joining the Collective to â&#x20AC;&#x153;getting on a train that led me other places.â&#x20AC;? One of her poems, written for her brother, ended: â&#x20AC;&#x153;When he is smoke, where will he go?â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think I ever got an edu-

Ingrid Michaelson makes best fans forever

cation as thorough and as remarkable as when I was with them,â&#x20AC;? John Keene said of his friends and fellow poets, just before he read. A sense of history floated about the room. The word itself dotted the poems. There were lines like: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Insert history here.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Here, history gives itself away.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;History rendering him that blank shade of in-between.â&#x20AC;? Place, identity, love, historyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; there was an undeniable sense that these were people who, through sharing their writing,

came to care for one another. In a tender gesture, Sharan Strange, a collective co-founder, looked at each Collective member in the audience and described which poems she would choose to read for him or her, and why. The event lasted just over two hours, which, by poetry-reading standards, is sort of a marathon. But that probably couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have been helped. Family reunions tend to run long, and you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t skimp on details when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re teaching history.

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Michaelson performed last Thursday, April 12, at the Vic. COURTESY OF JENNY TAN

Eliana Polimeni Arts Staff Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m pretty sure the first thing I said when the music stopped and the lights came back on was â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wish I could be best friends with Ingrid.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ingrid,â&#x20AC;? not â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ingrid Michaelson,â&#x20AC;? because, after that performance, I felt we could be on a first-name basis. On Thursday, April 12, the day I had been anticipating for about three months, Ingrid Michaelson lit up the stage at Belmontâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vic Theater. It takes about 50 minutes to get there from Hyde Park. The doors opened at 6:30. We left at 5:00. God forbid we were a minute late and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get to be in the front row. When we got there (a good 40 minutes early), we were disappointed to see that some even more obsessed fans had made it there before us. Disgruntled, we claimed our spot in the middle of the floor. After a while, the opening act, Pearl and

the Beard, came on. What first caught my eye about this three person group from Brooklyn, New York were their outfits. The two girls were wearing bright dresses toeing the line between hipster and â&#x20AC;&#x2122;50s working girl. The one male member was dressed in a flannel shirt and sported curly hair that went in some pretty unanticipated directions. All three members had matching black hipster glasses. It was clichĂŠ with a twist. The band played a number of instruments including the drums, cello, harmonica, and guitar. Each member also sang. Although at times they were earsplittingly loud and their lyrics unintelligible, their sound was unique. And then it happened: the first glimpse of Ingrid. In the cutest possible way. One of the Pearl and the Beard singers forgot his bottle of water and Ingrid pranced on stage and brought it for him. She was met with roaring applause. After the opening act, there was a half hour MICHAELSON continued on page 9

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THE CHICAGO MAROON | ADVERTISEMENT | April 17, 2012

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THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | April 17, 2012

Dutoit’s interpretation of French classics leaves audience breathless Joseph LoCascio & James Stone Arts Contributors The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has had quite a week. To start, it gave four performances of a double-bill, Strauss’s Don Quixote with an exhilarating rendition of Rachmaninoff ’s Piano Concerto No. 3, featuring soloist Nikolai Lugansky and conducted by famed guest conductor Charles Dutoit. Dutoit closed the week with a program highlighting French players and composers. The performance began with Claude Debussy’s Images, an obscure work from the famous French composer. Debussy plays around with many musical forms; he quotes

French folk songs in the third and final movement of the work and samples various Spanish dances throughout the Iberia movement. Dutoit paid close attention to the haunting melodies, letting them float above the colorful, rich texture conjured up by the orchestra. The performance was a moving portrait composed of myriad musical moods and whimsical flashbacks. Dutoit deftly executed Henri Dutilleux’s Tout un monde lointain, a modern, fivemovement cello concerto; he afforded the work clarity and brilliance, which was an especially neat feat considering the work’s difficult musical language. Though it certainly challenged an audience more accustomed to the warhorses of the classical canon, there are moments of atonal brilliance in the piece, all

of which Dutoit treated with the care they required. The most exceptional element of the performance, however, was the soloist, a French cellist by the name of Gautier Capuçon, whose remarkable focus and energy shone. Tout un monde lointain requires considerable virtuosity, but that did not seem to phase the talented Capuçon. The cellist’s impeccable technique and obvious passion brought forth all the embedded emotion from the opaque work. One of Maurice Ravel’s pieces, La Valse, benefited from the inspired interpretation of Maestro Dutoit, who specializes in Late Romantic French music. Ravel, famous for his skillfully crafted orchestral textures, makes copious allusions to a central theme in

the beginning of the work. But rather than rendering these repetitions dry, Dutoit’s creative conducting revealed multiple nuances in the melody. La Valse’s close, considered musically episodic, could provide problems for a conductor trying to maintain melodic cohesion. But Dutoit did not indulge in the kind of overemotion direction, which would have exacerbated this problem. The CSO’s consistently strong and fiery horns also contributed to the splendor of the piece’s ending. The audience responded enthusiastically almost immediately—La Valse earned Dutoit a standing ovation, and he bowed with a content expression on his face. After a backbreaking week of Strauss, Rachmaninoff, and Ravel, it was miraculous that he was still on his feet.

Michaelson’s personality is as catchy as her music MICHAELSON continued from page 7 wait until Ingrid Michaelson’s set. I took this time to look around at the people around me. It was quite the diverse gathering of people. There were pre-teens in matching Ingrid Michaelson shirts, there were elderly couples sitting in the VIP section, a grandmother in an ornamental hat frantically looking for her granddaughter, and young adults galore. And then, the lights dimmed, and her band members took their places on the stage. The opening chords to “Fire” came on. Ingrid ran in and started singing. The high-energy song had every audience member singing along. She stayed true to her “adorkable” persona throughout the concert. She was wearing a black cut-up t-shirt with leather pants and black wedges along with her signature glasses. Between songs she would talk to the audience, letting her sharp sense of humor shine.

Before the song “Blood Brothers,” she recounted the story of her experience singing, or, rather, lip-syncing, the song at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. She stood on a float in a huge puff y coat lent to her by Armani, parading through the streets of New York along with Avril Lavigne and Cee-Lo Green. No one knew who she was, she claimed, not even the host of the show, who announced her as Ingrid “Mickelson.” When it was her turn to sing, the track came on, and she started lip-syncing. Half-way through the song, the float jolted to one side and she lurched over, losing her balance, and, as a saving grace, pointed to the little boy dressed as a fireman on her float, saying, “And here he is!” She laughed it off, and it made her seem all the more endearing. She told several similar anecdotes throughout the night; usually, she had some interjections after every song, but they

Angels in America explores the emotional vulnerability of a nation in turmoil

were more than welcomed by the audience. She talked in an awkward, yet down-to-earth, way, stumbling a bit when she spoke and showing her sarcastic side. This side of her juxtaposed nicely with her romantic lyrics and sweet, gentle voice; the concert showcased Ingrid Michaelson, the person, as well as the singer. She played a mix of high-energy songs and classic ballads, sometimes with the entire band and other times by herself just with her piano or ukulele. She dedicated “The Way I Am,” the song that made her famous but also the song she hates so much she wishes she could “throw [it] down a well to be eaten by a rat and die a slow painful death,” to everyone in the audience. When she announced that she was about to sing her last song, the audience shouted in protest. Then she assured us that after this song she and the band would bow and leave

the stage. Once the audience applauded for more than 30 seconds (it doesn’t take more than that, she said, because “we’re easy”), they would come on stage, “completely surprised,” and play some more. When they left the stage the audience roared for well over a minute, and they came back on stage looking stunned. They played three more songs, one of which was “You and I,” my personal favorite, which each band member sang, in turn, to the sound of Ingrid’s ukulele. When the concert was over we were all left with a signed CD and a huge girl-crush. All we wanted was to be friends with Ingrid. Not only is her music beautiful but her personality is so charming and endearing that you can’t help but want to be friends with her. The concert made me love her even more than I had before, which was already pretty excessive; just ask my neighbors.

University of Chicago Law School and the Hague Institute for the Internationalization of Law (HIIL) Present a Conference on

Law and Economic Development Of Middle Income Countries Friday, April 20 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday, April 21 9 a.m.- 3 p.m.

University of Chicago Law School Classroom V 1111 E. 60th Street

Roy Cohn (Larry Yando) and Joe Pitt (Geoff Packard) share a drink, with apprehension. COURTESY OF MICHAEL BROSILOW

ANGELS continued from page 6 swish of his lean hips. The play also demands immense flexibility from every actor, since each plays at least two roles. The scope of the play and the multitude of characters lend a richness to the play that might not otherwise be expected from an eight-member cast. In one scene, Prior dreams of waltzing with Louis underneath the stage’s blue lights. But the fantasy is cut short when after a few sure steps, Prior finds himself on the floor with a hurt leg—a moment of true human frailty and vulnerability. This same sense of delicacy is echoed in the scene where Belize drops his French and his sass to tell Joe, “I’m trapped in a world of white people. That’s my problem.” Or when Prior bitterly says that Louis “can’t handle bodies” after he comes to

Prior with visible bruises. Kushner’s vision is 20/20, but Newell and his cast had blind spots. Mary Beth Fisher’s performance as the Angel was often melodramatic and frenzied, rather than dignified. Her lack of wings was a missed opportunity to imbue her character with additional celestial panache. Geoff Packard as Joe, meanwhile, often seemed full of a hesitation that came more from cowardice than caution. Despite tiny flaws in the production, Angels in America elicited waves of laughter, sighs, winces, and groans. Even if you don’t find religion, politics, or history particularly intriguing (and I’m guessing most of you do), the show is definitely worth going to see. For those seven hours, the whole world is concentrated onto one little black stage.

For information on this conference, please visit www.law.uchicago.edu/middle-income-conference.

This event is free and open to the public. No response is required but seating may be limited. For special assistance please contact Rebecca Klaff at 773.834.4326 or rklaff@law.uchicago.edu

THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | April 17, 2012

How to succeed in video blogging without really trying Anastasia Golovashkina Arts Staff It’s where most of us were first introduced to Charlie the Unicorn, Joseph Kony, Debbie from eHarmony, and essentially any “viral video” since the term was coined. But there’s another side to the video-sharing website—an innovative channelbased network that’s been the first to successfully mix mass media into social networking, and the first to propose a promising solution to the growing dichotomy between old and new forms of entertainment. It’s on the idea of such a network that the site was first founded, and in November 2006, Google acquired it for some $1.65 billion. Since then, YouTube’s 800 million monthly users have continued to build on the site’s shoot-and-share network to upload, watch, rate, and comment on an increasingly sophisticated, specialized selection of videos. The site’s growth has been astounding, and as other social networks have begun to catch on, YouTube has only boomed. Though the site’s initial user base consisted primarily of webcam vloggers (the word “vlog” entered common usage in 2009) and copyright violators, today’s users can choose from a broad thematic spectrum that spans everything from news recaps to videogame walkthroughs to makeup tutorials to, of course, its home base of vlogs and copyright films. YouTube’s most consistently popular channels top between 1 and 2 million hits per video. The site’s

understate, free-to-join “Partner Program,” has been furthering YouTube beyond its initial growth. Through this program, YouTube provides contributors with “resources and opportunities to improve their skills, build larger audiences, and earn more money.” Earn more money? Indeed, by selecting from any of the site’s in-video advertising options, moneymongering YouTubers (a status that can be easily attained by “associating” a YouTube account with an AdSense account) can earn anywhere between $0.0001 and $0.02 per video view. This ad system has become something of a gold mine for multi-million subscribed channels like sxephil, otherwise known as “The Philip DeFranco Show,” an entertaining daily news overview; communitychannel, Natalie Tran’s masterfully-edited comedic rants about common concerns that have been exemplifying the notion of “forever alone” since before it was even a meme; and ShaneDawsonTV, a collection of Shane Dawson’s preteen-appropriate videos, which include quasi-vlogs and music videos. These channels took in $181,000, $101,000, and $315,000, respectively, in 2010-2011 on ad revenue alone. Merchandise helps, too. Some YouTubers (like DeFranco) run their own online merchandise stores, while others (like Smosh or Dawson) coordinate through a thirdparty vendor like Spreadshirt. In DeFranco’s case, that store is his own enterprise, which provides customers with unique posters, prints, and

T-shirts in limited quantities. Because DeFranco solicits his own artists, photographers, and models, the posters are not only unique and high-quality, but also generally appealing, and could easily sell with or without his coordination. Even ads and merchandise aren’t all there is to a YouTuber’s revenue and perk potential. For some, especially the site’s booming collective of self-proclaimed “beauty gurus’” (a growing group of mostly female YouTubers who upload makeup tutorials, product reviews, and “hauls”—descriptions of their shopping successes and failures), there are also ample opportunities for sponsorships, company affiliations, and loads of free samples. For others, there’s the prospect of using the site as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. Michelle Phan, a popular “makeup guru,” has gone on to found her own company (MyGlam), her own network (FAWN), land a job at New York Fashion Week, and work as Lancôme’s first and only official online makeup artist. DeFranco has gone through much of the same entrepreneurial route to launch SourceFed and the aforementioned www.forhumanspeoples.com. The Gregory Brothers—better known as schmoyoho, the quartet behind auto-tune hits like “Bed Intruder,” Charlie Sheen’s ‘songified’ “winning,” and Debbie’s eHarmony video, have gone on tour and launched their own bestselling iPhone app, “Songify.” But in a business like YouTube, fortune only follows fame—and

fame tends only to follow those who adhere to the site’s general aesthetic niches. Save for genres like music and certain tutorials, it’s a style that demands bright lighting, hyperlink-annotating, high-quality camerawork, and chop-editing—that is, cutting the one-or two-second gaps in which an individual thinks, breathes, or “um”s in the midst of natural conversation. The aesthetic becomes even more formulaic for comedians, whose videos, though massively popular and undeniably funny, are almost exclusively music video parodies or chop-edited sequences about relatable yet mundane life problems. Many have speculated that the rapid rise of YouTube has fundamentally altered the way we consume media, and the kind of media we consume. More than anything, it seems that the site has simply brought video-based entertainment full-circle. Just like television, YouTube has capitalized on audiences’ love for the intimacy of reality television, and on producers’ love of ad- and sponsorship-based revenues. Much as television began as a social experience shared by families, so too did YouTube boom largely via its social networking component and friend-to-friend sharing. And as evidenced by the increasing conformity of its comedic channels, YouTube is beginning to develop its own form of TV’s staid sitcom. YouTube has gone very much the route that television laid out for it some 50 to 60 years before, joining the ranks of regular television and radio to become a niche in entertainment.

David Gelb dishes a predictably flavored film SUSHI continued from page 6 pieces of sushi smaller for women than for men in accordance with their “smaller appetites.” Caution also to those who get squeamish in manners regarding the killing of animals; at least a quarter of the film is spent in Japanese fish markets, replete with giant dead tuna and squirming shrimp. I myself felt a little uncomfortable watching a man pry a live octopus off his hand and into a dry plastic bag. But there’s just as much art in the preparation of sushi as in the result, and Gelb dedicates plenty of screen time to Jiro and company’s precise slicing and dicing. Placation comes in the form of a brief interlude about the dangers of overfishing, but somehow it’s less effective following a scene wherein a man picks through dozens of toddler-sized tuna before writing them all off as not worth his money. Ultimately, Jiro Dreams of Sushi is, if unquestioned, a beautifullyshot documentary which celebrates the dual art of food and dedication. It’s a savory window into the life of a man who is from a time and place entirely alien to the average American; a man who has dedicated himself to his craft, and by everyone’s standards but his own, has perfected it.

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THE CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | April 17, 2012

Chicago ends regular season with conference sweep Women’s Tennis Shayan Karbassi Sports Staff The Maroons swept their competition over the weekend, wrapping up their regular season with dual wins against Case Western and 11th-ranked Wash U. In their only set of matches at Stagg Field Courts, and their final set of matches before next weekend’s UAA Championships, the sixth-ranked squad showed their dominance, defeating Case 9–0 on Saturday and Wash U 8–1 on Sunday. Chicago improves to 16–4 overall and 12–1 against DIII opponents, and extended its winning streak to seven matches. Against the Case Western Spartans, the team was flawless as a unit. The Maroons all defeated their Spartan counterparts in two sets. Fourth-year Kendra Higgins defeated Erika Lim 6–0, 6–1. Fellow co-captain and fourth-year Jennifer Kung defeated Marianne Bonnano 6–2 and 7–5. Fourthyear Carmen VacaGuzman won 6–2, 6–3. Third-year Linden Li was perfect for the day, winning both of her sets 6–0. Firstyear Megan Tang was nearly perfect on the day as she defeated Bianca Patel 6–1, 6–0. First-year Maggie Schumann rounded out the Maroons’ six slots with a win against Kathleen Evers 6–3, 7–5. In doubles play, the duo of Higgins and VacaGuzman won 8–4. Kung and Li won 8–6 and Tang and first-year Kelsey McGillis

defeated their opponents 8–2. On Saturday, the Maroons faced off against the 11th-ranked Bears. But despite the tough on-court competition, Chicago enjoyed a resounding victory. Higgins defeated Natalie Tingir in two sets, 6–2, 6–2, and second-slotted Kung defeated Kate Klein similarly, in two sets, 6–4 and 7–5. VacaGuzman showed her continued dominance with a 6–2, 6–3 final score, as she beat out Theresa Petraskova. Li, who had dominated her Case Western opponent, faced some strong opposition from her Bear rival, but persevered in the end, winning in three, 3–6, 6–4, 10–5. Tang had a good Saturday, defeating Betsy Edershile 6–0, 6–3. The only blemish on the Maroons’ day came in the final slot. Corinne Rauch of Wash U defeated Schumann in two sets, 6–4, 6–3. Doubles play was consistent as usual; Higgins and VacaGuzman won 8–4, Kung and Li defeated their opponents 8–5 and McGillis and Tang were victorious with an 8–4 score. These matches marked Higgins’, VacaGuzman’s, Kung’s and Li’s 10th straight doubles victories. Even more impressive, over the last 11 matches, the Maroons are 29–1 in doubles play. Overall, the ladies performed as expected over the weekend in defeating Wash U and Case. “We expected to beat Case and Wash U this weekend,” Kung said. “Both of those teams fight really hard and don’t give up easily. So, it was good that we were able to

McManus homer launches South Siders to game-one upset SOFTBALL continued from back

have none of it, though, getting a twoout, two-run home run from second-year Maddie McManus, the third-baseman’s first of the year. The Warhawks tried to play small ball to get back in the game, opting for consecutive bunts after getting a leadoff double in the fifth, but with two runners in scoring position and no outs, the Maroons managed to defuse the situation with a double play that erased both of the Warhawks’ baserunners. Chicago scored another pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth, and even though they left the bases loaded, the game was out of reach. The Maroons opted to have Cygan start the second game as well, and looked for their momentum to spill over offensively, but couldn’t manage the same level of success. “Our bats faded as individually we began to try too hard for that ‘big’ hit, instead of staying within ourselves each at-bat,” Kmak said. “Our offensive is effective…when we are aggressive with our baserunning and when we string successful at-bats together.”

The Maroons scored two runs on fourth-year Liz Payonk’s RBI double in the first inning, but never managed more than a single hit in an inning afterwards, as the Warhawks’ Beeka Houda (7–2) went the distance, hurling seven strikeouts along the way. Cygan looked ready to match Houda in the first couple innings, ending a threat in the first inning by striking out a hapless UW–Whitewater batter swinging, and rolling through an easy second inning. The Warhawks loaded the bases in the third inning, though, and after they scored a pair of runs, Kmak brought in fourthyear Sarah Neuhaus for Cygan, who got two quick outs to keep the game close. Neuhaus allowed a pair of runs in her next inning of work, before first-year Tabbetha Bohac finished the game for the Maroons. The Maroons are in action again this Saturday at Stagg in a doubleheader against Hope. As the end of the season looms closer, the squad will begin to evaluate their post-season prospects. Having already shown they can hang with the cream of the national crop surely can’t hurt the Maroons’ chances.

Fourth-year Kendra Higgins helps the Maroons defeat Carlton College earlier this season in South Carolina. NICHOLAS RUIZ | THE CHICAGO MAROON

beat them so convincingly.” “We had played Wash U the weekend before at the Midwest Invitational and beat them convincingly,” Tang said. “The matches were not a walk in the park, however. We still had to work for our points and be patient.” With this weekend behind them, the team now looks to focus on the UAAs. Having had an impressive season thus far, the ladies hope to come home from the tournament as champions.

“Heading into UAAs, we think we have a really good chance of winning this year. Our goal is just to compete as hard as we can,” Kung said. “Our toughest opponents will most likely be Carnegie and Emory… Jumping out to an early lead after doubles could make the difference since both of those teams have very strong singles lineups. The South Siders will take their talents to Orlando on April 27 and hope to return on the 29th as UAA champions.

At Wheaton, fifth doesn’t quite cut it Women’s Track & Field Katie Burkhart Sports Contributor Women’s track and field was left wondering what might have been after a fifth-place finish at the Wheaton College Twilight Invitational on Saturday. Chicago finished with a total score of 77, behind North Central College (178.50), Illinois Wesleyan (175.50), Carthage (133.50), and host Wheaton (93). It was by no means an embarrassing finish, especially given the strength of the field, but the Maroons were disappointed with a performance they feel didn’t live up to their potential. “Some people had some really good PRs in various events,” said third-year Vicky Espinoza. “Others would have liked to have seen better improvements.” “We went up against a lot of very good teams this weekend, and held our own despite not running the full caliber of our team,” second-year Kiko Wemmer said. “Some girls didn’t compete at all, and some didn’t compete in their usual events.” Despite those obstacles, the Maroons upheld their status as one of the teams to watch at the impending conference championship, which will take place in two weeks. Espinoza, in fact, set a new personal record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. “I went into this meet ideally wanting to PR by 20 seconds, but told myself that if I at least beat last race’s time, I would be happy,” she said. She went on to take fourth place with a time of 12:13.68, beating her target by two seconds. Other performances, including a one-two

finish in the 3,000-meter by third-year Sarah Peluse (10:30.68) and fourth-year Jane Simpson (10:41.26), indicated that the Maroons’ somewhat lukewarm final placing was by no means due to a lack of quality. “I was disappointed that there wasn’t anyone faster than Jane and me in the race,” Peluse said. “It would have been more fun if there was more competition.” Espinoza’s account of her race also pays tribute to the team’s efforts to create a more supportive atmosphere this year. “I usually block out spectators, but this time I [took] in the excitement of the race and teammates’ cheers. It was fun to see my teammates at every corner,” she said. Chicago also saw impressive performances from first-year Reecie Dern on the field, earning points in the shot put, discus, and hammer throw events (finishing fourth, fourth, and seventh respectively). Other top point winners were third-year Kayla McDonald with a second-place finish in the 800-meter run (2:14.17), fourth-year high-jumper Paige Peltzer (1.52m, fourth place), and fourth-year Madison Allen in the long jump (5.18m, fourth place). Despite a mixed day at Wheaton, the real takehome point from Saturday is that the Maroons are one step closer—and better prepared—for the Conference Championships. “This was another tune-up,” Wemmer said. “It was just another chance to run fast times, get into the fast sections at conference, and get into a competitive mindset.” The Maroons will next compete at the DePaul invite this Friday and Saturday at DePaul University.

Ravella: “Anything can happen” M.TENNIS continued from back

swinging at No. 3 doubles. Szabo held serves throughout the match to help give the pair the 8–5 win. But the other doubles matches did not favor the Maroons. Bhargava and Sabada were barely bested 9–7 while Brinker and Stefanski lost 8–5. Bhargava was the lone victor in singles, 3–6, 6–3, 10–5. For the Maroons to receive a bid to the

NCAA Tournament, they will need to win the UAA Championship. Although they just lost to two UAA teams, they have not lost hope. “This weekend was not ours, but soon I am sure we will be on the other side of the score card,” Szabo said. Ravella puts it best. “Anything can happen,” he said. The Maroons play North Central College at home on Sunday at noon.

SPORTS

IN QUOTES “Just remembered I was born in Cuba. If Obama was not born in the U.S. and he is President how did he get around being elected. I should learn how.” —Author and former Major League outfielder Jose Canseco, on Twitter.

In Twilight meet, a satisfying finish

Fourth-year hurdler Tyler Calway races in the Chicagolands meet on Stagg Field earlier this season. The Maroons competed at Wheaton this weekend, finishing fifth. BENJAMIN TRNKA | THE CHICAGO MAROON

Men’s Track and Field Jake Walerius Associate Sports Editor The Maroons walked into the Twilight on Saturday. They walked out with fifth. In the eight-school Wheaton College Twilight Meet, Chicago finished with 77 points, behind

Bethel College (78.50), Carthage (94), Wheaton College (111), and North Central (303). Despite the Chicago squad’s having finished over 200 points behind the victors, this weekend was for most of them the best of the season. North Central, last year’s NCAA DIII champions, were strong favorites heading into the weekend, and their vic-

tory—dominant though it was— has not overshadowed Chicago’s view of their own performance. “The team was pretty happy with how we performed as a whole,” third-year sprinter Dee Brizzolara said. “I think a lot of people ran and jumped well, which shows we’re starting to peak with conference coming up in two weeks. This past meet was a big step in the right

direction for us.” Chicago fielded a slightly weakened squad on Saturday, partially due to injuries and partially due to head coach Chris Hall’s decision to rest some of his distance runners after their strong performance in the Chicagoland Championship two weekends ago. But the performance of the team, if anything, improved. What was most notable about the Maroons’ performance this weekend was that the sprinters and jumpers, after a slow start to the outdoor season, finally lived up to expectations. Brizzolara was second in the 100-meter (11.07s) and fourth-year Donny Chi won the long jump (6.65m), while first-year Semi Ajibola picked up a couple of points in the high jump (1.78m) in his injury-delayed outdoor debut. The standout performance in the distance events came from fourth-year Moe Bahrani, who finished first in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in a time of 9:36.70. There was also a significant personal best from third-year Gregor Siegmund, who finished third in the 1,500-meter (3.58.97). All in all, it was a good performance from Chicago. Most importantly, experienced athletes like Chi and Brizzolara put in the

type of performance that has been expected from them but that has remained elusive through the first two meets of the season. “The sprinters did struggle last week,” Brizzolara said, “but I think we’re making progress. I was very happy with my time in the 100.” “Yesterday was a great meet,” Chi said. “There were good performances across the board, and, even for the places where the performances weren’t quite there, we showed strong signs of promise.” Chicago will now look forward to next weekend’s DePaul Invite, its last before the UAA Championship at the end of the month. After an uninspiring start to the season, the Wheaton Twilight could serve as an important springboard for certain members of the squad. Chicago’s distance runners have had a strong start to the season, and after this week’s improvement from the sprinters and jumpers, the Maroons will be hoping—injuries permitting—that they’ll be able to pull it all together for the conference championship. “It’s unfortunate that we’ve had so many injury problems this year,” Chi said, “but I still think we can do something at conference.”

Postseason hopes diminished A surprise split against No. 9 Warhawks after UAA struggles Softball Men’s Tennis Alexander Sotiropoulos Senior Sports Staff Their chances have now become a lot slimmer. The #30 Maroons lost against #21 Case 7–2 and against #17 Wash U 7–2 on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. With those losses, the Maroons’ seed will not only be lower at the UAA tournament, but their chances of receiving a bid to the NCAA Tournament will rest on their performance in that competition. On Saturday, the Maroons were unable to perform strongly from the get-go. The three doubles teams, fourth-years Troy Brinker and Jan Stefanski at No. 1, firstyears Ankur Bhargava and Deepak Sabada at No. 2, and second-years Zsolt Szabo and Krishna Ravella at No. 3, lost 8–5, 8–4, and 8–4 respectively. Despite being down 3–0 going into singles, not all hope for a team victory was lost. “We were still very positive going into singles, as it has happened a couple of times that we have gotten back from 0–3 in singles,” Szabo said. “Before our match against Case, we saw Wash U win against Case after being down 0–3 after the doubles matches.” Szabo showed his positive energy throughout his No. 4 singles’ match. But at 5–4, 15–40 with Case’s Rohan Patel serving, he was unable to capitalize on his two set points.

Derek Tsang Associate Sports Editor After that, Patel broke Szabo to be up 6–5. Still, Szabo broke back to send the match to tiebreak and ran with the tiebreaker 7–3. But the match was far from over. Patel took a 3–0 lead in the second set before Szabo broke him twice to win 7–6 (3), 6–4. He credits the grudge victory to his serves. “I tried dominating with my serves,” Szabo said. “I hit my first serves in with a very high percentage, which I thought helped a lot in winning this match.” Unfortunately for Chicago, only one other Maroon had a win on the day. Sabada defeated Eric Klawitter 6–2, 1–6, 6–2. Brinker and Stefanski were barely edged out at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, 5–7, 6–3, 6–1 and 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, respectively. No. 6 player Harrison Abrams lost 6–3, 7–5. Because Chicago barely lost to Wash U 5–4 on February 24, the team was not about to dwell on the loss to the Spartans. “We could not be sorry for ourselves for long, as we were going to play Wash U the next day, which, seeing our previous matches against them, seemed very doable,” Szabo said. “Even though the overall score does not reflect it, the Case match did not beat us down but instead lifted us up and we tried even harder.” Once again, Szabo, along with doubles partner Ravella, came out M.TENNIS continued on page 11

Chicago proved it can hang with the best of them on Saturday, splitting a doubleheader with ninth-ranked UW–Whitewater at Stagg Field. They’re still not satisfied, though, with the win they left on the table. “It is important for us not to settle for doubleheader splits as we move forward,” head coach

Ruth Kmak said. “We have to have the drive and confidence to take both games.” The Maroons won comfortably in the first game, triumphing 5–1 behind a complete game from Kim Cygan (10–3). They had a promising start to the nightcap, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first to go up 2–1, but Chicago was blanked the rest of the way, falling 6–2. In game one, the Maroons

and the Warhawks both looked primed to score early, as each put two runners on base with two outs. Neither pitcher was fazed, though, and each got easy outs to end the threats. After three innings, the game looked increasingly like a pitcher’s duel, and a solo home run in the fourth by UW–Whitewater’s Emily Epifanio threatened to be the deciding run. Chicago would SOFTBALL continued on page 11

Second-year Maddie McManus stands at bat during a home game against Whitewater on Saturday. McManus’s fourth-inning homer propelled Chicago to a game-one victory. JOHNNY HUNG | THE CHICAGO MAROON