050812 Chicago Maroon

TUESDAY • MAY 8, 2012

ISSUE 44 • VOLUME 123

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892

CHICAGOMAROON.COM

Woodlawn school finds its master of ceremonies

Runners fund scholarship in memory of student James DelVesco News Staff Students gathered for the University’s first charity run on record in Washington Park on Sunday, raising nearly $9,000 for a future scholarship fund in memory of U of C student Ian Woo Cumings.

The Delta Kappa Epsi-

lon (DKE) fraternity organized the five-kilometer run to honor Cumings, a DKE brother who died in a car crash in Virginia in June 2010, the summer after his third year.

“Through his passing we’ve come together and formed stronger bonds.

This event symbolizes that RACE continued on page 2

Next social sciences dean chosen Sociology chair will face two-term legacy Jon Catlin News Staff

University of Chicago Woodlawn Campus Charter School hosted famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma and musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on Friday night. Ma has been stewarding the school’s fine arts program for seven years. sydney combs | the chicago maroon

Marina Fang Associate News Editor World-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed at the U of C’s Woodlawn Charter School’s (UCW) second annual spring concert and art show on Friday evening in celebration of

the students’ work in fine arts. The concert also highlighted the school’s collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

As the night went on, students performed musical pieces and a dance medley, while student artwork hung in a gallery nearby.

During the concert portion, Ma performed an original piece he said was inspired by his work with UCW, and the students performed a song that they had composed in response to a challenge Ma posed the last time he was there: Take the school creed (which is

For activists at Occupy, class is now in session Madhu Srikantha Associate News Editor University students joined dozens of activists on Saturday for a crash course in civil disobedience, led by the one of the nation’s most prominent pagan spiritual leaders.

Guided by Starhawk (born Miriam Simos), attendees of the workshop learned the basics of handling police force with pacifism. The event was organized

by Kyla Bourne, a student in the Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS), and drew a turnout of 35 to Workers United Hall on the Near West Side.

Well known for her decades as a feminist and environmentalist, as well as her work as a spiritual leader among pagan and Wiccan faiths, Starhawk sought to promote nonviolent action as a method of strengthening the Occupy movement.

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This was one of many similar appearances Starhawk has made recently, as she has toured other cities with strong showings from Occupy, such as Oakland.

Attendees ranged in age and profession, from students such as Bourne to older pacifists and environmental activists, both who eagerly participated in Starhawk’s interactive training session.

“She had fake police batons and was hitting us over the head with them. She was running drills on how we should blockade or how we should deal with police squads,” said Bourne. “That’s the stuff we need to be prepared about.”

After a few role-playing scenarios, Starhawk facilitated a group discussion on the democratic decision-making process that the Occupy movement has sought to use in order to promote a collaborative and equalizing, rather

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Temperatures in Fahrenheit - Courtesy of The Weather Channel

OCCUPY continued on page 2

recited every morning ), and set it to music.

For the past seven years, Ma has worked closely through the Urban Education Institute (UEI) to promote arts education at UCW, which enrolls students in grades six through MUSIC continued on page 2

Mario Small, chair of the Department of Sociology, has been appointed to a five-year term as Dean of the Social Sciences Division beginning on July 1, 2012.

“This [division] demanded a dean with outstanding scholarly credentials, who was a collaborative leader for the faculty, and who would work with other deans, the provost, and the president to help build and fulfill the highest aspirations of the University,” President Rob-

ert Zimmer and Provost Thomas Rosenbaum wrote in an e-mail to the faculty of the Social Sciences Division. “We are confident in [Small’s] ability to be such a leader.”

Small’s current research looks at urban problems such as health care, education, and poverty in relation to a neighborhood’s institutional diversity. His team also recently launched Urban Portal, an online forum for related research at the University.

Small taught at Princeton DEAN continued on page 2

Race, rhetoric, and a crowd at West-Dix talk

Carl Dix and Cornel West discuss the challenges facing today’s youth at a talk last night in Mandel Hall. julia reinitz | the chicago maroon

Jon Catlin News Staff Cornel West, a leading racial theorist and a visible public intellectual, and Carl Dix, a founding member of the Revolu-

tionary Communist Party (RCP), spoke on social injustice and revolutionary politics before a full house last night in Mandel Hall, in a talk billed “What Future for Our Youth?”

“People ask me, ‘Brother, you’re a

revolutionary Christian.... What are you doing hanging out with a revolutionary communist?’” West began.

“This is an important conversation we are having tonight,” Dix opened. “Spin WEST-DIX continued on page 3

IN SPORTS

IN ARTS

South Siders at-large: Chicago receives NCAA bid » Page 12

FOTA launches an exposé of high heels and high art » Page 7

Following rainout, ‘Cats lie in the crosshairs » Page 11

Movie May-hem: a preview of this month’s upcoming films » Page 7

THE THECHICAGO CHICAGOMAROON MAROON| |NEWS NEWS| |April May 27, 8, 2012 2012

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Starhawk’s workshop recognized “different levels of risk�

OCCUPY continued from front

than competitive, decisionmaking process.

The objective of the session was to better prepare activists for police force, keeping in mind the NATO summit on May 19, which will see an uptick in the Chicago Police Department’s presence.

Kristin Pomykala, a second-year M.A. student at the Divinity School,

was glad that she was able to learn a few skills, even though she doubts that she will be clashing with police any time soon. “It recognized different levels of participation, different levels of risk in engaging in these sorts of actions. I myself have a two-year-old daughter, and you know I’m not going to be on the front lines of such [activities],� she said.

Small’s predecessor appointed more than half of current faculty DEAN continued from front

University for four years before coming to the U of C in 2006. He is the author of two award-winning books and nearly two dozen articles and chapters. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Carleton College and his doctorate in sociology from Harvard University. “The Division has produced many of the most important ideas in social science over the past 100 years. I am honored by this opportunity, and I hope to ser ve the Division to the best of my abilities,�

Small said.

Small succeeds political science professor John Mark Hansen, who is stepping down after leading the Division for the past decade.

Hansen’s two terms as dean have been extremely productive for the Division, according to Zimmer and Rosenbaum. “Mark has shaped the Division, appointing more than half of its current faculty while dean, and has helped transform the educational experience for graduate students and undergraduates alike,� they said in the University release.

University will endow memorial scholarship once it reaches $100,000 RACE continued from front

coming together. We had five alumni runners and donations from 10 [alumni],� said fourth-year Nick Duque, who organized the event.

The run rounded off DKE Week, DKE’s annual week of events, which included Battle of the Bands and a Walt Whitman poetry reading. All proceeds from the run went toward establishing the Ian Woo Cumings Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarship, though not yet endowed by the University, will be needbased and available to undergraduates. The final amount has not been decided, but the University will endow the scholarship when it reaches $100,000, according to Duque. The fund was started in 2010 by Cumings’s father Bruce.

Duque said that Cumings was a beloved member of the fraternity. “I remember his incredible power to bring calm to a situation,� he said. “I was in a fight with another brother and he could make us see eye-to-eye. He was the glue in social situations.�

About 85 people participated in the run, exceeding DKE’s initial goal of 50.

Because it also surpassed

The participants in DKE’s memorial run for Ian Woo Cumings stand at the starting line, awaiting the starting gun. The race raised almost $9,000 for a scholarship.

JAMES DELVESCO | CHICAGO MAROON

DKE’s fundraising goal of $1,000, the fraternity is likely to continue the run in future years.

Second-year DKE pledge Alexis Onfroy finished first with a time of 19:07. Firstyear Andrew Angeles and second-year DKE pledge Alec Ontiveros placed second and third in the men’s division, respectively. Firstyear Kelsey McGillis won the women’s division with

a time of 21:36, followed

by DKE supporter Jennifer Hendersen and first-year Amanda Dobbyn. “I had my doubts that waking up about five hours earlier than I normally would on a Sunday morning to run around Washington Park would be an experience I would want to repeat,� Dobbyn said. “I was totally wrong.�

She attributed the event’s

success to DKE’s commitment to honoring their fallen brother. “I thought the DKE brothers went above and beyond organizing the run and the cookout afterwards. You could tell that Ian Woo Cumings really meant something to them on a deep, brotherly level and I think that’s what made the memorial run so successful,� Dobbyn said.

Faltering graduation rates led Ma to get involved MUSIC continued from front

twelve.

His involvement with the school began at a lunch with UEI director Timothy Knowles and Chuck Lewis, a governing board member for the U of C Charter Schools. “They showed me the statistics,� Ma said. “Out of 100 boys in CPS [Chicago Public Schools], by the time they’re 25, six will have graduated from college. I saw that and said, ‘I can’t live in a parallel world where this happens.’�

Since then, Ma has played an integral role in forging a partnership between the UEI and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, where he has been a creative consultant since December 2009. “We’re trying to see whether arts integration works as a core subject.

We’ve been talking to principals and teachers because we think this kind of stuff—disciplined imagination—works. This is what gets people excited,�

Ma said.

And arts education, Ma believes, is integral to UCW’s ability to keep its students engaged and in school. “What’s exciting about Woodlawn is that it has a 97 percent graduation rate,� he said. “One thing that it’s

doing right is expression.

Once you have individual expression, that’s when the collective will and the intersection happens. The secret is collective will and an absolute respect for individual expression. That’s how you get to the next level.�

Ma has been instrumental to that success, according to Knowles. “Yo-Yo has been a conspirator in our endeavors.

He has been a very big part of our work,� Knowles said.

Partly due to Ma’s influence, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has been supporting the fine arts department at UCW, bringing in musicians and teaching artists, according to UEI spokesperson Katelyn Silva. “The CSO has partnered with our school for a class.

This is one piece of an academic puzzle that we’re really excited about,� she said.

One of the teaching artists is Philip Boulanger, a cellist who performed with UCW students during the concert. He explained that his involvement “stemmed out of the UEI and CSO partnership.� “We’ve been here since December and January working with them every

week,� he said.

The effect of Ma’s support hasn’t been limited to the music curriculum, according to UCW’s fine arts director, Ahava Sikley. The dance program has flourished as well, expanding from a nine-student affair two years ago to a full dance company with three classes and a dance studio. “We’ve come a long way in a short time,� said Lewis.

Brooke Williams, an art instructor who organized the exhibit that accompanied Friday’s concert, said that the classes at UCW are likely the first time these students have been able to study art. “A lot of these kids don’t get to have art until high school,� she said.

Devon Goodloe, a high schooler at UCW whose work was featured in the art show, is one example. “I used to do it just as a hobby,� he said, “but now I’m taking a class.�

Friday was Ma’s fourth time visiting UCW. “I love this place because of the energy. The intersection of caring and commitment and disciplined imagination—I’m moved by it,� he told the audience in his closing remarks. “When we talk about excellence, it’s not an abstract thing. We saw it. We heard it.�

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THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | May 8, 2012

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West: “Our task is critically examing our every assumption. Deep prejudices need to critically scrutinized.” the globe and stop it with your finger. Anywhere you land, there is unspeakable horror: abject poverty, starvation, sex trafficking.... That is our world.”

Yet Dix saw potential in the future. “We are in a time of heightened attack, but also one of heightened resistance. We use that momentum to envision a world entirely different from that of today—one without all its horrors,” Dix said.

To Dix, communist revolution is the only way to fully eradicate today’s social problems. Dix identified injustice in New York City’s “stop and frisk” policy, the nation’s incarceration rates, and the recent murder of Trayvon Martin (whom he evoked by wearing a black hoodie onstage). He linked these back to American capitalism and imperialism.

Although he praised the Occupy movement, he thought it did not go far enough. “Now we’ve finally recognized the inequality, but the next question is what do we do about it?” Dix said.

Dix, a Baltimore native, cofounded the RCP in

Chicago in 1975, and ran for president as an “anticandidate” in 1984 and 1988.

He is also closely tied with Bob Avakian, chairman of the RCP, whose adherents regularly hand out fliers on campus.

West, taking a different approach, praised democracy as a workable system, despite its shortcomings. “Our task is critically examining our every assumption. Deep prejudices need to be critically scrutinized. They need to be ‘Socratized,’” West said, referring to Socrates’ vision of the “examined life” in the Apology.

“The fundamental problem of today is oligarchy and greed run amok. We have to decide which side we’re on,” West said.

West saw Occupy as a triumph of democracy rather than a step towards communism. “It’s about finding one’s voice in the midst of cacophony, in terror and catastrophe,” he said.

West, professor of African-American studies at Princeton University, regularly appears on the Bill

Maher Show, Colbert Report, CNN, and C-Span, and has authored 19 books.

Hailed as a loud voice for justice by some, West has also been criticized as a polemicist posing as a philosopher. Former President of Harvard University Lawrence Summers reproached West, then a University Professor, for recording a rap album and campaigning instead of doing serious scholarship.

Both speakers exhorted the audience to action as the way to their desired future.

“If we respond to present injustice with silence, we’ll have one outcome. If we meet it with determined resistance, we’ll have another,” Dix said. “Today we help write that better future.”

West was guarded, but hopeful.

“The future is open-ended and entirely unpredictable. Who would have seen Occupy coming? Who would have thought that in this country of all places we would be scrutinizing the capitalist system so radically?” West said.

“For better or for worse, the future depends en-

tirely on the choices we make now.”

West last came to give the annual Kent Lecture for the Organization of Black Students in 2006, also to a jam-packed Mandel Hall. But organizers feared that this year’s event might have been in jeopardy after the University withdrew sponsorship, citing poor planning, said first-year Matthew Cason, who helped put together the event.

Social sciences graduate student Toussaint Losier circulated an online petition in response that attracted nearly 500 signatories.

When the University pulled its support, the petition read, “This university’s commitment to this value was undermined.”

In an April 27 e-mail, Dean of Students Kim Goff-Crews wrote that the event was put on hold after faculty expressed concern about the logistics of the event. The issue was resolved by April 30. Nearly 20 RSOs and affiliates sponsored the talk, which was organized by a student committee, and Chair of political science Bernard Harcourt moderated.

Maggie Scimeca First-year Are U of C students apathetic to issues affecting the country and the world?

“I’m clearly an example that it is true....I don’t pay that much attention to current events. People get really intense here and focus so much on school that not just current events, but everything gets put on the back burner.”

Nathan Blau Second-year; psych and political science Students here don’t care?

“I actually disagree with that stereotype....

The University has cultivated a sense of learning not just what’s [in class], but also cultivating a sense of self-betterment.

Students here want to learn what they want to learn, and a lot of them will try to investigate what interests them.”

Sebastian Gallegos First-year Ph.D. student, Harris School How vital are public intellectuals for productive discourse?

“I don’t think it’s important—I think it’s fundamental...In academia, if you don’t get together with the guys from policy, then they’re going to be on the moon, trying to sort out things that aren’t going to help anyone.”

Colin Bohan Fourth-year; sociology Would you want to hear more public intellectuals speak on campus?

“It should be the University and the students’ responsibility to not only look for the people in academia, but also the people outside...Bringing someone like West really helps to educate people on both fronts.”

WEST-DIX continued from front

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VIEWPOINTS

Editorial & Op-Ed MAY 8, 2012

Internal affairs It’s not too late to salvage some summer plans if you follow these tips for finding ways to keep busy 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 Online Editor ALICE BLACKWOOD Head Copy Editor DON HO Head Copy Editor JEN XIA Head Copy Editor JAMIE MANLEY Photo Editor

With just a month remaining in the academic year, time is running out to find a summer job.

While it may be stressful to be stuck in limbo while friends and classmates score exciting internships, it is important to remember that it is still entirely possible to have a productive and rewarding break—with or without a Metcalf. Being proactive and flexible—though not a sure bet—can help improve one’s chances of a successful summer. And it’s worth keeping in mind that “successful” doesn’t have to mean busy, either.

Perhaps the most critical thing to keep in mind about the summer job search is that it is, at the end of the day, a numbers game.

Don’t be afraid to play it. We all probably know someone who applied to a mere handful of top preferences and had their pick of offers, but life doesn’t always work out that way. So send in a resume and cover letter to as

many potential jobs as possible, even those that are less-thanperfect, not in your dream city, or not precisely in your field of interest. You may not get exactly what you want, but you’ll be increasing the odds of having options in the first place.

A good way to increase your number of applications is to look beyond the CAPS website.

Professors might have research opportunities that are not welladvertised. Companies and organizations may be willing to take on summer workers even if they don’t have official internship programs. You won’t know unless you ask. Even if they don’t have anything available, they might be willing to point you in the direction of a place that does.

Remember to always play up the personal angle in any correspondence with a potential employer. This doesn’t mean you have to be lucky enough to have

family friends at a company you want to work for. If you’re passionate about the work a professor has done, make sure to tell her. If you’ve been closely following that start-up or subscribe to that nonprofit’s newsletter, let them know. Seeking out alumni, with whom you already share the bond of a college experience, is an easy way to put this advice into practice.

Finally, keep in mind something that doesn’t get pointed out enough in our high-pressure, pre-professional culture: There’s nothing wrong with not having a job. One such often-overlooked possibility for the summer is volunteering. It might not directly relate to your career aspirations, but a volunteer position can help develop many of the same skills an internship would.

As an added benefit, you get to leave work every afternoon with a sense of having advanced a cause

you care about. Volunteering also frequently comes with more time flexibility than an internship would, leaving open the possibility of picking up a job for extra cash on the side.

People often spend a summer without formal employment while still making productive use of their time. Take the freedom you have in store to do something fulfilling. Read, write, draw, learn a new language, work out every day—the possibilities are numerous and diverse. This might be one of the last summers in your life you will have so little to do and so few concerns to worry about; you might as well take advantage of it. No matter what you’re doing or how much you’re paid (if at all), summer is a time to put your interests first.

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

LINDA QIU Deputy News Editor CELIA BEVER Assoc. News Editor

MADHU SRIKANTHA Assoc. News Editor

The real problem with “#FirstWorldProblems”

JENNIFER STANDISH Assoc. News Editor

Humorous meme raises issues far more serious than the trivial ones it lampoons

MARINA FANG Assoc. News Editor BEN POKROSS Assoc. News Editor

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

By Ajay Batra Viewpoints Editor

VIVIAN HUA Undergraduate Business Executive TAMER BARSBAY Director of Business Research 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 KELSIE ANDERSON Copy Editor AMISHI BAJAJ Copy Editor JANE BARTMAN Copy Editor MARTIA BRADLEY Copy Editor SHANICE CASIMIRO Copy Editor

It’s not easy coming up with column ideas. Even with the righteous fury of youth on my side, I still frequently struggle at the crucial moment to think of discussion-worthy things that get my goat. Maybe that’s why they keep us so busy around here—ever think about that? I don’t know about you, but I’ve really been neglecting my goat lately.

We used to be really close. Fall quarter?

Some good times.

So, when I had “some free time” recently and decided I’d better write this little ditty, the disgusting lack of

immediately visible flaws in the quotidian of our University lives forced me to revert to my most desperate tactic. I broke the glass on the case within me containing the insufferable brat I keep for emergencies and started in on some good old-fashioned complaining.

BENJAMIN LANGE

Perhaps unsurprisingly, every minor inconvenience was suddenly just the worst. Among the objects of my petty scorn were some lady wearing heels in the Mansueto (literally, who does that?), freshly-dishwashed dining hall cups that are a little warm (oh my God I have to get

| THE CHICAGO MAROON

ice now), and those loose stone tiles or whatever on the quad that pop up when you step on them and virtually become land mines when it rains (my ankles are soaked, what is life?).

“I could get a solid seven hundo out of this,” I told myself. And I really could’ve. I mean, I’ve technically gotten 240 words out of it already. But I thought better of it—why should I subject our readers to something so insubstantial? You’re better than that.

Aside from how special you are, another thought crossed my mind: People can be so mean. Before I put fingers to keyboard, I stopped to consider the kind of response a column of inane complaints would get, no matter how many pointless layers of irony I could violently force into it.

There is, after all, no shortage of witty people and witty banter at the U of C. It would only be a matter of time, I reasoned, before one of the really clever ones piped up with a “#FirstPROBLEMS continued on page 5

LISA FAN Copy Editor ALAN HASSLER Copy Editor NISHANTH IYENGAR Copy Editor MICHELLE LEE Copy Editor KATIE MOCK Copy Editor ZSOFIA VALYI-NAGY Copy Editor

Damage control The SRIC movement’s desire to avoid condoning harm is more common sense than contentious

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

By Jane Huang Viewpoints Columnist

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Given all the chatter on campus recently about the Kalven Report and socially responsible investment, I decided that it would behoove me to read more on the his-

tory of the subject. That turned out to be a good decision, since it enabled me to find some true gems of pretzel logic and obfuscation.

Take, for instance, this question and response in the University’s FAQ from a few years ago on the debate over divestment from Sudan: Does the decision not to divest mean the University is condoning the genocide in Darfur?

No. University trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, and students have expressed their concern and outrage over the atrocities being committed in Darfur.

However, the Kalven Report declares, “The instrument of dissent and criticism is the individual faculty member of the individual student. The university…is not itself the critic.” If the University insists upon distinguishing between the opinion of individuals comprising the University community and of the University itself, it cannot also hide behind the opinions expressed by those individuals when they prove to be convenient. At any rate, if the University profited by investing in companies that were involved in human rights abuses, banal statements about opposing atrocities are

hardly meaningful. In fact, they remind me of nothing so much as the end of Lewis Carroll’s “The Walrus and the Carpenter,” when the Walrus tells the oysters, “I weep for you… I deeply sympathize”—shortly before he eats all of them.

I agree with the Kalven Report’s sentiment that the University should make an effort to stay politically neutral, but I do not think the word “neutrality” means what the University thinks it means. For instance, the University can maintain neutrality by not publicly endorsing a candidate for the presiSRIC continued on page 6

THE CHICAGO MAROON | VIEWPOINTS | May 8, 2012

5

The president doesn’t matter The huge emphasis in our culture and media on the powers and election of our president is a harmful distraction

By Ajay Ravichandran Viewpoints Columnist As the 2012 presidential campaign begins to heat up, Barack Obama will start to spend obscene sums of money to convince you that Mitt Romney is a corrupt plutocrat, and Romney will spend sums just as obscene to get you to think Obama is a decadent leftist, but there is one thing which both men desperately want you to believe—namely, that the president plays a profoundly important role in determining political outcomes. And they’ve already made a good start, having long since convinced most political journalists. Presidential campaigns and initiatives receive vastly more coverage than almost any other type of political story, and reporters covering other political issues tend to implicitly assume that the president is far more important than any other political actor, devoting a disproportionate share of attention

to his views and holding him responsible for whatever outcomes result. But while the presidency is obviously an immensely powerful office, it is far less influential than is widely believed. The illusions that surround presidential power prevent us from thinking clearly about how to effect political change.

One of the powers most frequently attributed to the president is the ability to mobilize congressional votes for legislation he favors by persistently advocating for its passage. However, research from University of Maryland political scientist Frances Lee suggests that a presidential endorsement is just as likely to prevent a law from passing as it is to improve its chances. Drawing on a database of 8,600 Senate votes cast between 1981 and 2004, Lee found that, while members of a president’s own party tend to view a given bill more favorably once he declares his support for it, such support actually makes the other party’s members less likely to back it.

This is because, in light of how polarized our politics now are, most members of both parties think that the most effective way of pursuing their political goals is to deny their opponents even the smallest victory whenever they can. The president is widely perceived as one of his party’s main leaders, so any political debate’s stakes rise

#FirstWorldProblems is a feeble attempt at humor that trivializes a serious issue PROBLEMS continued from page 4 WorldProblems”—and then they’d be awesome and I’d be dead.

But then it hit me: I should write a column about how people who say #FirstWorldProblems are the worst because they are the actual worst.

Accordingly, the remainder of this column will be an open letter to the (very) hypothetical commenter who would have responded to the piece described above.

Dear Rick, When you say #FirstWorldProblems— you used to just do it more justifiably on Twitter—what you do is highlight in a quite vague and crass manner the fact that a minor grievance someone else has with the world is a problem one could only encounter in our comparatively privileged sphere of existence. “Comparatively” is the operative word. “People living in third world countries wouldn’t even have stilettos or a cup or land mines to complain about,” you imply, “so cool your jets accordingly.”

Like many of the attempts at humor made popular by the Internet in recent years which have spilled over into the real world—namely, trolling and hashtags— #FirstWorldProblems is a fad steeped in insecurity. It reflects the same lack of confidence that trolling does as it resorts to putting others down for the sake of comedy. Sure, maybe it’s advantageous when a joke goes wrong to have already degraded your audience, but that sort of defeats the purpose. Comedy, laughter, smiling— these are happy phenomena, remember?

It’s helpful to keep that in mind before you choose to hashtag as well. There’s no need to be so shy; to couch your joke in the safe house of a hashtag ; to make it a “thing” rather than a joke, so that it’s not your fault if it doesn’t go over so good.

So what if people don’t laugh? Is that threat alone enough to cause you to sacrifice your sincerity? If nothing else, to do so is disrespectful to the art of comedy. Jokes can and should be improved upon skillfully, so to give up on them without a fight is just sad. And that’s exactly what happens every time you say #FirstWorldProblems. A potentially smart and funny turn of phrase—

one that may delve into satire or cogently address the inequities implicitly pointed out by #FirstWorldProblems—is left hangin’ like a feminist frat bro. No matter how ham-handedly you spit it out, the effort’s there, and that’s worth an A in the grade book I keep on your life choices.

But this last point raises the most serious issue surrounding #FirstWorldProblems.

Imagine for a moment and for the purpose of discussion that #FirstWorldProblems is funny and apropos. You just whipped it out on someone complaining about having to hold onto his wet winter coat at a party and it got a good response. In short, you’re on top of the cloud nine. What you’ve failed to realize in schooling this guy and his outerwear is that, by reducing the thought, “I think your complaints are trivial and pale in comparison to those faced every day by our fellow humans in less developed nations to hilarious effect,” to “#FirstWorldProblems,” a bit of subtlety is lost. Namely, you left out the part where you mentioned a very broad array of issues for which evoking empathy among the privileged is unspeakably important.

The point is that when you say #FirstWorldProblems, what you do is you invoke the problems of the third world not purely to foster awareness or change—admit it, you don’t—but rather in the interest of getting a cheap laugh or, more often than not, just not having to feel bad about not getting a laugh. That’s not cool.

Oh, and one more thing. Before you muster up the courage to point out the irony you identified that I’m complaining about something that someone in a third world country wouldn’t have to deal with, I’d like to refer you to the article you just read for an explanation of why that’s inappropriate, and to the following for what I think you’d do well to do: Come up with a better, funnier way of telling me to keep a sense of perspective about my complaints. It should be easy; I’m very unreasonable.

Yours, Unamused in Chicago Ajay Batra is a first-year in the College.

significantly once he gets involved, making those in the other party less likely to cooperate. But the structure of the United States government, which often divides power between the two parties and gives even political minorities substantial influence, makes it very hard to pass anything without some support from across the aisle, so direct presidential involvement tends not to have much of an impact.

Pundits and other politicians also tend to exhort presidents to go on campaign-style tours of the country, giving public speeches in order to mobilize support for important policies. Disproving the notion that this approach represents a plausible path to political change doesn’t require any detailed studies. Simply ask yourself how likely the typical person is to come home after a difficult day at work or school and take time out of his or her evening to listen to a presidential speech. For that matter, how likely are you to pay attention to the typical presidential address? Even if you do, do you normally respond by calling your congressman or organizing a rally, or do you just cheer (or fume) at your TV screen? In short, the idea that any politician (perhaps excepting history-making figures like Lincoln or FDR) could move large numbers of ordinary citizens to get involved in politics between elections rests on wildly optimistic

assumptions about human nature.

While I have been quite critical of both of these myths about the power of the presidency, I think they flow from a frustration that is easy to sympathize with. While people have probably always complained about politicians’ neglect of their needs, American political life today is afflicted by an unusually rigid paralysis that causes serious problems—mass unemployment and skyrocketing health care costs, for instance—to fester for years without being addressed. Under such circumstances, it is natural to console oneself with the thought that there is a single figure with the power to break through the gridlock if he would only try. However, the ills which plague our politics have much deeper roots than a single president’s flaws, from the difficulties involved in having two ideologically polarized parties operate a political system that relies heavily on consensus and informal cooperation to the intrinsic complexity of the challenges they confront. While the hope that electing the right president might fix things offers a welcome respite from this bleak reality, it is ultimately an obstacle to the gradual and arduous struggle needed to actually change that reality for the better.

Ajay Ravichandran is a fourth-year in the College majoring in philosophy.

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THE CHICAGO MAROON | VIEWPOINTS | May 8, 2012

A delicate balance Federal rules on sexual harassment reflect disciplinary attitudes that risk student due process and free expression rights Bryant Jackson-Green Viewpoints Contributor One year ago last month, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a “dear colleague” letter laying out the new measures colleges and universities receiving federal funding must take to prevent and deal with sexual harassment claims. Though well-intentioned, key provisions of the letter gravely threaten fundamental rights to fair procedure and free speech on campuses nationwide, and reflect similar trends in other disciplinary areas closer to home.

Most problematic is the mandated lowering of the standard of evidence colleges must use in administrative or judicial hearings in harassment cases. Instead of a “clear and convincing evidence” standard, which requires that it be “highly probable or reasonably certain that the sexual harassment or violence occurred”—that is, much more likely to have occurred than not—colleges must rule on sexual harassment cases using a “preponderance of the evidence” standard, which asks only that “it is more likely than not that sexual harassment or violence occurred.” To clarify the legal jargon, “clear and convincing evidence” is widely interpreted as reflecting anywhere from 75 to 85 percent certainty, less than the exacting “beyond a reasonable doubt.” Meanwhile, “preponderance of the evidence” only requires one to be at least about 51 percent sure of guilt—well within a substantial range of uncertainty. At stake for institutions that use a higher standard are discrimination lawsuits and the loss of federal funding due to Title IX violations, which the OCR is responsible for enforcing.

Much more concerning, however, is the impact on students facing sexual harassment charges, who should be presumed innocent until guilt is clearly demonstrated.

It’s worth considering the consequences for sexual harassment proceedings. The accused face, at the very least, permanent marks on their academic record and ruined reputations; at worst, blacklisting from future employment, expulsion, and criminal charges. According to a survey conducted by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, 39 of the top 100 schools—including the University of Chicago—have already lowered their evidentiary standards in accordance with these new guidelines.

There is no doubt that sexual assault and harassment are vicious offenses that should be duly investigated and punished by colleges and universities everywhere. But procedure shouldn’t function in a way that almost begs the question the investigation is meant to answer. It tends to be that the most despicable offenses provoke passionate feelings of contempt, facilitating a demagogic outcry for justice that in turn fuels a hasty jump to conclusions. For this reason, the more serious an allegation is, the more critical high evidentiary standards are to ensuring an equitable outcome.

Free campus expression is also undermined by the updated OCR standards. The new OCR policies foster the ambiguity between genuine harassment and protected speech by not clearly emphasizing the difference between genuine harassment, and language that might cause offense but that would not meet the threshold for harassment. A nationwide habit of vaguely worded harassment policies constantly

Precedents at Yale, Berkeley show that there’s no reason to fear an SRIC curbing expression SRIC continued from page 4 dential elections because neither candidate would stand to lose or gain much through University inaction. On the other hand, if the University believes that divestment is tantamount to taking a certain stand on an issue, then it would be sensible to conclude that investment is equivalent to taking the opposite stand. It’s not as though University funds magically developed sentience and traded themselves in to obtain stocks and funds for the University’s portfolio. Somebody was responsible for the decision to make those investments.

The main argument put forth by opponents of a Socially Responsible Investment Committee (SRIC) is that it will undermine free inquiry. Many other universities and colleges, including Yale, Amherst, and Berkeley, have opted in recent years to divest from companies operating in Sudan.

Instead of simply relying upon the Kalven Report to speculate on what the impact of SRIC would be, we can actually observe for ourselves what has happened at other institutions. As far as I can tell, free inquiry has survived. If anything, the University could use SRIC to promote critical thinking. It is much more difficult to justify decisions on a case-by-case basis than it is to defer responsibility to a two-page document written 45 years ago.

A friend of mine once described universities as “hedge funds that happen to have an educational subsidiary.” At the time, I thought the description was excessively cynical. Now I’m beginning to wonder if he had a point. For all the talk about fostering intellectual freedom, I can’t help thinking that concerns about prestige and money are at the root of the opposition to socially responsible investment. After all, making ethical in-

vestments doesn’t enhance a university’s U.S. News rankings or its standing in the eyes of the typical employer or graduate school admissions committee. On the other hand, if the University does divest, it risks making less money. Then I suppose we’ll have fewer shiny buildings and delicious study breaks, high school seniors will lose interest in applying, and fewer alumni will donate.

“

plagues campus speech codes. For instance, the harassment policy at California State University classifies “sexual innuendoes made at inappropriate times, perhaps in the guise of humor” as a violation of its sexual harassment policy. Alabama State University’s restriction on “behavior that causes discomfort, embarrassment, or emotional distress” is similarly broad. When discomfort exists between two individuals, how are administrators to determine what jokes or comments are sufficiently “embarrassing” or inappropriately timed, and by what standard? Terms like “hostile” or “offensive environment” are ubiquitous in campus policy literature, but these words can take on different meanings in a disciplinary context. When power is vested in administrators to punish actions or speech on such loosely defined standards, they can dampen free campus expression.

At our own university, the clarity problem can be seen in the guidelines of our bias response team. They define a bias incident as “an action in which a person is made aware that her status is offensive to another,” but the behavior does “not rise to the level of a crime.” It’s unclear from this language precisely what makes otherwise lawful behavior so severely offensive that it merits disciplinary action, and where that line is drawn. Yet even when reviewing offenses not subject to legal response, there is no reason not to give notice of how “bias” is identified and what sorts of punishments those who express “bias” would be subject to. This sort of vagueness—especially when it fails to clearly accommodate protected speech and expression—might silence legitimate debate on controversial topics of public concern

among students with unpopular convictions. And even if we consider comments outside the realm of serious debate—such as with crude, immature joking among friends— I believe that there is no particular obligation not to offend. As our campus manual states, part of what truly free speech means is that we don’t shield “people from ideas that they may find unwelcome, disagreeable, or even offensive.”

There might be some legitimate role for bias response in mediating conflicts, but we must not allow it to be used as a tool to punish students for holding and expressing unorthodox views.

As of today, the OCR has no t responded to criticism of its guidelines from civil libertarians, or organizations like the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education and the American Association of University Professors. If we could judge only by intentions, the fact that sexual harassment policy is beginning to be taken more seriously is a good sign. And no one questions that university administrators have an obligation to investigate and punish incidents of sexual harassment. But they have no less of an obligation to ensure that students accused of harassment or assault are fairly and convincingly shown to have violated clear policies, and that the free and open exchange of ideas is not chilled by excessively enigmatic policy. There is clearly a balance to be found between the rights of victims and the accused, but protecting the former should not entail giving short-shrift to the latter.

Bryant Jackson-Green is a third-year in the College majoring in ISHUM and political science.

The Abrams Environmental Law Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School presents

Our Environmental Destiny Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. PRESIDENT OF THE WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE

I can’t help thinking that concerns about prestige and money are at the root of the opposition to socially responsible investment.

”

While I am a big fan of both shiny buildings and delicious study breaks, I remain concerned that whatever personal and intellectual growth I seek in college may be made possible in part by the exploitation of other people. The Kalven Report states, “The mission of the University is the discovery, improvement, and dissemination of knowledge.” But “First, do no harm” ought to be part of the mission as well. Though it’s not the University’s duty to be a white knight that charges around saving the world, I don’t think it’s asking too much for the University to try to minimize any deleterious effects its own actions may have.

Perhaps universities need to swear by a modified version of the Hippocratic Oath, with the inclusion of one of its most important lines: “I will remember that I remain a member of society with special obligations to all my fellow human beings.”

Jane Huang is a second-year in the College.

Thursday, May 10, 2012 12:15 p.m.

University of Chicago Law School – Classroom II 1111 E. 60th Street, Chicago, Il 60637 Lunch Provided 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

ARTS

Trivial Pursuits MAY 8, 2012

FOTA launches an exposé of high heels and high art Eliana Polimeni Arts Staff It’s fitting that the theme of this year’s Festival of the Arts (FOTA) is “Exposure;” Saturday night’s launch party at the Logan Arts Center gave a tailored but titillating sneak peek into the inner workings of select student artists.

The combination dance party and fashion show kicked off FOTA, a ten-day celebration of the arts that includes works from the theater, film, dance, music, visual arts, and fashion traditions. The week showcases the work of campus artists, whose projects FOTA funds with grant money.

While the event has previously been held in Hutch Courtyard, this year FOTA had the opportunity to host the party in the Logan Art Center’s courtyard. Fourthyear Shola Farber, FOTA’s executive director, was thrilled about this new venue. “It’s centrally located,” she said, “so people committed to the arts come by even if

they hadn’t heard about it.”

From undergrads to MFA students, the gathering attracted a diverse range of campus types. As guests ate dinner from the buffet provided by Rajun Cajun and Nathan’s, they could admire the innovative student artwork all around them.

Made specifically for FOTA, the artwork displayed in various areas of the tented courtyard highlighted the disparate interests of the student body. David Nasca’s project, for example, was a giant leather teddy bear that the fourth year visual arts major sewed himself. Fourth-year Michelle Bentsman hung empty cartons of milk and draped flowers on a female mannequin for “Fertility Goddess,” while fourth-year May Yeung, in a cheeky nod to our Internet-saturated world, made a large wooden hashtag sculpture titled “#UChicago.”

Around 8 p.m, all of the guests congregated around a runway in the center of the courtyard for

the fashion show. Fourth-year DJs Quinten Rosborough and Joey Vasquez played upbeat music while an estimated 40 U of C students walked down the runway wearing designs made by fellow students. Despite a few wobbly walks, the models’ clothes impressed the crowd, with all the designs offering up something unusual. One male model, for example, wore a straggly blond wig and a shirt and bra made of soda cans. The experimental fashion show correlated nicely with the high energ y and avant-garde vibe of the event, which culminated in a dance party where Roseborough and Vasquez played a mix of electropop and dubstep. A small but very enthusiastic group of people kept the party happening. The event also featured an appearance by the GlitterGuts photo booth, a traveling photographer who takes pictures at parties and events throughout Chicago.

FOTA has plenty in store for FOTA continued on page 9

Fourth-year Elle Opitz models at FOTA’s Launch Party fashion show. courtesy of tom tian

Movie May-hem: a preview of this month’s upcoming films Daniel Rivera Associate Arts Editor Analysts have long been abuzz over the impending summer blockbuster season, thanks partly to the amazing gross of Gary Ross’s The Hunger Games, 2012’s first true box office slam with a current domestic total of about $400 million. Yet even with the bar set so high, no one could’ve predicted the massive, immediate success of Joss Whedon’s long-awaited The Avengers. Since its midnight premier last Thursday, The Avengers has made over $200 million, smashing records to become the biggest domestic single weekend gross in history (its international haul

is double that). An added bonus? The movie’s a critical success, as well—it’s currently sitting at a solid, certifiably-fresh 83 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. And that’s from Top Critics, too (the larger consensus is a whopping 92 percent).

Yet May’s just beginning, and there’s no sign that the momentum will halt anytime soon.

Here’s your monthly forecast for movies to keep an eye on: • The most immediate threat to The Avengers’ claim to box office victory is this weekend’s Dark Shadows, the latest collaboration between Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and Helena Bonham Carter. If Dark Shadows performs anything like Burton’s last kid-friendly, Depp-led ventures (Alice

in Wonderland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), records could be broken anew. Filling out the flick is a slew of talented and lovely ladies – Michelle Pfeiffer, who Anne Hathaway is replacing as Catwoman later this summer; Eva Green, who just signed on for the sequel to 300, due out next year; and Chloe Moretz, who was recently tapped to be the titular Carrie in a remake helmed by the U of C’s own Kimberly Peirce.

• If you’re finding yourself depressed at the prospect of a Transformers-less summer, fret not—come May 18th, Rihanna will make her silver screen debut in Peter Berg’s Battleship.

Based loosely on the classic board game but with an added alien invasion, Battleship promises nothing more than your requisite cast of hotties, explosions, oversaturated shaky cam, and explosions. Most telling of all might be Rihanna’s admission in an interview with Extra that her “acting classes” consisted mostly of learning to stunt fight. Considering the flick’s whopping $200 million budget, most critics are preemptively declaring this ship sunk.

• If you’re looking for something a little raunchier, Sacha Baron Cohen’s The Dictator is open-

ing the same weekend. Trailers promise it to be everything you’d expect from the summer’s first Rrated comedy, yet the movie’s biggest buzz is due largely to typical Cohen antics—like his dumping “ashes” all over Ryan Seacrest at this year’s Oscar preshow. Unlike Borat, however, The Dictator is entirely scripted, a change which most test audiences seem to think it suffered for.

• The Fresh Prince must be getting a little stale. Smith rejoins Tommy Lee Jones for Men in Black III, to be released at the end of the month.

This marks his first film in over three years, and the resurrection of a franchise most people had hoped died a decade ago. What’s on Smith’s agenda for the future? A crop of innovative and entirely fresh new concepts, of course—Hancock 2, I, Robot 2, and Bad Boys 3. Can someone please give this man a new script before he tries to bring back Wild Wild West?

• And finally, for more standard U of C fare, Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom is set for release on May 25th. Sporting an all-star cast and trademark charm, Moonrise should satisfy all the cravings you’ve been having since the credits rolled on 2009’s Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Left: Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Captain America (Chris Evans) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) in blockbuster The Avengers. courtesy of zade rosenthal Right: Suzy (Kara Hayward) and Sam (Jared Gilman) in Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom. courtesy of focus features Middle: Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) and Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz) in the gothic comedy Dark Shadows. courtesy of peter mountain

8

THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | May 8, 2012

A new wave in acoustics It was a middle-aged Frenchman, dressed in flannel and jeans, who brought home the message of our day: Electronics are taking over music. Not just electric guitar and keyboard but synths, Auto-Tune, and multiple pedals graced the stage Friday at Chicago’s Metro Theater as musician Yann Tiersen took the stage from the ambling but pleasant opening band, Felix.

Famous for his soundtracks to movies like Amélie (2001), Tiersen is a song writer and mu l t i - i n s tr um e nt a l i s t i n t h e s a m e v e i n a s A m e r i c a’s o w n Sufjan Stevens and Andrew Bird.

At 41, young but still of another generation than most of the concertgoers, he does not seem to have any nostalgia for the acoustic age, instead embracing music’s supposed new shift towards an electronic sound. But rather than succumbing to this digital age, Tiersen was able to seamlessly blend two worlds, the acoustic a n d th e e l e c tro n i c b e c o m ing almost indistinguishable.

As the lights came on to illuminate Tiersen and his band, the g roup had a lready delve d

into the relentless synth arpeggios and rapid-fire instrumental exchanges that would wind their way into every song of the night’s set. There were no lyrics, no singing, for a good five minutes.

When the opener ended, Tiersen himself, previously standing in profile and anonymous among his bandmates, stepped forward to thank the audience, sweaty but obviously energetic. The crowd immediately warmed up to the musician, his laid-back demeanor mixing perfectly with the nevertoo-rousing music.

Fo l lowing h is instr umenta l introduction, Tiersen and co. moved onto a song from his 2010 album Dust Lane. Like the previous song , the frantically-played synthesizers provided a constant electric buzz in the background, highlighting the now three onstage guitars. Tiersen had moved onto vocals, but only tentatively.

He sang solo into a microphone above his own keyboard, simply spelling out the song’s title, “ PA L E S T I N E .” A b a c k s t a g e screen displayed each letter as he intoned it. But even this was not

quite singing ; his real-time, deft sound manipulation turned every sung letter into a metallic echo of his real voice.

It was not until the next song, “Ashes,” that singing appeared in unfettered force for the upbeat chorus. But Tiersen, obviously not trained in (or fond of ) singing solo, placed the majority of the vo ca l burden to his band members, singing only when he electronically distorted his voice.

He finally retrieved one of his guitars, lined up against a background amp, to play a few tracks from his earlier albums like the Amélie soundtrack, proving his impressive musical talent wasn’t reserved for only keyboards and electronics.

But when Tiersen picked up his violin, the concert, pre viously a group effort with multiple talents, turned into a solo show. The band went offstage, and Tiersen proceeded to play an intensely hypnotic , Ph il ip Glass-worthy series of dancing scales and arpeggios. Hunched over and turned to the side in concentration, he looked devil-

ish in the stage light, appropriate for his lightning-speed playing ; the audience was engrossed. He did not stop even when the band reentered after his solo, instead transitioning into the next set of songs from his newest album (released in April), Skyline.

Th e b a n d b a re l y ha d t o b e convinced to do an encore.

Ha r d l y t h r e e m i n u t e s a f t e r their initial exit, the ensemble came back onstage, a tired but eager Tiersen taking a swig from a b e er b e f o re s ta r ti n g a g a i n .

Although more acoustic instrum e nt s g r a c e d t h e s t a g e t h a n before (one band member even b ro ug ht o ut a b a ss c l a rin e t ) , the electronics were given more prominence. As Tiersen played relentlessly at his violin, another member manipulated his strings’ sounds, melodies flying off into metallic echoes. The bass clarinet’s deep, reverberating notes mixed perfectly with the layered synths and guitars.

Of course, this mixing of acoustic and electric is nothing ne w, e ven in Tiersen’s strand of artful song writing. But what

Tiersen did Friday night was not embrace one over the other, or simply juxtapose the two. Instead the disparate sounds became one; he moved from synths and effects pedals to violin so seamlessly it was hard for the audience to keep track. Layered g uitars blended into and augmented the background drones.

A few songs into the concert, Tiersen turned toward the microphone with a wide smile. “I ’m going to play a love song next,” he said. “It’s called ‘Fuck Me’.” His wry, ironic attitude fit his treatment of his music. Nothing was sacred; he subjected his violin to as much distortion as his voice. But at once it was also transcendental.

The blending of two worlds created something new, a sound the continental musician accepted not with zeal for a digital future but with as much regard as a folk singer to his g uitar. That new world is as much an instrument as anything before, and Tiersen is subtly telling us that not much has changed. Just listen; it doesn’t matter if what someone’s playing is plugged in or not.

A mystery, wrapped in an enigma, that starts with Friday Noah Weiland Arts Staff

Canadian R&B artist Abel Tesfaye (alias “The Weeknd”) is touring the U.S. for the first time.

COURTESY OF SHUBVIRK

Sometimes an enigma makes an artist famous. There is perhaps no greater example of this today than The Weeknd (né Abel Tesfaye), the 22-year-old Toronto singer who exploded onto the music scene last spring with the release of House of Balloons, the first of three critically acclaimed mixtapes. First promoted by the rapper Drake, he has since attracted the interest of industry heavyweights like P. Diddy and Rick Ross. Tesfaye has become an Internet sensation despite, or maybe because of, his inscrutable profile—he has never given an interview or appeared on television.

Last Thursday, he performed to a sold-out crowd at Lincoln Hall in Chicago as part of his first tour in the United States.

The Weeknd’s music is as hard to understand as his persona. It has been categorized invariably as post-R&B and contemporary dubstep, among other more obscure genres. His voice has remnants of Michael Jackson’s chilly falsetto and D’Angelo’s soul, and he combines these elements into his own sound. His songs about lust, drugs, and obsession are at once dark, fierce, and opaque: an ethereal sound made eerily beautiful by Tesfaye’s penetrating voice.

His lyrics straddle the line between aggression and intimacy. Illangelo and Doc McKinney, two well-established producers, add the multi-layered richness that’s present everywhere in the work. The tracks also rely on long, dreamy extensions (“Loft Music”), multiple parts (“The Birds” and “The Party & the After Party”), and dramatic lead-ins that peak at Tesfaye’s piercing entrances (“High for This”).

After revealing himself to the public, The Weeknd’s new dilemma is how to translate his sound into a live setting. With the music’s gravity, it is almost impossible to recreate the emotional experience of the album for a live audience. Lincoln Hall’s setting gave him the best chance to do this: The cozy, 500-person venue’s exposed brick and near-perfect acoustics allowed Tesfaye’s

voice to both soar and feel intimate.

Eschewing an opener, Tesfaye snuck out through the backstage curtain 30 minutes late and jumped right into the steamy “High for This.” Backed by a three-piece band consisting of a bassist, drummer, and guitarist, he proceeded to breeze right through his cover of Jackson’s “Dirty Diana,” then the first part of “The Birds” and a gorgeous, stripped-down rendition of “Rolling Stone.” Two popular Drake collaborations, “Crew Love” and “The Zone,” followed. Afterwards, Tesfaye finally stopped and acknowledged the crowd with some awkward small talk: “I bet it’s better being inside than outside.” It was raining at the time.

Yet all too often, Tesfaye substituted a quicker, more active live interpretation of his songs for the dreamier feel of his studio compilations. Whether or not this worked is debatable. Although he maintained the general feel of the recordings, his live performances tended to veer off into g yrating, bruising renditions; Tesfaye often moved back and forth across the stage before settling in behind the central microphone, a position he should have stayed in more often. Some songs, like “Trust Issues” and “Outside,” were far from memorable. What did manage to cut through these weaknesses was his voice—an instrument so unique and powerful that whatever his band did never really mattered in the end.

His execution of House of Balloons, the best of his mixtapes, was the concert’s real strength. His performances of “The Knowing” and “The Morning” maintained the blend of delicacy and lavishness that marks the originals. For the sake of time and ease, Tesfaye often cut down the songs and added imposing instrumental parts for his band; with “Loft Music,” he replaced the spacey vibe of the recording with a quick, rhythmical three-minute rock jam. Unsure of how to interact with a fanatical crowd that knew every word to every song he played, he opted for yelling, an off-key, “Let me hear you scream!” several times.

WEEKND continued on page 9

THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | May 8, 2012

9

The Iceman Cometh, bearing cold comfort Gabriel Kalcheim Arts Staff When the curtain comes up at the beginning of the Goodman Theatre’s production of The Iceman Cometh, eight men are passed out drunk in a 1912 Greenwich Village saloon run by Harry Hope (Stephen Ouimette). There is a bit of murmuring as some of the men begin to stir, but the only articulate one among them is Larry Slade (Brian Dennehy), who has apparently been roused to conversation by the young, sober Don Parritt (Patrick Andrews), once a member of a vaguely referenced “movement” that Larry has since abandoned—a movement doomed, in his own words, by the intellectual confusion of having to see “all sides of [every] question.”

Larry, marvelously portrayed by Dennehy, is a drunken bum who has given up on life and, as Larry says in his own words, “taken a seat in the grandstand of philosophical detachment.”

THE ICEMAN COMETH Goodman Theatre Through June 10

Lee Stark, Salvatore Inzerillo, and Tara Sissom drink away their sorrows on the stage of the Goodman. But don’t they look happy?

COURTESY OF LIZ LAUREN

Soon we are introduced to the other inductees of Harry Hope’s graveyard of a boarding house: Willie Oban ( John Hoogenakker) is a one-time Harvard man, who, between plying his companions with butchered, tuneless renditions of old college songs, tells tales of his life as a prince whose father the district attorney deposed over a squabble. Hugo Kalmar (Lee Wilkof ), seated to Larry’s right, is a former editor of anarchist periodicals with a German accent, who, though rarely roused from his slumber, addresses everyone as a “monkey-faced bourgeois.” Seated nearby is Joe Mott ( John Douglas Thompson), a former proprietor of an all-black

gambling house.

Eugene O’Neill’s play centers not only on the American dream, which he would probably call a delusional, psychological construction, but also on the human tendency to embrace all pipe dreams with enthusiasm. All of the men live in a romantic haze of what they once were or hope to become. But because they are utterly intoxicated and downtrodden, they are incapable of achieving those dreams. Life is too much for them to handle; better take comfort in alcoholic reminiscence and make merry with their fellow salon inductees.

What sustains them is the mantra that, as Larry puts it, “the truth need have no bear-

ing on anything ; why not drink some more and simply be of good cheer?” The fact that they are lying to themselves does not seem to matter—that is, until their old drinking companion Hickey (Nathan Lane) arrives, having reformed his behavior. He has given up drinking, and now urges all his old friends to abandon their own bacchanalian fantasies: to quit lying to themselves, to accept life for what it is, with all its hardships, and to rejoice for having put an end to the delusional goal of leading a painless life. That the “Iceman” (the 1912 equivalent of the milkman or the postman) may cometh for a rendezvous with your spouse is perhaps a fact of life, but he who rejoices in rid-

ding himself of the false hope that life can be made free from pain is the wise and happy man. He who responds by taking solace in further delusion is doomed to suffer.

That Hickey’s wife Evelyn is now out of the picture (did she run off with the Iceman?) appears to give even firmer ground to Hickey’s philosophy.

Though it runs for 4 hours and 40 minutes, The Iceman Cometh is no longer than it ought to be.

Theatergoers should flock to artistic director Robert Falls’s exquisite production with a nearly flawless cast of highly reputed actors. It is certainly tempting to question Falls’s decision to cast Nathan Lane, best known for comedic roles in films like The

Birdcage (1996) and for a more somber role in the musical version of Mel Brooks’s The Producers (2005). And though it may take some time for us to convince ourselves that the familiar, nasally voice we know so well is actually doing O’Neill, Lane gives quite a powerful performance in the end and admirably portrays Hickey’s enthusiasm for personal liberation.

That moral of the play becomes infinitely more complex and uncertain than the simple, neo-Epicurean doctrine that Hickey comes to promulgate. Ultimately, the drama is a testament to O’Neill’s dramatic genius and cements The Iceman Cometh as a masterpiece of the 20th century.

Arts festival will feature space prostitutes, cabaret, and the end of days

Fourth-year David Nasca (artist) and first-year Theo Shure share a bear hug.

COURTESY OF TOM TIAN

FOTA continued from page 8 everyone, including those who have no artistic aspirations whatsoever. On Tuesday, fourth-year Coby Ashpis, Squat the Condos lead singer and guitarist, will perform the original piece “Space Prostitute,” with a group of local musicians. Described by Farber as “not quite musical but not quite theater,” it will feature a story told through both song and music. Then, on Wednesday, there will be a dance showcase composed of four acts: two performances by UChicago Maya, a fusion dance crew on campus; one by FOTA’s own artistic director Adrienne Swan; and another by the World Performance Team, a local nonprofit that teaches dance to inner city boys ages 7–14.

In addition to these performances, FOTA will

sponsor a reception for the student artists on Thursday at the Smart Museum, and on Friday there will be figure drawing on the Main Quad. In conjunction with the Logan Center, FOTA will also host an open mic night series called the Tower Cabaret on May 11, 17 and 26, which will showcase both student bands and bands from around Chicago. The week culminates on Saturday at the Logan Center with “Arts Apocalypse,” a pop-up exhibit featuring over 50 performances, installations, and miscellany that, if all goes well, will put an end to the world (of arts) as we know it. Luckily, if the raw, unrelenting exposure to pure artistic power becomes too overwhelming, there will be a big leather teddy bear on campus for all to cuddle.

Aloof R&B star gives fans just enough WEEKND continued from page 8 After rounding out the set with “House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls,” he came back out to perform the highlight of the night: an acoustic rendition of one of his best anthems, “Wicked Games.”

The transfixed crowd sang along to every word. Tesfaye was so comfortable with his own voice at this point that he signaled for his guitar player to back out so he could end the show a capella. After a mere 65 minutes of performance, Tesfaye blew a kiss to the crowd and disappeared behind the curtain once again, an apt metaphor for the ever elusive artist.

10

THE CHICAGO MAROON | ADVERTISEMENT | May 8, 2012

THE CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | May 8, 2012

11

Fourth-year throwers grab third, seventh at Wisconsin meet Men’s Track Jake Walerius Associate Sports Editor A pair of South Siders had a quiet return to the track this weekend. Quiet, but not uneventful.

Fourth-year throwers Daniel Heck and Nick Rockwell were the Maroons’ only competitors at last weekend’s Wisconsin Twilight meet. The rest of Chicago’s squad was given the weekend off following their efforts at last week’s UAA Championship.

Heck had the more successful meet of the two men, finishing third in the hammer throw with a distance of 51.24m.

Rockwell finished seventh in the same event (38.81m) and fouled on all three of his throws in the shot put.

“I could have performed better this weekend,” Rockwell said, “but with a shortened week of practice, it was hard to prepare for the meet. I went into the meet focusing on a couple things I needed to work on technically, and I did a better job with what I was working on.”

Heck was not at his best either, but after throwing a season’s best at the conference meet last week, he wasn’t expecting to be.

“I was pretty pleased with my performance,” Heck said. “Coming off the physical

and emotional peak of UAAs, I knew that I wasn’t going to go out and throw a big PR again. I came within a meter of my lifetime best despite not feeling very explosive at all, and now I’m primed to go out and throw a couple more PRs in these next two weeks to accomplish my goals.”

There are now only two meets left for Chicago before the NCAA Championship at the end of the season. Heck still has an outside shot of qualifying for that championship and Rockwell is focused on making his way onto the Maroon record books, but both athletes appreciated the extra preparation they got in Wisconsin.

“It was a positive step in the sense that I improved what I was working on, but with only three days of practice this week, it was hard to make the necessary adjustments for the meet,” Rockwell said. “Sometimes when you fix one part of your technique, it throws off another aspect of your throw. I think having a full week of practice coming up will definitely help me going into our next meet.”

“My approach this week was to try and move on from my success at UAAs and refocus myself to achieve distances rather than trying to finish as high as possible,” Heck said. “Now that my goals are more personal, I can go out and focus completely on my tech-

Fourth-year Daniel Heck hurls the discus in the Chicagolands meet earlier this season.

COURTESY OF DAVE HILBERT

nique and how I can improve. I think I did a good job of that at the meet, as I was able to refocus myself and throw farther after not being satisfied with my initial four throws.”

The rest of the squad rejoins the two throwers next weekend for the Chicago Pen-

Following rainout, ’Cats lie in the crosshairs Baseball

ultimate. That will be Chicago’s last home meet of the season and, for Heck and Rockwell, the last home meet of their Maroon careers. They’ll be hoping the extra preparation they got in this weekend will make it a farewell to remember.

Kmak: “It doesn’t matter if it is pretty or ugly, we just need to find a way to win” SOFTBALL continued from back

Second-year Claude Lockhart pitches against Carthage this past Sunday. Due to lightning, the game was cancelled after two innings.

SYDNEY COMBS | THE CHICAGO MAROON

Sarah Langs Associate Sports Editor MLB outfielder and manager Casey Stengel once said, “There are three things you can do in a baseball game. You can win, or you can lose, or it can rain.” The Maroons (22– 12) continued their raining streak on Sunday, as their game against Carthage (21–17) was postponed.

The game was stopped in the middle of the second inning and never resumed. It was Chicago’s final home game of the season, and its Senior Day. “It was really great to have Senior Day. The three of them have had such a huge impact on our program and moving it in the right direction,” second-year rightfielder Brett Huff said. “It’s great to play with them, and we’ll miss them a lot next year.”

Later today, the South Siders will go up Lake Shore Drive into Evanston to play Northwestern

(16–29). The bulk of the Wildcats’ losses have come against Big Ten opponents. They are 5–16 in those games.

Northwestern certainly poses a challenge to DIII Chicago, but the 13 non–Big Ten losses that Northwestern has suffered—as well as the Wildcats’ 5–8 home record— should come as consolation and, furthermore, provide hope.

Northwestern has lost three games in a row, all to Ohio State.

They lost those games 3–1, 7–1, and 4–1. Their last two wins came against Northern Illinois and Oakland on May 1 and May 2.

Conversely, the Maroons have won eight of their past 11 games.

“The Northwestern game is always a fun game, as playing a team with that much talent is always a challenge,” second-year centerfielder and designated hitter Ricky Troncelliti said.

“Hopefully that will help prepare us for our potential postseason

games.”

“The game against Northwestern is a great way to end the season,” Huff said, “and hopefully we can end off on the right foot.”

The teams’ only mutual opponent this season would have been North Central, but the Wildcats’ game against that squad was cancelled.

In terms of postseason, the Maroons won’t know where they stand until May 14.

“We’re pretty optimistic about our chances of making playoffs and we’ll find out on Monday,” Huff said. “We’ve put ourselves in a good position.”

“It’s always tough to lose three players like our seniors,” Troncelliti said, “and hopefully we can continue their careers with a playoff run.”

The first pitch in Evanston is scheduled for 3 p.m. this afternoon.

The game against Carthage will not be made up.

Alma (28–12), Denison (27–17), Penn State Behrend (26–13), and Ohio Northern (26–11) round out the field.

“We’ve played some very tough competition to this point and have been involved in pressure situations,” Kmak said, “so our entire lineup is tested and prepared for this level of competition.”

The South Siders have had no common opponents with the Ohio Athletic Conference– champion Blue Streaks, who are in the midst of a five-game winning streak. John Carroll boasts eight regulars hitting over .300 on the season and a team average of .306.

However, the Blue Streaks have had a season-long habit of getting outrun on the bases: They’ve stolen only 15 bases this year and have allowed opponents to snag 38 in 43 attempts. That bodes well for the Maroons, who have made a point of being aggressive on the base paths throughout the year.

John Carroll is expected to start senior righty Brittany Danilov (22–5) against Chicago’s thirdyear ace Kim Cygan (14–4).

Danilov sports an earned run average of 2.52, and has struck out

198 batters in her 180.1 innings of work. Three of the four pitchers for Chicago, though, have lower ERAs, including Cygan with her 0.74 ERA. The Maroons may have a tentative advantage on paper, but one difficulty will be the weekday schedule of the playoffs.

“We are typically the only team dealing with academic demands [during playoffs],” Kmak said.

Missed classes, extended papers, and rearranged labs shouldn’t damper the excitement of a team that knows what it means to play postseason softball. Chicago’s third- and fourth-years should remember acutely the team’s three postseason games from 2010 when the Maroons came in as the eighth seed and sandwiched a single win between their two losses.

Before that, Chicago made it as an at-large bid in 2007. Since 2000, Kmak’s Maroons have made seven NCAA tournaments, including this year’s.

“We expect to play well, leaving it all on the field in each and every game,” Kmak said. “Our philosophy will continue to be that it doesn’t matter if it is pretty or ugly, we just need to find a way to win each game.”

Squad ramps up training as Chicago Penultimate, Nationals near W. TRACK continued from back

This weekend, the Maroons will host the Chicago Penultimate in their own backyard in another effort to solidify existing national rankings and qualify as many more competitors for Nationals as possible. The following weekend, the South Siders will travel to Naperville, IL to compete in the North Central Last

Chance Meet.

In three weeks, teams from all over the United States will travel to Claremont, CA to compete for a national title. With time running out before Nationals, the Maroons can only continue to work hard and improve. If all goes as planned, many individual South Siders could extend their season into late May.

SPORTS

IN QUOTES “Sportscenter is recycling... MSNBC is freaking annoying, FOX news is just obnoxious [....]

So screw it I’m going to field.”

—Detroit Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer, on Twitter, before last night’s game against the Seattle Mariners.

South Siders at-large: Chicago receives NCAA bid Softball 2012 NCAA Division III Softball Championship

Regionals - Eight Teams Alma, Michigan

Trine (37-8)

1

Game #1 Thursday 10 a.m.

Geneva (30-17)

8

John Carroll (30-13)

5

Game #2 Thursday noon Chicago (24-9)

4

Alma (28-12)

Game #7 Friday 2 p.m.

3

Game #11 Saturday 2 p.m.

Game #3 Thursday 2 p.m.

Denison (27-17)

6

Game #8 Friday Penn St.-Behrend (26-13) 7 4 p.m.

Game #4 Thursday 4 p.m.

Ohio Northern (26-11)

First-year Tabbetha Bohac pitches against Hope College at a game earlier this season.

TIFFANY TAN | THE CHICAGO MAROON

Derek Tsang Associate Sports Editor The Maroons have spent the entire season in uncertainty, hoping to impress a cadre of strangers well enough to earn an at-large ticket to the postseason.

Enough with the waiting. Chicago has been granted admission to the brutally simple world of playoffs. As long as they win, the storybook magic builds, but lose twice and they’re gone.

“We are very excited to have been selected,” head coach Ruth Kmak said. “We will take each game one at a time and see how far we can go.”

The Maroons (24–9) have earned the fourth of eight seeds in their region, and were one of 20 teams nationally to receive at-large bids to the 61-team tournament. Their regional will take place in Alma, Michigan, making up for the team’s cancelled trip to play Alma earlier in the season.

The double-elimination action begins Thursday, with Chicago matched up against fifth-seeded John Carroll (30–13). There are no familiar faces for the Maroons among John Carroll and their six other potential foes; they faced none of the teams in their region during the regular season.

Win or lose, the Maroons will face either first seed Trine (37–8) or eighth seed Geneva (30–17) on Friday for their second game.

2 Game #14 Sunday 2 p.m.

Loser Game 8 Loser Game 1

Game #5 Friday 10 a.m.

Loser Game 2

Game #15 Monday 10 a.m.

Game #10 Saturday noon

Loser Game 14 if first loss

Game #12 Saturday 4 p.m.

Loser Game 3

Game #6 Friday noon Loser Game 4

Game #13 Sunday noon

Game #9 Saturday 10 a.m.

Loser Game 7

Loser Game 11

SOFTBALL continued on page 11

HOW THEY STACK UP

No. 1 Trine University (37–8) boasts a perfect record away from home this season (14–0). It’ll be hoping that that form continues as it travels to Alma for the regional tournament.

No. 2 Ohio Northern University (26–11) comes into the regional tournament with a team batting average of .356.

No. 3 seed Alma College (28–12) will host the tournament after finishing up its regular season with a victory over #1 Trine.

This is the fourth-seeded Maroons’ (24–9) seventh NCAA tournament since 2000 and their first since 2010, when they entered as the eighth seed and exited in the second round of the losers bracket. But behind the pitching of Kim Cygan, whose 0.78 ERA is the third best in the nation, expectations will be much higher this time around.

No. 5 seed John Carroll University (30–13) will be the Maroons’ first round opponent. Champions of the Ohio Athletic Conference, the Blue Streaks take a five-game winning streak into their clash with Chicago. Projected starters: Kim Cygan (14–4) for Chicago and Brittany Danilov (22–5) for John Carroll.

No. 6 Denison University (26–12) beat DePauw University on Sunday to secure their sixth NCAC title and receive their second bid in two years to the regional tournament.

No. 7 Penn State University–Behrend (26–13) takes a seven-game winning streak into its first match against Ohio Northern, the best form of any team at the tournament.

No. 8 Geneva College (30–17) won its very first PAC title last week to secure its invitation to the NCAA regional tournament.

After lackluster Twilight, high jumper looks to turn Paige Women’s Track Isaac Stern Sports Contributor Fourth-year high jumper Paige Peltzer represented Chicago by herself this past weekend at the Wisconsin Twilight meet in Madison, WI. Unfortunately, she topped out at a height of 1.51 meters, placing seventh out of 12 competitors.

“While I felt prepared for today and good through warm-up,

I didn’t jump well at all today,” Peltzer said.

Peltzer was accompanied by fourth-years Nick Rockwell and Daniel Heck from the men’s team.

The rest of the Maroons had the weekend off in order to rest after a fourth-place finish in the UAA Conference Championship.

Peltzer traveled to Wisconsin in order to gain extra opportunities to improve on her event marks before Nationals. Thus, her

performance at the meet felt like a particular letdown.

“It was really frustrating because the weather was great and I felt great. My frustration is further impacted by the fact that we made a special trip up to Madison to compete,” Peltzer said.

After all meets reported from this past weekend, Peltzer fell in the national rankings to 19th place with a top height of 1.67 meters over the entire season. In

previous years, the NCAA simply set a provisional mark that competitors across the nation had to meet in order to qualify for Nationals. The mark last year was 1.65 meters for the high jump.

This year, the NCAA did away with the old system and declared that the top 22 high jumpers in the country would qualify for Nationals.

As the rankings currently stand, Peltzer’s top height is only

a 10th of a meter ahead of 22nd place, and 0.2 meters away from not qualifying.

Peltzer remains dedicated to the task.

“I came to the meet to get a better performance in preparation for Nationals,” Peltzer said. “I’ll have to practice being consistent in these next few weeks and hope that that benefits me in the two remaining meets.”

W. TRACK continued on page 11