MAY 11, 2018
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892
VOL. 129, ISSUE 47
New Sosc Options Added BY TONY BROOKS DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR
Spencer Dembner
The University’s annual Scavenger Hunt kicked off with the midnight list-reading in Ida Noyes.
Highlights From the Scav List BY TONY BROOKS DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR
With a List of over 30 0 items, there are abundant opportunities to win points during this year’s Scav. From Adam Smith to ancient sea monsters, below are a few of our favorite items from this year’s List. Sith Senate (#111) Teams must procure “concrete evidence of the dark side of the government by getting a United States senator to say ‘I am the Senate’ along with [their] team’s name. [25 points for federal senator; 5 points for state senator; 0 points for using pre-existing clips].” Our only disappointment is that they did not make this Item 66. UofC Security Alert Apocalypse (#77) For this item, teams must create “an apocalyptic UofC Security Alert generator. [At approximately 16 points].” Bishop Sea Monster (#163) According to legend, a fishlike monster appeared in the sea 500 years ago and was captured and held by the king of Poland. When a group of Catholic bishops gathered to see
the monster, they released the beast and before it swam away, it made the sign of the cross to the congregation, never to be seen again. So, students are expected to bring one to Judgement on Sunday for five points (one for every century since the fish was last spotted, we presume). Adam Smith Roast (#215) Last night, one student per team dressed as “a world-renowned scholar from an era and discipline of [their] choice to Hutch Commons…where [they razzed] Adam and other thinkers in attendance with peer-reviewed burns.” For participating, teams received ♂ points “based on fidelity of impression and shadiness of zingers.” Bayesian Bear (#15) According to whoever creates the List, “[their] prior is that there’s always a Bayesian bear! Bring a bear to Judgement…. The Bayesian bear is recognizable as a bear, but beyond this we recommend a flat prior. [15 points].” To help them get it right, participants are allowed to present two candidate bears to judges at events prior to Judgement.
“There is this sense that the Core [Curriculum] is the Core, and cannot change,” Jenny Trinitapoli, associate professor of sociology and director of the Center for International Social Science Research, told The Maroon. But Trinitapoli and her colleagues in the Social Sciences Collegiate Division believe the Core can evolve—and two major changes are in store for the Social Sciences Core, including a new course that Trinitapoli will be chairing. In the 2018–2019 College Catalog, released online in early April, the Social Sciences Collegiate Division revealed two major additions to the Social Sciences Core. An entirely new course, Global Society, will be offered starting in the fall. Meanwhile, the existing course So-
cial Science Inquiry (SSI) will be expanded into three distinct versions, each with a different focus. Elisabeth Clemens, sociology professor and master in the Social Sciences Collegiate Division, said that Global Society is the first new sequence since Democracy and Social Science—which is now SSI— was introduced in the 1990s. Trinitapoli said the idea for Global Society developed out of conversations over the past several years within her department. “[We were] trying to think about how we can expand our notions of what constitutes social theory, [to] think about problems in the world that we actually live in, ranging from migration crisis to climate change, and population sustainability,” she said. According to Global Society’s course description, “The sequence Continued on page 3
Basma’s Kitchen Finds a Home in Hutch — Uncommon Interview — BY SARAH LEWIS NEWS REPORTER
“It’s a group effort. It’s not just something that I do, but it’s something that all of my family and our employees and team do—it’s everyone’s kitchen.” Basma Wallace, owner of Basma’s Kitchen in Hutchinson Commons, has led the way for her restaurant along with the help of her family and coworkers since its conception. She hopes to develop her restaurant into a franchise, but says that the restaurant will always remain true to its roots here at UChicago. The Maroon sat down with Basma to discuss the progress of her restaurant and her life outside of Basma’s Kitchen. Chicago Maroon: How and when did Basma’s Kitchen begin? Who came up with the idea? What inspired you? Basma Wallace: We had Saffron, my family’s business, for over 10 years, and I basically grew up learning the restaurant business. So we had the opportunity to bring a new concept to campus. And we knew we wanted to bring Mediterranean food because you have the grill, so it’s hot food, and it’s also
Top Ranked Men look for NCAA Redemption Page 8 The Maroon men’s tennis team is set to host the five-team NCAA regional this weekend as the number one seed. Third-year Charlie Pei feels good about the team’s chances. “We just made history by winning the UAA title by beating Emory, defending national champions, so obviously we feel good. That being said, we need to go back to work this weekend and stay focused because in the end your season is measured mostly by your performance at NCAAs. We were disappointed last year but are more than ready to prove ourselves this year.”
vegan food, so it’s a little bit of some- working at Basma’s Kitchen, or just thing that everyone can enjoy. One working with customers in general? BW: Employees. You can only of our dear family friends, Chris, is one of the directors at Hutch, train people and work with people and he’s helped us bring this idea so much, but getting people to actuto life…I remember when we were ally genuinely care about their jobs picking our name, I knew I wanted is the difficult part of working in a it to be some cool Mediterranean restaurant. Because some people name. And so we had literally two treat it as, “This is my business, this days to pick it before it was final- is my livelihood” and some look at it ized. And I come back the next day, as, “This is my job…at the end of the Continued on page 2 and there’s a file on the table. And I was like, “Okay, you know, it’s ready to go. Well, what did you guys name it?” And it’s…Basma’s Kitchen! I was like, “Oh my God!” CM: What is your go-to dish to eat on your own menu? BW: Baba ghanoush is just the best. Because when I’m not very hungry and I don’t have a lot of time to eat anyways, just some baba ghanoush and pita with some tabbouleh, or maybe I’ll go for a beef shawarma platter, with baba ghanoush, pita, and tabbouleh, and that’s just it for me. I only eat like once or twice a day at most because when you’re constantly around food… Sarah Lewis CM: Of course. So kind of on the opposite side of that, what is Wallace runs Basma’s Kitchen the most challenging part about in Hutchinson Commons.
Hasty Calculations: Reclaiming Math Page 5 Santhanam: Women are discouraged from pursuing math—we can start reversing this in our words.
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THE CHICAGO MAROON - MAY 11, 2018
Events 5/11 – 5/14 Saturday
Women’s Ensemble Rockefeller Chapel, 2 – 3 p.m. T he Women’s Ensemble presents a spring concert with classical repertoire from the Medieval era up through present day and polyphonic singing traditions from around the world. New Music Ensemble: Imani Winds Rockefeller Chapel, 8 – 9 p.m. A rts + Public Life / Center for the Study of Race, Politics & Culture Artist-in-Residence Arif Smith will lead guests at this iteration of his monthly dance workshop in the African-rooted Cuban dance style, Rueda de Casino. Sunday
Chamber Music for Voice Fulton Recital Hall, 2 – 3 p.m. The Vocal Studies program presents a concert of works for small vocal ensembles, including concert and operatic selections, featuring works by Monteverdi, Mozart, Donizetti, Delibes, Smetana, and Bernstein. Admission is free! University Wind Ensemble: Mother’s Day Concert Logan Center for the Arts, 4 p.m. Celebrate Mother’s Day with a concert of works by female composers and arrangers including Chen Yi’s Spring Festival, Shelley Hanson’s Islas y Montañas, and more. Admission is free!
CLASSIFIEDS APARTMENT: FREE RENT FOR A GRADUATE STUDENT RETIRED RESEARCH CHEMIST, AGE 90, SEEKS ROOMMATE IN TWO-BEDROOM COACH HOUSE APARTMENT TO HELP WITH CLEANING, LAUNDRY, AND BASIC ERRANDS. IN EXCHANGE, YOU GET FREE RENT AND FREE LAUNDRY! GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR A STUDENT WHO WANTS EXTRA MONEY FOR TRAVEL OR GOING OUT IN THE CITY. CHEMIST IS QUIET AND STILL WRITES RESEARCH PAPERS, RETIRES AT 7 P.M. APARTMENT LOCATED IN GATED COMMUNITY NEAR 51ST AND WOODLAWN. CANDIDATES MUST PROVE THAT THEY ARE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO GRADUATE STUDENTS AND UNDERGO A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK AND INTERVIEWS. TEXT, CALL, OR EMAIL LAURA: (312) 785-6420 (CELL); LAURA@FLETCHCOM.NET
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“It’s definitely going to be the start of a big franchise” Continued from front
day, I’m just going to take home a paycheck.” CM: What is the key to running a successful business? BW: I say the main one, for anything you do, is just having a passion for it. If you don’t love what you do, you’re not going to go anywhere. It’s a given—you’re not going to go very far in life. For me, working in the restaurant business, I love cooking, I love the customer service, I love my job. And that for me really makes or breaks it. You have to work at it. CM: People think they can do a job that they don’t love. BW: By all means, you can have the education, you can have the background, and everything. But even then, if you don’t actually enjoy doing what you do, you’re just going to be doing it soullessly. Working in the business field is something I love. I grew up around it and I’m comfortable with it. It’s what I want to go further in. CM: This is a big one—what do you like, or dislike, about working with your mom right next to you in Saffron? BW: It’s a bonding and learning experience. Me and my mom, we have a very good relationship. I guess the hardest thing about it is that she always wants to be my mom. She always says, “Don’t work too much, don’t tire yourself out, have you eaten…” And I’m always like, “Mom, this is my job!” But your mom is always going to be your mom, and I love it. CM: What are some of your favorite restaurants in Chicago? BW: There’s this one cute little Chinese restaurant on North Broadway called Lao Sze Chuan. It’s this Szechuan style of cooking, and it’s very spicy. I just happened upon there one day with a friend, looking around for places to eat. And it was just this very hip, cozy kind of restaurant. I was just blown away by the flavor and everything. I even had the restaurant owner come and greet me. The food, the atmosphere, everything was just mind-blowing. And their boiled fish is to die for. Seriously. I’ve never had Chinese-style cooking like I’ve had at that restaurant, and I’d recommend it to anyone who goes to Chicago.
Courtesy of Basma Wallace
Basma’s parents work in Hutchinson Commons, serving Indian food at Saffron. CM: What do you like to cook on your own time? BW: I really like to do a lot of baking, making fresh breads, and you know, we [my family] make everything fresh. And so in the mornings, we’ll have some fresh flatbread with maybe curry, eggs, and a cup of Indian chai tea. That’s basically our traditional breakfast. And every now and then when we want to change it up we’ll have some Italian or some stir-fry. It’s whatever we’re in the mood for. CM: If you ever opened another restaurant, is there any other type of food that you would want to try? BW: Italian. I love the simplicity and the flavors of Italian food. It’s very simple, but it’s all about the quality and the flavor of the foods. And I would just love to kind of play with that. Like fettuccine alfredo, garlic bread, with some grilled chicken and veg-
gies…. I just love making it! CM: What do you do when you’re not working? What are some of your hobbies? BW: I also go to school full-time, but when I have the time, I like to paint a lot. I have this little art studio in my house and sometimes I just put on music and paint whatever is on my mind. It’s been years since I have been painting, but recently I’ve been getting back and just kind of doing little projects here and there for myself. I like watching a lot of Bollywood films. CM: Do you have any future plans for Basma’s Kitchen? BW: It’s definitely going to be the start of a big franchise. Right now, we’re in the middle of branching out. Hopefully, in five to 10 years we’ll have a couple locations, and eventually I just want to branch out to different states. But our main one will always be home in Chicago.
Special Collections Highlights Cost, Aftermath of War BY TONY BROOKS DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR
The Special Collections Research Center has opened a new exhibition, War, Trauma, Memory, which focuses on the trauma caused by warfare. The exhibit was designed to shift focus away from war itself, according to an article published by Special Collections. Instead, it emphasizes artistic creations made in the aftermath of various wars to showcase the lingering traumatic effects of war on those involved. Many of the art pieces on display are on loan from the Smart Museum. According to an exhibit text, “The pieces…reflect their creators’ experiences in wars from the 16th century through the present day. Each was published or made public by their creators; by that action the creator invites us into the captured moment.” War, Trauma, Memory is anchored by a collection of prints by Spanish artist Francisco Goya called Los desastres de la guerra (The Disasters of War). Although made in the 1810s, the plates were not published until 1863. “The suite of plates Goya created in response to suffering he witnessed during the Napoleonic wars is considered to contain the first eyewitness images of war reporting,” the article by the Special Collections said. Unlike previous artists, Goya sought to
Courtesy of Special Collections
“Yo lo Vi,” by Francisco de Goya, depicts the horrors of the Napoleonic Wars. depict war in a realistic rather than beautiful manner. The plates that he created depict torture, rape, and famine while refraining from portraying combatants as anything other than anonymous casualties. The exhibit also includes images from the Second World War, the Iraq War, and 9/11. “Here, photographs by soldiers or journalists at the scene share space with expressions of the effect of war created at a greater remove,” an exhibition text said. In addition to these works, the exhibit includes art and literature, such as the poetry of Siegfried Sassoon and the graphic novel Maus, which depicts both the Holocaust and the later trauma of those who experienced it.
The exhibit also displays propaganda, such as a Nazi book of images from the invasion of Poland called Die Soldaten des Führers im Felde (Soldiers of the Führer in the Field). “Over time, images retain their power but may no longer serve the purpose for which they were made,” an exhibit text said. “For example, some of the items were created to be propaganda and here are displayed as art or as a curiosity. At times an overt intent of the creator or bias of the image is evident, and at others we need to remind ourselves that creators may have emotions hidden even from themselves.” The exhibit is located on the first f loor of Regenstein Library and runs until August 31.
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THE CHICAGO MAROON - MAY 11, 2018
New Yorker’s Jeffrey Toobin Talks Trump, Gerrymandering BY CAROLINE KUBZANSKY SENIOR NEWS REPORTER
“The good news about working in cable news is that there’s no accountability for being wrong,” said New Yorker journalist and CNN legal commentator Jeffrey Toobin at an Institute of Politics event about the politics of the Supreme Court in the age of Donald Trump on Wednesday. Law School professor David Strauss moderated the conversation, which centered on the increasing partisanship and polarization within the Court and how these currents would affect future appointments and case outcomes. “To me, the big story on the Supreme Court is the same as the big story in our larger political life, which is the disappearance of moderate Republicans. They have disappeared from the planet Earth,” he said. One of the reasons for the disappearance, according to Toobin, is gerrymandering. The Court is currently hearing a series of cases on political district drawing that could shift American political paradigms long-term. Because the Republican base has shifted so far to the right and primary elections tend to run on base turnout, more extreme Republican candidates are getting nominated for elections against Democrats. This pushes all stripes of Republicans in a district to elect the more extreme member of their own party, and the party as a whole to the right. “One of the reasons [moderate Republicans aren’t being elected] is that there are
no districts they can win anymore,” he said. However, Toobin said he has become more pessimistic about the outcome of the gerrymandering argument, particularly since momentum seems to have abated on a prominent case in Wisconsin which would have served as a mandate on the practice as a whole. “Of course, the party in power reserves the most seats for itself. The act of drawing district lines has always been a political act,” Toobin said. “It still looks like the Court might strike this down in some way… but I’m not as optimistic as I once was.” He noted that the Court justices are as likely to stick to partisan lines as the rest of American culture. “I do think... the tribalism that is so familiar to us… is present on the Court. You rarely see the liberals break ranks on the high-profile cases,” he said. In the year preceding Gorsuch’s appointment, Toobin noted, the Court stood deadlocked and had to let several lower court decisions stand. “Those were good times for the liberals. Those days are over. You can see who’s winning now,” he said. The main target for lawyers delivering oral arguments before the Court now, said Toobin, is Justice Anthony Kennedy, the only reliably unreliable justice left on the Court. “Basically every controversial case on the court has been decided by Anthony Kennedy,” he said. “Since Justice O’Connor left in 2005…you have four pretty well locked in [conservative] votes. At the same time, you have four pretty liberal votes.”
Courtesy of the University of Chicago Institute of Politics
Jeffrey Toobin, a New Yorker Journalist and CNN commentator, spoke at the IOP. Moreover, justices rarely change their minds based on oral arguments. On hotly contested or culturally salient cases, they seem to hold their positions “One question I’ve asked them is…how often is your mind changed? Twice a year, they said. And I’m sure they’re almost exclusively low-profile cases,” he said. However, Toobin did not fault the Court’s partisanship. He said that it makes sense that a party in power would try to use that power to its maximum potential by appointing as many like-minded justices as they could in a term and ensuring that their votes would match the beliefs of the
people appointing them. “I don’t think you can address these questions in a nonpolitical way…. I tend to be sort of a fan of partisanship,” he said. This being said, Toobin acknowledged that the levels of nominee-blocking, interfering in investigations, and political appointments and firings were at a toxic high point. “We are in a ratcheting level of partisanship here. Trump…is going to give the base of the party to the courts,” Toobin said. “He outsourced Supreme Court appointments to the Federalist Society. [Gorsuch] is a hundred-percenter. That’s what every Trump appointee will be.”
Sosc: “It does address a need...to rethink what is canonical, and what should be” Continued from front
is designed to cultivate an understanding of social science research that extends beyond experiences and processes that are particular to Western civilizations.” The course will also “expose students to a long-standing, globally expansive canon within the social sciences and teach students to distinguish cultural particulars from universal concerns.” Global Society will focus on a different topic in each quarter of the sequence. The first quarter of the course will include readings on society from varied cultural traditions. The thinkers to be explored include philosophers Thomas More and Jean-Jacques Rousseau and feminist Raden Ayu Kartini. The second quarter will discuss population through demographic approaches both archaic and modern. A significant component of the class will focus on economist Thomas Malthus. In the final quarter, centered on social change, Global Society will discuss issues of global change and development. The quarter will culminate in a capstone project on a specific population and its connection to
social change. Trinitapoli said she put together the course with sociology professor Andrew Abbot and assistant professor in sociology Kimberly Kay Hoang. They were supported by Clemens and associate professor in history James Sparrow. The College Curriculum Innovation Fund funded Global Society’s development. Clemens described the initiative to The Maroon as a University effort to support more innovative courses as undergraduate enrollment grows. Her department supported Global Society through this program, providing grants for a research assistant and text translation. Trinitapoli said Global Society’s development unofficially goes back nearly a decade; Abbot has been researching, writing about, and translating texts that will be used in the course for around eight years. Designing the sequence took around a year. Last quarter, Abbot piloted a version of the first quarter. “We designed this [course] because we wanted to teach it, and because we thought the students would love it,” Trinitapoli said. “I think that it absolutely does address a need to… rethink what is canonical, and
what should be.” Trinitapoli also emphasized that Global Society is also meant to help students build analytical skills, including standardization and precise comparisons across populations. As an example of how the course will examine texts, Trinitapoli pointed to one example that will be used in the course: Pandita Ramabai’s America: Conditions of Life in the United States. Ramabai, a social reformer from India, visited the United States in 1886 and wrote an account of her observations. “It’s her ethnography of the United States; everything from gender relations to agricultural practices, from the perspective of an outsider,” Trinitapoli said. During a lecture she gave in India after her visit, which is included in the volume, Ramabai noted that if anyone felt she was exaggerating figures, they should look at the 1880 United States Census. Trinitapoli said this spurred a conversation among her colleagues: “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could read this and do the exercises with the U.S. Census from 1880 at the same time and look at different parts of the world simultaneously…and put that hand-in-hand with the
social theory? How would that change how we think about…the relationship between social thought and char-acteristics of populations?” UChicago United, a coalition of campus multicultural organizations, welcomed Global Society’s announcement in a Facebook post on April 18. “We’re glad the University is hearing and acting on at least some of our demands,” the post reads. “Looking forward to having a Comparative Race & Ethnic Studies Department, a Black Studies major, and Cultural Centers as well!” Representatives from UChicago United did not respond to multiple requests for comment. SSI will be offered in three versions starting in the fall: the existing version, as well as two new sections focusing specifically on formal theory and spatial analysis. Clemens said the intent behind SSI’s expansion is to clearly signal what skills will be taught in each sequence and to correlate the course with faculty expertise. Deepti Sailappan contributed reporting. — This story continues online —
Bill Gates Reportedly Buys Hyde Park House, Son to Join Class of 2022 BY MADELEINE ZHOU SENIOR NEWS REPORTER
Bill and Melinda Gates apparently purchased a $1.25 million house in Hyde Park through a land trust on April 4. According to the Chicago Tribune, the sale is not under the name of Bill Gates or the Gates family. However, Christopher Carletti, a Seattle-based attorney who has represented the Gates family in previous real estate transac-
tions, is listed on the property’s deed. Neither Carletti nor representatives of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have publicly commented on the purchase. Some media observers have speculated that the Gates family purchased the house because their son Rory Gates will soon be attending the University. According to his Facebook page, Rory will be joining the Class of 2022 in the fall. The three-story Hyde Park house
is located across the street from UChicago’s campus, at 5476 South Ellis Avenue. It was originally built in 1902 and completely renovated in 2016. It contains five bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms within its 3,000 squarefoot space. The house would be the newest addition to the Gates’ real estate portfolio, which includes their principal house in Medina, Washington, as well as various mansions in California. Courtesy of Google Maps
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New Group Proposes Plan to University for Keeping Yerkes Open BY TONY BROOKS DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR
A group of residents of the Lake Geneva area of Wisconsin, which is home to UChicago’s moribund Yerkes Observatory, has stepped forward with a proposal to save Yerkes that they say the University has expressed interest in. The University has been seeking proposals for the future of Yerkes since late April, according to the Division of the Physical Sciences website. The University said in its call for initial proposals that groups should send in “Expressions of Interest” (EOIs) by June 15. According to a news release, “the Yerkes Future Foundation ( YFF) [on May 2] sent an ‘Expression of Interest’ letter…indicating that concerned citizens of the Geneva Lake areas have come together as a cohesive organization with the desire to work with the university regarding the transfer of ownership of Yerkes Observatory, including its contents and associated land.” The EOI was sent to David Chearo, associate vice president of the University. “ The goals of YFF are to preserve the historic features of both the observatory building and the site and at the same time make the facility open to the public, available for youth development and continuing education as a science center,” the release said. According to Dianna Colman, chair of the organization, many of the people involved with YFF were involved in the successful effort to stop the University from selling the site to developers in 2006. YFF declined to share the text of their proposal, citing the need for confidentiality during the process. Colman said the proposal addresses the preservation of the observatory facilities and continuation of its programming, as well as the possibility of coordinating efforts with other universities. She anticipates that YFF’s proposal will require fundraising for an endowment of around $10 – 15 million, which will go to fund repairs, maintenance, operation, and similar needs for Yerkes. “[YFF’s members want] to fashion a good transition for Yerkes Observatory and the property, given the announce-
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons user munford
A group calling itself the Yerkes Future Foundation has proposed a plan to the University for keeping the observatory open. ment that the University made,” Colman told T he M aroon. “We’re trying to be as confidential as possible with the University, because anytime you’re working with a project of this scope, you have to be really sensitive to the other party.” She acknowledged it could be challenging to keep residents of Williams Bay informed while respecting that confidentiality. Colman said that the University has already responded to YFF’s proposal for the site. “[Chearo] and I and [YFF founding member] Chuck Ebeling…had a very nice conversation about a week ago…just so that he could acknowledge they have gotten [the EOI], they are looking at it, that it wasn’t out of sync with what they were thinking,” Colman said. “[They’re] taking a look at our proposal and any other proposals, if any, that they’ve received, to see which ones would be the most viable to pursue.” The University declined to comment on any potential discussions about the
proposal. “At this stage the University expects to have confidential conversations with interested parties, and we will not share information about lines of communication with individual parties,” University spokesperson Jeremy Manier said in an e-mail to T he M aroon. “The University will share more information with the Village and others as the process unfolds, in coordination with the respondents.” In a follow-up e-mail, Manier clarified that the respondents are “any party that responds to the Call for Proposals.” Colman said there are plans to register the group, which has not been formally incorporated yet, as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, once the group begins substantive discussions with UChicago. The group will be holding a meeting on Monday, May 14 in order to update community members and discuss next steps. Colman expects a large turnout at the meeting, which she says will be livestreamed and include sign-language
interpretation. Community response to YFF, Colman said, has been overwhelmingly positive. Lawyers and financial professionals from the community have also been helping YFF pro bono, she said, and the group has been receiving local media coverage. The University will be holding another meeting on Friday, May 18 in Williams Bay to discuss the future of Yerkes with community members. In a previous community meeting, the University said that it will not demolish the observatory even if no solution is found by October 10, the date scheduled to pull out of Yerkes. Colman is confident about the new group’s efforts: “Keeping everything online and tracked, all of the things we need to take care of—it wasn’t what I planned for my summer vacation…. It’s going to be a ride, but it’ll be a good one.”
VIEWPOINTS U-Pass Is Inefficient, So What? The Editorial Board Defends U-Pass, Despite Its $650k Net Loss Ridership numbers from the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) on the U-Pass program have reignited a campus debate that has been raging since long before most students matriculated. Various Student Government candidates have advocated for the unlimited rides program since as early as 2002, with a 2015 student-body referendum ultimately leading to the program’s implementation last academic year. Advocates have said the program is vital because it gives students an incentive to take public transit, and because it makes getting around more accessible for students on financial aid, for whom the $95-per-quarter fee is covered. Opponents of the program say they shouldn’t be forced to spend money on a service that is cost-ineffective for them. And now, this side sees the ridership numbers as evidence that the U-Pass
program should go: Why are we giving money away to the CTA? It would be ideal if there was a solution that would maintain unlimited transit for students while making the program a better deal for the University and for students who pay full tuition. One could imag ine a system in which the University gives all students Ventra cards that automatically add value whenever the balance drops below some set amount, like $5 or $10. The University would cover the cost for students on financial aid, which would be a smaller expense than the combined quarterly U-Pass fees for financial aid students. Students who pay full tuition would be charged a prorated amount, which would be less than the $95 fee for U-Pass. Creating such a system would be a significant logistical undertaking,
and there would likely be bureaucratic complications. A spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on whether the University has considered working with the CTA to try and create an alternative system along these lines. Some opponents have proposed a direct reimbursement system in which the University would reimburse all CTA rides. However, the administrative burdens make this unrealistic: Not only would students be held responsible for tracking each ride and providing evidence of purchase to the University, they would also be required to initially pay costs out-of-pocket. Especially for individuals who have jobs downtown, this could prove prohibitive. T he new data has made this a slightly more informed debate, but the Maroon Editorial Board believes that the core arguments have not changed.
Even though the program is inefficient, it provides a valuable service that cannot be matched by alternative solutions. There’s incentive for students to take more trips around the city in an environmentally friendly way, and students from low-income backgrounds are saving a significant amount of money. Left with the choice between U-Pass or no U-Pass, we think the benefits of the program justify its economic inefficiency. — The M aroon Editorial Board Spencer Dembner and Anant Matai recuse due to involvement in prior U-Pass coverage. Co-Editor-in-Chief Euirim Choi recuses because he believes the claim that a U-Pass alternative is infeasible is unsupported.
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THE CHICAGO MAROON - MAY 11, 2018
Hasty Calculations: Reclaiming Math Women Are Discouraged From Pursuing Math—We Can Start Reversing This In Our Words
Meera Santhanam “I am not a math person.” I think many of us can relate to saying or hearing someone utter that single phrase. “I am not good at math,” “I’m bad with numbers,” “I just can’t do algebra”—the list of declarations of perceived mathematical incompetence goes on. You’re either good at it, or you’re not, you’ve got it, or you don’t, people—especially women—often think. People see math as a kind of magical superpower, which only a select (male) few can possess. We see movies of geniuses, starring the Good Will Hunting type of men who just seem to “get it,” who have sudden sparks of seemingly divine mathematical inspiration, arising out of nowhere in their million-dollar brains. From a very young age, people—particularly women—seem to form strong opinions about math. I’m not just talking about opinions like “I like it” or “I don’t” or “math is hard” or “it’s a breeze.” I’m talking about deeper kinds of judgements. The kind where a seven-year-old girl decides “I’m not a math person.” Before you’ve learned how to double-knot your shoelaces, you’ve learned somehow to make complex decisions about your mathematical skills, to decide that you are or aren’t cut out for math. I find this mindset that society teaches girls to resort to from their first years of elementary school not only incredibly closed minded, but also plain ridiculous. People say “I’m not a math person” or “I just can’t do math” as if saying so magically precludes them from ever having to manipulate an equation in their life. Problematically, for reading and writing and a wealth of other subjects—except, for some reason, math—we are allowed to be strong but not perfect, improving, mediocre even; there is a space for those who don’t fall in the genius spectrum. Girls wouldn’t say “I just can’t read” if they’ve had any kind of formal reading education. The majority of adults wouldn’t say “I just can’t change lanes” and not drive just because they are not perfect at driving a car. But somehow, even after years of K-12 math education, women will often say “I just can’t do math.” The phrase is thrown around casually, accepted, even, as a normal thing women and girls can and should say. It’s as if because we are not perfect at math, we have to categorize ourselves into
Alvin Shi
the category of “not a math person,” forcing our potential to languish because mediocre or slightly above average just doesn’t seem to make the cut. I see our culture’s condoned system of labeling ourselves “math people” or “not people” as incredibly counterproductive to the open mindset we should be trying to develop in young women. Sure, not everyone has to like math. Sure, not everyone has to be good at it even. But to see middle schoolers dismiss math and not even give it the time of day just because society has imposed this ridiculous, highly gendered standard of perfection on them is to rob them of the opportunity to work at something they might someday love. Childhood should be a time of experimentation, of trying new things, inside of the classroom and out, and unfortunately, “I’m not a math person” is just too easy of an out. To be clear, it’s not some innate discrepancy in skill that’s causing girls to so-often
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gravitate to this culprit of a phrase. In fact, a UC Berkeley study indicates that we are no longer seeing the same differences in performance on state tests between girls and boys. On tests like the SAT, where evidence exists that male students are outperforming their female peers on the math section, the study suggests an alternative explanation: the test is taken by college-going seniors, and given that more women tend to go to college than men, the skew might be attributed in part to the fact that there are just more girls taking the test. As Janet Hyde, lead researcher explains, “you’re dipping farther down into the distribution of female talent, which brings down the average score. That might be the explanation…rather than girls aren’t as good as boys in math.” The fact that gender priming—the act of reminding girls of their gender before taking a test—has an effect on both their performance and attitude after the exam is incredibly disturbing. The fact that simply reminding a student that she is a girl can lower her exam score is a testament to the unjust way in which our society treats being female as synonymous with being bad at math. What’s even worse is the fact that young, talented girls are internaliz-
ing these stereotypes; whether consciously or not, they have been forced to buy into a system that treats their capabilities as less than they really are. It’s one thing if you are a woman who has really given math a fair shot and decided that you just don’t like it. But even then, why do we feel the need to say “I’m not a math person”? Why not just “I don’t like math,” or “I struggle with math”? I don’t ask you to like math, I just ask you—especially if you are a woman—if you fall under the camp of someone who doesn’t enjoy it even if you’ve given it a fair shot, not to profess that you are not a math person. Why, you ask? Because you are an intelligent, capable human who isn’t pursuing math because you can’t do it. You aren’t pursuing math because you’ve chosen not to, presumably after you’ve given it a fair shot. Don’t feel the need to perform incompetence or unnecessarily downplay your skills. Because your words have the power to break and maintain stereotypes; your words have a role in either upholding or shattering that antiquated glass ceiling. And shatter I hope they will. Meera Santhanam is a first-year in the College.
Submit a Senior Column... If you’re a graduating senior, the Maroon’s Viewpoints section wants to hear from you! You can tell us the good, the bad, or the ugly—what made (or broke) your four years at UChicago. Tell us what the future means to you, how the past changed you, or just how you’re feeling on the eve of graduation. The Maroon is accepting submissions for senior columns. We invite you to send essays to viewpoints@chicagomaroon.com by May 18. The recommended word count for senior columns is 500 words. Feel free to reach out to discuss ideas by email. Columns will be published in our May 25 graduation issue. Due to space restrictions, some accepted submissions may be published online only.
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THE CHICAGO MAROON - MAY 11, 2018
ARTS
Blue Maroon Brings New Sound to Campus BY PERRI WILSON ASSOCIATE ARTS EDITOR
The last few weeks have seen the rapid rise of a new on-campus group. You may have caught glimpses of the band on Facebook, seen a scattering of posters, or even heard them playing on Bartlett Quad. Blue Maroon has become popular very quickly. Blue Maroon began about a year ago as a jazz band mainly performing renditions of pop songs such as Britney Spears’s “ Toxic.” But as new members joined, the g roup’s sound changed, and so did their vision. They became an RSO and began to see themselves as not merely an isolated band, but rather a “community of musicians,” as bass player and founding member second-year Matt Williams told T h e M a roon . In a truly quintessential story of a singularly inspiring moment, Williams recounts the Parliament Funkadelic concert he attended this winter when he and fellow Blue Maroon member and second-year Khashiff Miranda “looked at each other like, ‘holy shit this is amazing…we could be like this.’” Debriefing over Mexican food later that night, the two decided to get serious and take the necessary steps to pursue their dream. It is easy to see how they follow in the footsteps of Parliament Funkadelic not only musically but also ideologically. Their collaborative goal stretches beyond the individual musicians: Blue Maroon sees itself as becoming a sort of umbrella group for other upand-coming musicians, a toolkit with which song writers can experiment. In fact, members of the Blue Maroon have already performed a number of original pieces, bringing to life songs such as first-year guitarist Jakob Leventhal’s dark “Unexpected Times” and third-year saxophonist Jacob “Average” Johnson’s rap, “Fuck Harvard.” “ W hen people come in with their ideas for songwriting it’s not like they have a whole song,” explained Williams. “Rather, they have an idea for a riff, and others add on in a truly collaborative experience. It all kind of blends together.” While the band is still molding its reputation, the recent addition of new members in just the last few months and an impressive array of gigs have allowed them to develop a distinctive sound. Among the new members are Leventhal, first-year vocalist Tucker Rivera, and trumpeter Miles Donnelly. Each brings a unique musical background from rock to jazz training to time spent at Juilliard Pre-College. Together, their sound is defined more by its energy than by a genre. While they call their sound funky and R&B, they’ll dabble in anything. In what they called their “debut” concert, the group played at A lpha Delt’s Bar Night on April 4. The packed April performance had its highs and lows—while they showed off their undeniable talent in purely instrumental, jazzier pieces, what truly got the crowd bouncing were songs like Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September.” Perhaps it stems from my certain partiality for the song, but “September” was a perfectly performed, nostalgic addition to the night’s repertoire.
Blue Maroon member Tucker Rivera plays on the quad.
Student band Blue Maroon performs at Bar Night.
“Fuck Harvard,” the most-streamed hit from Johnson’s newly released album Views from the Reg, was not merely riotous for its subject matter. Much like the rest of their performance, the song inspired genuine enthusiasm in the audience, which was ref lected in, or perhaps initiated by, the band’s own visible joy. The hilarious, classically niche UChicago humor had the crowd laughing through their dancing—an odd but entertaining feeling. For the most part, however, the members’ performances are understated. They subtly gesture at each other across the room, exchange appreciative nods after solos and riffs, but rarely resort to any showy tropes. The one exception might be Rivera’s vocal performance, a crucial addition of high
energy, almost over-the-top strutting. At times, as he fearlessly hypes up the audience in his mirrored glasses, Rivera seems to get carried away by his solos —his wailing occasionally feels overpowering. But, in the spirit of anonymous music-making, the band sweeps in and reminds us of their original artistic presence. The effect is an ebbing and swelling of individuals—an impressive sax solo by Johnson, or an easily-missed trumpet melody from Donnelly—momentarily emerging from behind without ever showing off. In perhaps the prime showcase of their talent, Blue Maroon performed at Bar Night again this past Wednesday before a practically empty house. Even so, they played with the same energy and passion as before, proving that
Courtesy of Tiffany Yooj Kim
Courtesy of Tiffany Yooj Kim
they’re not dependent on a packed audience to egg them on. “[I make] music almost compulsively,” said Williams. It’s easy to see how this love for experimentation and creation, for “anything that sounds cool,” has driven the band in their recent ambitions. The band is rapidly making its presence known on campus and has a full schedule in front of them, with plans to play more on the quad and organize a battle of the bands event in the near future. W hether they are playing at Bar Night or at the Logan Center, their mission self lessly aims for a presence that outlives their time on campus. Blue Maroon will be performing a setlist at the Chicago Swing Dance Society’s Java Jive on Saturday, April 12.
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THE CHICAGO MAROON - MAY 11, 2018
Tully Celebrates Motherhood and All Its Wrinkles BY ZOE BEAN ASSOCIATE ARTS EDITOR
The “pregnant glow” is the biggest lie in the history of pregnancy— at least, according to Jason Reitman’s new film, Tully. In the film, Charlize Theron plays Marlo, a pregnant mother of two who is not glowing so much as sweating profusely. Tully is blunt and juxtaposes beautiful moments of motherly love with moments of anxiety that demonstrate the dark underside of parenting: the late nights, car ride tantrums, and judgement from strangers that build up like plaque on seldom-washed teeth. Marlo’s brother ( Mark Duplass), a wealthy, eccentric yuppie, gifts Marlo and her husband with a night nurse to give the couple relief at night in the early months following the birth of their third child. After some hesitation, Marlo gives in and hires Tully ( Mackenzie Davis), a young, enigmatic twenty-something whose peculiar sagacity is at once off-putting and comforting. T he relationship between Marlo and Tully is the basis of the film and is notable for its nuance, something for which writer Diablo Cody should be praised. However, the truly exceptional aspect of the film is its willingness to portray aspects of motherhood and womanhood that are often glossed over in a way that is both painful to watch and beautiful in its honesty. After a long day spent dealing with her children’s school principal, enduring a run-in with an ex, and facing judgement from a stranger over her choice of whole milk in coffee, Marlo plops down at the kitchen table and takes her shirt off. “ Mommy, why is your body so weird?” her daughter asks. Indeed, Marlo’s stomach does not feature the postpartum washboard abs of Beyoncé or Kylie Jenner. Mothers everywhere will surely rejoice to see Theron, herself a model and former purveyor of unachievable beauty standards in her J’Adore Dior perfume campaign, show
off a stomach that is neither toned nor free of stretch marks. There is beauty in Marlo’s strength, but there is also beauty in her vulnerability. Both demonstrate the strain of grappling with one’s role as a mother of three and as a woman in a society with constraining beauty standards. Herein lies Tully’s power—it does not shirk away from moments of ‘weakness’ that women are pressured to hide—a diaper peeks out of Marlo’s hospital gown on the day she gives birth; she gets out of the car and screams after failing to stop the screams of her newborn. The Bechdel test, coined by writer Alison Bechdel, asks that for a film to pass the test, “(1) it has to have at least two women in it, who (2) who talk to each other, about (3) something besides a man.” I like to think Bechdel would enjoy this film, which focuses on the relationship between the jaded Marlo and the younger, more naïve Tully. When Tully first arrives, the camera pans across her abs and lean physique in a tight shot. Marlo is clearly uncomfortable with Tully’s youth and sexuality, which contrasts with the scene in which her daughter points out her stomach. However, Tully and Marlo’s relationship evolves to one of codependency. During one late night, Tully asks Marlo if a ship which is slowly rebuilt, one piece at a time, is still the same ship once every part is replaced. Another night, Marlo gives Tully advice about her multiple relationships, laughing ruefully at her youthful abandon. Without g iv ing away the major twist waiting like a pot of gold at the end of Tully’s rainbow, let’s just say that Tully carries on the legacy of magic realism created by films like Fight Club and Big. It is at first beautifully understated, but upon further ref lection, is a monumental film for what it does: It asks how a woman can hold on to her identity in a world which dictates that she must lose it order to be a good mother.
Courtesy of Focus Features
Theron’s character Marlo portrays the anxieties as well as the thrills that accompany motherhood.
Courtesy of Focus Features
The relationship between Tully (Mackenzie Davis) and Marlo (Charlize Theron) develops into a powerful and supportive friendship.
Chicago Heads to NCAA Regionals WOMEN’S TENNIS
BY THOMAS GORDON SPORTS STAFF
It is tournament time for the UChicago women’s tennis team as the Maroons look to continue their successful season to date. The NCAA regional tournament is being hosted by UW–Whitewater, and UChicago is one of the higher seeds with a bye in the first round of matches on Friday. They then play the winner of Grinnell versus Coe on Saturday at 3 p.m. If they win that match, they move onto the final on Sunday. Winning the final would move them past the regional stage of the tournament and extend their season another week. Let’s preview the possible opponents for the Maroons this upcoming Saturday. Coe College has had a mixed season this year and is happy to have this chance. They come into this regional tournament with a record of 15–13. However, the Kohawks have already played Grinnell College twice this year and lost both matches, 6–3 and 5–4. It would be necessary for them to overcome this recent bad stretch if they want to advance to face the Maroons. UChicago beat
Courtesy of UChicago Athletics
Second-year Estefania Navarro returns a shot.
Coe College earlier this year with a score of 9–0, so the Maroons should be feeling confident if the Kohawks do advance. Grinnell College has had a very successful season so far this year with an impressive record of 19–4. However, they have struggled, compared to the rest of their season, on neutral court with three of their four losses coming from neutral site matches. The Pioneers have not played the Maroons this year, so it would be interesting to see how the teams would match up. It seems likely that the Maroons will have to get past the Pioneers to make it through to the third round of the tournament and the match on Sunday. Claire Handa, a first-year phenom for the tennis team, is positive about the upcoming weekend. “The team has been training hard all week outdoors, particularly doubles this past week, and hopefully will get a chance to showcase some of our hard work on the court at regionals. We are all excited and positive about the weekend ahead of us.” Hopefully the Maroons are able to channel this positive energy to win this match and extend their season.
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THE CHICAGO MAROON - MAY 11, 2018
SPORTS
Maroons Finishing Historic Season BASEBALL
BY VIKRAM PRASAD SPORTS STAFF
In the final games of their 2018 season, the UChicago baseball team will be heading to Case Western this weekend for a three-game series. The series will consist of a doubleheader on Saturday, May 12, and a single game on Sunday. The Maroons will be coming into this series after a red-hot performance last weekend in Grinnell, Iowa, where they blanked Luther and then went on to sweep Grinnell College in a threegame series. The pitching staff had a particularly great weekend, as in the Luther game, third-year ace Brenton Villasenor recorded the first shutout of his collegiate career, striking out eight batters in seven innings and allowing only four hits, lowering his ER A to only 3.10 for the season. First-year reliever David Clarke also recorded his seventh save of the season and broke the program record for season saves previously held by William K atzka (A.B. ’15). The offense also broke out for a total of 45 runs over the course of four games, with 19 coming in the last game alone thanks to ten runs scored in the sixth. With their performance in Grinnell, the team has tied their record for highest number of wins in a single season. With this, the Maroons are well prepared to take on Case Western, who are among their toughest opponents yet; indeed, the Spartans’ winning per-
centage is identical to that of the Maroons, with 26 wins and 10 losses. The Maroons traveled to Case Western last year for a four-game series but were ultimately swept by their hosts. Needless to say, the team is looking to avoid that fate and turn the tables this year. Second-year designated hitter Payton Jancsy expressed the team’s desire to win and also recognized the challenges ahead, stating, “ We are going into Cleveland with a must-win attitude. After a disappointing performance last year at Case, we are ready to get some revenge.” Third-year pitcher Jacob Petersen echoed Jancsy’s sentiment. “We’ve got our work cut out for us this upcoming weekend. T he Case Western series has been on our radar since January. Hopefully we can keep our momentum rolling and pick up some victories; a series win would fulfill two of our season goals.” These games are also a milestone for the team in a different way, as it will be the last series that they will be playing while unaffiliated with a conference, which has been the case since 1997. The Midwest Conference, consisting of nine schools in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin, announced in December 2017 that UChicago baseball will begin competing as an affiliate member starting in spring 2019. The Maroon baseball team joins the football team, who entered the conference in fall 2017. The team’s independent status has made it difficult for them
Sophia Corning
Fourth-year Ricardo Fernandez throws on the mound in a previous game. to get a bid to the postseason tournament, despite their success, but they will likely have a much better chance next year. The Maroons’ next and final set of games will be a tripleheader at Case Western in Cleveland, Ohio. The first game will be on Saturday, May 12 at
12 p.m., the second game will be on the same day at 3 p.m., and the last game will be the next day at 12 p.m.
Top Ranked Men Look for NCAA Redemption MEN’S TENNIS
BY ALYSSA RUDIN SPORTS STAFF
The Maroon men’s tennis team is set to host the five-team NCAA regional this weekend as the number one seed. As the UAA conference winner, the Maroons received an automatic bid to NCAAs. The winner of each NCAA regional championship heads to California to play in the Elite Eight. The Maroons received a bye in the first round and are awaiting the winner of Augustana College and John Carroll University. Both Augustana and John Carroll received automatic bids as they won their respective conferences. John Carroll and Augustana have much less impressive records along with a weaker strength of schedule compared to Chicago, so it is quite probable that the Maroons will win whichever matchup occurs. Chicago has not played either team so far this season. In their next match and final round of the regional, the Maroons will presumably play Carnegie Mellon University, a con-
ference rival. The Maroons took down the Tartans two weekends ago 8–1 at the UAA tournament, but the individual matches were quite close, and the Tartans are sure to put up a big fight with an Elite Eight spot on the line. However, Chicago has the weight of last year’s NCAA tournament on their back, as they were massively upset by Gustavus Adolphus College in the round of 16. With a year to stew about that loss, the Maroons are sure to not take any team too lightly and prove that they belong with the best in the country when it counts. Third-year Charlie Pei feels good about the team’s chances. “We just made history by winning the UAA title by beating Emory, defending national champions, so obviously we feel good. That being said, we need to go back to work this weekend and stay focused because in the end your season is measured mostly by your performance at NCAAs. We were disappointed last year but are more than ready to prove ourselves this year.” The Maroons play at the Stagg courts this Saturday at 10 a.m.
Courtesy of UChicago Athletics
Fourth-year Luke Tsai hits a ball across the court.
UPCOMING GAMES SPORT
DAY
Opponent
Track and Field
Friday
North Central
2 p.m.
Saturday Saturday Saturday
TBA Case Western. Case Western
10 a.m. 12 p.m. 3 p.m.
Men’s Tennis Baseball Baseball
TIME
Courtesy of UChicago Athletics
Fourth-year Peter Leung reaches out to return a difficult shot.