052314 Chicago Maroon

FRIDAY • MAY 23, 2014

ISSUE 49 • VOLUME 125

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892

CHICAGOMAROON.COM

University appoints new VP, Dean of Harris School Cairo Lewis Maroon Contributor University officials appointed Kimberly Taylor as vice president and general counsel and Daniel Diermeier as the new dean of the Harris School of Public Policy last week.

Kimberly Taylor is currently a partner of the law firm Hilton & Bishop

P.C. in Falmouth, MA, and will succeed Beth Harris, the University’s current vice president and general counsel, on August 1. Harris has dedicated her time to helping the Office of Legal Counsel better coordinate the University’s relationships with other institutions.

As vice president and general counVP continued on page 2

Study: reason, not emotion valued in moral feelings Hyde Park resident Veronica Morris-Moore (left) raises questions about her treatment at the Monday UCMC protest to (left to right) Assistant Chief of Police Gloria Graham, Dean of Students Michele Rasmussen, Assistant Vice President for Student Life and Associate Dean Eleanor Daugherty, and Gerald Ratner Distinguished Service Professor of Law David Strauss on Wednesday at the Reynolds Club.

PETER TANG | THE CHICAGO MAROON

Leadership Conversation gets testy Victoria Rael Maroon Contributor Tensions arose between administrators and audience members during Wednesday’s Leadership Conversation titled “Protest and Dissent: What’s New.” Held by Student Government

(SG) to answer questions on the University’s protest and dissent policy, the panel became heated as students and community members questioned the University’s decision to forcibly remove activists at Monday’s Trauma Center Coalition protest at a UCMC construction site.

The protest and dissent policy de-

Phishing emails hit University inboxes Cairo Lewis Maroon Contributor IT Security (ITS) is investigating a series of scam e-mails that were introduced into the University’s computer system this month. According to IT Security, several phishing scams throughout the month of May which request that the user provide their CNet ID username and password through e-mail have entered the University’s contact system.

A phishing scam is an attempt to attain a user’s personal information using fake credentials. One of the e-mails in question purports to be from the “UChicago Technical team” and tells recipients that their computer has been infected by a virus. The email asks the recipient to click on a link provided and log in with the student’s CNet ID and password.

Another e-mail purports to be from the “University Help-desk” and tells recipients that their mailbox is almost full. It directs students to click on a link and enter their CNet ID and password to empty their inbox.

The University receives phishing e-mails from scammers who are trying to obtain University credentials for many purposes, such as using e-mail accounts for spamming, accessing electronic journals, and compromising other University resources.

“When IT Security receives reports of these e-mails, we attempt to contact the hosting site to get the malicious page taken down.

We then block access to the malicious links from campus and notify other services, which provide safe browsing resources. While the University cannot stop phishSCAM continued on page 3

scribes how University administrators and University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) should manage campus protests and demonstrations. After the January 27, 2013 trauma center demonstration which ended in the arrests of four protesters and accusations of misLEADER continued on page 2

Summer Thompson Maroon Contributor Reason, rather than emotion, may guide our moral feelings, according to a study conducted by psychology professor Jean Decety and psychology graduate student Keith Yoder.

Their study, published in March in The Journal of Neuroscience, was the first to assess how individual differences in justice sensitivity, a personality trait, affect regions of activity in the brain.

Decety and Yoder examined how differences in sensitivity to justice affect changes in brain activity when people evaluate moral situations.

In the experiment, subjects filled

out surveys to assess their justice sensitivity, or how readily they perceive a situation as unjust and how severely they respond to the injustice, as well as their empathy levels. Then subjects viewed morally-charged, everyday interpersonal interactions and labeled each scenario as good, bad, or neither. As subjects viewed the interactions, they underwent a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan, a brain imaging technique that allows researchers to see regions of brain activity.

Yoder described two types of sensitivity to injustice. “One of the ways you can collapse scores is by looking at how sensitive people are SCIENCE continued on page 3

North Korean defectors tell stories of escape from homeland Alice Xiao News Staff Eunju Kim and Jinhye Jo, two North Korean defectors, discussed their experiences and explained North Korean culture and propaganda at an event last night at the International House as a part of the University’s Global Voices Program.

Fourth-year David Tian organized this event with the help of alumnus Andrew Hong (A.B. ’11). Hong translated for both Kim and Jo, who spoke in Korean.

Eunju Kim suffered through the 1990s famine with her family. In 1997, her father died of malnutrition, and her mother left the house in search of food for over a week. Kim, who was then

only 11, starved as she waited.

“I didn’t really fear death, because my dad died, my grandparents died, everyone was dying around me already—the hardest struggle for me was the feeling of being abandoned by my mom,” Kim said.

The concept of death was not new to Kim and other North Korean children. Even in preschool, Kim recalled the school system forcing her and the other children to view public executions.

Since then, she has written a book about her experiences, titled An Eleven Year Old’s Will, which has been translated into Norwegian and French from Korean.

Kim’s mother returned after three days, and she, Kim, and Kim’s older sister escaped

to China for a brief time, during which a human trafficker took them in and sold them as slaves to a Chinese family. She recalled being relieved that at least she was not starving in

China.

In 2005, Kim and her family were caught and forcefully sent back to North Korea.

“No one welcomed us, no huKOREA continued on page 2

Andrew Hong, President of Emancipate North Korea (ENoK), speaks with two defectors from North Korea, Eunju Kim and Jinhye Jo, about their experiences and struggles Thursday night at the International House Assembly Hall.

COURTESY OF HELEN PARK

IN VIEWPOINTS

IN ARTS

IN SPORTS

Trauma Drama » Page 4

My big fat Greektown tour

Why soccer is the best sport

Vacant buildings to art spaces

Chatter’s Box with Krishna Ravella

First come, last served » Page 5

» Page 7

» Page 9

» Back Page » Page 11

THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | May 23, 2014

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Defectors describe school textbook propaganda Monday protest was main issue at Conversation KOREA continued from front

man dignity was spared for us—we were human trash,” Kim recalled of her return to North Korea.

After two more attempts to escape, Kim and her family relocated to South Korea recently, where they faced difficulties with assimilation but were able to gain freedom.

Kim currently lives in South Korea.

Jinhye Jo, slightly older than Kim, escaped from North Korea in 1998 after four failed attempts. She escaped to China, but each time was discovered and forcefully deported back

by North Korean authorities.

Jo lived in China for a total of ten years. During that time, everything that other children took for granted seemed like inaccessible pleasures to her.

She was not able to attend school in China.

“I spent many days crying while looking out the window at students with the privilege of going to and from school,” Jo remembered. “There were times where I felt very bitter, and I thought, why was I born North Korean? Why do I have to die like this? Even if I died, would anyone care?” she said.

In 1998, a Korean-Ameri-

can missionary named Philip Jun Buck helped Jo, along with thirty other North Korean refugees, escape. Jo currently lives in Virginia, and has recently gained U.S. citizenship.

Both women related their experiences of growing up in a culture of propaganda in North Korea. Information about the rest of the world is closed off, and the Internet is inaccessible to most of the population. According to Kim, there are only one to two computers in a typical school, used not for the Internet or research but for typing practice.

She also said that a typical elementary school math textbook would contain questions such as, “If there are 11 apples, and the Americans stole five while the South Koreans stole three, how many apples are left ?” and a typical history book often contained pictures of South Koreans polishing the shoes of Americans, to “teach the kids that the South Koreans were slaves to the imperialists,” Kim said.

Another aspect of North Korean life is the lack of medical care. “In written words, there is ‘Free Medicare’, but this is not really true,” ex-

plained Jo. “When you contract a disease, you have to pay the doctor in gifts, such as wine or cigarettes, to get treatment. And once you get a prescription, the government doesn’t provide the medicine—you have to search for medication on a sort of black market,” Jo said.

According to Kim, the black market is composed mostly of expired medicine from China, and so “even if anyone had the money, he couldn’t buy health,” Kim said.

Jo expressed confidence in eventual reunification of North and South Korea.

“Unification [of Korea] is going to come soon, whether it’s in the way we expect it or not,” Jo said.

Event organizer Tian said that he hoped the event would shed light on the state of the North Korean people.

“Sometimes North Korea is immediately associated with being a belligerent state —nuclear weapons, unpredictable leaders—I’m hoping this event can help people put a face to North Korea, and raise awareness that people are hurting, hiding, and need support,” Tian said.

LEADER continued from front

conduct against UCPD, an adhoc faculty committee was convened to review the policy and released recommendations in February of this year. The recommendations focused on informing students of demonstration ground rules and maintaining strong communication between administrators and students. The review committee also recommended that police involvement be minimal.

The majority of the event’s audience was composed of trauma center activists.

The panel was composed of Assistant Vice President for Student Life and Associate Dean in the College Eleanor Daugherty, Gerald Ratner Distinguished Service Professor of Law David Strauss, Dean of Students in the University Michele Rasmussen, and Assistant Chief of UCPD Gloria Graham. Each began by giving a short introduction and then proceeded to discuss the purpose of the University’s protest and dissent policy.

Daugherty explained that the University seeks to provide opportunity for students to agree and disagree on campus, and Strauss emphasized that the University’s ultimate goal is to support a community of people who are socially alive and socially aware. Rasmussen also explained that the role of the Dean on Call during times of dissent is to inform the students of the rules of engagement and provide advice to students on the escalations and consequences of their actions.

The event intensified when audience members questioned the University’s decision to physically remove the trauma center protesters from the construction site Monday rather than arrest them, as the protesters expected.

Veronica Morris-Moore, a member of Fearless Leading by the Youth, a Woodlawn organization leading the trauma center campaign, stood up to question the panel in what turned into a back-and forth between her and administrators.

“Why did your officers drag me through concrete and gravel rather than arrest me?...UCPD harmed me and that is your policy,” she said, showing them her bruises.

Graham defended the University’s actions.

“There was a lot of communication on how to handle the situation. We elected not to arrest, and that was a community decision,” she stated. She also asserted that Morris-Moore was the only one out of her fellow protesters to resist UCPD, sitting back down after she was removed from her lock box instead of walking away from the construction site.

Students continued to question the decision, criticizing what they felt was the panel’s reluctance to reveal specifics of the decision-making process and the UCPD for their actions to removing the protestors from the lock-boxes.

Daugherty said that Executive Vice President for Administration and CFO Nim Chinniah and Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services Karen Warren Coleman were ultimately in charge of the decision to remove rather than arrest the protestors.

“There is no policy that says in each situation do x, y, and z.…Our objective is to mediate, and arrest provides a lot of chaos,” Daugherty said. “We do everything we can to mitigate the situation, but eventually the situation has to be handled, [especially in situations] where there is a place of harm.”

Third-year Students for Health Equity (SHE) member Joe Kaplan, who participated in Monday’s protest, criticized the panel’s effectiveness.

“I think panels like this are an exercise in distraction,” he said.

“There is a decision-making process that’s being intentionally obscured to protect the actual decision makers from any sense of accountability.”

Fourth-year SG President and founding SHE member Michael McCown, who planned the event with Daugherty, said he was not surprised by the level of escalation following Monday’s protest. McCown was called to mediate questions between audience members and panelists. After the event, he emphasized the importance of open discourse.

“Students or whoever else have a right to put what they think in language and tone they want to strike and then move on and we did more or less achieve the balance there. I don’t think it’s useful to shut people down when they make things uncomfortable,” he said.

Director of the News Office Jeremy Manier said the panelists found that the discussion was informative. “[Daugherty said the panelists] were happy to come at the request of Student Government.

She said the event allowed them to discuss the reasons why administrators and UCPD officers use discretion to make decisions in protest situations, always pursuing the objective of an amicable outcome. This allows for careful judgment based on the situation at hand, rather than inflexible protocols,” he said in a statement.

New Harris School dean is former Northwestern prof

Let’s get involved. (seeking graphic artists and designers) email editor@chicagomaroon.com

VP continued from front

sel, Taylor will continue this initiative, advise University officials on legal and regulatory questions associated with the University’s activities, and represent the University in administrative and judicial proceedings.

Taylor has acquired expertise in mergers and acquisitions, equity investments, finance, and partnership matters in her over-18-year career at the law firms Kirkland & Ellis and Hilton & Bishop.

“Kim is a widely recognized and accomplished attorney who will bring these capabilities to bear for the University in an increasingly complex environment. Her demonstrated capacity for judgment, leadership, collaboration and analysis will make her an excellent member of the University’s administrative leadership team,” Robert Zimmer said in a University press release.

Taylor also expressed excitement about joining the University this summer. “I have been impressed with each and every member of President

Zimmer’s team. I look forward to working with the outstanding faculty and becoming a part of the Hyde Park community,” she said in a press release.

Daniel Diermeier is currently a professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Over Diermeier’s last 13 years at Northwestern, he has been the director of the Ford Motor Company Center for Global Citizenship and holds appointments in the Departments of Political Science, Economics, and Linguistics, as well as in the School of Law at Northwestern. He will start at his new position on September 1.

“In my experience, real impact requires collaboration and an entrepreneurial mindset. This is what I intend to pursue in my new role,” Diermeier said regarding his approach to working at the Harris School.

Diermeier co-founded the university-wide Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems, a scientific organization that researches human behavior.

He also co-founded the CEO

Perspective Program, a nationally recognized development program for senior business executives, which was developed as a partnership between the Kellogg School of Management, the Corporate Leadership Center, the Chicago Booth School of Business, and the Northwestern Global Health Foundation. In addition to his work at Northwestern, Diermeier has published two books and more than 80 journal articles.

Diermeier is optimistic about his future endeavors at the University.

“I am honored and delighted to be named the new dean of Chicago Harris and look forward to joining one of world’s truly great universities.

The University of Chicago has tremendous momentum in its efforts to engage with important issues, here in the Chicago area and globally. The Harris School stands poised to draw on the powerful intellectual resources of the University and help find new avenues for creating real-world impact,” Diermeier said.

THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | May 23, 2014

Different personality traits affect brain chemistry, study says

NEWS IN BRIEF UCMC receives $3.9 million grant for cancer research The University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC)’s Comprehensive Cancer Center received a $3.9-million award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to be distributed over the next five years. The grant is a part of the NCI’s new National Clinical Trials Program and was awarded after the UCMC was chosen as a Lead Academic Participating Site (LAPS) in the National Clinical Trials Program.

The National Clinical Trials Program comes as a replacement to the National Cancer Institute’s 55-year-old program, the National Cooperative Groups Program, and is meant to better “integrate and streamline the process of cancer

clinical trials research,” according to the National Cancer Institute.

The Comprehensive Cancer Center was chosen as one of 30 Lead Academic Participating Sites after it received the highest possible score in the application process. LAPS sites deal with the most complicated cancer cases and lead the more than 3,000 trial sites for the National Clinical Trials Program. The Cancer Center is the only LAPS site in Illinois.

According to the National Cancer Institute, as a LAPS the Comprehensive Cancer Center will “[provide] scientific leadership in development and [conducting] clinical trials in association with the adult clinical trial groups.”

—Ananya Pillutla

Phishing e-mails claim to be from University technical team and help desk SCAM continued from front

ing attempts entirely, IT Services invests in filtering technology and subscribes to commercial services designed to screen out the more obvious attempts,” Leilani Lauger, an information security officer, said.

ITS said that it is always on the lookout for new phishing attacks. “ITS is constantly updating technology and processes to find the more difficult-to-spot attacks. Users can subscribe to the ITS Twitter or Email Scams RSS feed, both of which notify them of phishing attempts reported by members of the University community,” Lauger said.

House resident computing assistants (RCA) are also aware of the e-mail scam

3

system and are working toward helping students identify scams more easily. The last phishing scam was sent on Tuesday, May 13.

“These e-mails mostly claim to be from the University, IT Services, or the uchicago.edu team, show improper grammar usages, and may ask users to provide other personal identification, such as phone numbers or credit card information,” fourth-year Hall Liu, the RCA for Maclean House, said.

If affected by a computer scam, IT Services and RCAs from College Housing urge that victims report scams to the ITS Security Team.

—Additional reporting by Ankit Jain

SCIENCE continued from front

to injustice when they are the victim. So that’s self-oriented justice sensitivity.… The other way to view it is when another person is the victim of injustice. And that’s otheroriented justice sensitivity,” Yoder said.

People vary in how intensely they react to injustice and in what types of situations they react strongly depending on whether they are selforiented or other-oriented.

The researchers found that otheroriented justice sensitivity positively correlated with activity levels in key brain regions during morally “bad” scenarios, whereas self-oriented justice sensitivity did not correlate with activity in any region. This may be because the subjects were viewing rather than participating in these scenarios. “[Self-oriented justice sensitivity] actually didn’t predict hardly anything in the brain…That’s not to say it’s not important…but all of these judgments are about third-party interactions that you don’t have any information about, so they’re not necessarily your relatives; it’s not expected that you necessarily identify with any of these people,” Yoder said.

Yoder and Decety found that the level of sensitivity to justice that is oriented toward others correlated with brain activity in regions involved in reason-based rather than emotion-based processing. This may indicate that reason plays a greater role than emotion when evaluating moral conflict.

“It doesn’t seem the case that

when people are very sensitive to justice it’s because they are more emotionally motivated. It seems to be more something very cool, and cold,” Decety said.

The researchers interpreted this finding to indicate that while emotions may play a role in moral evaluation, humans do not simply respond to injustice by getting upset.

People with a heightened level of justice sensitivity are likely relying on rational understanding to interpret something as morally wrong, and react accordingly.

Empathy is a personality trait that is distinct from one’s sensitivity to justice. In contrast to otheroriented justice sensitivity, interpersonal differences in empathy did not correlate with any neural responses.

This finding strengthens the scientists’ argument that moral evaluation is not as based on emotion as may have been previously thought.

“That [empathy did not correlate with brain activity] was really interesting and fits along again with the idea that this isn’t about emotion processing necessarily, it’s about understanding justice maybe as a high level [concept],” Yoder said.

In contrast to the morally bad scenarios, morally good scenarios did not correlate with other-oriented justice sensitivity. This may be because bad experiences make a stronger impression.

“When we talk about fairness and justice, bad actions are more salient.

That’s why you’re going to find the differences you see,” Decety said.

The researchers found that good actions were associated with activ-

ity in brain regions implicated in reward whereas bad actions were not, implying that humans find the observance of good actions to be rewarding.

“Usually good actions are something that is agreeable to observe.

People like it,” Decety said.

Good and bad scenarios had distinct time frames for brain activity responses to the observed morallycharged scenarios, with faster responses to bad actions than good ones in key brain regions.

“This difference in the time course really makes it look like we rapidly extract information about the intentionality of harmful interactions. And so, there is greater recruitment for the harmful interactions…But the good actions, especially for the people who are high on justice sensitivity, take a little bit longer to develop and there’s more elaboration involved, and it is very likely the case that they are spending more time thinking about and reflecting on those actions. And so that’s why we think this time course is important to look at,” Yoder said.

Yoder and Decety interpreted their findings as an inspiring humanitarian message that humans use a rational understanding of right and wrong, rather than emotional reactions, to treat people fairly.

“Apparently, those of us who are very sensitive to justice, it is based more on reason than affect or emotion,” Decety said. “And if this is the case, we need to cultivate reason over emotion. And it’s nice. It’s a good message. It’s a very important message.”

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VIEWPOINTS

Editorial & Op-Ed MAY 23, 2014

Trauma drama Students have been disingenuous and administrators absent—both must learn from mistakes in order to break the stalemate In protest of the lack of a Level I adult trauma center on the South Side, the Trauma Center Coalition (TCC), an umbrella term for a number of advocacy groups, has staged a series of activist events—the Week of Action—across campus over the past week. Both trauma center protesters and University administrators have made efforts over the past week that show they are well-intentioned and want to move this conversation forward. But both sides have erred in their handling of the situation. In attempting to move the conversation forward, protesters have become increasingly unfo-

cused and disingenuous, to the point of hindering discussion and distracting from their original message. In conjunction, the administration has also poorly dealt with situations surrounding the Week of Action by failing to adequately engage in conversation.

There has been a trend of obfuscation and misdirection in the way that TCC has represented its actions to the public. Earlier this month, University administrators barred TCC members from holding a prayer circle in the University Hospital. TCC members responded by objecting to their removal as unjust and

unnecessary, stating that the prayer circle was forced into the political sphere only as a result of this administrative action. TCC members have argued the University’s stated reason for the barring— that the circle caused an impediment to patients—is invalid, but the fact remains that the UCMC has certain safety and security protocols to follow. While they have characterized the University response as unreasonable and political, the TCC has been reluctant to characterize their own political motivations honestly and forthrightly. The prayer circle, an act which cannot be disconnected from the

broader political aims of the TCC, was represented instead as apolitical and purely spiritual. All activities under the TCC’s purview are inherently related to the goal of securing a trauma center on the South Side. Indeed, a prayer vigil was included during the Week of Action.

While TCC protesters have not necessarily handled the situation in the best way possible, if all sides are to move forward from the current situation in a positive manner, both sides must adjust the way they handle similar situations. When asked at Wednesday’s Dissent and Protest Panel who were the University administrators

that made the decision to remove the protesters on Monday, Associate Dean of the College Eleanor Daugherty named Executive Vice President for Administration Nim Chinniah and Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services Karen Warren Coleman, neither of whom were present at the panel. While University administrators obviously have many tasks to attend to, if the University wants to truly engage in dialogue over the trauma center and protest, administrators who make important decisions like the ones made on Monday must be present at these meetings.

Their absence not only im-

pedes discussion over how protest should take place on campus, but only worsens the TCC’s sentiment of not being heard that led it to feel the need to protest in the first place.

In efforts to move forward conversations on campus, both related and unrelated to the trauma center, protesters must make steps toward presenting an honest, unobstructed, and focused dialogue, and in turn, University administration must be present and receptive in these conversations.

The Editorial Board consists of the Viewpoints Editors and the Editorial Staff.

Case for Confucius Current dialogue around the Confucius Institute shows lack of faith in UChicago education and students

Patrick Reilly

Fresh Eyes On September 24th, 2007, then-president of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took the podium before a packed audience at Columbia University. His denial of the Holocaust, the presence of gays in Iran, and Iranian hostility toward Israel provided excellent fodder for

the president’s opponents.

“Yet,” The New York Times reported the next day, “his appearance also offered evidence of why he is widely admired in the developing world for his defiance toward Western, especially American, power.”

Don’t expect a similar

international relations lesson here. UChicago’s angst over authoritarian regimes has become clear in recent weeks, with faculty and students alike demanding closure of the Confucius Institute (CI), an on-campus programming center sponsored by the Chinese government. Last Tuesday, second-years Tyler Kissinger and Max Samels spoke for many of those concerned: “We feel that terminating the contract is consistent with the University’s abso-

lute commitment to academic integrity and free and open inquiry.”

Most discussion so far has revolved around the “academic integrity” half of that statement. The influence of a foreign government over for-credit coursework understandably concerns the faculty, but the way I see it, these concerns suggest a need for negotiation, not outright opposition. In demanding full-scale closure of the CI, we risk denying ourselves some much-needed

“free and open inquiry” with a rising power.

Why should UChicago not cut ties with an authoritarian regime? For starters, our interconnected 21st-century world will inevitably bring our institution into contact with some unsavory characters. Even without the CI, the University will still need the cooperation and approval of Chinese Communist Party officials to operate its Beijing Center. Should we pull out of China to protect our

academics from oppressive government? Fairness would demand a second look at our programs in other lessthan-democratic locales— Istanbul and Jerusalem both come to mind. Break connections with one, and our ability to study, travel to, and engage with the others will come into question.

In the long run, closing the CI might hamper our ability to engage with China itself. The Institute’s opponents seem to have forgotten CI continued on page 6

It’s not U(Chicago), it’s me Applying to transfer can be an experience that convinces you to stay The student newspaper of the University of Chicago since 1892 Emma Broder, Editor-in-Chief Joy Crane, Editor-in-Chief Jonah Rabb, Managing Editor Daniel Rivera, Grey City Editor Harini Jaganathan, News Editor Ankit Jain, News Editor Eleanor Hyun, Viewpoints Editor Liam Leddy, Viewpoints Editor Kristin Lin, Viewpoints Editor Will Dart, Arts Editor Tatiana Fields, Sports Editor Sam Zacher, Sports Editor Nicholas Rouse, Head Designer Alexander Bake, Web Developer Ajay Batra, Senior Viewpoints Editor Emma Thurber Stone, Senior Viewpoints Editor Sarah Langs, Senior Sports Editor Matthew Schaefer, Senior Sports Editor Jake Walerius, Senior Sports Editor Sarah Manhardt, Deputy News Editor Isaac Stein, Associate News Editor Christine Schmidt, Associate News Editor Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Associate News Editor Clair Fuller, Associate Viewpoints Editor Andrew Young, Associate Viewpoints Editor Robert Sorrell, Associate Arts Editor James Mackenzie, Associate Arts Editor Tori Borengässer, Associate Arts Editor Angela Qian, Associate Arts Editor Jamie Manley, Senior Photo Editor Sydney Combs, Photo Editor Peter Tang, Photo Editor Frank Yan, Photo Editor Frank Wang, Associate Photo Editor Alan Hassler, Head Copy Editor Sherry He, Head Copy Editor Katarina Mentzelopoulos, Head Copy Editor Ben Zigterman, Head Copy Editor

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Krysten Bray, Copy Editor Katie Day, Copy Editor Sophie Downes, Copy Editor Chelsea Leu, Copy Editor Katie Leu, Copy Editor John Lotus, Copy Editor Victoria Rael, Copy Editor Hannah Rausch, Copy Editor Olivia Stovicek, Copy Editor Andy Tybout, Copy Editor Amy Wang, Copy Editor Darien Ahn, Designer Annie Cantara, Designer Emilie Chen, Designer Wei Yi Ow, Designer Molly Sevcik, Designer Tyronald Jordan, Business Manager Nathan Peereboom, Chief Financial Officer Annie Zhu, Director of External Marketing Kay Li, Director of Data Analysis Vincent McGill, Delivery Coordinator Editor-in-Chief Phone: 773.834.1611 Newsroom Phone: 773.702.1403 Business Phone: 773.702.9555 Fax: 773.702.3032 News: News@ChicagoMaroon.com Viewpoints: Viewpoints@ChicagoMaroon.com Arts: Arts@ChicagoMaroon.com Sports: Sports@ChicagoMaroon.com Photography: Photo@ChicagoMaroon.com Design: Design@ChicagoMaroon.com Copy: CopyEditors@ChicagoMaroon.com Advertising: Ads@ChicagoMaroon.com 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. © 2014 The Chicago Maroon, Ida Noyes Hall, 1212 East 59th Street Chicago, IL 60637

Kristin Lin

Particularly Nothing This past March, I applied to transfer from the University of Chicago. It was cold, I was tired and lost, and when I looked at the transfer applications to other schools, the idea didn’t seem half bad. In fact, it seemed like the most right thing I had chosen to do in a long time.

In my two years on campus, I have heard of many friends and classmates who have filled out applications, asked for recommendations, even gotten acceptances to other schools. But much more often, I have heard from those who haven’t done any of those things— complaints about how difficult this school is, how people wish that they were at their respective state school. If you listen closely in the A-Level, cries of, “I could be at Berkeley right now!” hover over the end-of-year buzz.

Frankly, I’ve never had much sympathy for these people. If you want to transfer to a state school, why don’t

you just do it? I’m sure they would be happy to have a bright young mind like yours, and it’s much cheaper. Why torture yourself when you could actually do something about your misery?

So I took my own advice. When I realized that my dissatisfaction extended beyond factors that I could control (things like sleep, diet, balance between work and life), I signed up for a new Common App account. I went through the motions (hello again, College Board) and in the meantime also started talking about my situation to family, friends, and professors.

Decisions came out a few days ago, and I didn’t get into either of the schools I applied to. It sort of sucked. But not for the reasons you might think—I was significantly more upset over the fact that I would have no final choice in where I would be studying for the next two years than I was over the actual re-

jections.

But even though I spent the past two months worrying about my future, writing applications, and talking to people—generally just brooding over the transfer process in an admittedly somewhat self-absorbed manner—I think applying to transfer has been the single most transformative experience I’ve had in my college career. And I highly encourage anyone who feels inclined to transfer to try, or at least think more seriously about it.

The transfer process really forces you to reflect on what you want out of college, and whether or not those things correspond with what UChicago can offer you. Presumably, if what you want doesn’t align with what you have, then it makes sense to try to change that. I thought that when I first clicked “submit,” but then I had two more months to mull it over. And when I really thought critically about my situation, whether or not UChicago was giving me what I needed was far from clearcut—and I can imagine that’s the case for many other people.

For me, UChicago has been a great academic fit, but at the cost of feeling LEAVE continued on page 6

THE CHICAGO MAROON | VIEWPOINTS | May 23, 2014

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Let them eat falafel Shared culinary history between Israelis and Palestinians should bring them together, not tear them apart

Eliora Katz

Katzenjammer We Middle Easterners take our food seriously—perhaps too seriously. Refusing to eat my mother’s Persian dishes is tantamount to spitting in her face; learning how to make the perfect chai is a rite of passage in my household.

Indeed, it is nothing new that food brings people together or tears us apart.

In the Middle Ages, Christian societies singled out and alienated Jews for not eating pork, when in fact this originally was not a distinctly Jewish custom. Back in the ancient Near East, the Israelites shared the custom with the Egyptians and other Semitic peoples. Later, when Jews traveled from Middle Eastern countries to Spain, they brought the eggplant with them, and were singled out again, this time as eggplant eaters. By the 17th century the eggplant was dubbed the “Jew’s apple” in England, as it was adored by Spanish Jews who brought it with them after their expulsion from Spain.

We all know of the everlasting Israeli-Arab conflict, but recently the quarrel has expanded to a food fight over claims of ownership of regional dishes.

A few weeks ago, University of Chicago Friends of Israel (UCFI) hosted an Israel Independence Day celebration on Bartlett quad featuring falafel, hummus, Hebrew music, and free henna tattoos. Where UCFI was, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) followed, protesting the celebration. The demonstration didn’t bother me. In fact, I was happy to hear their side of the story, their activist fervor, and a healthy exercise of free speech.

But two days later, an article titled “U of Chicago Students Protest Cultural Appropriation, Misinformation at Israel Independence Day Event” was published on the site Sixteen Minutes to Palestine, containing the following passage: “Students on campus found the appropriation of Arab and Palestinian products and cultural elements to be offensive. The event presented falafel as an Israeli dish, improperly attributed the art of henna to Israel, and even featured a taxidermied camel. SJP members and others expressed concern over the blatant orientalization and distortion of Palestinian culture meant to energize these kinds of events.”

Followed by the pièce de résistance: “For what it’s worth, this is not the first time pro-Israel student groups have fetishized camels as part of their celebrations.”

This isn’t the first time Israel and Jews have been accused of “hummus-washing”—theft of Palestinian culture. Such carping would be amusing here if it didn’t contradict the fact that Middle Eastern Jews have always eaten falafel and hummus. In the wake of the founding of the State of Israel, Jews of Arab nations were quickly targeted for revenge. Thus seeking refuge, most of these ancient communities in Libya, Syria, Egypt, Yemen, and Iraq fled to Israel, bringing their culinary traditions with them—including scrumptious falafel recipes.

Just last month, Forbes published the Middle East version of the “McDonalds index”—“The Falafel Index”—to assess purchasing power in

the Middle East. There, the falafel—as opposed to the Big Mac—is the quotidian dish you’ll find on the street. Included with Palestine and Israel on this “falafelnomics” list are Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Morocco—all countries which housed strong Jewish populations that made their way to Israel. Cuisine often described as Palestinian—kibbe, majadra, stuffed grape leaves, cabbage and zucchini, stuffed leg of lamb—are all admittedly delicious but barely unique to Palestine; rather they are shared by most societies of the Levant, the Eastern Mediterranean. Israel herself doesn’t have one dish; she is a country made up of indigenous people as

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well as immigrants from all corners of the world.

If you walk into the shuk (market) you’ll find a plethora of European schnitzels and bourekas, next to halva and jachnun hailing from the east.

And what if Israel had not adopted the Mediterranean cuisine of the region? Would Israelis not be accused of being supremacists imposing their white European culture on an already rich culinary tradition?

Similarly, for thousands of years henna has been and still is an important part of Middle Eastern Jewry. My Jewish friends—whose origins trace back to the Maghreb, the Levant, the Mediterranean basin, the Arabian Peninsula,

CHICAGO MAROON

Make art, not bidding wars First come, last served Struggle to get into Core art classes needs solution Kevin Matheny Maroon Contributor As course request wraps up, I’m already anticipating my friends, my peers, and random strangers on the quad all complaining about the same thing: the difficulty of getting into classes that count for the Art, Music, and Drama (AMD) portion of our Core requirements. Unless you were one of those wise firstyears blessed with foresight, you’ve likely spent at least one quarter here frantically e-mailing professors and sitting in on too many classes in which you aren’t enrolled.

First, one way to thin the crowd of students bidding for art classes is for the University to take Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credit for art classes and allow some students to test out, similarly to the way they can in math and science Core classes. This would lessen the demand for small art classes, making it easier for those who need the classes to get into them.

Second, allowing more of the classes offered in the visual art, art history, theater and performance Studies, and music departments to count for the Core AMD requirement would increase the supply of classes without requiring the University to spend more money hiring more professors or having current professors work more hours. This also wouldn’t increase class size and hurt the University in the college rankings calculus.

To try to get a better understanding of what it takes to formulate a course catalog that meets the University’s pedagogical and curricular standards, as well as addresses pecuniary and rankings concerns, I contacted Susan Art, the dean of students in the College, and professor Thomas Christensen, the associate dean and master of the Humanities Collegiate Division, asking for interviews/comments on the subject. Art diverted my requests for interviews to Dianna Douglas, the news officer for campus and student life, who took my questions over the phone, presumably forwarding them to Art and Christensen for responses. In particular, I asked what specific factors the University takes into account when putting together the course catalog and presented the alternatives I outlined above.

Through Douglas, I asked Christensen and Art what their reactions would be to my alternatives, and if they thought either alternative would be a valid and productive solution to the difficulty many students find getting into these classes.

I received no direct answers.

Douglas did send me a link to the course description and highlighted a specific section that reiterates that the AMD classes are interdisciplinary and integrated, meaning they shouldn’t be replaced with more advanced courses in the College.

Furthermore, the course catalog description goes on to highlight the AMD classes and their liberal ART continued on page 6

University does not do enough to accomodate first-generation students Lynda Lopez Maroon Contributor Recently, UChicago has shown an increased commitment to recruiting low-income students through initiatives such as QuestBridge and UChicago Promise. Fifty-one students in the Class of 2018 received full fouryear scholarships through QuestBridge, the highest among all 35 partner colleges; 73 students in the Class of 2017 benefited from UChicago Promise, which includes a guarantee of no loans for Chicago residents who attended Chicago high schools and are admitted to the College.

All these initiatives are great, but what happens after these students arrive on campus? Many of them are also first-generation, meaning they are the first in their families to attend college.

Being a low-income, first-generation college student can be like jumping into a pool without knowing how to swim. As the daughter of immigrants with no college graduates in my family, I didn’t have a good idea of what to do once I was here. I didn’t know how to ask professors or TAs for help or how to pick the right classes. Everything was foreign to me.

UChicago was also a giant leap academically for me, adding another layer of difficulty to my transition. Like many low-income, first-generation students, I didn’t have a rigorous high school curriculum. I went to a public school in Chicago; though I was in the International Baccalaureate program, the academic rigor at my high

school wasn’t on par with the rigor of elite high schools. I took advantage of all of the available resources and then some, such as taking AP tests for AP classes not offered at my school and taking free ACT practice exams at the Princeton Review. I worked extremely hard in high school and was awarded a QuestBridge Scholarship, but it was still a big challenge adjusting to UChicago. In high school, I put in a few hours of work each night and excelled, and I came in my first year expecting to have a similar workload. This strategy didn’t turn out too well at UChicago, where it’s easy to spend all day at the library. My transcript is riddled with Bs, Cs, occasional Ds, and even a failed class. No one had explained to me that attending an elite college required another level of studying.

I had come in with an obvious academic disadvantage, but this was reflective of systemic inequities, not my intellectual ability. However, some thought I wasn’t worthy of being here.

My experience with math particularly stands out. My high school hadn’t offered calculus, so I placed into precalculus my first year, while most of my peers took calculus classes. I remember asking two housemates for help on my pre-calculus homework.

One laughed at me for asking for help on such a “simple” problem and the other said I “should have studied harder” for my placement exam.

There was a lack of awareness among my peers that we all hadn’t had the privilege of an elite K-12 education.

Having to adjust academically

while dealing with microaggressions from classmates made for a difficult transition. It might have been easier had I been able to find students from similar socioeconomic backgrounds, but there was no established community for students like me. This social isolation eventually made it difficult to concentrate on classes or even find enough energy to care. Dealing with such a foreign situation without social support was overwhelming. On top of that, I had no adult mentors or guidance, so it was easy to start falling between the cracks of this institution.

Adjusting to UChicago for a student of my academic and cultural background wasn’t going to be easy, regardless of any resources—but it could have been a smoother transition. Once students arrive on campus, this University takes a hands-off approach, which does little to help students who may need more help adjusting. I was making mistakes, but no one was there to help. There was no one asking any questions about why I had done poorly in a class. There was no one telling me how to do better.

There was no community for students like me, which only intensified this feeling of exclusion.

The University does offer a bridge program called the Chicago Academic Achievement Program, which brings 50 incoming freshmen to campus the summer before to take classes, all with the intention of easing the transition to college. However, not all students who might need it participate, and once on campus, it is 1ST-GEN continued on page 6

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“Before I considered transferring, I never really had to ask myself what I wanted from college.”

LEAVE continued from page 4 like I don’t belong to a strong community in college. Do I want to push myself intellectually, which is more or less an individual process, or do I want to spend more of my time cultivating meaningful relationships (in what seems like the last de facto community that I will belong to for at least the rest of my twenties)? These two options are certainly not mutually exclusive, and balance certainly exists for most people. But I do think that the demands of

school at UChicago do take away from an opportunity to participate in a stronger community.

Of course, both school and a sense of community contribute immense value to my life, albeit in different ways. So the only way I could make a decision to transfer was to understand what I wanted. This is where things get complicated—because just what exactly does it mean to want something? I want to get good grades and challenge myself intellectually, but I also want

to feel like I have roots at this school, to cultivate friendships and relationships that will last beyond my time here.

In short, I want both equally, but for the first time I was confronted with choosing one over the other, and two different paths in life.

Before I considered transferring, I never really had to ask myself what I wanted from college; I was sort of just here because I got an acceptance letter two years ago. And frankly, it’s pretty easy to function on this

level. Classes, RSOs, friends, and sleep took up enough of my time that reflection is simply not something that I had to do on a daily basis.

But I think reflecting upon a choice between two things that are both vitally important to me has forced me to look inward in a way that no other decision in my life has pushed me to. This choice was different because it forced me to ask myself not whether my choices were “good” or “bad,” but instead a more daunting question: Which one

of these choices do I want?

This question is bound to come up at some point in all of our young adult lives, transfers or not. Figuring out something as nebulous (and perhaps even frivolous) as what you want is part of the autonomy that so many philosophers talk about. It’s a difficult question to ask, and it’s pretty easy to avoid. But I think confronting it can fundamentally shift how you understand your life in college and beyond.

So if you have ever thought about transferring, apply. You

probably won’t find a straight answer to your concerns about UChicago, but you’ll certainly learn a lot about what yourself, and perhaps even a little about what you want from life. Even if leaving seems like a clear concept to you now, you might learn otherwise. I did, and because of it I feel much surer of the decision I made to come here two years ago.

Kristin Lin is a second-year in the College majoring in political science.

“Why not use the potential of a rich culture not to point fingers, but to nourish progress?”

FALAFEL continued from page 5 and Western, Central, and Southern Asia— have traditional henna parties before weddings.

Not to mention the biblical Song of Solomon, in which the lover purrs, “a cluster of hennaflowers is my beloved to me, in the vineyards of Ein-Gedi” (1:14).

And as for that “taxidermied” camel—how did they know about my camel fetish? (No camels were harmed in the making of this article or the UCFI event, at present time only artificial camel skins could be found.) It started with reading the stories of Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph, where these domesticated pack animals

are mentioned over twenty times. When Abraham expeditions to Egypt, Pharaoh offers him a huge gift including livestock, servants, and—of course—camels, to purchase Abraham’s wife, Sarah. But my favorite camel tale is a true love story, in which Rebecca is chosen as a wife for Isaac because she offers water to Abraham’s servant as well as his camels “until they will have finished drinking” (Genesis 24:19). From the presence of these stories alone, it is apparent that camels are as integral a part of Israeli history as of Palestinian culture.

In the end, though, these accusations leave me disappointed more than anything. Israelis, Jews,

Palestinians, and Arabs share a beautiful cultural past and present—why not use the potential of a rich, shared culture not to point fingers, but to nourish progress? When it comes to falafel, what’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine— this chickpea delight doesn’t belong to SJP or UCFI; rather it’s a treasured piece of both Palestinian and Israeli heritage. Forget “hummuswashing,” let’s have some falafel-diplomacy. So take this as an open invitation to any member of SJP; I’d personally like to take you out for falafel, or maybe shakshouka.

Eliora Katz is a first-year in the College.

AP and IB arts courses claim to have same aims as Core classes. Why can’t they count for credit?

ART continued from page 5 arts nature in that they aren’t “specialized introductions to one single field,” but are instead “expressly designed to broadly investigate the arts.”

To that end, my second alternative could potentially violate the University’s vision of the Core if applied to a very specific set of specialized, high-level classes within these departments. But the only response I got at all was a link to the University’s course catalogue site with a specific section highlighted, and I received no answer, direct or indirect, to my first alternative regarding AP and IB courses.

In fact, the AP and IB descriptions of the programs’ art offerings are incredibly similar to the University’s description of the AMD requirement. AP offers six arts-related courses, including art history, which its website describes as a course that

aims to “explore major forms of artistic expression including architecture, sculpture, painting and other media from across a variety of cultures.” AP’s website also reiterates that a main goal of its art courses is to “develop [the] ability to articulate visual and art historical concepts in verbal and written form.”

IB offers similar courses in the arts as well, which, according to their website, “foster critical, reflective, and informed practice to help students understand the dynamic and changing nature of the arts… and express themselves with confidence and competence.”

Clearly, AP and IB strive for an interdisciplinary and integrated art curriculum in the same way the University does with the Core, which ultimately teaches students to appreciate, debate, and understand many forms of art across time and cultures.

So why can’t we ease the difficulties of getting into AMD classes by accepting these AP and IB classes as valid alternatives? Surely this would decrease the demand for the classes that count for AMD credit without hurting UChicago’s budget, ranking, or quality of teaching. Furthermore, if the University considered allowing some of its other art offerings, outside of those specialized introductions that would not serve the purpose of the curriculum, to count for the AMD portion of the Core, we would all have a much easier time getting into the classes we need to fulfill the requirements of our UChicago education. Maybe then the endless cycle of art-class angst may finally be brought to an end.

Kevin Matheny is a third-year in the College majoring in economics.

“It wasn’t until I started an RSO for low-income and first-generation students that I was able to find the support I needed.”

1ST-GEN continued from page 5 virtually impossible to find resources geared toward helping low-income, first-generation students transition into college. On top of that, it is difficult even to find adults to speak to because there is no point person at this University assigned to work with these students. While those resources don’t exist here, our peer institutions have taken steps to support this population: Stanford University has the Diversity and First Gen Office and Amherst College has a Student Life Fellow assigned to work with these students.

Providing resources is a very real acknowledgement that the struggles faced by first-generation students are

unique and not a matter of intellectual ability. Being smart isn’t enough to make it through college. Without the right skills, mentors, and institutional support, some students can easily flounder. It’s only been this year that I have finally felt like I get this place. I can navigate it, and I can do well in my classes. I have even gotten to a point where I feel that I am thriving.

It wasn’t until I started an RSO for low-income and first-generation college students that I was able to find the support I needed. Without that group, I’m not sure I would be walking the stage in a few weeks.

I contemplated not coming back for senior year. Nationally, 89 per-

cent of low-income, first-generation students leave college within six years without a degree. I ultimately decided to stay, but it’s sobering to consider that I had gone from a high-achieving student to a potential college dropout.

It took me a while to be vocal about my struggles because I somehow felt that being critical of the school meant I wasn’t grateful for the scholarship I received. Being grateful doesn’t mean I give up my right to free speech. My scholarship opened the doors for me, but it didn’t see me through my four years here.

Lynda Lopez is a fourth-year in the College.

SUBMISSIONS The Chicago Maroon welcomes opinions and responses from its readers.

Send op-ed submissions and letters to: The Chicago Maroon attn: Viewpoints 1212 East 59th Street Chicago, IL 60637 E-mail: Viewpoints@ChicagoMaroon. com The editors reserve the right to edit materials for clarity and space. Letters to the editor should be limited to 400 words.

Op-ed submissions, 800 words

Students do more than just “accept and internalize anything presented in class” CI continued from 4 that censorship and selective history can’t be separated from the reality of contemporary China. Consider one student’s recollection of a CI class at Marymount University: “When Tiananmen Square comes up in class, we all look at each other. The teachers talk about it as this beautiful square, a nice place to visit. But it’s like, ‘Wait, hold on, we’re missing some context.’”

Beyond the CI’s Judd Hall office, UChicago students should find plenty of “context” for these one-sided classroom discussions, thanks to our own East Asian studies department and well-read student body. Our homegrown study of this rising Asian power doesn’t sidestep Tiananmen, Taiwan, or other thorny topics. The CI’s classes do—enabling students to pinpoint the gaps and subtleties in the image that China presents to the world.

Why should we understand this image? Think back to that list of University programs in less-thandemocratic regimes. Like it or not, a growing number of nations are adopting China’s repression at home and saber-rattling abroad as an alternative to our Western, liberal democratic model. Facing this world, politically minded students should heed one nugget of Chinese wisdom: Sun Tzu’s advice to “know thy enemy.” Ahmadinejad’s 2007 address gave Columbia University’s undergrads a peek into Iran’s bellicose leadership. Now, the CI’s classes are providing a somewhat less entertaining glimpse into Chinese “soft power.” Our school’s legions of econ, political science, and public policy students will soon have to contend with similar attempts at cultural and political assertion. Should we deny them this chance at firsthand experience?

The emphatic “yes” from the

CI’s opponents hints at another, more troubling undercurrent: a profound lack of confidence in the student body. This mentality assumes that students will accept and internalize anything presented in class, turning a blind eye to the vocal opinions and fierce debates that rage in Bartlett, the Institute of Politics, and the pages of the Maroon. This is not the UChicago I know.

All this may seem a bit excessive for such a narrow debate, so let me close by putting the CI opposition in a larger context. Seven years after the president of a “state sponsor of terror” addressed Columbia University, U.S. college students are shying away from any viewpoint at odds with theirs. They’re already shouting them down at Rutgers University and Smith College, where recent protests prompted Condoleezza Rice and Christine Lagarde, respectively, to cancel commencement speeches.

This heightened sensitivity is costing our generation something of far more value than political sensibilities. We should all consider sociologist Laurie Essig’s recent yet timeless reminder that “we must listen to someone with whom we vehemently disagree in order to come to some common understanding. ” Protests over the CI aside, UChicago students seem to have taken the point. With a diverse student body and IOP speaker lineup that features Rand Paul one week and Al Gore the next, we’re poised to continue the “free and open inquiry” that Essig, Kissinger, and Samels all seek to defend. Let’s not taint that freedom over an awkward Tiananmen discussion.

Patrick Reilly is a first-year in the College majoring in history.

ARTS

Heartlandia MAY 23, 2014

Making a memorable Memorial Day weekend in Chicago Tori Borengässer & Angela Qian Associate Arts Editors You’re now finally feeling the sweet release of the end of eighth week, which means, at last, the end of midterms! But with that also comes the descent into ninth week and the last push before finals. Before you relegate yourself to the Reg, eschewing normal eating and sleeping habits as well as personal hygiene, take one last moment to relish in the warm weather this Memorial Day weekend. There’s plenty to do, and we’ve got you covered.

The Wind Rises at the Gene Siskel Film Center 164 North State Street It’s the end of an era: Studio Ghibli’s famed director and animator Hayao Miyazaki (creator of films such as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away) has announced that The Wind Rises will be the final film before his retirement.

It is a fictionalized biography of Jiro Horikoshi, designer of the Mitsubishi A5M and A6M Zero aircrafts that were used by the Empire of Japan during World War II. Joseph Gordon-Levitt lends his voice to the English dub as Jiro, but the film also features voices

by Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Martin Short, Werner Herzog, William H. Macy, Mandy Patinkin, Stanley Tucci, and Elijah Wood. Luckily,

there are a number of times you can catch the film this Memorial Day weekend at the Gene Siskel Film Center downtown. It’s screening on Friday, May 23, at 7:45 p.m.; Saturday, May 24, at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, May 25, at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Monday, May 26, at 3:15 p.m.

Randolph Street Market at Beaux Arts Plumber’s Hall 1340 West Washington Street randolphstreetmarket.com It’s better than a Nordstrom’s—the Randolph Street Market collects antiques, two fashion bazaars, a mecca of records and LPs, a panoply of ethnic crafts, and a “fancy food” market over eight acres of shopping heaven. Located in the West Loop, this historic monthly market (which has been called the Barneys of vintage and is more party than market) will host over 200 vendors in a sprawling indoor-outdoor complex, and will be open over Memorial Day weekend just in time for you to check out some furniture or quirky housewares, rack up some daddy points with an early and sure-to-be unique Father’s Day gift, or snag some skin-baring clothes for those warm summer nights and outdoor barbecues at the Point. Even if you’re not in the mood for shopping, the Randolph Street Market is also the place to people-

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watch, see, and be seen. You can also get mimosas at the bazaar. Did we mention that students get in for just $3?

The Randolph Street Market will be open Saturday, May 24, and Sunday, May 25, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Chicago Memorial Day Parade State Street from Lake Street to Van Buren Street Respect. Honor. Remember. May the plethora of shopping sales and warm-weather celebrations this weekend not distract you from the original

intent of Memorial Day: honoring the sacrifice and service of those in the U.S. Armed Forces. The Chicago Memorial Day Parade, an annual institution since 1870 and one of the largest such parades in the nation, takes place this Saturday, starting with a wreathlaying ceremony at 11 a.m. at Chicago’s Eternal Flame monument in Daley Plaza.

The parade proper begins at noon, going from Lake Street south to Van Buren Street, with Illinois’ eighth-district Congresswoman and Iraqi veteran Lieutenant Colonel Tammy Duckworth serving

as the parade’s grand marshal.

Talib Kweli at Metro Chicago 3730 North Clark Street You may know him from Black Star where he duos with Mos Def, or you might remember him from his verse on Kanye West’s “Get ’Em High” on The College Dropout. Either way, this Sunday is your chance to see Talib Kweli live and unfiltered, and it’s not to be missed. Even Hova himself name-drops him, citing Kweli’s keen ability on the track “Moment of

Clarity” from The Black Album: “If skills sold,/ truth be told,/ I’d probably be/ lyrically/ Talib Kweli.” (Fun fact: His first name, Talib, means “student” or “seeker” in Arabic, and his middle name in Swahili means “true.” …A true student? It doesn’t get more UChicago than that.) Kweli will be performing with a live band, and Substance and The Ol’ Days will be the opening performers. If you’re 18 and older, tickets are still available—$25 for general admission and $35 for a VIP spot.

Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show begins at 9 p.m.

MacFarlane takes a shot at the Western genre My big fat Greektown tour Andrew McVea Arts Staff

In 1974, Mel Brooks’s film Blazing Saddles was released, becoming an instant classic of both the comedy and Western genres. Its unconventional humor, inventive story line, and incorporation of contemporary issues in a historical setting have placed it toward the top of the American Film Institute (AFI)’s list of best comedies, and it has been preserved by the Library of Congress for historical significance. A Million Ways to Die in the West, Seth MacFarlane’s new comedy Western, is not Blazing Saddles.

A Million Ways to Die in the West follows the trials of Albert (MacFarlane), a dorky sheep farmer who has just been dumped by his beautiful but rather shallow girlfriend Louise (Amanda Seyfried). As he contemplates leaving the West and its million ways of dying, the area’s most dangerous outlaw (Liam Neeson) and his wife Anna (Charlize Theron) come to town. When Albert saves Anna’s life during a bar fight, they bond over their mutual hatred of living on the frontier. Anna agrees to help Albert win Louise back. If this synopsis seems a little bland, it’s because this isn’t the sort of movie you go see for the plot. Outside of the jokes and physical comedy, the actual story line and dialogue were so painfully cliché that I couldn’t help but wince.

MacFarlane, who wrote, directed, and stars in the film, is known for his wacky, often politically-incorrect jokes that will either leave you laughing out loud or cringing. A Million Ways to Die in the West sticks by this formula for the most part, and although there are none of the cutaways he relies on in his television show Family Guy, the pop culture references abound and there are plenty of poop and fart jokes. The best scene in the film, though, comes when MacFarlane breaks away from his typical brand of comedy and pokes fun at the weird practices of the 19th century and life on the frontier. The highlight of the movie, for me at least, is a sequence in which the main character is on an old-timey bicycle (the kind with a gigantic wheel in front) as he loses control going down a large hill. Comedy gold.

Meanwhile, a 10-minute sequence of a character shitting into various people’s hats was not, but then again, it did receive the most laughs in the theater.

This was only MacFarlane’s second time acting in a live-action film; his first was as a supporting actor in the children’s movie Tooth Fairy featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and unfortunately MacFarlane isn’t a good-enough actor to carry a film on his own. A vast majority of the film consists of him complaining about how the American West is awful, and while some of his jokes about the medical prac-

tices and other ways to die in the West can be quite funny, he ultimately comes off as whiny and annoying. The other main actors, Theron and Neeson, also leave something to be desired. You can only do so much with awkward dialogue, but they both look especially stiff, and there is very little chemistry between MacFarlane and Theron. Although the main actors look and act like cardboard cutouts, the negative impact of their wooden performances is cushioned by a stellar supporting cast.

Sarah Silverman and Neil Patrick Harris are a lot of fun as a prostitute and Albert’s mustachioed romantic rival respectively, but both have to work with material that seems a little beneath them and despite great comedic performances, neither was able to carry the movie.

A Million Ways to Die in the West is a diverting two hours, but the jokes and the story aren’t memorable enough to really draw you in or be worth revisiting later.

Perhaps the main problem with the movie is not that it’s cliché (which it certainly is), but that it suffers from a crisis identity: It’s too over-the-top silly to function as a Western, but it takes itself too seriously for a comedy (and, besides, it’s not very funny). There are far better Westerns, comedies, and even comedy-Westerns that you could watch, and a million better ways to spend your time than watching A Million Ways to Die in the West.

Robert Sorrell Associate Arts Editor Just on the other side of Interstate 94, in the shadow of Willis Tower, is a small, fiveblock area known simply as Greektown. This hood backs up its appearance in the 2002 comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding with a culinary wallop that could outshine a small city. Dive into this tucked-away enclave to convalesce from a night of keg stands and dubstep, free of H&M stores and that guy who was in your Hum class. But be careful on the way there: Blink and you’ll miss it.

Start Things off Right: Pan Hellenic Pastry Shop 322 South Halsted Street Though the swanky Meli Café and Juice Bar on Halsted may seem like the perfect place to nurse your hangover and fill your bloated stomach with egg product, the best light breakfast or lunch in Greektown lies across the street in the Pan Hellenic Pastry Shop. The bakery serves up a wide variety of pastries in all shapes and sizes, along with GREEKTOWN continued on page 8

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"There are few better places in Chicago to end the day than the sprawling Greek Islands restaurant" GREEKTOWN continued fron page 7

a welcoming atmosphere and a steady stream of Greek pop music. You can’t go wrong with its bougatsa, a milk custard wrapped in phyllo, covered in powdered sugar and cinnamon, and served warm; and its Greek coffee—like a cross between Turkish coffee and espresso—is dark, rich, and muddy, with a hint of chocolate and sugar. Or, exactly what coffee should be. If you’re hankering for something savory, the spanakopita served with homemade Greek yogurt makes a great light breakfast or lunch, and only sets you back $3.95 per hulking slice. Still not convinced? This Greektown establishment (first opened in 1974) has a laid-back, homey vibe that can’t be beat anywhere outside of your own kitchen. The staff members chat in Greek and English with customers and old friends alike, and thanked us on the way out for sticking around and “hanging out” instead of grabbing our pastries and running.

Best place to spend a lazy afternoon: National Hellenic Museum 333 South Halsted Street Placed at the intersection of Interstates 94 and 290 at the southernmost end of Greektown, this beautiful modern museum is just minutes from the downtown bustle. The $8 student ticket will allow you entry into the rotating exhibitions, museum library, and

rooftop terrace, but the architecture itself is worth the ticket price. The interior of the museum is a sparse glass, steel, and whitewalled haven that feels miles away from the choked freeways a stone’s throw from the entrance. An exhibit on Greek street art is set to open this soon, and the museum offers free entry on March 29 and 30 in honor of Greek Independence Day. Quirky Finds: Athenian Candle Co. 300 South Halsted Street The shops on Halsted in Greektown are a far cry from the crowded mega stores and tourist traps a few blocks east on Michigan Avenue.

Wander into Athenian Candle Co. on the corner of Jackson and Halsted, and you’ll instantly see what I mean: The shop is crowded with a mishmash of mystical mementos, horoscopes, oils, and, of course, candles. To top it off, idols and religious icons, ranging from the Virgin Mary to large statues of the Buddha (competitively priced between $80–$100), fill the spaces in between. The store places an emphasis on products with bizarre side effects, including but not limited to the banishment of enemies, bad luck, and jinxes, and also stocks various substances that promise aphrodisiac qualities.

In addition to candles, oils, and herbs, the shop boasts an impressive number of dream dictionaries, astrology guides, almanacs, and horoscopes. This Greektown leg-

Holy smokes! This congenial gentleman serves up a slice of flaming saganaki cheese with a wedge of refreshing lemon at the famous Greek Islands restaurant.

COURTESY OF YELP

end, first opened by the Godelas family in 1922, is the perfect place to get your hippy fix or spend a pleasant hour or so browsing. Either way you leave smiling and smelling of patchouli.

Perfect Dinner for Two or 20: Greek Islands 200 South Halsted Street There are few better places in Chicago, let alone Greektown, to end the day than the sprawling

Greek Islands restaurant on Halsted and Adams. The restaurant, which claims to be the most popular Greek restaurant in America, is almost always packed, but given its complex maze of dining rooms and nooks, you’re likely to get a table even if you show up with five friends and no reservation on a Saturday evening (as I did this weekend). Despite the crowds, this joint is no sellout: It serves up amazing appetizers, seafood, and authentic Greek dishes in

the bustling yet intimate dining rooms to strains of bouzouki music. The mood lighting and real fireplace don’t hurt either. Not to miss are the Mediterranean baby octopus, flaming saganaki cheese, and, well, everything else on the menu. A final plus? Almost all the entrées on the menu are under $20, and you can easily make a meal of the substantial small plates. Meaning you can get out around $15 and nosh on delicacies drenched in olive oil.

THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | May 23, 2014

9

Vacant buildings to art spaces: Univ. project awarded $3.5 million Marta Bakula maroon Contributor On May 8, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation awarded $3.5 million in support of The Place Project, a University of Chicago Arts and Public Life initiative that seeks to revitalize communities through the arts.

Building on the work of Theaster Gates, an artist and the director of Arts and Public Life at the University of Chicago, the Place Project will seek to reinvent interiors of abandoned buildings in urban communities as spaces for art and cultural programs for residents of these neighborhoods. The project’s goals revolve around stimulating these residents into making positive changes in their communities, while also catalyzing local economic growth and investment.

Gates expressed hope that the

grant from the Knight Foundation, an organization that seeks to support transformational ideas that engage communities, will result in positive effects in underinvested neighborhoods. “This grant isn’t about using the arts as a BandAid. It’s about investing in culture alongside additional important investments including schools, housing, health, etc. It is a belief that the quality of life should be high for all people, no matter their economic circumstance,” he said.

Gates is the founder and chairman of the Rebuild Foundation, a national non-profit organization that seeks to strengthen neighborhoods through community-driven programs. Through the Rebuild Foundation, Gates and other Foundation staff members have already successfully brought together various artists, designers, and urban planners in cities such as Chicago,

Omaha, and St. Louis and revived more than a dozen vacant and neglected buildings. These projects have created new residential and commercial spaces, and serve as models for the Place Project’s future expansion across the country.

On the South Side, the Foundation has already helped to rehabilitate buildings such as the Black Cinema House in the South Shore neighborhood, in which the Foundation holds screenings and discussions of underrated works by black filmmakers and also hosts video classes and workshops. Additionally, they have created the Dorchester Artist Housing Collaborative, which has transformed an unused housing project into a mix of artist housing and community gathering spaces for creation and performance of the arts.

The grant will also be used to help support the creation of the

Place Lab in a second floor office space, adjacent to the Arts Incubator in Washington Park. The lab will serve as a space to collaborate about creative strategies regarding neighborhood development through the arts on the South Side and across other Midwestern cities. Renovation of the Lab is set to begin this month and conclude in November.

“The Place Project was born out of a larger need to understand the possibility of cultural growth in Washington Park,” Gates's said.

“Artists throughout the South Side struggle with a lack of space opportunities for the performance, display, and continued practice of art.

In addition, there are few cultural amenities available at large on the South Side that support the work of individual artists, creative entrepreneurs, and the community. The Place Lab provides an opportunity

to work with community partners, the Arts Incubator in Washington Park, the DuSable [Museum of African American History], and other community organizations to strategize and create even more opportunity.”

Carol Coletta, vice president of Community and National Initiatives at the Knight Foundation, praised Gates’ work and expressed optimism for the project.

“Theaster’s work on the South Side of Chicago has created neighborhoods that attract talent, bring people of different backgrounds together, and foster spaces where ideas are exchanged,” she said in a statement. “It is a model that we want to scale, as a remarkable example of how smart and even modest interventions that lead with community engagement can spark new interest in disinvested neighborhoods.”

Fear and loathing in the trailer for Last Vegas, on YouTube Dan Brier maroon Contributor Just now, I watched the trailer for Last Vegas, an uproarious comedy released in 2013 featuring four veritable Hollywood legends: Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas, and Kevin Kline. The respected work of each actor indubitably bled into the trailer for Last Vegas, such that one wonders whether or not they were tricked into making this film, and one becomes very sad about the idea of being an actor.

The foursome of aging actors unites for a two minute and 52 second preview that will leave you wondering what the full movie is like and ultimately questioning the meaning of life itself.

The action seems to precipitate from the announcement that Billy, portrayed by Michael Douglas, is getting married to a woman half his age (he clarifies that she is 32, putting Billy at 64). In order to properly celebrate the May–December nuptials, the quartet of raucous gentlemen decide to travel to Las Vegas for a no-holds-barred bachelor party.

Now, the obvious joke here

is that bachelor parties, in all their debauched excess and lascivious wayfaring, are the occupation of young men. As you’ll infer from the previous paragraph, however, the four stars of this film are old. This ingenious take of the “frat pack” genre (think of modern hits like The Hangover, The Hangover II, and The Hangover III) strikes comedic gold by constantly reminding the audience that its characters are old and dying.

The laugh riot begins from the first minute of this three-minute joyride, when Morgan Freeman’s character (who goes unnamed in this preview) expresses some skepticism about his ability to let loose in Las Vegas. Freeman nervously states that he “can’t smoke, drink, eat salt, or stay out past nine,” and that Billy’s bride-to-be is younger than a certain hemorrhoid he possesses.

The laughs don’t stop there, however, as the movie continues to pit these geriatric stars against the ever-changing world in which they live. In one memorable snippet of this preview, a flustered hotel employee attempts to explain that a suite is being rented by rapper 50 Cent, to the abso-

lute consternation of our four lovable heroes. Morgan Freeman thinks that 50 guests will be staying in the room, while Kevin Kline mistakenly identifies 50 Cent as a member of the Jackson 5.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this trailer for a movie, however, is the infusion of the past with the present. The crew repeatedly professes to “party like it’s 1959,” and moments of genuine friendship and/or fighting evoke echoes of the distant past, in which the fearsome foursome used to beat people up at bars and kiss lots of young women. The preview leaves this blurring of time unresolved to the viewer, but suggests that the cad-like behavior of these elderly men is reawakening their longdormant capacity for fun and friendship.

The trailer for Last Vegas redefines the coming-of-age tale as we know it: These men lived life, learned what lessons it had to offer, and then chose to pursue a weekend of sodden sorrows in Las Vegas. The final shot of the trailer shows Kline and Freeman complaining about their headache and lamenting that “everything is spinning,” only to have the

camera pan out and reveal that the men are on a rotating bed. This last shot is surely demonstrative of the film’s ultimate message: that life is a terrible joke, and that even old age offers no real escape from the doubt and self-absorption that haunt our lives.

Unable to find fulfillment in family, work, or faith, this fearless bunch of pranksters is left to spin madly onwards in

an unseeing, unfeeling world.

Rather than “coming of age,” then, this trailer portrays the “coming of aged men,” as in “A three-minute preview about the coming of aged men to Las Vegas.”

Or at least I think that’s what it means. The utterly baffling title of Last Vegas continues to confuse me, despite my noblest attempts to understand it. Is it the last

time that the group will go to Last Vegas? Or is it something less horribly obvious and sad?

There is just no way to know.

This is a complicated trailer with complicated characters, some of whom never receive a name.

Of one thing, however, we can be certain: The trailer for Last Vegas is on YouTube, and it is two minutes and 52 seconds long.

MAROON Crossword

By Kyle Dolan

Difficulty:

Across 1. Mythical beast 6. Disney villain 9. Part of ROYGBIV 14. Best actor nominee (1971) for Fiddler On The Roof 15. “Don’t Bring Me Down” grp.

16. “El Capitan” composer 17. Ribbon holder 18. Mark, as a paper ballot 19. Like noble gases 20. Electronica star of the 1990s–2000s 22. Computer that once came in many colors 24. Mackerel cousin

27. What Richard III offered “my kingdom” for 31. Door-to-door sales company 32. Chance’s counterpart, in games 36. Bellyache 37. 1987 Costner role 38. Cargo route, say 39. Settled up 40. Acid ___ 41. “My kind of town,” per Frank Sinatra 42. 1952 Olympics host 43. Sheltered, nautically 44. Belgian painter James 46. The clink 47. Odds and

1

2

3

ends: Abbr.

48. 63-Down, e.g.

49. Door sign 50. Irish ___ 52. Break out 54. Casablanca role 56. Z ___ zebra 57. Famed London hotel, with “the” 60. Conan’s network 62. Market place 66. Jesse who gained fame at the 1936 Olympics 67. Fry relative 68. New worker 69. Takeout cuisine 70. Healthful berry 71. Type of cheese

4

5 Down 1. Tickets 2. Swab’s implement 3. Doping stuff, for short 4. RA duties, perhaps 5. Divvy up 6. Alluring 7. Western state, for short 8. Rice-a-___ 9. Thomas of the NBA 10. Mad 11. Word before a compass point 12. Neighbor of Leb. 13. Birria base 21. Anjou alternative 23. Lincoln Memorial site, with “the” 24. Small roosters 25. Cover 26. Least respectful, maybe 28. Chicken

dinner 29. Main event?

30. Back 33. “Show me the money!”

34. If 35. Sight from Venice 44. They hold rings 45. Hwys., e.g.

51. Family Ties mom 53. Mikhail, to friends 55. “___ boy!”

56. Italian wine region 57. Olympics site between London and Rio 58. Grass part 59. Flying geese formation 61. Florida city, informally 63. Entourage character 64. Grazing area 65. Brick maker

Answers from last Friday’s puzzle

THE CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | May 23, 2014

10

“The real beauty of the game...is in what leads up to the goal” BEST continued from page 12

ning is all-important. But the school of thought that insists the opposite—that winning in ugly fashion, when it really comes down to it, removes everything from the game that makes it worth playing in the first place—has always boasted more students. All of this is really just to make the same, simple point: Winning, in soccer, is not enough. It has never been enough. Soccer, more than anything, is a game about how you win. And that’s why it’s the best sport.

To illustrate this point, consider the two best players in the world right now: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. On one hand, you have Ronaldo, one of the most brutally effective and efficient players I have ever seen. His combination of speed and power is, as has become very clear over the last few years, essentially unstoppable. Everything about him oozes whatever that special stuff is that the genuinely elite athletes seem to ooze. There are times when watching Ronaldo is like watching a grown man stroll onto the pitch of a local under-11s game and take it too seriously. It is remarkably easy to forget, in those moments, that the players he appears to be jogging past are themselves professional athletes at the very top of their respective games.

And then, on the other

hand, there is Lionel Messi.

He is 5 foot 7 and 148 pounds, was diagnosed at the age of 11 with a growth hormone deficiency, and seems constantly to be wearing the expression of a man who wishes you were looking at someone else. And yet, somehow, he is one of the two best players in the world (I think he is the best, and by some distance, but that’s a debate for another day) and one of the best of all time. When Messi is at his best, it’s like he’s the only player on the pitch that’s moving. Everyone else just stands, confused into stillness, sort of thinking about running, but more concerned with trying to figure out whatever it is that Messi figured out five seconds earlier. And then he’s gone.

The comparison between Messi and Ronaldo is interesting because (despite them being almost identical, statistically speaking) Messi (if this is a generalization, it is only a very small one) is a much more popular player than Ronaldo.

Granted, some of the reasons for this have little to do with soccer (e.g., Ronaldo is arrogant, too selfish, etc.), but the main reason, I submit, is much more fundamental. Messi is more popular than Ronaldo because he shows us ways to play the game we had never even thought were possible.

He is living proof that soccer

is as much about how you play as it is about whether or not you win—which is why people watch it and why it is fun to play. For all of Ronaldo’s brilliance (and there is plenty of it), there is a sense that those who prefer watching him to Messi are missing the point.

Ronaldo, due to his exceptional physical gifts (and an even more exceptional commitment to honing those gifts), is most effective when he is able to reduce the game to a merely athletic contest. Messi, in contrast, is most effective when he is able to expand the game, to play it in such a way that his opponent hasn’t even thought about.

If Ronaldo makes us wonder where the limit to our potential lies, then Messi makes us realize that to talk about limits at all is just to ignore a whole other realm of possibility.

There is an analogy to be made here to tennis and to the comparison between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (or, for that matter, any other successful power baseliner of the last decade). Nadal leads his headto-head with Federer 23–10.

Federer has won more majors than Nadal, but fewer since Nadal won his first, and has never beaten Nadal in a five-set match on his best surface, clay.

Why, then, is Federer considered by so many to be the better player? The answer, I think, is almost completely aesthetic.

Simply put, Federer plays the game the way we all want to watch it played. If you ignore all the stats and the head-toheads, it really comes down to this: No one wins (has ever won, possibly never will win) a first-round match—at any tournament, on any surface— against an unseeded qualifier, in straight sets, with quite the same beauty and elegance as Roger Federer. To watch Federer at his best is to simply forget that there’s a debate to be had at all. Everything beyond the court he’s playing on just fades away. It must be admitted that there are moments in which Nadal induces a similar response, but they are much less frequent. There is something about the way he approaches the game, all power and bulging biceps, that just doesn’t lend itself to transcendence the way Federer’s approach does. It is as if he (just like Ronaldo) wants to beat the sport into submission with the sheer power of his athleticism. But that is, as Federer (and Messi) seems to have realized, to do a disservice to the sport. This much, I think, is right. However, what the analogy fails to capture is the extent of the difference between Messi and Ronaldo.

Earlier, I said that there was a comparison to be made between Federer and Nadal or any other power baseliner of the last decade. But Federer is

also a power baseliner, just a particularly elegant one. His game has more variation than Nadal’s, but the fact remains that Federer has won all 17 of his majors on the strength of his ground strokes. And, just like Nadal, his best shot is his forehand. Federer and Nadal may appear, at times, to have completely contrasting styles, but their styles are really just variations on the same theme.

However, I want to suggest that Messi is playing a completely different tune than Ronaldo.

He’s doing things Ronaldo doesn’t even try, has no need to try, and, in some cases, has probably never even thought of. And, in a sport in which goals are so hard to come by, this variation is essential.

As is often the case with these things, The Simpsons made the point best. There is an episode from the show’s ’90s heyday in which Springfield hosts a soccer match between Mexico and Portugal.

The game kicks off to rapturous cheers from the crowd, but the cheers quickly die down (and then completely out) as three of Mexico’s players pass the ball slowly between them, seemingly with no intention to attack. Kent Brockman, disinterested, bored, calls the game: “Halfback passes to the center…back to the wing…back to the center. Center holds it… holds it…holds it.” Cut to the

Hispanic announcer in the booth next door, reporting the same events, but on the edge of his seat, screaming into his microphone, barely able to contain his excitement: “Halfback passes to center. Back to wing.

Back to center. Center holds it, holds it, HOLDS IT.” At that point, the crowd starts a riot, but the point has already been made. In less than a minute, the scene captures everything about the way soccer is understood and misunderstood.

It’s not that the game is boring; it’s that to understand the game, to enjoy it, is to appreciate those parts of it in which it appears, to the uninitiated, like nothing is happening. Soccer is so amazing because it has developed in such a way that the act of scoring has come to be viewed only as a bonus. The real beauty of the game—and this is what Messi embodies in a way Ronaldo’s reductionist style cannot—is in what leads up to the goal, in aspiring to what is possible in the lead-up to a goal, and in making us (if only because of how hard it is to score) understand that the entire game exists in that space of possibility. As I said, winning in soccer, as it is in all sports, remains the ultimate vindication. But in soccer, unlike any other sport, winning is only vindication. It is what is being vindicated that really matters.

GET IN THE GAME.

WRITE FOR SPORTS. editor@chicagomaroon.com

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THE CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | May 23, 2014

11

Third baseman leaves her mark on team and school records Senior Spotlight

Fourth-year Maddie McManus at bat in a game against North Park earlier this season.

COURTESY OF UCHICAGO ATHLETICS

Charlotte Franklin Sports Staff Over her past four years at UChicago, fourth-year Maddie McManus has had plenty to be proud of in both her academic and athletic pursuits.

On the field, the third baseman has garnered an impressive collection of accolades, including a second consecutive selection to Third Team All–Great Lakes Region by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and a

selection to the All–UAA Second Team. McManus led the team with a .375 batting average and 21 RBI this season. She only struck out five times in 112 at-bats.

In her four years as a Maroon, McManus has been a steady and strong presence on the field. Her athletic career will go down in school history, as she’s No. 6 in the record books in games played (138), No. 7 in RBI (64) and in doubles (25), and No. 8 in hits (127).

McManus’s presence certainly had an impact on the team, on and off the field.

“I’ll definitely miss Maddie’s solid presence,” said second-year pitcher Jordan Poole. “Maddie is not only an incredibly clutch player, but she is also an amazing friend that you can always rely on for advice, or a really great sarcastic comment. There will definitely be a large void without her next year.”

Off the field, McManus serves as vice president of the Women’s Athletic Association and is a member of the Delta Gamma sorority.

Despite all her individually earned achievements, McManus’s proudest accomplishment was the team’s NCAA regional tournament qualifications during her second

and fourth year. She beamed as she recalled her favorite memory of being together as a group when the list of qualifying teams was announced.

The city of Chicago and her family that lives here were what initially drew McManus to the University. She took trips to Chicago as a child and grew up loving it.

Upon taking her recruiting trip, she met the softball team and knew UChicago was the niche she yearned for.

“A lot of schools I had looked at seemed to prioritize sports. The University of Chicago’s main emphasis on ‘student’ in ‘student-athlete’ also helped make my decision simpler,” McManus said.

The Simsbury, CT, native will graduate in several weeks with a degree in comparative human development. Though she will miss her family and teammates in Chicago, she looks forward to a hopeful future—one still filled with

softball. After graduation, she plans to join an AmeriCorps program outside of Boston, where she will tutor and coach teens in the sport.

As McManus leaves UChicago, she imparts some valuable advice to the younger students.

“Take advantage of everything the school has to offer, make sure you have fun, and enjoy all the amazing people you will meet here.”

In the Chatter’s Box with Sarah Langs

Krishna Ravella is a fourth-year tennis player from Hinsdale, IL. We chatted with him to get some insider info on the life of a Maroon athlete. not to think about school and classes and all of that, especially being here. But I’ve definitely gotten better at closing everything out when I’m on the court. It’s different being in college, because you’re not just playing for yourself. When you’re growing up, playing tennis tournaments and in high school and around the country, that’s a different field because you’re only playing for yourself. And then eventually coming to college, being around your teammates and coaches, you’re playing for something together. So when I’m on the court, I’m really thinking of helping my team.

COURTESY OF UCHICAGO ATHLETICS

Chicago Maroon: When did you start playing tennis?

Krishna Ravella: I started playing tennis when I was eight years old. Both of my sisters played tennis growing up, so that’s kind of how I got into it. And I played some other sports growing up, but then I ended up sticking with tennis and continued that through college.

CM: What other sports did you play?

KR: I played soccer, football, and I ran track.

I stopped all of those in middle school, and then going into high school, tennis was the only sport that I played.

CM: How did you choose to focus on tennis?

KR: I basically just went with the sport that I liked the most. Tennis was basically that sport all throughout. I liked playing the other sports as well, but I knew that moving forward I wanted to stay focused on one. It was the sport that I was good at and wanted to play that sport in college, and tennis ended up being that one.

CM: When did you know you’d be able to play in college?

KR: Probably when I was starting high school. I was playing a lot of tournaments around the country, practicing pretty much 20–30 hours a week. I knew that I wanted to use tennis to get into a school that was good academically because I didn’t have any realistic expectations to go pro or anything like that, obviously, but I definitely wanted to come to a school where I could play tennis.

That was one of the main factors in my decision.

CM: What’s on your mind when you’re on the court, competing?

KR: You know, it was definitely hard at first

CM: You’re a fourth-year, just a few weeks from graduating. Are you going to keep playing tennis when you graduate— competitively, not competitively?

KR: I think I’m definitely going to take a few months off, because I’ve pretty much played it consistently since I was little. I think in the future, I’m going to play recreationally but not super competitively or anything like that, just with friends here and there.

CM: You’re attending medical school at Georgetown in the fall. I’ve heard people make connections between an athlete’s mindset and a doctor’s. Do you see any connection or similarity in the mentality?

KR: I think that above all, tennis has really helped me kind of maintain a balance in my life. And moving forward with my career, I want to be a doctor, obviously, but I think that part of being a doctor is not putting all of your eggs in one basket, and maintaining a balanced lifestyle with family, friends, and doing other extracurricular activities while you’re taking care of patients and people. And tennis has definitely helped me realize that you can focus pretty heavily on more than one thing, because it has been a big part of my life in college. But definitely, tennis has helped me bring that competitive drive to classes and stuff like that as well, because it’s hard to do well in classes here unless you’re motivated and work hard.

CM: Do you follow professional tennis?

KR: A little bit, I do.

CM: Who’s your favorite player?

KR: I think my favorite would be [Novak] Djokovic. I like his game a lot. He’s smooth on the court, and his personality—he knows how to carry himself well.

CM: So do you have a prediction for the French Open?

KR: I’m going to take him to win the French.

I know [Rafael] Nadal is always favored, but I like his chances this year, so I’m going to go with Djokovic.

IN QUOTES

SPORTS

“Hey @LAKings—we heard Coach Sutter talking about ‘Star Trek’ yesterday. Who’s your favorite captiain—Kirk, Picard, or Toews?”

–Chicago Blackhawks team twitter account engages in playful banter with the L.A. Kings twitter

Bennett, Dobbs, Hickey march to Nationals in search of hardware Track & Field Zachary Themer Sports Staff

Second-year Michael Bennett competes in the Chicagoland Championships earlier this season.

COURTESY OF ROGER KLEIN

With a plethora of personal competitions, achievements, and records on their mantels from throughout the year, three Maroons have headed to Ohio Wesleyan University to compete in the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championship against the best talent from across the nation.

The first of those three Maroons, second-year Michael Bennett, is a familiar face on the national level. Last year, Bennett qualified for the national championships in the pole vault, a season that was noted by school records in the event, as well as a UAA Championship. This season, Bennett has added not only another conference title but also the national indoor title in the pole vault.

Bennett’s event was one of the first to wrap up action on the weekend as the event took place in its entirety yesterday.

In a momentous and incredible display of talent, Bennett took home second place in the pole vault after being seeded fifth in

the event. Even more remarkably, Bennett shattered the previous school record in the pole vault, one he set earlier this year with a 4.90m performance and a new school record of 5.10m.

While this mark was just short, .05 meters to be exact, of a national title, Bennett displayed much of the same technique, form, and drive that carried him to the greatest of heights this season.

“Personally I have been very slow and methodical, yet consistent, in my progression throughout the year. I have had to make some technical adjustments that take time to get used to,” Bennett said.

One of the other two South Siders making the trek to Ohio this weekend is the ever-speedy first-year Michelle Dobbs. In possession of a UAA Championship in the 800-meter run in both outdoor and indoor competition, a UAA Rookie of the Year award, and All-American status, Dobbs entered this weekend with her sights set on a national title. For Dobbs, that quest is on hold until later tonight when the prelims in the

800-meter run, in which she has qualified as the fifth seed with a time of 2:10.45, take place. Prelims will be at 8 p.m., which will be followed by the finals on Saturday afternoon.

“Now that we’re on to the Nationals part of the season, there’s still definitely work to be done,” Dobbs said.

Joining Bennett and Dobbs this weekend will be the last of Maroon national qualifiers, second-year Brianna Hickey. Like her two teammates, Hickey has the achievements of All-American status and UAA Champion as notches on her belt, but there is still a bigger prize to be had.

Hickey entered this weekend as the sixth seed in the 1500-meter run with a time of 4:32.43. Unfortunately, in an excruciatingly close finish, Hickey missed out on the Saturday final for the 800-meter as she finished 13th in the prelims with a time of 4:37.85 yesterday, one spot and half a second shy of the finals.

Live coverage of this weekend’s events, notably those of Dobbs, can be found at ncaa. org, where competition results will be posted.

In Claremont, three Maroons struggle on highest stage Tennis Helen Petersen Maroon Contributor Three Maroons began the day competing at the NCAA Division III National Championship in Claremont, CA. Third-year Deepak Sabada kicked off the day for Chicago, competing against second-year David Konstantinov of Whittier. Sabada is the lone representative from Chicago competing at the men’s national tournament. Konstantinov came out strong with a first-set victory over Sabada, 6–3. Sabada fought back, and the second match went into a tiebreaker.

Sabada dominated the tiebreaker 7–0, sending the match into a third set. The third set went to Konstantinov, however, as Sabada could not pull out the win.

Third-year Megan Tang, representing Chicago in the singles competition, lost a three-set battle to first-year Amanda Austi of Johns Hopkins. Austi edged Tang in the first set, winning 6–4. Tang bounced back with a 6–4 victory in the sec-

ond. However, the third set proved to be too much for Tang, and Austi took the first round of the tournament with a 6–1 third-set win, knocking Tang out.

“My singles match was really close in the first two sets,” Tang said. “I did have multiple game points to get ahead in the first set but wasn’t able to convert. In the second set, I came back from a 0–2 deficit to 3–2, which definitely gave me confidence in terms of closing out the second set. Unfortunately, in the third set, Amanda stopped making errors and started stepping in to more balls while I backed off a little. She was more aggressive, and that paid off.”

The last match of the day for the Maroons was doubles team Tang and first-year Tiffany Chen. The two are one of 16 teams appearing at Nationals. The duo competed against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS)’s first-year Katie Kuosman and second-year Caroline Ward. CMS swept the first set 6–0. The Maroons put up a stronger fight in the second set, but it proved to not be enough, as they fell 6–4.

“It was a tough match,” Chen said.

“We tried a lot of different strategies, but they were very smart players and knew where to place their shots, especially when serving.”

These losses mark the end of the season for Chicago’s tennis players. “[I] feel like this season had a lot of close, tough matches,” Tang said.

“They were against a majority of top15 teams, which kept me on my toes the whole time.”

An aggressive postseason run as well as a strong regular-season showing has made this a successful year for Chicago. The women’s team will not be graduating any players, so

each of these athletes will return to the courts for the Maroons next season, led by Tang.

“I’m looking forward to next year and hopefully getting back into the top 10 with the team, as well as improving my singles and doubles,” Tang said.

Third-year Megan Tang leans in for the return in the NCAA regional finals in a past season.

COURTESY OF DAVE HILBERT

Taking a shot on goal: Why soccer is the best sport Jake Walerius Sports Editor There’s nothing the average sports fan enjoys more than arguing, and no argument is more enjoyable than the one that can’t be settled. So, this quarter the sports section is

asking the ultimate unanswerable question: which sport is the best? Over the past and next few weeks, Maroon editors will make the case for their favorite sports. Fourth up, soccer.

No sport celebrates failure quite like soccer. Take a

look at any list of the all-time great teams, and among the trophy winners you will find (to name only the two most famous examples) the Dutch team of the 1970s, runners-up in back-to-back World Cups, and Brazil’s 1982 World Cup side that failed even to make

it to the knockout stages of the tournament. These teams are not celebrated because, as some in this country have suggested, those who play soccer lack the proper winning mentality. These teams are celebrated because soccer is just as much about how you

play as it is about whether you win or lose. And those two sides played the game as well as any team that ever won a trophy. Of course, winning is important, and there are schools of thought within the game which insist that winBEST continued on page 10