FRIDAY • OCTOBER 25, 2013
CHICAGOMAROON.COM
ISSUE 7 • VOLUME 125
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892
Education Secretary defends Common Core standards Andrew Fry Maroon Contributor United States Secretar y of Education and Hyde Park native Arne Duncan explained the Common Core State Standards Initiative in a panel discussion held Thursday afternoon at International House. Duncan was joined by Frederick Hess, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, who arg ued ag ainst the standards. G enera lly referre d to as the Common Core, the initiative, desig ne d by the Nationa l G overnors Association and the Council of Chief State S chool Officers, sets fixe d e ducationa l standards for K-12 students and teachers. The g oa l : to ensure that American students are prepare d to either attend colleg e or enter the workforce by the time the y complete hig h school. S o far, 45 states have chosen to adopt the Common Core.
According to Duncan, the system that preceded the Common Core has failed to set sufficient standards to adequately prepare students for their adult lives. “Far too many [students] who actually graduate from hig h school have to take remedial classes because they are not ready,” he said. “ They worked hard, but the expectations just simply haven’t been there.” Thoug h the federal g overnment has been involved in creating the Common Core standards, the task of meeting these standards will be left to local officials. “ That’s curriculum, and that’s something that we should never touch at the federal level. That’s something that’s always best to determine at the local level,” Duncan said. “[Communities] know the needs of their kids.” Althoug h he supports the new COMMON CORE continued on page 2
Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute Rick Hess (left), Director of the Urban Education Institute Tim Knowles (middle), and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (right) discuss issues in elementary and secondary education policy regarding the Common Core. FRANK YAN | THE CHICAGO MAROON
Hyde Park, Kenwood boast Provost Thomas Rosenbaum appointed Caltech President big homes for big names Ankit Jain News Editor Provost Thomas Rosenbaum is leaving one famously rigorous university for another. The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) announced yesterday that Rosenbaum had been appointed President after an eight month search. Rosenbaum will stay on as UChicago’s provost until the end of winter quarter and will remain on the faculty until the end of the academic year. He will begin his new position at Caltech on July 1, 2014. In a press release, Caltech cited Rosenbaum’s extensive academic experience and several
This 11,500 square foot mansion that once belonged to Sears Vice President Max Adler is arguably the most opulent home in the South Side. TIFFANY TAN | THE CHICAGO MAROON
Christine Schmidt Maroon Contributor Adler Planetarium founder Max Adler’s former Kenwood home has plenty of space and a price tag that’ll have some seeing stars. The 10-bedroom mansion on South Greenwood Avenue and East 49th Street sold this month for $3.95 million, $1 million below the listed price. Just one year away from its 100th birthday, the house has tremendous historical value, according to Susan O’Connor Davis, author of Chicago’s Historic Hyde Park. “It follows the 19th century ideal
of home as a refuge,” she said. “It was built just before the war broke out…. It’s evocative of an earlier era.” Built in 1916, the Beaux Arts mansion housed two generations of Adlers and two other families. The last owners spent $3 million in renovations over 23 years to restore the house to its original condition. Many of the mansion’s original features have been preserved, including leaded glass windows, woodwork details, hidden closets, and marble and wood fireplaces. In lieu of a planetarium, the 12,500-square-foot mansion has three solariums, according to the Chicago Tribune. HOMES continued on page 2
initiatives he led at UChicago as the rationale behind its choice. Among the achievements referenced were Rosenbaum’s efforts to launch the Institute for Molecular Engineering, his work in “strengthening the intellectual ties between the University of Chicago and Argonne National Lab,” and his efforts to establish and expand the UChicago Charter School. President Robert Zimmer cited several of the same accomplishments when praising Rosenbaum in an e-mail sent to faculty, staff, and students. “I am grateful to Tom for his extraordinary leadership,” Zimmer wrote. “In addition to PROVOST continued on page 2
Administrators field student queries on Univ. finances Jeevna Sheth & Preston Thomas Maroon Contributors Top financial administrators discussed the University’s investment in natural resources and the issue of rising tuition in an open forum with students Thursday evening in the Reynolds Club. Addressing student concerns about financial aid, Chief Financial Officer Nim Chinniah explained that the growth of financial aid will always outpace the growth of
tuition and fees. “[Tuition] only covers about a third of the University’s expenses…[this is] one of the reasons why we are never going to be an institution that balances the budget through tuition increases.” He also dispelled misconceptions about the role of wealthy donors in shaping the campus community. “Our donors don’t set priorities. Our donors fund priorities set by the University.” Chief Investment Officer
Mark Schmid briefed students on the University’s endowment and investment activities. Providing a fairly technical overview of the team’s investment strategies and methods of risk management, Schmid repeatedly emphasized the importance of constant cooperation between the offices devoted to investment management and financial planning. When asked by a student how much the University invests in natural resource ADMIN continued on page 2
IN VIEWPOINTS
IN ARTS
IN SPORTS
Circumventing hyperbole » Page 3
The Bad Plus Logan equals a Stravinsky revival » Page 5
Back to basics: South Siders look to get back on track » Back Page
Blurred lines » Page 4
The weekend flow with Joy Cho » Page 6
OT victory makes it three straight wins » Page 7
THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | October 25, 2013
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Frederick Hess: Common Core represents “an increasingly intrusive role” for government more content knowledg e, and how do we help [teachers] with technolog y when they’re an undergrad ? Those are chang es that they are desperately asking for.” On the other side of the political aisle, Frederick Hess arg ued that the Common Core creates too much chang e, as it revises both the teacher evaluation benchmarks and the
COMMON CORE continued from front
standards, Duncan arg ued that they will not improve public education by themselves, citing larg e problems in teacher pay and training . “If you talk to young teachers, about three quarters of them say they were unprepared to enter the classroom,” he said. “How do we g et more handson faculty experience, how do we g et
Wright, Pei designed homes in Hyde Park house designed in 1897 is known for being the experimental precursor to the Robie House. Hyde Park Preser vation Committee chairman Jack Spicer attributes the area’s retention of historic homes to the residents’ appreciation of its history, as well as their tendency to remain here. “Hyde Park is a relatively stable neighborhood. It’s not particularly nomadic,” he said. This permanence may reflect the original intent of the area, which entrepreneur and lawyer Paul Cornell established as a retreat from the city in the 1850s. “It gave the people who moved here the ability to live life on their own terms,” Davis said. “They could build houses that reflected their aspirations.”
HOMES continued from front
An active philanthropist and senior officer of Sears, Roebuck and Co., Adler is just one of many prominent people who have lived in the historic Kenwood neighborhood. The neighborhood has been home to business executives, University faculty, professional athletes, and even the President of the United States. Kenwood and Hyde Park have several claims to architectural fame, most famously in Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House and I.M. Pei’s 1961 University Park Condominiums on the 1400 block of East 55th Street. In addition, Wright’s Heller House on East 51st Street and South Woodlawn Avenue has been on the market since January 2012, with an asking price of $2.4 million. The seven-bedroom
By Marina Fang
Weekly Crime Report This is a series the Maroon publishes summarizing instances of campus crime. Each week details a few notable crimes, in addition to keeping a running count from September 23. The focus is on crimes within the UCPD patrol area, which runs from East 37th to 65th Streets and South Cottage Grove to Lake Shore Drive. Since Sept. 23
Oct. 17 Oct. 23
3
0
Robbery
0
0
Attempted robbery
2
0
Battery
1
1
Burglary
1
1
Criminal trespass to vehicle
6
1
Damage to property
69
23
Other report
0
0
Assault
26
4
Theft
0
0
Trespass to property
6
1
Arrest
0
0
Traffic Violation
Source: UCPD Incident Reports
57th
59th 60th
around for generations is a great draw for retail developers,” Chinniah said. After the event, first-year Michelle Mejia, a member of the UChicago Climate Action Network (UCAN) and the Southside Solidarity Network (SSN), claimed that the University is overly secretive regarding its investments. “[This talk] made it a little clearer, but we’ll still have to do a little digging,” she said.
Initiatives launched during Rosenbaum’s tenure PROVOST continued from front
helping guide the University through the financial crisis in a manner that preserved our highest priorities and values, he oversaw an historic expansion of the faculty during the same period…. During his leadership, among many initiatives, we launched the Institute for Molecular Engineering, the Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society, and the Becker Friedman Institute for Research in Economics.” In an e-mail to University faculty, Rosenbaum affirmed that he will bring the University’s values with him to his new position.
“In my journey through various administrative positions I have been privileged to work with, learn from, and develop friendships with incredibly talented individuals across the academic byways of the University,” he wrote in the e-mail. “I have been shaped by and will carry with me the distinctive values of the University of Chicago, from its commitment to unflinching inquiry to its generosity of spirit.” Rosenbaum, who is also the John T. Wilson Distinguished Service Professor of Physics, has been a member of the faculty since 1983 and was appointed Provost in 2007.
Large Pizza up to 3 Toppings
S. Lake Shore
S. Hyde Park
55th
Cornell
53rd
Blackstone
51st
» October 21, alley on East 62nd Street between South Ellis & Greenwood Avenues, 8:25 p.m.—An unknown man, armed with a handgun, took a cell phone and cash from two people. The case has been turned over to the CPD. » October 21-22, 5538 South Kenwood Avenue, unknown time—Between 5 p.m. on October 21 and 11 a.m. on October 22, an unknown person smashed the window of a car parked on the street and took a GPS device.
companies—particularly those dealing in coal and other non-sustainable forms of energy—he provided an estimate of three to four percent of its investment portfolio. Chinniah also discussed the University’s role in economic development on the South Side. “We have the ability to act as a catalyst,” he said. “Having an anchor institution like the University of Chicago that’s going to be
47th
University
» October 20, 5446 South Greenwood Avenue (Stout Park), 7:20 p.m.—Two unknown males used force to take a laptop computer and ID from a person sitting in the park. The victim recovered the laptop, but the suspects fled with his ID.
Cottage Grove
» October 20, South University Avenue between East 55th & 56th Streets, 12:15 a.m.—An unknown person(s) gained entry to an off-campus apartment by cutting open the window screen and then took an iPad and some cash. The case is under CPD investigation.
ADMIN continued from front
Type of Crime
Stony Island
» October 18, 5840 South Maryland Avenue (UCMC Parking Garage), 9:15 a.m.— A motorist refused to pay the parking fee and then drove through and damaged the access control barrier.
in education. Despite Hess’s criticisms, Duncan believes that the Common Core is the best option for improving education now. “ We’re pushing a lot of chang e in a short amount of time, and maybe in a perfect world, we’d do it over 10 or 15 years, [ but] I just don’t think our kids can wait that long .”
Three to four percent of portfolio in energy companies
Ellis
Here are this week’s notables:
standardized tests used to evaluate teachers. “I believe it [evaluation] is a g ood and helpful thing and done well. I sure as heck don’t want people chang ing the metrics and the scoring just as we’re rolling out new evaluations,” he said. He also worried that the Common Core represents the federal g overnment taking “an increasing ly intrusive role”
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VIEWPOINTS
Editorial & Op-Ed OCTOBER 25, 2013
Cure to a chronic malady The SHCS has taken promising first steps to increasing accessibility to health resources on campus The student newspaper of the University of Chicago since 1892 REBECCA GUTERMAN Editor-in-Chief SAM LEVINE Editor-in-Chief EMILY WANG Managing Editor
CELIA BEVER Senior Editor VICENTE FERNANDEZ Senior Editor MATTHEW SCHAEFER Senior Editor MADHU SRIKANTHA Senior Editor MARINA FANG News Editor ANKIT JAIN News Editor LINDA QIU News Editor KRISTIN LIN Viewpoints Editor EMMA BRODER Arts Editor WILL DART Arts Editor LAUREN GURLEY Arts Editor SARAH LANGS Sports Editor JAKE WALERIUS Sports Editor SONIA DHAWAN Head Designer KEVIN WANG Online Editor MARA MCCOLLOM Social Media Editor CONNOR CUNNINGHAM Head Copy Editor CECELIA JIANG Head Copy Editor JEN XIA Head Copy Editor BEN ZIGTERMAN Head Copy Editor JAMIE MANLEY Photo Editor TIFFANY TAN Photo Editor COLIN BRADLEY Grey City Editor JOY CRANE Grey City Editor THOMAS CHOI Assoc. News Editor ALEX HAYS Assoc. News Editor HARINI JAGANATHAN Assoc. News Editor STEPHANIE XIAO Assoc. News Editor ELEANOR HYUN Assoc. Viewpoints Editor
On October 23, Alex Lickerman (A.B. ’88, M.D. ’92), assistant vice president of Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS), e-mailed students regarding changes to his department which will increase accessibility to healthcare services on campus. These changes follow up on several chronic grievances regarding SHCS, which were documented last spring by the student-run Tumblr, “Student Health Horror Stories.” SHCS has acted swiftly since then, and the changes thus far will unquestionably alleviate some of those issues. However, in order to ensure that these steps translate into truly improved services, SHCS must effectively implement and build upon these changes. Consistency is particularly important in regard to Student Health Services (SHS), which operates under the SHCS umbrella. In January 2012, the
sudden departure of a physician from SHS slowed down primary care service significantly and stripped away the oft-unmet 24hour guarantee for appointments that SHS had promised before then. Although the vacancy was filled after three months and the SHS subsequently adjusted to a more reasonable 24 to 48 hour guarantee, students still complained that the wait for appointments was often much longer. Responding to these recent issues, SHS has added weekend hours and will now be open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Extended hours can help ameliorate the back-up that results from high demand for primary care. Given the notoriety that SHCS has accrued for the inconsistency of its services, SHS needs to maintain the appropriate amount of staff and even consider extending hours in the long-term. While changes like the departure of an essential staff member
are oftentimes unpredictable, responding quickly for the sake of being consistent is crucial to student satisfaction. Another notable change is the increase in transparency that SHCS has adopted in regard to receiving and acting upon student and patient input. Particularly commendable is SHS’s sister program Student Counseling Service (SCS), which launched a pilot feedback program in April 2013 inviting patients to complete an online patient satisfaction survey. SCS has published an aggregate of the responses it accumulated from May 21 to August 31 on its Web site and has committed to act upon the feedback to evaluate and improve its services. While this new feedback system is in its initial stages, SCS should continue to not only administer these surveys, but also publish the input that they get on a regular basis so they are held accountable
for making relevant changes. Receiving and executing feedback is the most effective way to tailor SHS and SCS to student needs. SHCS has not been without its faults. Given the high demand for SHS services, past students—and even many current students— have had trouble booking timely appointments. But the recent changes, many of which have occurred within the past year, demonstrate not only that rapid and effective change can occur, but also that these changes can affect students immediately and positively. SHCS’s goal to improve accessibility has extended beyond physical building hours, and it should continue this trend of transparency and quick execution. Its actions thus far should set a precedent for other student liferelated departments on campus.
The Editorial Board consists of the Editors-in-Chief and the Viewpoints Editors.
Circumventing hyperbole Pressure to find meaning and concrete definitions in culture subverts the opportunity for quiet integration
LIAM LEDDY Assoc. Viewpoints Editor ANNA HILL Assoc. Arts Editor TATIANA FIELDS Assoc. Sports Editor SAM ZACHER Assoc. Sports Editor PETER TANG Assoc. Photo Editor FRANK YAN Assoc. Photo Editor
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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. © 2013 The Chicago Maroon, Ida Noyes Hall, 1212 East 59th Street Chicago, IL 60637 Editor-in-Chief Phone: 773.834.1611 Newsroom Phone: 773.702.1403 Business Phone: 773.702.9555 Fax: 773.702.3032 CONTACT News: News@ChicagoMaroon.com Viewpoints: Viewpoints@ChicagoMaroon.com Arts: Arts@ChicagoMaroon.com Sports: Sports@ChicagoMaroon.com Photography: Photo@ChicagoMaroon.com Design: Design@ChicagoMaroon.com Copy: CopyEditors@ChicagoMaroon.com Advertising: Ads@ChicagoMaroon.com
By Ajay Batra Viewpoints Columnist Just north of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London is an arch, a gateway, called Temple Bar. Its history was explained to me in a fair amount of detail, but it’s escaping me right now. The gist is that it’s been moved, in its entirety, more than once across the whole of London to get to where it is now. It’s been a gate to many pairs of places. What do you think makes a gate the particular gate that it is? Can it be the same gate in a different place? I mean, it can, but it sort of can’t. I’m certain of that much. It is entirely possible for me to know the name of a place or thing here, and what that place or thing is, without fully understanding how the name signifies it. And it’s not like not knowing exactly why Soldier Field is called Soldier Field. It feels as though the name is in a language that ought to be within reach of my tongue but, by some fluke, is not. Temple Bar refers to a gate. Hampstead Heath is a fieldy, park-type place. Hackney Wick seems to be a place where buses often go. Very little here is completely illegible to me. Rather, it feels as though some things were coded differently—passed through a few filters I’ve never flown through. “Wick comes from the old Saxon word euyckke, which means ‘wheelbarrow repository,’”
I imagine a good-natured tour guide saying. All of this is to say that I understand there’s a reason for everything, but also that I find intuition friendlier. You can never stand in the same river twice. I keep trying to forcefully map this idea onto the passage of people through a gate, but it doesn’t quite work. You’ll never pass through in the same stream of bodies and mess of minds, but what about the gate? It’s the only constant—and it’s not something ol’ Heraclitus considered—a landmark, a nozzle, a threshold. I think a lot these days about the importance of thresholds. I wonder whether they and the emotions they produce are artificial—made, rather than found or felt. In some sense, the construction of a gate is the fabrication of drama: A place of passage onward, of exposition, becomes a setting where chapters start and end, and where they seem to need to end. At the start of its life, Temple Bar stood at the place where Fleet Street becomes the Strand (this point-place is also often called Temple Bar—I did some research). Having walked across that point of transience myself, now that the gate has gone, I have to say I hardly noticed. Though I notice plenty of other things. I think there’s a tendency here for restaurants to style themselves as “eat-all-youcan” rather than “all-you-caneat.” To me, the former is not as much of a greasy welcome mat (I enjoy those) as it is a challenge. It sounds frenzied—like you get hit in the face with a ladle and told to save yourself as soon as you walk in; or shortly after the
last seating, a hungry Sasquatch enters; or maybe the crab legs are surrounded by a flaming moat. As you can see I have a lot of stupid thoughts about this distinction, but I hesitate to extrapolate any anodyne commentary on the difference between the U.S. and the U.K., though you may think I’m within my rights to try. There’s a reason for everything, as I said, but if you walk around all day looking for them, everything
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That’s a weird way to live— wringing each fresh-faced moment’s neck.
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becomes a reason. There’s a compulsion—implicit in the language that surrounds studying abroad—to try and make sense of it all. It’s this language, and the expectation it entails, that turns everything—a day trip, a train journey, the odd meal—into an experience. I deliberately try to avoid using that word when relaying stories from afar because it reminds me of the Fremont Street Experience, a little strip of pedestrian-only road in Las Vegas (my home) full of Elvis impersonators, fuzzy dice vendors, and all manner of brightly-lit light. You go there with visitors to gawk; to say stuff like, “That’s, hey—that’s pretty good”; and then to leave quietly, your mind made to creak and heave inward by the drowsy kettlebell of a thought that that just happened. “Experience”
also reminds me of IMAX and IMAX movies, which remind me of being duped into intently watching manipulative and falsely solemn explorations into nothing in particular or of importance. Needless to say, I don’t want either of these experiences (there are acceptable usages of this word, by the way) associated with picking up and picking at another culture. When I do slip up in my avoidance of the e-word, it’s out of laziness. People seem less inclined to take me seriously when I describe my time or doings abroad as “a good time” or “educational” or “fascinating.” I find that odd, given that those are real, meaningful things to say, and that “a good experience,” in the sense usually associated with foreign travel, seems equivalent to “a good few weeks spent staring expectantly at the people and places inhabiting the world that’s happening around me.” Yet still I find myself trying to dress those first few phrases up and getting tired of it. Why this fixation on squeezing meaning out of everything that happens in a new place by making it out to be some sort of showpiece? That’s a weird way to live—wringing each fresh-faced moment’s neck as soon as it’s over to make it speak your language. If we travel to let as many things, observations, and ideas pass through us as possible, why do we make each one suffer— suffocate—on its way through? Something else I’ve noticed is that Londoners walk very quickly. So I’ve widened my gait. Ajay Batra is a third-year in the College majoring in English.
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THE CHICAGO MAROON | VIEWPOINTS | October 25, 2013
Blurred lines Violating shomer leaves a relationship far from untouchable Eliora Katz Viewpoints Staff It was our last night together in Jerusalem before he returned to the army. While the man in uniform unpacked his bloated backpack, I sat fiddling with my iPhone, resisting the temptation to capture our last moment, to obtain proof that I was once in love with a soldier and a soldier was once in love with me, to do what he dreaded most throughout our relationship: to take The Couple Selfie. Instead, as the phone slipped before me, my dancing fingers lingered on the camera icon just before it clattered on the floor, startling the cats outside. I picked up my phone to find that accident was friendlier than prudence. The photo was proof that we were together, not from an outstretched arm and contrived pose, but from a fresh perspective— our knees together. Instead of the self-marketing typically proliferated on Instagram, the angle from which I portrayed
our happiness was a sort of confession, using a modern medium to express age-old emotions. Moments after I dubbed the photo “Beauty and the Beast,” and sent it through a hipsterish filter and off to Facebook, I was attacked by a barrage of criticism. My mother had emailed me, “TAKE OUT THE PICTURES OF THE HAIRY BODY PART OF THE MAN OUT OF THE FACE BOOK NOW. It is very bad reflection of you, distasteful.” I didn’t realize the knee in the photo could be mistaken for a higher position on the body, but I still did not think the image warranted castigation. I am an unmarried, orthodox, young Jewish woman—an identity that probably had something to do with the censorious comments from my mother and a slew of friends. Besides a balance of love and lust, the image also illustrates my violating shomer negiah—the arguably biblical
prohibition against premarital intersex touching. The photo and ensuing reactions summed up our struggle: To touch or not to touch? At only 19 our hearts and hormones said one thing, while the community, the rabbis, and the texts we live by screamed another. Religious Jews wouldn’t think twice (out loud at least), about eating pork, breaking the Sabbath, or worshipping idols. Yet when it comes to touching the opposite sex, it suddenly becomes questionable if one must really keep that commandment. G.I. Jew tried to justify touching within the system. He claimed to believe in a “merciful god” who did not want him to suffer—and not being able to hug his girlfriend when she was upset, not being able to tuck that aberrant hair behind her ear was for him a source of slaves-in-Egypt suffering. We also contended that the entire system was ridiculous: Religious Jewish
leaders introduced shomer long before the concept of “dating.” Your family set you up, engagements were short; now, marriage barely resembles the institution from the time of these legislators, and the relationships leading up to it are incomparable. After all, the medieval philosopher Maimonides, who is the source for much Jewish law, asserts that one should be married by the age of 18. As an American I can’t even buy alcohol at that age, let alone commit to life with another person. At first we had no problem with the physical contact, but two months and many hand holdings later, we got into our first big fight. After reconciling, I had to ask “would we still be fighting now if we were shomer?” My heart told me we exploited touch as a weapon to placate each other, instead of actually getting to the bottom of our conflict. I noticed that as time went on we started touching more
and talking less—and that bothered me. Maybe physical touch really does muddy a pre-marital relationship. As a physical being, could I ever truly separate tactile influence from my existential sentiment toward G.I. Jew? I was no longer sure what I loved: him, the idea of him, being loved, or the feeling of his calloused hand on my soft cheek. To make things worse, I was leaving for the University of Chicago—I had read too much Simone de Beauvoir and watched too much Sex and the City to move to a foreign country for a man. Sure enough, in Chicago, the longing kicked in. We became shomer—but not by choice. I began to miss him and his touch, and I wasn’t even sure which was which anymore. I wondered if the distance would have been easier sans memories of caresses, without the augmented emotional bond—which was the first thing I woke up to and the apparition I was haunted by in spare moments.
The idea that our love was fading and that we were in denial was too hard to grasp. I assumed we had reached an evolution in our relationship where words would have to suffice as our dates, prose as our chocolate bars, and poems as our late night cuddling. I accepted the distance as a sort of game, a way to keep me away from college boys and diseases. Maybe we’re just too young for real love, maybe we should have listened to rabbis and parents, maybe we should have broken it off, and maybe extralong long distance isn’t worth it. Regardless, when a relationship provokes thought, imbues creativity, and elevates the ensemble of life, I’d prefer to endure its pain than let it go, regardless of whether I bend some rules—even religious ones—along the way. Eliora Katz is a first-year in the College.
Sanctions, embargoes, and threats, oh my! Though recently ineffective, the multilateral approach that the U.N. takes still has a niche on the international stage David Grossman Viewpoints Staff Coming out of a government shutdown, Americans have witnessed firsthand the frustration often associated with giving the minority party too much veto power. Now, imagine the minority could veto any bill without the possibility of being overridden by a super-majority, was elected for “forever,” and seemed to constantly disagree with facts agreed upon by virtually everyone else. Wouldn’t that suck? It does. In fact, the United Nations’ difficulty with this power structure has cast doubt on whether real global change can be accomplished with the uniform consent of so many nations, all of whom have competing interests. The Security Council—the epicenter of all real power, including sanctions, treaty enforcement, and military force—is composed of five permanent members (China, United Kingtom, France, Russia, and the United States) and 10 nonpermanent members. The absolute veto power of the permanent members has, for a long time, prevented international action that would likely be beneficial from a global standpoint, but not necessarily in the geo-political interest of every member state. Specifically, China and Russia have consistently vetoed the United States’ motions to impose sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program and condemn Bashar al-Assad of Syria’s war crimes. This level of intransigence has shaken much of the world’s confidence in the U.N., a body which has become little more than a forum for two types of people: dictators who, in order to quell uprisings, appeal to the ideal of
international diplomacy, and leaders who want to justify bombing stuff (usually us). Effective or not, a temporary seat on the Security Council has been a coveted asset since the U.N.’s charter was first drawn—until now. Last Friday, Saudi Arabia became the first country to reject this opportunity. In a Saudi-backed newspaper, columnist Hussein Shobokshi summed up their reasoning succinctly, writing that “rejection is better than capitulation.” While everyone was focusing on the United States’ inability to break the international diplomatic impasse about Syria, the Saudis were actively supporting the Sunni Syrian rebels against Shiite Iran’s ally, President Assad. The former U.N. Israeli Ambassador Dore Gold explained that Assad’s surrender of his chemical weapons allowed him to remain in power in spite of the entire Saudi strategy in Syria over the past two years. The link to Saudi and U.S. interests is that Syria is the greatest ally of Iran, whose nuclear program poses a massive regional and international threat; to say that the Saudis are upset with the way the Syrian conflict is playing out would be a massive understatement. It appears that the days of international cooperation observed after the World Wars are over, and replaced by unilateral political and military action. The current Syrian resolution is proof of that; after months of the U.N. taking no action on Syria, a breakthrough was made only when President Obama went on national television and explained in an old-fashioned display of brinkmanship that “I’m a peaceful fellow who doesn’t want to bomb anyone, but here’s who I’m about to bomb and here’s why we have to bomb them.” After Obama’s statement,
Secretary of State John Kerry noted that while Assad could turn over all of his chemical weapons, “he isn’t about to do it and it can’t be done,” to which Assad replied, “Challenge Accepted.” Long story short, bombing averted. It’s frightening to think that true international actions can be achieved only through threat of military force. I’ll willingly be the biased citizen who proffers the consolation that at least it’s the United States with the military power and, well, better us than someone else. But a day might come when Iran develops nuclear weapons and gives them to a well funded and operationally competent terrorist group that will, in turn, threaten a nuclear strike to extract a very real concession from one of the U.S.’s allies in the Middle East. Still, there’s hope. While the U.N. is often too rigidly multilateral to find a solution acceptable to everyone, some goals simply cannot be achieved alone—whether by the U.S. or some other powerful entity. Case in point: The international sanctions on Iran appear to finally be having some effect. Although sanctions have been derided as blunt instruments that destroy a country’s economy to the detriment of only the poor and not the targeted rich, blunt instruments can still be effective if wielded with enough force. In the last eight years, Iran has experienced what can only be described as an economic shutdown: its oil exports have been cut in half, its currency has depreciated to a third of its former value, and by some assessments, Iran’s government has lost the ability to borrow internationally and is running dangerously low on funds. The international pressure on Iran’s newly elected president, Hassan Rouhani, to save the economy by finding a way to lift the sanctions
before Iran goes bankrupt is enormous. Where threats of forceful unilateral action such as first-strikes by Israel have failed, the passive excising of Iran from the global economy has finally created sufficient incentive for President Rouhani to reconsider his nuclear program. Iran has recently made multiple abrupt shifts on their public message about their nuclear program as part of ongoing negotiations. Nothing is concrete yet, but given Iran’s dire economic situation made possible by the solidarity of the global community, I’m optimistic that the Middle East question of nuclear armament can be resolved through U.N. efforts in lieu of drastic military action. David Grossman is a first-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.
ARTS
Heartlandia OCTOBER 25, 2013
Steve McQueen tackles social isolation, moral naïveté with Slave Hamid Bendaas News Staff In 2009, Steve McQueen’s first feature film, Hunger, won the Toronto Film Critics Association’s “Best Film” award. It shared that award with Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. Tarantino’s next film would be the popular and critically acclaimed Django Unchained, an American slave redemption story shot like a spaghetti western. Now, a year after Django, McQueen has offered his own treatment of American slavery. This time around, it’s unlikely he’ll have to share much acclaim with another film. Whereas Django looked back at American slavery with a wink and a nod, oneliners and blasted kneecaps, McQueen’s treatment simply gazes. The films are best juxtaposed in two scenes that share a similar action. In Tarantino’s, the ex-slave Django whips an overseer in front of a crowd of slaves; Tarantino uses slow-motion action cuts and a triumphant spaghetti western score for increased comedic effect. In 12 Years a Slave, the main character, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), also ends up whipping an overseer in self-defense in what becomes one of the most terrifying scenes and haunting visuals from the film. McQueen’s steady long take of the whip-
ping asserts an overwhelming sense of dread, for the audience has become aware that Solomon’s is a world of consequence. Several overseers return and attempt to lynch Solomon before being driven away. The camera then fixes on Solomon, still with the noose around his neck and hands tied, his feet just barely touching the ground, dancing back and forth in the mud as he struggles to stay alive. Solomon has not always been a slave on a plantation. He was once a free man in New York, a fiddle player with a wife and two children. One night, he is tricked and drugged, and wakes up in chains without any papers to prove his identity. We then watch his journey as he is sold on the slave market and passes from plantation to plantation. It’s only in retrospect that one understands how passive a character he truly is, how powerless; mostly we watch with him, or feel the tortures inflicted on him. His inspirational strength comes not from his intelligence or charity, but simply from the fact that he retains a sense of dignity and morality despite the horrors he witnesses, despite his own suffering and isolation. Still, there is sometimes a sense that his moral sensibilities are fertilized more by naïveté than enlightenment, for example in his conversation with fellow slave Patsey, who seeks Solomon’s help to
Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender in 12 Years a Slave, Steve McQueen’s latest (and maybe best). COURTESY OF FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES
kill herself. “I have no comfort in this life,” she tells him. “It is nothing but melancholia,” he responds. Existential isolation becomes the creeping theme of the film, often rounding out otherwise stock characters—Brad Pitt’s Samuel Bass, for example, who in another movie would be the voice box of abolitionist righteousness. “It is a plain and simple fact that what is true and right is true and right for all,” he says at one point. However, after he learns about who Solomon
truly is and how he got to the plantation, his actions aren’t motivated by a sense of moral righteousness but from his own lack of roots. “What you say scares me, Solomon,” he says. “I’ve moved around a lot… I’ve got no one looking for me. I get the sense there’d be a lot of people who’d be real happy to see you again.” In many ways, 12 Years a Slave can be compared with Schindler’s List in that it functions well as an immersive period drama and simultaneously depicts people who
attempt to hold on to moral sense in an amoral world. What 12 Years a Slave does better than that film is extend another shared theme, the antagonism between economy and human rights, and connect it to the contemporary economic disparities between whites and blacks. “My sentimentality extends the length of a coin,” a slave trader says; the film demands our sympathy extend further. McQueen’s masterpiece maintains its relevance by heavily condemning all sys-
tems that jade us to human tragedy for profit, any society that blames the oppressed and abused for their mistreatment. 12 Years a Slave and Ejiofor will win many awards this year. The power of McQueen’s artistry, Solomon’s story, and the history of slavery in this country are such that just to watch the movie causes a swell within the breast and a reacquaintance with America’s moral imagination. Django entertained; 12 Years transforms.
The Bad Plus Logan equals a Stravinsky revival Off-Off, on point Robert Sorrell Arts Staff
Eyebrows around the metro area are already rising: How can a jazz series start with Stravinsky? Riots erupted on the streets of Paris after the first performance of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring in 1913, and this Friday, The Bad Plus brings the madness to the South Side to kick off the inaugural University of Chicago Presents: Jazz at the Logan series. Let me start by saying that The Bad Plus is no easy-listening, rainy day, lazy morning, Sunday coffee, fuzzy sweater experimental jazz trio. Its music demands to be the focus of attention, and it frequently demands to be loud. The only similarity between The Bad Plus and a Starbucks jazz compilation is the trio’s ability to make you feel like you’ve just pounded four shots of espresso. Stravinsky is no walk in the park either. In the words of Philip Huscher, the program annotator for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, “Rite of Spring is as tight and shrewdly paced as a Hitchcock thriller; it still leaves audiences gasping almost a hundred years after it was written.” Though some of Stravinsky’s rhythmic innovations are lost on contemporary listeners who have experienced the
outpouring of modern music that followed his composition, the sheer power of Rite of Spring simply cannot be tamed—and The Bad Plus has no desire to try. In general, the group’s music has positively explosive emotive power. Not that it is in any way unsophisticated, but the music feels primal. It transforms instantly from note to sound to emotion, stirring an uncanny desire within to start jumping up and down wildly like an adherent in a pagan ritual. The trio of Minneapolis natives— bassist Reid Anderson, drummer Dave King, and pianist Ethan Iverson— officially formed the trio in 2000 after attending the same junior high school. Perhaps this explains why their early track lists read a bit like an angst-fueled garage band’s, with covers of rock groups like Nirvana, Black Sabbath, and the enigmatic cult favorite Aphex-Twin. But the tracks themselves could only be described as adolescent if you grew up with child prodigies. Besides, that was 13 years and eight albums ago. Fast-forward to 2012, when The Bad Plus released Made Possible, a jazz album in the vein of such earthshaking works as Dave Brubeck’s Time Out. Made Possible marked an interesting moment for The Bad Plus; the album only features one cover, “Victoria”
by jazz legend Paul Motian, but also presents a polished studio sensibility. They paired studio tricks, like placing forks and spoons in between strings of the piano and dampening the distinctive “tap” of the snare drum with a roll of duct tape, with multiple instrument tracks, electronic effects, and at a few points even a drum pad. The result is a flurry of sound that is both highly technical and spectacularly layered. Take, for instance, the phenomenal “Seven Minute Mind,” composed by Reid Anderson. The track begins with a pulsating, frenetic beat and minimalist piano work that pounds its way into your very capillaries. Halfway through, Iverson opens up the keyboard; his fingers cascade up and down the keyboard, creating an exquisite shimmering, and Anderson and King give the track new life with crashing cymbals and throbbing bass lines. The track finds its conclusion among frantically switching time signatures and mind-bending rhythms. A final key change rings the death knell as the instruments float apart from each other, coming to their individual resting points. The result is something between the most interesting song you’ve ever heard and a religious experience. Considering The Bad Plus’ focus
on complex rhythms and self-titled “avant-garde populism,” it isn’t really surprising that the trio now turns to a piece that Stravinsky famously could play on the piano long before he could find a way to write it down on paper. He eventually managed to fit the protean beast on the page with such maniacal time signatures as 3/16, 5/16, and 1/32, but it still only comes to life pounded out on the stage with blood and tears. Despite the technical difficulty, there is something intuitive about the piece that matches the group’s work. In the wake of Made Possible, Rite of Spring also allows The Bad Plus to turn the spotlight on live performance where the musicians’ incredible chops and passion for music can unfold in real time with twinges of punk rock stage tactics. Pianist Ethan Iverson is known to use his nose and other parts of his face to pound extra notes as his hands play the upper and lower registers of the keyboard. Drummer David King, who also moonlights with the dreamy electropop group Halloween, Alaska and the noise band Gang Font, sums up the trio best: “This band contains some of the most punk energy I’ve ever seen or felt as a musician—it just doesn’t need to do it so obviously. That’s our statement. It’s a complex emotion.”
Sarah Tarabey Maroon Contributor Recall for just a moment how free we were as kids: Our uninhibited minds, full of possibility and unaware of constraint, fluctuated between fantasy and reality with the slightest thought, the slightest reverie. Through eyes of experience, we reflect on the ditz and dazzle of those days long past and give new, humorous meanings to the creations of our younger selves. It is this experience, especially its humor, that Off-Off Campus aims to capture in The Silver Moon Princess of Eternia: a Novel by Second Grader Melissa Zhang. This new sketch explores some common dreams of our generation (and the cultural influences which have contributed to them) through the lens of a secondgrader’s fantasy novel. Although the sketch is composed of childlike elements, its content and message very much target a college audience. As each Off-Off generation OFF-OFF continued on page 6
THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | October 25, 2013
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Friday | October 25 Have you seen The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway or countless times on your couch? For a change of pace, see this classic in a whole new light at The Phantom of the Opera Silent Movie with Live Organ at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel. Travel back to 1925 and experience the power of a black-and-white silent film coupled with the dramatic effects of a live organ, played skillfully by Dennis James. The solemn expanse of the chapel provides the perfect backdrop. Be prepared to shield your eyes when you behold Erik (a.k.a. the Phantom) in all his raw, unmasked glory. Rockefeller Memorial Chapel. 7:30 p.m., free with UCID. Live Blues and free food? Yes, please! Let the night fly by at Blues ’n’ Ribs, hosted by the Council on University Programming
(COUP), where you can nod your head along to the tunes provided by Nublu and Granddaddy Band. Jazz and improv will also make appearances, via the Dirt Red Brass Band and Occam’s Razor, respectively. If dancing’s more your thing, take advantage of the complimentary lessons from UChicago’s Swing Dance Society. Stay energized by gorging on (free) ribs, beverages, and comfort food classics, like potato salad and empanadas. Ida Noyes Hall, 9 p.m.–1 a.m., free. Saturday | October 26 Fourth week was stressful. Let those creative juices flow again by checking out the Albany Carroll Arts Building’s 14th Annual Open House Event in East Garfield Park. The event highlights the work of more than 30 artists, who receive viewers into their re-
spective studios, allowing for a more personal and enlightening experience. Feel free to browse the studios or even purchase a piece to bring back with you. A variety of media, from jewelry and photography to stained glass and origami, will be represented, guaranteeing an engaging experience for all who attend. 319 North Albany Street, 12 p.m.–5 p.m., free. Students here are serious about their Scav—but need some practice for the real thing? Bring your skills to the Second Annual Lincoln Park Zoo Scavenger Hunt, where you’ll search the grounds for various photo ops and answers to interesting questions about everything zoo-related. So bundle up, grab a few friends, and head up to Lincoln Park for a day of quick-paced fun and bonding (plus, you’ll coo over King, the adorable baby rhino). A TBA prize awaits
the winners of the hunt. 2001 North Clark Street 10 a.m.–5 p.m., free. Sunday | October 27 UChicago and the magnificent 1893 World’s Fair go way back: In case you’ve forgotten, the first Ferris Wheel was located right on our very own Midway. Beginning this weekend, you can relive the fun and excitement of this iconic event at the Field Museum’s new exhibition, Opening the Vaults: Wonders of the 1893 World’s Fair. The museum pulls out all the stops and presents viewers with the opportunity to behold uncommon, old, and just plain weird paraphernalia (think: a previously chained meteorite). Opening the Vaults combines our very own Chicago with a larger global background, guaranteeing an interesting and relevant viewing experience. 1400 South Lake Shore Drive. 9 a.m.–5 p.m., $19 with UCID.
Fifth week ticket sales from “Doctor, Doctor” revue to benefit anti–gun violence group OFF-OFF continued from page 5 performs for only two seasons, this season will be the last for the 27th generation before they pass the torch to the next one, explained third-year and Off-Off president Haley Johnson. With this in mind, the cast hopes to bring a unique, perfect show that represents the group and its individual performers. Directors Davio Cianci and Peter Herman, third-years and members of the 26th generation of Off-Off, described the comedy show as not only a fantasy sketch, but something much more universal and ambitious—a portrayal of the things we all have in common. The team’s working method, Herman explained, was to take the general character and influence of popular fantasy novels (think Harry Potter) and use them as springboards for original works of fiction. In the pre-writing period, the cast members’ individual sketches contained similar threads of childhood escapism through dreaming and stor ytelling. These were ultimately incorporated into a diverse yet cohesive reality of the world as depicted in the novel of second-grader Melissa Zhang , the primary character. For Off-Off ’s 27th generation (along with the directors), her novel becomes “a representative sample for all our own fantasy novels,” Herman said. The goings-on of Melissa’s day-to-day life inspire her to create her own world.
Watching as figments of her imagination become characters in their own reality— living, interacting, and even themselves creating—the audience can take in more than a few humorous scenarios. Viewers may just crack a chuckle or two as they remember conquests and foibles from their own days, predicted several members of the cast. Tears, I was told, may also result. Melissa’s analog character in this fantasy land, Miranda, may or may not be present while these events transpire; this could add even more complexity and intrigue to the concurrent plot lines. In either case, the “building and rolling” element, as Herman dubbed it, of the pre-written show should keep viewers on their feet. On that note, watch out for the following : seductive water nymphs, a veiled Lolita reference, dragons, sword fights, a certain Princess Raborka, and cursed maidens. The show promises to be both thoughtprovoking and silly, as does a book review of Melissa Zhang, written by Peter O’Leary, a member of UChicago’s creative writing department. ([His review can be found on Off-Off ’s Facebook page] as of October 22.) For those interested in attending one of the shows, those that run during the week of October 27 will feature a telethon theme. As such, for every ticket sale made for those shows, one dollar from each ticket sold will be
donated to CeaseFire Illinois, a local antiviolence group. Beyond the comedic value of this upcoming season lies a message about how heavily our experience in the world relies on the way in which we deal with reality. “[Melissa] may have given birth to Eternia, and created it out of nothing,” explained second-year Karlee Esmailli. Underneath the sketches’ playful absur-
dity lies an exposure of the way we construct the world, then subsequently perceive and experience these constructions. The existence of a higher power and, more importantly, the necessity of one, are brought into question. Strangely, splendidly, because the cast performs each show (five total) as originally as possible, the way in which these themes are dealt with has yet to be seen.
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESENTS
70
th
SEASON
JAZZ AT THE LOGAN
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25 / 7:30 PM
The Bad Plus On Sacred Ground An ambitious rework of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring with an original multimedia production. LOGAN CENTER FOR THE ARTS PERFORMANCE HALL, 915 E. 60th Street “…bad to the bone, hot players with hard-rock hearts” —Rolling Stone
$5
ETS
$35/$5 students with valid ID For tickets call 773.702.ARTS or visit chicagopresents.uchicago.edu
T TICK
STUDEN
@jazzatlogan
Members of the 27th generation of the sketchy comedy group Off-Off Campus. COURTESY OF OFF-OFF CAMPUS
A limited number of FREE student tickets are available through the Arts Pass program; visit chicagopresents.uchicago.edu for details.
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THE CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | October 25, 2013
OT victory makes it three straight wins Huntington: “We will be playing for her this weekend, without a doubt.”
Women’s Soccer Tatiana Fields Associate Sports Editor On Wednesday, the Maroons ended UW– Oshkosh’s seven-game win streak with a 2–1 victory in overtime. The South Siders (10–3–2) defended well throughout the game and clinched the win with a tiebreaker four minutes into overtime, winning their third game in a row after victories over Rochester and Case Western. Heading into the game, the Maroons looked forward to the chance to test themselves against a strong opponent and prepare for their last few conference games. UW–Oshkosh (10–6–1) proved to be a fairly even match for Chicago from the start; neither team took clear control of the match. However, as the game went on, the South Siders applied more pressure and were winning more balls over the Titans. “We contained their offense by applying high pressure and keeping a strong intensity throughout the game,” said first-year midfielder Caitlin Stefanick. “We won the majority of the 50-50 balls, which is always a key part of our defensive success.” The Maroons were first onto the scoreboard with a goal in the 23rd minute. Fourth-year forward Natalia Jovanovic shot from 15 yards out off a pass from fourth-year midfielder Micaela Harms. The score held steady through halftime, with Chicago holding the shot advantage 8–5. Fourth-year defender Katie Dana highlighted the Maroons’ defense as a key factor in the win. “Our back four has been communicating well lately and I think it really showed today,” Dana said. “We’re connecting well as a unit. Also, we did a good job of keeping possession all over the field.” In the second half, the South Siders looked to widen the gap and created several scoring opportunities, but couldn’t breach the Titans’ defense. UW–Oshkosh tied the score in the 81st minute with a pass across the goal that was tapped in by forward Ashley Markowiak. The score held
even to the end of the game, forcing the match into overtime. The Maroons didn’t take long to end the game, scoring the tiebreaker in the 94th minute. Thirdyear midfielder Sara Kwan ran up the right wing and sent a pass in to Jovanovic, who scored her third goal of the season. The Maroons totaled 20 shots to the Titans’ 13, demonstrating their offensive advantage throughout the game. Third-year goalkeeper Jacinda Reid had another strong performance. She made five saves with one goal allowed to improve her season record to 4–2–2. The team will be hoping to ride its current momentum into its final stretch of UAA games to cement its claim to an NCAA berth. Despite, their current hot streak, the South Siders have little room for error in their remaining games. “We have to win the rest of our conference games and we’re especially excited to play Wash U on our Senior Day,” Dana said. “Our ultimate goal is to go far in the NCAA tournament, and I think we can do it.” After four games in the past two weeks, the Maroons will take a break for a week before taking on NYU in New York on Friday, November 1.
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come together to celebrate her life,” said Huntington, who was both a teammate and a roommate to Buerkett during their first year on campus. “We will be playing for her this weekend, without a doubt. Ideally, the events will go smoothly and we walk away with two wins, earned while playing for our senior class, especially for Morgan who should be there with us,” Huntington said. The Maroons (19–8, 6–1 UAA) share the distinction of having the best record in UAA conference play with Wash U (22–5, 6–1 UAA) coming into this weekend. “We are all really excited about this accomplishment,” Huntington said. However, they will not have the opportunity to pull ahead of the Bears’ conference record, as they will be playing Alma College (16–13, 9–7 MIAA) followed by Elmhurst College (25–4, 5–0 CCIW), neither of which is a UAA opponent. “[I]t puts us in a great place going into
the UAA conference championships. If we can play consistently through our last round of conference, we will have a great chance at winning the conference and securing a bid to the NCAA tournament,” Huntington said. When asked about playing the final home games of her Chicago career, Huntington got nostalgic. “After so many practices and games in Ratner, you never think your career will actually come to an end, so it’s a little crazy that we are coming to a close,” she said. “In terms of my mental game, once the match starts, I am going to have to forget about it and not focus on the fact that this will be the last time I’ll be playing in Ratner,” Huntington said on the possible distraction of Senior Night. The Maroons face Alma College this afternoon in the Ratner Athletics Center at 2:30 p.m. Later in the evening they take on Elmhurst. That match will be preceded by a ceremony honoring the fourth-years and Buerkett, slated to begin at 6:30 p.m .
Maroons hope to make brief work of Boxers FOOTBALL continued from back
by an average of over 10 points per game. Evidently, offense has won plenty of games for these two teams so far this season, but defense will be absolutely critical on Saturday. It’s very likely that both teams will put up some impressive offensive numbers, so the squad that plays better defensively should have the better shot to win. Third-year linebacker Schuyler Montefalco is confident about Chicago’s defensive play thus far. “As a unit, we have been performing well, but our best performance is yet to come,” Montefalco said. “We are going to focus on doing what we do, and that is creating turnovers on defense. We have to out-execute and be more disciplined than the other team, and it should be a great game.” Montefalco’s defense has given up just 13 points per game this season, compared to Pacific’s 19 points per game given up on defense. For his performance against Macalester last Saturday (nine tackles, four for loss, one sack), Montefalco was chosen as the UAA Defensive Athlete of the Week—his second such honor this season. “Personally, I don’t read into stats or accolades,” he said. “This year has been about buying in and selling out for the team and doing whatever I can to help the team succeed. [Head coach Chris] Wilkerson has been a huge influence on me and has completely turned this program around. His attitude and core values are infectious, and I try to put my best effort forward for him and my teammates in an attempt to get better everyday.” This game will not only likely come down to a better defensive showing, but also to which offensive force has the ball for the last possession. Chicago journeys across the country for a 3 p.m. kickoff this Saturday in Oregon.
The 1925 silent movie with live organ
FRIDAY OCTOBER 25, 7:30 pm ROCKEFELLER CHAPEL 1 hour 50 minutes, no intermission A Halloween special: Rupert Julian’s silent film adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel is accompanied live on Rockefeller Chapel’s E.M. Skinner organ by Dennis James Tickets $10 general admission at the door or online at rockefeller.uchicago.edu, free to students with UChicago ID
Rockefeller Chapel is part of Campus and Student Life at the University of Chicago
SPORTS
IN QUOTES “If Favre is coming back, I’m going to fly down there and tell him to stay retired. Brett...stay retired, dude.” —Minnesota Vikings DE Jared Allen, advises ex-Viking Brett Favre against taking the St. Louis Rams’ job offer
Back to basics: South Siders look to get back on track Men’s Soccer David Gao Maroon Contributor After their worst defeat of the season on Sunday, Chicago (7–4–1) looks to the weekend and its second doubleheader this season. UW– Whitewater (14–4) will be the guests on Saturday and the Maroons are expecting a difficult match. “They always battle hard, play aggressive, and compete for every 50/50 ball,” said third-year forward and team captain Kyle Kurfirst. “They have been ranked in the top 25 and will be a tough team.” Attesting to the Warhawks’ competitiveness is last year’s game between the two teams. Tied at the end of regulation, Chicago and Whitewater went toe-to-toe in two overtime periods, ending a 110-minute game in a 2–2 tie. Saturday’s game will be no less fierce, with both Chicago and Whitewater seeking wins that could help earn them a spot in the NCAA tournament. The importance of the game can’t be overstated after last Sunday’s match against Case Western (6–4– 4), when the Spartans handed the Maroons a 4–0 loss.
“It really is just about us this weekend,” Kurfirst said. “We need to get back to playing our best soccer and show everyone the type of team we can be. We need to use the emotions from last Sunday to inspire our efforts this weekend in both games.” Head coach Mike Babst echoed this sentiment. “We just need to get back to playing much quicker,” he said. “Our movement off the ball has really dropped off over the past two weeks. We need to get back into a rhythm where we believe we can keep the ball and find openings through a possession. Instead, we’ve been lazy and haven’t worked as hard as we did earlier in the season on the ball to create that belief that we can break teams down through our own possessions and find different options through switching sides and connecting quickly. We really need to get back to some of the things we’ve done well this season, but we haven’t been as sharp recently.” After Saturday’s game, the South Siders will refocus their attention to Sunday’s match against the Rockford Regents, a team that has gone 0–14 in the season so far. Rockford does not pose a serious threat on paper.
Second-year Jorge Bilbao receives a pass from a teammate in a game against the University of Rochester last Friday. The Maroons won 2–1. TIFFANY TAN | THE CHICAGO MAROON
However, after the week it’s had, Chicago will be more aware than usual how dangerous any team can be when it’s desperate for a win. “Rockford’s most striking
similarity with Chicago is the need for a win. Rockford has not won a game all year, and are desperately trying to get a positive result,” said third-year forward Matt Vecchitto.
The match against Whitewater kicks off this Saturday at 1 p.m. on Stagg. Sunday’s game against Rockford is scheduled for 2 p.m. in the same place.
Alma, Elmhurst guests at Memorial Chicago visits high-powered Pacific Volleyball Russell Mendelson Sports Staff With just over two weeks to go in their season, the Maroons will play their two final home games of the year this evening. The games will be played at the Morgan Buerkett Memorial (Senior Night), which honors the four fourth-years, Morgan Clark, Nikki DelZenero,
Football Katie Huntington, and Maggie Vaughn and their contributions to the team. The night will also honor the memory of the fifth member of the Maroons’ senior class, who passed away after her first year playing for the Maroons. Buerkett was a rising second-year on the squad in the summer of 2011 when she and her parents were killed in a plane crash
on their way to Florida, where she was to take part in a training camp. Buerkett will be honored along with the other members of her senior class tonight before their second match on a night named in her memory. “These events are special to us as her teammates and friends, because it gives us the chance to VBALL continued on page 7
Samuel Zacher Associate Sports Editor Many people believe that offense wins the game, but defense wins the championships. This weekend, you might as well throw out that saying. Chicago (5–1) ventures to Forest Grove, Oregon to take on Pacific University (5–1), and both teams like to score. In addition to controlling the
game (5th nationally in time of possession), the Maroons’ offensive success has come from intelligent play. “Offensively, I think it has been our ability to adapt to what the defense is playing, whether it be to air it out or keep running the football,” said second-year receiver Sam Coleman. “The fact that we had such early success with our running game really allowed for our passing game to open up. It
created some opportunities for us to make big plays, and we just have to continue that.” Coleman leads the South Siders with five receiving touchdowns this season. The home Boxers are loaded offensively even more so than Chicago, averaging over 36 points per game, which ranks 34th nationally. The Maroons average 23.5 points per game but outscore their opponents FOOTBALL continued on page 7
Five for Friday: Taking a look at the week’s key story lines 1.
FOOTBALL FACES BIGGEST CHALLENGE YET
The Maroons face the Pacific University Boxers this Saturday in what should be the most difficult game of their season. The Boxers, like Chicago, are 5–1. Unlike Chicago, the Boxers are coming off of their first loss of the season, a nailbiting 17–16 defeat to No. 16 Pacific Lutheran, who kicked the winning field goal with two seconds left on the clock. The South Siders have defied expectations so far this year—they’ve already won more games than they did in all of 2012—but Saturday will mark the first time this season they’ve faced one of the elite teams in the country. The Pacific game will also be the Maroons’ last before UAAs. Don’t underestimate the impact a good performance could have on their chances in the conference tournament.
2.
MEN’S SOCCER LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK, AGAIN
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Chicago has beaten every nationally ranked team it has played this year, but lost each game following these wins. Once again, the Maroons find themselves reflecting on a disappointing defeat following an impressive victory. With only five games left to play in the regular season, the South Siders can’t afford any more slipups if they are going to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament, and they will begin that quest this Saturday against a strong UW–Whitewater team. The Warhawks are 14–4 this season, and they will bring confidence from the home draw they earned against the Maroons last year. Still, this is one of the most important games of Chicago’s season, and if its past is anything to go by, it will come out firing. Non-conference games don’t come bigger than this.
3.
EMOTIONAL NIGHT IN STORE FOR VOLLEYBALL
The Maroons will play No. 5 Elmhurst and Alma College at the Morgan Buerkett Memorial this evening. After another accomplished performance in UAAs, in which they beat then–No. 4 Emory, Chicago will be hoping to knock off another ranked opponent in Elmhurst and earn some payback for its loss to the same squad back in August. Alma, although not in Elmhurst’s league, is riding a threegame winning streak and should present a significant challenge of its own. But tonight will be about far more important things than volleyball. The South Siders will be playing in memory of teammate Morgan Buerkett, who passed away following the 2010–11 school year. She would have been celebrating her own senior night this evening.
4.
WOMEN’S SOCCER CAN ENJOY WEEKEND OFF
It wasn’t so long ago that the Maroons looked down and out. After a tie with Carnegie Mellon and a loss against Emory in their first two UAA games of the year, things were not looking good for the South Siders. Now, two conference wins later and tied for third in the UAA, the picture has changed considerably. The overtime win against UW– Oshkosh on Wednesday, to make it three wins out of three, hasn’t hurt the team’s confidence either. Chicago can enjoy watching Brandeis and Wash U—two of its three remaining conference opponents, Emory being the third—play this weekend, knowing, for at least the next few days, the pressure is off.
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5.
MONTEFALCO EARNS UAA RECOGNITION
Third-year linebacker Schuyler Montefalco was named UAA Defensive Player of the Week this week after another dominant performance in the homecoming game against Macalester in which he recorded one sack and nine tackles, including four tackles for a loss. Montefalco is now ranked third in the conference in tackles per game, averaging 8.5, and first in tackles for a loss, with the same number. Montefalco has been the cornerstone of a defense that has held its opponents to an average of 13 points this year. However, he will have to be at his best this weekend, if the Maroons are going to be successful against Pacific University, which is averaging just over 36 points a game this year. —Jake Walerius