111913 Chicago Maroon

TUESDAY • NOVEMBER 19, 2013

CHICAGOMAROON.COM

ISSUE 14 • VOLUME 125

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892

Beijing’s top woman links higher ed and diplomacy Marina Fang News Editor China’s highest-ranking female government official emphasized the role of higher education in forging diplomatic ties in remarks to Chinese and American university presidents on Monday in Ida Noyes Hall.

Vice Premier Liu Yandong gave the keynote address at the U.S.-China University Presidents Roundtable, a daylong conference featuring 23 university leaders from both countries co-chaired by UChicago President Robert Zimmer.

Liu’s visit kicks off a four-day trip to the United States that ends Thursday in Washington, where she will meet with Secretary of State John Kerry.

In her remarks, Liu said higher education forms a substantial part of diplomacy.

“Cooperation and exchanges between universities have built a bridge of friendship between our two countries and become one of the most closely related and effective areas in our people-to-people exchanges,” she said in remarks translated from Mandarin.

In his introductory remarks, Zimmer pointed at UChicago’s efforts to engage with China, citing the Center in Beijing

and the forthcoming Booth campus in Hong Kong.

“With the enormous amount of change, both economic and social, taking place in China…our faculty and our students will want to understand this change, build a set of collaborations, and be active in thinking about all this change,” he said.

Liu noted that China, with its relatively short history of systematic higher education, hopes to learn from the U.S. “China is a large country for higher education but not a strong one,” she said. “Compared to America, we have a lot of shortcomings. The first modern Chinese university was established just 100 years ago…whereas America’s first university, Harvard, was founded almost 400 years ago.”

The roundtable comes just a week after Beijing announced reforms to long-standing policies, such as loosening the one-child policy. In her speech, Liu highlighted proposed educational reforms, which include changing China’s notoriously demanding college entrance exam, the gao kao, and “promoting educational equity” between students in rural and urban areas, the source of major inequality in China.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong shakes hands with attendees of the U.S.–China University Presidents Roundtable on Monday morning in Ida Noyes.

JAMIE MANLEY | THE CHICAGO MAROON

University presidents responded to Liu’s remarks by noting the importance of higher education exchanges between the East and West, the effects of which sometimes are seen outside the

classroom.

“Universities have always operated beyond sovereignty, beyond boundaries.

Thought operates beyond sovereignty and beyond boundaries,” said New York

University President John Sexton. “I’m told the first flash mob ever in China was created at a shopping mall near the NYU Shanghai campus by students from 40 different countries.”

Recent daytime crimes UCMC faces threat of downgrade include mugging near Quad Joy Crane Grey City Editor

Thomas Choi Associate News Editor A string of at least three daylight thefts within the past week has created concern in Hyde Park and on the University campus. The latest incident took place at approximately 2:55 p.m. yesterday on the Midway Plaisance directly across from Harper Library, when a student was mugged at

gunpoint.

According to University spokesperson Jeremy Manier, that robbery was a rare and isolated incident.

“We had not seen an incident like this—near the quad and during or close to school hours—since 2010.

Attempted robberies during daylight hours are relatively unusual in this neighborhood,” Manier wrote in an CRIME continued on page 2

The credit rating for the University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC) is at risk of being downgraded by rating agency Moody’s Investors Service by the end of the fiscal year next June.

While the hospital currently maintains an Aa3 rating, the fourth-highest rating, the Medical Center’s financial standing has been flagged as at risk. The Aa3 grade denotes high quality and very low credit risk for long-term investments,

while the level below, Aa1, indicates upper-medium grade and low credit risk.

UCMC weathered a 2.9 percent decrease in cash flow in the last fiscal year, according to Moody’s, and risks downgrade if operating margins do not improve in the coming months. In the case of a lowered credit rating, the Medical Center would have to pay higher interest rates on future loans.

The negative outlook on the Center’s $737 million debt stems largely from an increase in monetary transfers from the UCMC to the Biological Sciences

Division, a trend that is expected to continue in the coming year. The UCMC considers the financial interdependence between the two institutions a part of its broader mission to fund research and teaching.

Moody’s is the only credit rating agency that considers such transfers as an operating expense, not an investment cost. Moody’s is also the only agency that is considering downgrading UCMC at the moment.

The launch of the UCMC’s Center UCMC continued on page 2

Student Health Series Part 3: Counseling and Mental Health Harini Jaganathan Associate News Editor During the 2012–2013 school year, Student Counseling Service (SCS) saw approximately 2,500 students, or 18.4 percent of all eligible students, according to SCS Director David Albert. Stanford and Northwestern’s SCS equivalents saw 14.5 percent and 11 percent of their eligible students respectively.

Albert said that overall utilization rates of SCS have remained constant over the last few years, but the rate of emergency walk-

ins has doubled since 2007– 2008. Albert believes this may reflect general trends in mental health of college students over the last decade. In the 2010 National Survey of Counseling Center Directors, 44 percent of students had severe psychological problems, versus 16 percent in 2000.

According to the 2012 Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors Annual Survey, the SCS’s utilization rate is more than double that of the average school of the same size. And yet, third-year Marcus

Perez said that when he went to SCS, he did not know much about it.

“I guess I thought that SCS wasn’t a very widely used resource, just because no one seemed to talk about it,” he said.

Third-year Himabindu Poroori, who started going to SCS at the beginning of this year, believes that students are often afraid to admit they use the mental health services.

“When I first came out about [going to SCS], dozens of people came out and started talking to me about Student Counseling

Services,” she said. “I want us to talk about the SCS the same way that we talk about going to the [Student Health Service] for a broken arm.”

Beyond the services themselves, Poroori said that the culture of “I spent all night at the Reg” or “I haven’t slept in a week and a half ” tends to trivialize stress and other mental health concerns brought on by academic pressure.

“People are too scared to talk about the more real stuff that happens to a lot of them,” she said. “I mentioned recently on

Facebook that I missed a midterm because I slept through it. And like a 100-something people were like, ‘I feel your pain.

I’ve been through shit like that.’

People withdraw [from classes].

People drop classes. People take quarters off. Things like that need to be destigmatized.”

Other students agreed that the rigorous academic culture contributed to their health issues, which were worsened by prevailing attitudes toward stress management.

“The culture of this University spiraled my eating disorder to the

point that my life was entirely unmanageable,” sixth-year Christina Pillsbury said.

SCS operations A student’s first visit to SCS is an intake appointment, during which a therapist will determine with the student what kinds of treatments would be most helpful. SCS will provide short-term psychotherapy, which typically consists of one to 10 sessions and is covered by the Student Life Fee, the sole source of the SCS SCS continued on page 2

IN VIEWPOINTS

IN ARTS

IN SPORTS

Let me choose to seal my lips

One-man Iliad returns to Court for second saga » Page 5

Squads earn NCAA berths at regionals

Marriage is only the beginning »

Dallas Buyers Club finds McConaughey as lone star » Page 6

South Siders get off to 2–0 start » Page

» Page 3 Page 4

» Back Page 7

THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | November 19, 2013

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After six sessions, students told SCS counseling could not continue Cutbacks, $75 million parking SCS continued from front around from counselor to coun- garage add to UCMC debt and is not a common SCS prac- social anxiety, and sexual assault.

budget. If the student needs longterm therapy, the SCS will refer the student to another service in Chicago.

According to an opt-in e-mail survey conducted by SCS in October, more than 90 percent of respondents were either satisfied or very satisfied with every aspect of their SCS experience.

Short-term therapy Third-year Kirsten Gindler went to Student Counseling Services her first year because she felt that she needed some help mediating stress as she transitioned into college life. Gindler attended six sessions before she was told that she could not continue.

“It was like an ‘oh, by the way’ moment. It was so weird. I just felt sort of duped by that,” she said. “If you’re going to advertise yourself as a supportive, available, accessible student counseling services center, you should probably include on the poster, ‘We are this, but only for seven sessions, until we make you go somewhere else and pay for it privately.’”

Gindler did not end up seeking treatment from an outside provider because of the time commitment required. “My life was already really, really busy.

That was sort of the reason why I was seeing a counselor.”

Albert said that Gindler’s situation of being told this information at the end of her course of therapy “would be most unusual”

tice.

Continuing concerns Like Gindler, third-year Helen Ellsworth went to SCS for six sessions after struggling with an eating disorder and was told during her second-to-last session that SCS could no longer see her.

“It’s frustrating because after six sessions, you develop a trusting relationship with your psychologist, and after six sessions I finally got to that point, and they boot you out the door,” she said.

Afterward, Ellsworth was referred to a free program at the University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC) for students with eating disorders. She said she found the program’s method of therapy uncomfortable and ineffective because it required her to share her disorder with her family. At the time, she was not ready to be that open and just wanted one-on-one counseling.

However, she could not afford the co-pay associated with mental health services outside of SCS, so she went back to SCS’s website to investigate the possibility of starting a support group for students with eating concerns and found that there were two externs who were starting such a group.

SCS currently runs six support groups consisting of about four or five people like the one Ellsworth joined. These include groups concerning coming out,

SCS also runs a program called “Let’s Talk,” where a psychiatrist or psychologist holds walk-in hours every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to talk to students anonymously. Over the last year, 113 students attended. Albert said that he plans on expanding this program as a way of connecting more students to SCS. Despite the popularity of these services, Ellsworth observed a lack of publicity for her group.

“If there was greater publication of the services and options, then a lot more students would get help,” she said.

Problems with referrals

In order to get help with her eating disorder, Pillsbury went to SCS during her second year.

The counseling center referred her to a program at the UCMC that she later discovered was a research study. She discussed with her counselor the possibility of going to a different program downtown called Insight but was told that that program would be too inconvenient for her.

Pillsbury went ahead with the research study and was ultimately misdiagnosed and given insufficient treatment. She also found it difficult to get appointments with the researchers, and while trying to get help, her illness worsened, landing her in the ER. Pillsbury said in the middle of all of this, she was bounced

selor at SCS. After her ER visit, she tried to make an appointment with Insight. The researchers told her she was unlikely to get an appointment at Insight any sooner than what they could give her.

Yet when she called the program downtown, Pillsbury was able to get an appointment much sooner.

“It seemed as if [SCS and the researchers] just wanted me to be in the research study instead of actually caring about my health,” she said.

Ellsworth thinks the challenges faced by SCS in helping students with mental health issues cannot be solved easily.

“This environment is so stressful,” she said. “It creates such anxiety that there’s going to be a presence of a lot of mental issues with students, and having puppies on the quad isn’t going to solve it.”

Editor’s Note: Christina Pillsbury is a former Maroon editor and Kirsten Gindler is a Maroon staffer.

This is the third installment of a quarter-long series on student health care, the last of which will be published December 3. The Maroon is committed to understanding all aspects of student health care. If you or someone you know has experiences relating to health care on campus, please contact harinijaganathan@uchicago.edu.

UCMC continued from front

for Care and Discovery, a $700 million institution that opened last February, has also added financial strain. In a statement, the UCMC stated that lower operating and cash flow margins were expected in FY 2013 as a result of the new facility.

The UCMC added more debt than was originally expected with the proposed construction of a $75 million parking garage, according to a 2012 Moody’s report.

Last year the Center was also pressured by external factors, including Medicaid and Medicare cutbacks from state and federal governments. The budget sequestration—automatic federal spending cuts that came into ef-

fect in 2013—has also led to decreased reimbursements for the hospital.

The UCMC was unable to provide estimates of losses that resulted because of the cutbacks.

But the Medical Center’s high number of patients on Medicaid, which represented 23 percent of gross revenues in FY 2011, has increased the impact of the shock.

“We have been gaining market share over the last couple of years, which is positive. We are doing better than some of our peers,” said UCMC spokesperson Michael Mchugh.

In June, Becker’s Hospital Review ranked the UCMC the 38th top-grossing hospital in the country, with revenues at $3.82 billion.

Campus police will increase patrol on East 59th Street CRIME continued from front

e-mail.

UCPD will be implementing foot patrols along East 59th Street and introducing Segwaylike patrol vehicles and bicycle patrols through the gardens along the Midway Plaisance in response to the incident, Manier added.

At least two other incidents occurred in daylight hours on November

12 and November 15 on East 54th Street between South Hyde Park Boulevard and South Cornell Avenue. The individual committed the burglaries by forcing his way into the homes after knocking on the door. According to DNAinfo Chicago, the suspect is a “black male, 40-50 years old, 5-foot-4 to 5-foot-8, and weighing 150 to 180 pounds.”

VIEWPOINTS

Editorial & Op-Ed NOVEMBER 19, 2013

53rd Street smarts Development on 53rd Street will best succeed by supporting both new and old businesses 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 SHERRY HE 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

With the much anticipated opening of Chipotle two weeks ago, with 114 people served in the first hour and reports of lines around the block in the following nights as well, the University received validation of something its long been claiming: Harper Court and related development projects are what Hyde Park wants. From the student perspective, it’s intuitive that Chipotle would be a success: RSO fundraisers selling their burritos in the past seemed to attract more buyers than any other product. But Chipotle is not just successful with students, at least from anecdotal evidence; it is also a viable option for non-students in the community. Hyde Park has its own identity and vibrancy that can be supported by national chains, so the University should continue to make each development decision with a balance of campus and community needs in mind—especially given that the development is partly funded by the public.

Some local businesses have felt

the sting of construction and University development, and argue that these national chains are not reviving Hyde Park but harming what is already here. Business owners, such as the woman who owned the Avignon clothing shop on East 53rd Street for over two decades, felt driven out after the University purchased her property, according to DNAinfo Chicago. Ideally, destination restaurants like Rajun Cajun and Valois, as well as lesser-known parts of the neighborhood, would be helped by development. When done right, the placement of chains like Chipotle can bring in business without replacing quintessential Hyde Park haunts.

The Hyatt Place hotel, which opened two months ago, is a national chain and has already brought increased business to the adjacent additions of Kilwins and Harper Theater. The University should consider the possible benefits of this spillover effect for Hyde Park staples when planning the placement of national chains and strive to attract businesses that are

not only viable in and of themselves, but also complement what’s already here.

That delicate balance in development planning can be helped by acute attention to the desires of the University in conjunction with the desires of the broader community.

One development along East 53rd Street that has drawn ire from the community is a high-rise retail and residential building, Vue53, across from Nichols Park at the site of the old Mobil gas station. That decision sparked the reformation of Citizens for Appropriate Retail and Residential Development in protest, who argued that the building would be an eyesore and congest traffic in an already-busy school zone and park area. Although there were multiple community meetings, they were clearly not persuasive enough to prevent residents from suing the city over the proposed development. The group could just be a loud minority, but it is in the University’s interest to show how it will help native

Hyde Park businesses, and why the development needs to be in that particular spot, before proceeding. As a neighborhood power broker, Fourth Ward Alderman Will Burns (A.B. ’95, A.M. ’98) also has a responsibility to address these concerns.

The University has the potential to increase foot traffic for local businesses by placing national chains in the right places. In order to strike the balance that best benefits Hyde Park as a whole, it cannot ignore the views of the local businesses and members of the community. Instead, it can find creative ways to integrate development decisions—something already exemplified in a commercial for East 53rd Street featuring old and new businesses alike. New national chains may add appeal to an already vibrant community, but they are not—and shouldn’t be—what define East 53rd Street, nor Hyde Park.

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

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 LIAM LEDDY Assoc. Viewpoints Editor

Playing pretend Students are simultaneously expected to explore and already be found during college

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

TYRONALD JORDAN Business Manager TAMER BARSBAY Director of Business Research SHAWN CHEN Director of Internal Marketing ANNIE ZHU Director of External Marketing VINCENT MCGILL Delivery Coordinator ANNIE CANTARA Designer CARINA BAKER Designer AURNA HASNIE Designer JANE JUN Designer CASEY KIM Designer JONAH RABB Designer NICHOLAS ROUSE Designer KRYSTEN BRAY Copy Editor SOPHIE DOWNES Copy Editor MICHELLE LEE Copy Editor CHELSEA LEU Copy Editor KATIE LEU Copy Editor JOHN LOTUS Copy Editor KATARINA MENTZELOPOULOS Copy Editor CHRISTINE SCHMIDT Copy Editor ANDY TYBOUT Copy Editor LAN WANG Copy Editor RUNNAN YANG Copy Editor

The Chicago Maroon is published twice weekly during autumn, winter, and spring quarters Circulation: 5,500.

The opinions expressed in the Viewpoints section are not necessarily those of the Maroon. © 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 Clair Fuller Viewpoints Columnist I recently found myself in Pilsen exploring the neighborhood’s monthly Second Fridays Gallery Night, during which various studio and gallery spaces are open to the public for free. One man’s studio apartment featured, in half of the space, what looked like a mindblowingly expensive photography setup and, in the other half, a collection of terrible photographs. In the middle of the room stood the artist himself, attempting to hold court with a glass of wine in his hand. He was wearing a white blazer that he had copiously decorated with handwritten messages; the left shoulder read, in large letters, “ABSTRACT IS THE ONLY SENSE WORTH FEELING.” In other words, he was one of those strangers who make it very, very easy for you to hate them.

And yet, the more I thought about it, the more my scorn turned to a vague sense of sympathy. This guy was affecting what he thought it meant to be a photographer— fancy equipment, studio space in a quickly gentrifying neighborhood, “edgy” DIY apparel—and he was so, so bad at it. I recognized in him the same panicked façade I feel whenever conversations turn to apartment hunting, summer internships, or post-graduation

plans—like if I manage to say all the right buzzwords (utilities included, Metcalf, gap year) and continue to blindly proceed down this path of what we’re apparently “supposed” to be doing with our lives, then maybe no one will notice that I have absolutely no idea what’s going on.

This is obviously a delusion. Of course, everyone knows that I have no idea what’s going on, because I’m 19 and in college and don’t know how to even begin signing a lease or figuring out the magic combination of e-mails to send in order to line up the summer plans that will ensure a properly padded résumé. When my friends and I talk about these things, our language is couched in the delicate assumption that this sort of adulthood is something we’re still just playing at. I frequently find myself saying that I need to “be a grownup” or “try to live a real human life” in a way that makes it obvious that I’m definitely not currently doing either of those things.

Just like the terrible photographer in Pilsen, I’m not fooling anyone. I’m not fooling anyone about the fact that I’m 19 and in college and that this is probably the last time in my life I’ll be able to admit to having nothing figured out. Even so, I still have trouble owning up to the fact that my life is anything but completely (or even mostly) together. Even among my peers, most of whom I know are experiencing the same terrifying uncertainty, any acknowledgments of insecurity are masked with humor. You can’t say, “Last night at 4 a.m., I broke down and cried while trying to write a Sosc paper” without a laugh; otherPRETEND continued on page 4

Let me choose to seal my lips Katz’s article veers close to imparting judgment that she herself fears Haleigh Miller Viewpoints Contributor An interesting thing happens every fall quarter around campus: People get dressed up and go out because they still miraculously have the energy to do so. It’s a quasi-celebration every weekend because somehow, inexplicably, we’ve survived another week with enough energy to celebrate that survival. I suppose there really is some magic wafting about the UChicago campus: Through a miracle of divine intervention, we, the members of the student population, manage to wedge our hills of flesh into our spandex.

And yes—we’ve been noticed.

Eliora Katz successfully struck a nerve when she declared, “My Lips Are Sealed” (11/8/13). About a week ago, I was sitting at lunch and was distracted from my very carefully scheduled period of sitting and doing nothing by a growing murmur regarding Katz’s article: from men in various states of confusion, and women looking simultaneously disgusted and concerned.

Let’s press pause for a moment: Pause the demeaning imagery, and pause the barefaced judgment that her article seems to indulge.

Can we as a community take a hot second to discuss the disturbing mindset creeping into our dialogue? Can we address the lack of productive discussion plaguing our peers? Can we simply stand up on our chairs and proudly declare, “Don’t you dare tell me what I can and cannot wear!”?

The strength to stick to one’s commitments with the intensity that radiates from Katz’s Viewpoints piece is commendable and should be praised. I’m more than happy to do that. Grappling with one’s morality and tenets in a college environment is an experience shared by many, and not just in a to-drink-or-not-to-drink context.

Freedom to reinvent yourself can be liberating, but it can also make it a little too easy to lose sight of the things you care most about.

Reconciling Orthodoxy, morality, or even just academic priorities with the collegiate culture of “I can do whatever I want” is something with which so many people (myself included) struggle. So big ups, Eliora; your conviction is inspiring.

But don’t let that conviction extend to anybody else based on your observations of our lifestyle.

Zoom out with me here. Across our campus, there’s a spectrum of intolerance: the conventional and assumed pressure to go just a little bit harder on one end, and “hills of flesh covered by revealing spandex beg me to notice them” on the other. First of all, I prefer “curvy” to having my body called a “hill of flesh,” but maybe that’s just a personal preference. Moving right along and back to the big picture, when did my decision to dress however I want start impacting anyone in a real, tangible way?

Other than you witnessing the fact that I’m “packed into [my] tight trousers like two generous scoops of ice cream” (thank you, for that, by the way…), and perhaps disapLIPS continued on page 4

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THE CHICAGO MAROON | VIEWPOINTS | November 19, 2013

Marriage is only the beginning Mainstream LGBTQ movement overlooks other important issues in emphasizing marriage equality Kris Rosentel Viewpoints Contributor On Tuesday, November 5, the Illinois legislature passed a bill legalizing same-gender marriages.

After its passage, I was bombarded with celebratory and supportive responses from many of my progressive, straight, cisgender friends: “Have you heard the good news?” “I’m so happy for you!” “It’s about time!” “Your gay wedding will be so classy.” These friends are under the impression that marriage equality is the sole solution—a happy ending—to LGBTQ oppression and thus that I, as a member of that community, would be overjoyed with the passage of this bill.

But here’s the deal: I’m a queer man who doesn’t support the marriage equality movement. I do think same-gender couples should be treated equally under the law. I also think they should have access to many of

the benefits that come with marriage. And who knows, perhaps I’ll even get married someday in order to take advantage of those benefits. However, what I mainly take issue with is the mainstream gay movement’s approach to marriage equality advocacy.

This movement, which is largely led by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), has adopted a strategy that idolizes normative family models within the institution of marriage, ignoring non–marriage equality LGBTQ issues and pushing the most marginalized groups within the LGBTQ community further to the fringes. A quick look at the HRC, Lambda Legal, and other mainstream gay organizations’ websites makes the idolization of traditional family structures obvious: They generally feature photos of well-dressed couples, often with children, holding hands or with their arms around each other, paired with rhetoric

Vulnerability can be seen as failure here PRETEND continued from page 3 wise things get too real. We get so close to the edge of vocalizing these shared feelings, but we always back away, because it’s too scary to admit that we’re scared, and because we can’t commiserate over them together, they’re all the more terrifying to deal with in this false sense of isolation.

Even though I am privileged to have these four years of my life to figure things out, and even though college is the time to be confused and directionless, I still feel like I can’t allow myself that time in the face of the overwhelming pressure to perform all the rituals of maturity, despite the fact that they lack any substance. In the end, though, it’s useless— the result is not the appearance of adulthood, but rather that of a child lugging her mother’s briefcase. And because everyone seems to be attempting these same rituals—in many cases more successfully—even attempting to create a space for vulnerability feels like a failure when I’m trying so hard to do well in school, set myself up for a job after graduation, and measure up to those who seem to effortlessly have everything figured out. So I keep chugging on, comparing inner feelings of inadequacy to the outward appearance of others’ success, inevitably coming up short every time.

Clair Fuller is a second-year in the College majoring in gender and sexuality studies.

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.

focused on love and care giving.

Through this depiction, these organizations are creating a new gay ideal: upper-middle-class, loving, monogamous couples who keep their sex lives private. The creation of this ideal inherently leads to the stigmatization of alternative gay lifestyles. Promiscuity, overt sexuality, polyamory, and single life are all being shamed within the contexts of the gay community. In other words, the mainstream gay movement is forcing gay people to conform to heteronormative family structures in order to fit into a “we’re no different than straight people” narrative—a narrative that is generic and straitlaced enough to resonate with mass audiences while flying under the guise of progressivism.

What may be even more troubling than this conformist pressure is the relative disregard of LGBTQ issues that are not related to marriage. These in-

clude high rates of homelessness among LGBTQ youth; the inaccessibility of existing resources such as HIV testing, counseling, and LGBTQ social groups to people of color and/or lowincome status; lack of adequate and accessible health care for both HIV-positive people and trans* people; strict immigration policy that makes it difficult for LGBTQ people to leave behind persecution in their home countries; the rarity of gender-neutral bathroom options; and high levels of violence against LGBTQ inmates, especially trans* inmates, within the prison system.

The HRC and other mainstream LGBTQ organizations perpetuate the myth that these issues will be solved when marriage equality is achieved because benefits will be accessible through marriage and homophobia will be eradicated. This argument is flawed on many levels. First, it overlooks the fact that marriage

equality will do nothing for single LGBTQ people and that many of these issues, including LGBTQ youth homelessness and prison violence, are hardly addressed by marriage benefits. Second, it suggests that acceptance of gay people will trickle down from state recognition of same-gender marriage and that people will thereby stop being homophobic.

This makes about as much sense as saying that Roe v. Wade would end misogyny or that the Civil Rights Act would end racism.

Furthermore, in a manner typical of the mainstream LGBTQ agenda, this argument doesn’t even address transphobia.

Along with the disregard for many such LGBTQ issues by the marriage-centric movement comes the further marginalization of trans* people, bisexual people, people of color, and people of low-income status. Examples of this abound—for instance, last spring, during the De-

fense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Proposition 8 hearings, an HRC staffer asked a man to remove his transgender pride flag from a marriage equality rally because it did not “coincide with the message of the demonstration.” In a similar vein, the HRC recently asked a Latino speaker at a marriage equality rally to avoid discussing his experiences as an undocumented worker because it didn’t want to complicate the narrative. By silencing voices and hiding identities, the mainstream movement at best tokenizes minority groups and at worst ignores them entirely.

The LGBTQ community is about much more than the fairy tale weddings of Neil Patrick Harris and Ellen DeGeneres. It’s about time we started acting like it.

Kris Rosentel is a secondyear in the College majoring in gender and sexuality studies and public policy.

“Efforts to combat rape culture are swamped by this negative view...”

LIPS continued from page 3 proving of my choice of fit, what impact are my skin-tight jeans really having on your existence? Perhaps the most important bit and the one I’m most concerned about: Isn’t this judgment pressure for me to cover up and conform to a traditional set of morals just as insidious and prejudiced as the pressure for you to show some skin?

At the end of the day, this whole debate is about choices, both yours and mine, and our right to make them on our own.

Everybody has a right to choose their beliefs, what they wear, and when to leave a frat party. Or not leave. Or not believe. And that’s totally fine. Recognizing that a situation is not in accordance with your own morality and having the courage to pull yourself out of it are hugely commendable. But condemning me for not sharing that view and for wearing spandex? That’s not commendable. That’s judgmental and intolerant and a huge part of the reason we as a community

have such a hard time having a real discussion about real issues facing our population.

Efforts to combat rape culture are swamped by this negative view of other students and religious radicalism grows out of this intolerance. A toxic environment is developing and I don’t want to be a part of it.

Let me take a moment and place a caveat on this whole diatribe: This is in no way meant to excuse genuinely offensive behavior. There’s no place for prejudice and hatred. Things that do have a tangible effect and violate a person’s right to choose her own lifestyle are exempt from the rant in which I’m engaging. That type of behavior violates the contract of mutual respect for which I’m vouching. Why is my body suddenly a political arena, even when there isn’t an externality to my choice of leggings? In this respect I agree with Katz’s point: We all experience that feeling at some point. And it’s absurd. But doesn’t condemning and judging the spandex-rocking population in

her article only exacerbate the issue?

Respect my right to wear spandex and hook up and I’ll respect your right to wear a more conservative skirt. Allow me to make my choices. No one has to participate with me, but I must be given the opportunity to choose my own lifestyle. This is a community that fosters open discourse and discussion—there’s no room for condemnation of a lifestyle choice that inflicts no harm on others. This is a community of acceptance and respect.

I’m not asking for your stamp of approval.

No stamps needed here. Stick to your guns.

Stand up for yourself. But I am asking for you to respect me enough to let me do the same, and to let me live my life. Do not condemn the quality of my being based on the choices I make that don’t affect you. Let me rock my crop top, please and thank you.

Haleigh Miller is a second-year in the College majoring in public policy.

ARTS

Heartlandia NOVEMBER 19, 2013

One-man Iliad returns to Court for second saga Anna Hill Associate Arts Editor From the industrial bowels of his rusted and rotting home, clothed in muddied rags and shrouded in a dark countenance, the anonymous narrator of An Iliad—Court Theatre’s remounted, one-man adaptation of Homer’s epic—recalls the events of the Trojan War as if from personal experience. Adapted by Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare (of TV’s True Blood, American Horror Story, The Good Wife, and numerous others) from Robert Fagles’s translation of the Iliad, the production takes a unique approach to a much-told story.

Rather than merely retelling the narrative, the Poet (portrayed by seasoned performer Timothy Edward Kane) molds it to the present moment. He begs the audience to imagine hundreds and thousands of Greek soldiers not as the distant and dusty figures of history, but as young boys from our own memories—from Ohio or Florida—who fought in World War II and the Iraq War. With his hands, he drafts maps and worlds, diagrams of trenchladen battlefields littered with the bodies of one’s own neighbors and friends. He devours the story and internalizes it, and he does this with such mad enthusiasm that the audience cannot help but do the same.

It is from this precise sense of intelligent madness that the show

draws its power. Kane accesses the Poet’s blinding preoccupation with the story in a manner that is both manic and deeply distraught, both incredibly humorous and utterly detached. In one moment, his witty commentary swells the audience into laughter, and in the next—almost instantly—he descends into the dark pits of memory. Kane’s performance

AN ILIAD Court Theatre Through December 15

brilliantly explores the chasm that lies between the act of telling a story and the act of experiencing one; he does not simply narrate the events of the Iliad, but rather takes ownership of them and in doing so creates an entirely new epic of his own.

Kane’s striking performance reverberates within an extremely welldesigned set (courtesy of the talented Todd Rosenthal), which functions as both a backdrop for and an active participant in the production.

Seemingly empty grates suddenly issue forth beams of light, caverns spew out sourceless breezes, and old ducts cast ominous shadows. Kane fluidly works upon every surface of the stage, handling the space with a stunning effortlessness that can only have resulted from hours of dedicated practice. The lighting and

Timothy Edward Kane stars as the Poet in An Iliad, back at Court after an award-winning 2011 run.

COURTESY OF MICHAEL BROSILOW

sound design are similarly effective, as the sparing music imbues the performance with enough pathos to carry the Poet’s words, but not so much that his already-emotional presentation spills into caricature.

Every aspect of the show serves to enhance its movement, and this harmony results in a unique energy that one rarely expects from a one-actor production.

Though it takes some time to

Of Walking: A constitutional in color

warm up to the Poet’s narrative technique (which can, I admit, feel a bit heavy-handed at times), one learns very early in the show that Kane maintains a firm grasp on his character. If nothing else, the sheer length of the monologue, the daunting task of carrying a multi-hour show alone, would be enough to earn him the raucous standing ovation that greeted him during his bow this past Saturday night. However,

American Horror Story scary good in new season Maggie Schurr Maroon Contributor

Museumgoers violate directions by standing still to admire photos from Odette England’s project Thrice Upon A Time. Of Walking features both new media and traditional photographs.

COURTESY OF ELLEN RODNIANSKI

Ellen Rodnianski Arts Staff Photography has become a means of documenting a variety of physical activities, from playing sports to laughing to dancing to eating. The Museum of Contemporary Photography, located at Columbia College, recently opened an exhibit that focuses on one of the most widely practiced physical activities: walking. Of Walking, curated by associate director Karen Irvine and on display through December 20, showcases international works spanning the last six decades. The show explores the connection between walking and profundity.

Of Walking was inspired by a

quote from Rebecca Solnit’s book Wanderlust: A History of Walking: “It is the movement as well as the sights going by that seems to make things

OF WALKING Museum of Contemporary Photography Through December 20

happen in the mind, and this is what makes walking ambiguous and endlessly fertile: [I]t is both means and end, travel and destination.”

The photographs displayed show the different perspectives artists have

taken to explore the concept of walking.

Some, like Jim Campbell, have chosen to document walkers. Of Walking features Campbell’s “Fundamental Interval (Commuters)” (2010), which uses photography and LED lights to portray an abstract image of people walking through Grand Central Station in New York, as well as an earlier work of Campbell’s titled “Motion and Rest” (2002), which shows a figure walking and stopping using single pixels of light attached to a black panel.

However, the exhibit is not defined only by new media. Other artists chose to explore walking through a different lens, one in which the act of OF WALKING continued on page 6

the performance did not stun the audience merely by virtue of being impressive: It did so because it was at once inspiring, ominous, and deeply ashamed. I left the theater with the sense that I had witnessed a truly incredible tale, though it was not one of epic battles and rose-tinted dawns and god-loved heroes, but rather one of a man possessed by a story, simultaneously in love with and plagued by the act of telling it.

If you have not been watching American Horror Story: Coven, you should start immediately. It’s understandable why you might not have tuned in every Wednesday night: Ryan Murphy, the show’s creator and producer, does not have a track record of making great TV. The second season was nowhere near as exciting as the first. The whole anthology series concept is confusing and easier to ignore than try to understand. But in its third installment, American Horror Story has finally hit its stride, ironically right in the middle of the decline of the horror TV revival. (It’s all about period pieces and fantasy nonsense these days.)

What makes Coven so great?

It might be that Jessica Lange is at her most complex (and most smokin’) as Fiona Goode, leader of a troubled witch coven descended from Salem. It might be her stone-cold nemesis, voodoo queen Marie Laveau (played

by Angela Bassett, who is new to the series). It might be that it deals with some of the heaviest issues the show has ever touched on, with episodes tackling racism, feminism, and oppression without breaking a sweat.

But what really sets this season apart from the others (and from everything else on TV) is its willingness to play with the genre. Coven is a horror TV show through and through, but it isn’t afraid to experiment a little. Characters like budding witch and movie star Madison Montgomery (played by Emma Roberts, who was born for the role) have allowed the show to dip its toes into black humor, something that’s always had a few moments in seasons past but has been a highlight of season three.

The show introduced gore (a first for primetime television?) with Kathy Bates as Madame Delphine LaLaurie, a socialite-cum-serial killer based on a real woman who lived in New Orleans.

It all adds up for some wacky TV each week. It feels vaguely reminiscent of the first season of True Blood without all of the campiness and lax HBO standards. It stands out because since horror TV became fashionable again (a fortuitous effect of a certain young adult vampire book series—I owe Edward Cullen so much), the content has been getting pretty formulaic. If you, like me, were raised on Courage the Cowardly Dog and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, you have been impatiently waiting for TV to get weird again. And it has.

THE 2013 THECHICAGO CHICAGOMAROON MAROON ||ARTS ARTS|| November November19, 1, 2013

6

Dallas Buyers Club finds McConaughey as lone star Hamid Bendaas News Staff Philosopher Georges Bataille wrote extensively on the bullfighting bull, which he used to clarify a larger point about human nature—just as the bull is most a bull when let out into the ring where death is certain and only to be delayed by vigorous battle, we too are most human when we accept our own situation to be similar to the bull’s.

Dallas Buyers Club, directed by Jean-

DALLAS BUYERS CLUB Jean-Marc Vallée AMC River East

Marc Vallée, expands on this philosophy through the true historical figure of Ron Woodruff, portrayed by a gaunt, almost skeletal Matthew McConaughey.

McConaughey, who lost 40 pounds for the role, becomes the bull in the center, supplying almost all of the humanity in Vallée’s film.

Ron Woodruff was a real man who was diagnosed in 1985 with AIDS. Before his diagnosis, he was a blue-collar redneck and rodeo enthusiast, engaging frequently in casual sex and cocaine use, his speech punctuated with curses and homophobic slurs. His diagnosis leaves him an outcast from his previous social circle and prejudiced against those around him in the same situation. In an effort to save his own life, he trav-

els to Mexico to procure unapproved drugs; realizing their effectiveness and the demand for them back stateside, he decides he might as well turn a profit with his time left. “I prefer to die with my boots on,” Woodruff quips. His business, however, ends up being the only place to go for many AIDS victims in the area who are out of other options.

The power and subtlety of McConaughey’s performance are so impressive that at times he seems pulled down by the very good script and very good supporting actors. McConaughey leaves good in the dust—he is great here, and an immediate Oscar contender.

Vallée and the screenwriters should be praised for eschewing sentimentality and tear-jerk moments and trusting McConaughey’s performance to bring across the appropriate emotions.

Manipulative writing or direction would have been easy given the subject matter—a man diagnosed with AIDS in the late 1980s who is told he has 30 days to live and turn his life around. The lack of cheers or tears when the credits roll shows a real commitment to Woodruff ’s character and McConaughey’s ability.

The film scathes as a social commentary, showing brutally, though sometimes too ham-handedly, how willing we are to let those on the fringes suffer, and the infrequently examined issue that there exist taboos against certain people in our country to enter hospitals, no matter how desperately they require medical assistance. In an early instance, we find a construction worker, bleeding and writhing under a piece

Matthew McConaughey stars as Ron Woodruff, a man diagnosed with AIDS and told he has one month to live.

COURTESY OF FOCUS FEATURES

of machinery, with those around him unwilling to call an ambulance because “he’s illegal.” The deathly ill Woodruff is consistently threatened with arrest for his illegal drug use while in the hospital.

The FDA, pharmaceutical companies, and hospitals pushing the ineffective drug azidothymidine (AZT) become the main villains of the movie as they profit from the AIDS epidemic. Even the overly bureaucratic drug testing policy is criticized for its inhumanity as “giving dying people sugar pills” by a disillusioned Woodruff. If our society’s poor and desperate are the bulls in the ring, the film seems to claim that it is

those we would hope and expect to help who are often the picadors.

However, the staying point of the film is more philosophical and more uplifting. Like Bataille’s, Woodruff ’s humanity is revealed when he is put in the ring; unlike Bataille’s bullfighting bull, Woodruff finds he is not alone in the center. The warmth of death at his neck is what pulls him out of his isolating lifestyle of obsessive pleasure seeking, drunkenness, and hatefulness, toward charity and appreciation of other people’s happiness. His disease and the stigma against it rob him of much of what he once enjoyed—“Ice cold beer, watching

With an eye toward America, Art Institute holds feast

Wayne Thiebaud’s Salad, Sandwiches, and Dessert (1960) is part of the tasteful new exhibit.

COURTESY OF SHELDON MUSEUM OF ART, WAYNE THIEBAUD

Andrew McVea Maroon Contributor The Art Institute of Chicago has a very strict no-food policy within its galleries, but, after a long day perusing them, it’s hard not to feel a bit famished.

If this is the case, you may want to grab a snack before you head into the new exhibition Art and Appetite: American Painting, Culture, and Cuisine. From sumptuous depictions of peaches to cooks preparing juicy cuts of fish, Art and Appetite piques the mind and the stomach.

Upon entering the exhibit, one is greeted by Norman Rockwell’s

famous depiction of the all-American Thanksgiving meal, “Freedom from Want.” Front and center sit the heads of the family, a couple who appears to embody Midwestern family values, as they display a succulent, brown turkey to their attending kin. On the surface it is opulent, with the matriarch of the family struggling under the weight of the bird. However, the painting was made during the early part of World War II, and it reflects the era: Despite the central focus of the turkey, the rest of the table is nearly bare, representing the rationing that a good American family would have been doing during the time.

Across the gallery, “Turkey,” by Roy Lichtenstein, presents a contrasting view on the same subject. “Turkey” features Lichtenstein’s typical pop-

ART AND APPETITE: AMERICAN PAINTING, CULTURE, AND CUISINE Art Institute of Chicago Through January 27

art style, utilizing Benday dots for shading and a bright, solid yellow for the turkey. Lichtenstein’s painting was supposedly inspired by an ad

for a turkey that appeared in his local newspaper, and it does closely resemble newsprint as it sits flat and monochrome on the canvas. This stark contrast between the familial and the industrial provides an interesting introduction to the rest of the exhibition.

After the Thanksgiving gallery, most of the subsequent rooms are ordered according to artistic period as well as content. Beginning with still lifes by early American artists like Raphaelle Peale depicting various horticultural staples, the exhibition charts American history, eventually landing on modern representations of food seen in popular culture and the mass production of prepared food. The paintings that say the most about America’s relationship with its cuisine, such as Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawks,” Wayne Thibauld’s “Salads, Sandwiches, and Dessert,” and a piece from Andy Warhol’s series on Campbell Soup cans appear toward the end in the more modern section.

Unfortunately, an excessively large number of paintings in the early part of the exhibit depict bowls of fruit.

While the fruit looks luscious, the paintings begin to lose their appeal after a few galleries of similarlypresented bunches of grapes and piles of game. The exhibition is most successful when it focuses on the people eating the food rather than on the food itself—one highlight is a room devoted to the popularity of picnics in the mid-1800s. All of the galleries couple the delicious pictures of food with an interesting look into both the artist’s inspirations regarding the painting and the changing relationship between the American public and food.

bull riding again, take a woman dancing.

I want kids.” We are so pulled into this character that we smile with him during the rare sweet moment—a date (“Nice restaurant, beautiful woman. I feel like a human again.”), or even a hookup with another AIDS patient. For Woodruff and for those around him, the prospect of death demands that they reach out to each other and stop hating those around them and themselves. Woodruff ended up living seven years past his expiration date, largely through the small favors of others but also, we know, because living meant fighting, and he was fighting for more than one life.

Take a hike to the MoCP’s galleries for new vistas OF WALKING continued from page 5 walking itself becomes the main artistic focus and photography a means to document it. For instance, the exhibit features the project Thrice Upon a Time by Australian artist and photographer Odette England, which presents pictures taken by negatives that were attached to the legs of England’s parents while they walked on the farm that they were forced to sell when she was 14. As they walked throughout the farm, the negatives were damaged, torn, and imprinted with dirt and debris—and it is these pictures that England printed and used for the project.

One of the first series of photos one sees when entering the exhibit is several large works by the Japanese artist Sohei Nishino. These works are collages of hundreds of black and white 35mm location shots that were taken in specific cities. The collage shows an urban circuit presented through Nishino’s focus on a central vein of a sort. For instance, in “Diorama Map London” (2010), the Thames functions as the central vein of the collage, while in “Diorama Map Tokyo” (2004), the railway works in a similar manner.

Of Walking presents an interesting and diverse collection of photographic works that explore the idea of motion and the emotional depth that can come through this motion in an array of unusual ways.

And the Museum of Contemporary Photography, due to its small layout, functions as the perfect location for a broad-thinking yet intimate exhibit.

7

THE CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | November 19, 2013

Crusaders end Maroons’ season South Siders get off to 2–0 start Women’s Soccer

Women’s Basketball

Tatiana Fields Associate Sports Editor Sometimes the best team doesn’t win.

In a game where Chicago (11–5–3) dominated Capital (17–4–1) for almost the entirety of the game, the Crusaders were able to get one goal during double overtime to bring the score to 1–0. With that goal, after 101 minutes of play, the South Siders were officially eliminated from the NCAA DIII tournament.

Chicago started off strong and held possession for much of the game. Capital was kept on the defensive for the first half, as the Maroons outshot the Crusaders 11–1 and held a 5–0 advantage in corner kicks.

Though the South Siders had a number of good opportunities that looked like they could have gone in, the Capital goalie responded with big saves, keeping the game scoreless through the first half.

The second half was more of the same, though the Crusaders started to even out play with a few shots on goal. The South Siders held the shot advantage 6–5, but neither team could get on the scoreboard.

“Throughout the 90 minutes of regular play, Capital rarely crossed midfield and at times their goalie even resorted to killing the game off by keeping the ball at her feet, sure signs that they were scared of us and our dangerous attacks,” said fourth-year captain Natalia Jovanovic.

With their chance to advance in the tournament on the line, the Maroons were even more aggressive in the first period of overtime. During those 10 minutes the South Siders took five shots. Second-year forward Mary Bittner and second-year midfielder Nicole Mullen both had shots on goal that were kept out by the Capital goalie.

Just one minute into the second period of overtime, the Crusaders scored, and ended

the Maroons’ hopes of reaching the second round. Capital aimed a corner kick across the goal, and the 20-mph winds that blew throughout the game carried the ball to hit the back post and eventually into the goal.

“It was an unfortunate fluke that did not reflect how we dominated and possessed the entire game,” Jovanovic said. “It was obviously heartbreaking because we knew we were the better team.”

The team was disappointed to end its season in this manner, but the Maroons know they fought hard and left it all out on the field.

“Although we would have liked things to turn out differently, we are proud of our performance and ended our season knowing we were playing our greatest soccer,” Jovanovic said.

Overall, the Maroons have performed well this season, demonstrated by strong showings against a number of competitive teams. Chicago faced Wash U and Wheaton this season—both of which have held the No. 1 national ranking at some point—and held its own.

“Our team had a great season this year not only because we have talented players but because we embody the meaning of being a team,” Jovanovic said. “We care for each other, work hard for each other, and bring passion and energy to each practice and game. This was one of the best teams I have been on in my career here which makes it difficult to believe that our season is over.”

Jovanovic, who was one of nine fourthyears to have played her final game for the Maroons, also had time to reflect on her career in Chicago.

“I personally have enjoyed every moment on this team and cannot believe how fast it went,” Jovanovic said. “The people in this program are incredible and have made [this] a great journey.”

Men’s and women’s squad qualify for Nationals in same year for first time XC continued from back

Championship. This year, the cap was lifted and the Maroons slid in to one of the 16 at-large selections. “[Fourth-year captain Dan Povitsky] always expects us to be contributing to the team and he does not hesitate to make it known when we are not,” first-year Gareth Jones said. “I believe that the team before individual mentality that he tries to instill in all of us is why we are successful.”

With their team first and pack-running mentality as their focus, the Maroons finished as a group. Povitsky took 33rd overall with a time of 25:15.0. About 15 seconds later, fourth-year captain Sam Butler came in at 39th overall and second-year Michael Frasco finished 41st. The next three runners, including sixth-place Jones,

finished within the following 30 seconds.

Last year, head coach Chris Hall was asked what his top goals were for the season.

“Every year we want the whole team to go to the national meet. Our goal is to qualify both the men’s and women’s teams for Nationals. We have never had both go in the same year, but we hope to change that,” he said.

While last year did not work out as planned, the Maroons will have to book twice as many tickets to Nationals as they have ever booked before. And while the Athletic Department’s budget might feel a slight pinch, the pinch will serve better as a reality-check that these two squads have made history for Chicago cross country.

The DIII National Championships begin at 12:30 p.m. EST on Saturday in Hanover, IN.

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Adam Freymiller Maroon Contributor The Maroons (2–0) kickstarted their season in grand fashion over the weekend, winning their home Tip-Off Tournament with two victories, one over Rockford (1–1) and one over Coe (1–1).

The tournament began on Friday evening with an offensive explosion, as the South Siders took to the court and turned in a strong performance for the home crowd, relying on a combination of balanced attack and stingy defense to defeat Rockford 87–45. The Maroons demonstrated their offensive versatility by making an impressive 38.5 percent (10–26) of their threepointers and 43.6 percent (34-78) of their overall field goals, in addition to showing their depth with a considerable 37 points coming from the bench.

On the other side of the ball, the Maroons won the defensive battle by making 16 steals and forcing the Rockford Regents into a total of 25 turnovers while out-rebounding their opposition 52–41. Fourth-year guard Maggie Ely led Chicago in scoring with 17 points while contributing seven rebounds, and third-year forward Ellie Greiner achieved a double-double with her 10 points and 13 rebounds. It was a deserved win for the South Siders, and provided them with the confidence and verve to replicate their performance the following day.

On Saturday afternoon, the Maroons faced the Coe Kohawks, who were coming off a dominant result themselves, having dispatched IIT to the tune of 91–39 the previous night.

The game began slowly for both sides, with both teams exchanging leads and committing nine turnovers within the first five minutes.

Chicago had difficulties shutting down Coe’s fourth-year forward Mackenzie Reed, who led her team with 14 points in the first half and 18 on the day, but momentum shifted with less than two minutes until halftime, as secondyear guard Caitlin Moore drained a clutch

three from deep in the corner to start a 7–0 run, which gave Chicago a 27–21 lead going into the locker room.

In the second half, the Maroons overcame foul trouble to build their lead in the early minutes. To their credit, the Kohawks never relented and did their best to maintain striking distance, with second-year Mary Halvorson drawing several fouls to keep her team in the game. Despite the Kohawks’ efforts, Chicago maintained the upper hand, most notably by improving its offensive efficiency and shooting 33.3 percent (4–12) in three-point range in the half and making 45.5 percent (15–33) of their field-goal attempts. The game ended with Chicago securing a comfortable double-digit lead to finish the game 71–60.

Ely scored her Chicago career-high: 25 points.

“I’m unbelievably proud of these girls— [fourth-year guard] Julie [Muguira]’s shooting, [third-year guard] Claire [Devaney]’s defense, the freshman stepping up, the bench supporting us every possession—the team had a great weekend,” she said. “There’s still a lot of season left, but Coach C always emphasizes how important it is to celebrate each other every step of the way.”

The women’s team finished 7–18 last year in coach Carissa Sain Knoche’s first season in charge as acting head coach, but Ely was quick to emphasize how much of a learning experience the previous season was.

“Our young girls gained immense amounts of experience, which is something that cannot be taught; most importantly, last year’s experiences, both high and low, have set a tone and foundation for this season’s team to build upon.

We have only gotten better because of last year’s season,” she said.

Chicago’s next game is against the WisconsinWhitewater Warhawks, who also won their first two games of the season and look to preserve their undefeated record as they visit Ratner on Tuesday, 6 p.m..

In the Chatter’s Box with Sarah Langs Jen Law is a second-year on the swim team from Naperville, IL. We chatted with her to get some insider info on the life of a Maroon athlete.

COURTESY OF UCHICAGO ATHLETICS

Chicago Maroon: At what age did you begin swimming?

Jen Law: I started swimming competitively at age seven, but my dad, who was a swimmer, too, taught me how to swim when I was really little.

CM: When did you realize you’d swim in college? Was that always your plan?

JL: I knew I’d swim in college well before I even started to look at schools. Swimming has been such a huge part of my life, and I knew I wanted to swim wherever I decided to go...

I was recruited to swim for the University of Chicago.

CM: What’s the biggest difference between

swimming in high school and in college?

JL: Swimming in college is more specialized than high school. That is, it is more geared towards your specific event, in my case sprint fly, back, and I.M. [individual medley]. High school was more generalized and everyone did the same workout and had the same taper.

CM: What’s your favorite story about the swim team?

JL: To be honest, there are too many ridiculous swim team stories to pick just one. But when you spend that much time together, you see your teammates at their best and at their worst, but no matter what, we are a family and support each other through everything.

CM: What’s something about swimming as a sport, competitively, that someone who doesn’t swim at that level would never be able to guess?

JL: It’s funny because sometimes people joke about how swimming isn’t a real sport, but swimmers know how much dedication is required and how much strength, both physical and mental, it takes to be a college swimmer, especially at a school like this. I mean, at 6 a.m. most of the school is asleep, but the swim team is already at practice, so that takes a lot of dedication!

CM: What’s your best advice on avoiding hair icicles walking home from winter practice?

JL: Well, after swim practice everyone is usually starving so we don’t bother to dry our hair. We just deal with icicle hair or wear hats!

SPORTS

IN QUOTES “Feels like a Catholic school social when I was in high school...an oversized sock hop...too much drinking and hugging.”

—ESPN’s Michael Wilbon on the mood at Soldier Field after the stadium seats were cleared due to the weather.

Chicago fails to convert in red zone, falls to Wash U in season finale Football

In their final game of the season, the football team lost to the Washington University in St. Louis 17-7 on Saturday. Above, fourth-year Ian Gaines stiff-arms a tackler in the homecoming game against Macalester College earlier in the season.

FRANK YAN | THE CHICAGO MAROON

Sam Zacher Associate Sports Editor If the Maroons have been nothing else this season, at least they’ve been consistent.

In the season’s final game on Saturday, the Wash U Bears (8–2, 3–0) defeated the South Siders (6–4, 1–2 UAA) as Chicago fell by a score of 17–7. Wash U captured the UAA title along with the win.

Throughout the year, the Maroons played well in most aspects of the

game, but simply couldn’t capitalize on opportunities to score.

“No question, the effort and desire were there, but when it came down to finishing, we just couldn’t execute,” said third-year linebacker Schuyler Montefalco, reflecting on the entire season.

Out of 24 trips into the red zone, Chicago only scored touchdowns on 11 of them all year, a 46 percent scoring rate compared to opponents’ 59 percent.

The story was the same against

Wash U: The South Siders’ defense forced two turnovers, but the offense couldn’t convert either of those two possessions.

Chicago only scored on a 74-yard drive late in the fourth quarter. At that point, the Bears had a 10–0 lead and only increased it to 17–7 after the sole Maroon touchdown.

Despite four Chicago turnovers (two interceptions and two fumbles), second-year receiver Sam Coleman remarked on the team’s resilience.

“We had opportunities to change the game in our favor, and we weren’t able to take advantage of them, [but] we never gave up and continued to fight all game,” he said.

Coleman and fellow second-year receiver Cole Thoms each caught six passes for 67 and 47 yards, respectively.

In his final collegiate game, fourth-year quarterback Vincent Cortina completed 18 of 36 passes for 159 yards. Even though he didn’t go out with a win, Cortina can look back on the season with pride, as he improved as a game manager and set career highs this season against Rhodes with 354 passing yards and five touchdowns.

Chicago’s offense struggled in the last few games, though, averaging just 7.5 points per game in its last four. The Bears outgained the Maroons 344–228 yards on offense.

“I think that we could have played smarter and a little more aggressive all around,” Montefalco said. “When we get to the end of the season playing for a UAA Championship against a very good rival, nothing short of a perfect game is going to get the job done.”

This Maroon team definitely took some steps in the right direction this season, though. Montefalco credits the hiring of head coach Chris Wilkerson.

“Coach Wilkerson has started something unique here, and this team—especially myself—is passionate about continuing and

even expanding the values and traditions he has implemented in hopes of becoming a force to be reckoned with,” Montefalco said.

Montefalco anchored a defense that was the strength of the Maroons, a team whose chemistry improved, even in the face of a coaching change.

“Our season was without a doubt a success. 6–4 was not our ideal record, but our achievements extend far beyond the field and what our record reveals. For the first time in my tenure here this team came together and transformed itself in a short period of time,” Montefalco said. “I was so proud of how our team acclimated to the change, and we became closer because of it. We got better each week and most importantly we created a brotherhood that will be the foundation for years to come.”

Fourth-year linebackers Ben Wade (11 tackles) and Brian Duff y (10 tackles) and fourth-year defensive lineman Michael Cifor (1.5 sacks, five tackles) played their hearts out on Saturday. Third-year defensive lineman Scott Mainquist also tallied two sacks and four tackles, and second-year defensive back Vincent Beltrano hauled in the defense’s only interception, his fifth of the season.

“Our [fourth-years] may not have walked off with a championship, but the legacy they left and the foundation they have laid marks a new era of Chicago football that will hopefully continue in the following years,” Montefalco said.

Tournament run cut short by Wittenberg Squads earn NCAA berths at regionals Volleyball

Jenna Harris Maroon Contributor

Maintaining the excitement and adrenaline from winning their first-ever UAA title, the No. 16 South Siders (27–11, 6–1 UAA) headed to Hope College in Michigan for the DIII NCAA tournament, but saw their season end in the second round.

Thursday was Chicago’s first match, against the Buffalo State Bengals (25– 10). The game was intense, but the squad emerged with a 3–1 victory over the Bengals.

After the Maroons dominated the first set, Buffalo State came back with a close win in the second. However, the South Siders regained their momentum in the third and fourth sets, earning them a spot in the second round of the tournament on Friday against No. 10 Wittenberg University (25–8).

Despite a thrilling firstset win, the South Siders ended up finishing off

their season with a 3–1 loss to the Tigers.

With the set score of 30–28, the first set was quite the rally on both sides of the court. The Maroons commenced the match with a strong defense, with four blocks on their first five points.

Their lead grew, but Wittenberg fought back to tie the score at 20–20, and after several alternating points, Chicago finally gained the two-point lead at 30.

In the second set, both squads were tied again mid-game at 13–13, but the Tigers took control to eventually win the set 25–20.

The third set went back and forth as well with Chicago taking an 18–16 lead. However, the Tigers took back the lead by the end of the set to win 25– 22.

Wittenberg took a 10–4 lead in the fourth set but the Maroons stayed strong , getting within two points at 20–18 and 23–21. However, two kills

by Wittenberg ended the match 25–21.

It was a tough loss, but the squad never quit. This marks the fourth successive season that the Maroons have been selected for the NCAA tournament and the third straight year they have made it to the second round.

This fourth-year class finished its run with the second-highest winning record for a four-year group in school history.

Its four-year record of 116–41 (0.739) shows the success the class has had throughout its members’ college careers.

Additionally, the team received several recognitions.

Fourth-year setter Nikki DelZenero received First Team All-UAA, UAA MVP honors, and was named to the Regional AllTournament Team. She has the school’s all-time record with 3,760 career assists.

And that’s as someone who only spent three years with the school.

Third-year libero Eirene

Kim was also picked for First Team All-UAA and was named a UAA MVP. Currently, Kim is second in school history with 1,888 digs.

Other standouts include two players on the AllUAA Second Team: fourthyear right-side hitter Katie Huntington and secondyear outside hitter Maren Loe. Fourth-year middle blocker Maggie Vaughn and second-year outside hitter Jasmine Mobley were also recognized as Honorable Mentions.

“When the season ends on a loss, that’s never a good feeling. But when it comes to the NCAA tournament, every team ends on a loss, but one— the NCAA Champion.

I’m so happy to be a part of this program, and to represent the University of Chicago in this way,” Mobley said, summarizing her thoughts on the season.

“I’m excited to get back to wo rk towards an amazing next season, with the girls and the coaches during the spring.”

Cross Country Isaac Stern Sports Staff For the first time in its history, Chicago will send both the men’s and women’s squads to the DIII NCAA National Championship in the same year. At the Midwest Regional qualifier Saturday, the women took first and the men sixth. Both fields featured nearly 40 teams, with nine men’s teams and four women’s teams that are nationally ranked. The race featured a sixkilometer course for the ladies and an eight-kilometer run for the men at Saukie Golf Course in Rock Island, IL. The women came into the race as the top dog of the Midwest region, and they upheld their golden reputation.

The South Siders defeated their nearest challenger, UW–La Crosse, by 41 points. In addition, the Maroons placed all five of their point runners in the top 20 of a meet that featured over 280 competitors. The squad easily sealed the first of

the two automatic bids to the national race.

Second-year Catherine Young took third overall in the race and came in first for the Maroons with her time of 21:41.0. 30 seconds later, fourth-year captain Michaela Whitelaw finished next at seventh overall. The rest of the group came in as a pack with fourth-year captain Elise Wummer leading the group at 22:17.3.

The men took a slightly more tumultuous path to nationals. Ranked sixth in the region coming in and 17th in the nation, the men finished exactly as predicted.

Considering that the No. 1 and No. 2 in the country, North Central and Wash U, compete in the Midwest, the sixth-place finish was no easy task. The men finished with a total of 220 points, 77 points behind fifth place UW–La Crosse. In the past, the cap on the Midwest kept the sixth best team in the region from qualifying for the National XC continued on page 7