041613 Chicago Maroon

TUESDAY • APRIL 16, 2013

ISSUE 37 • VOLUME 124

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892

CHICAGOMAROON.COM

Multiple Chicago sites vie for Obama library Boston-area students respond to bombing Ankit Jain Associate News Editor

In June 2009, only five months after President Obama took office, the University of Chicago convened a committee to look into bringing Obama’s presidential library to the South Side of Chicago. The committee was made up of nine pre-eminent faculty members, led by Geoffrey Stone, a current professor and former Dean of the Law School.

The committee was created to look into the various issues that bringing a presidential library to campus would entail. Stone said the committee is tasked with “planning for the possibility [of a library]. That’s our job—to think about, if it were to happen, how would we want to do it.”

Now, almost four years after the committee was first created, several different sites in Chicago and Hawaii are openly jockeying for the library, but the University remains closed-lipped about its interest.

The committee reports directly to President Zimmer, who has been kept abreast of the committee’s actions through Susan Sher, his cur-

Ankit Jain Associate News Editor

library, several news reports have indicated that it is interested.

When asked to comment, University spokesperson Jeremy Manier

Twin explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon yesterday left a trail of terror and devastation in Boston, killing at least three people and injuring over 100. But the effects of the blasts stretched far past the city, as friends and family of the attendees anxiously waited to hear news of their loved ones. UChicago students from the Boston area had a particular plight, dealing with the tragedy in their hometown from almost 1,000 miles away.

Second-year Mike Andersen’s brother, a Boston College student, ran the Marathon and finished shortly before the blast occurred.

“My brother was finished with his race, and he was in the train station, and he said that they started evacuating the train station…and then they

OBAMA continued on page 4

BOSTON continued on page 3

The Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center, located in Bronzeville and abandoned since 2008, is one of the locations being considered for Obama’s presidential library.

TIFFANY TAN | THE CHICAGO MAROON

rent senior advisor and Michelle Obama’s chief of staff from June 2009 to December 2010.

Sher has visited several functioning presidential libraries to get a

sense of what kind of commitment UChicago would be required to make, Stone said.

While the University hasn’t openly expressed its interest in a

SG pres. candidate Underneath the glass bubble accused of foul play Alex Hays Associate News Editor

Madhu Srikantha News Editor Two separate complaints have been filed against second-year Yusef Al-Jarani, current SG vice president of student affairs and the presidential candidate of the Ignite Slate, accusing him of early campaigning and offering individuals appointments on the SG cabinet. He has been

issued a warning for early campaigning, but the Elections and Rules Committee (E&R) has not released a verdict for the second complaint.

Pre-campaigning is explicitly against the by-laws of E&R. Offering appointments is not explicitly mentioned in the by-laws but was addressed

by E&R, according to committee members. Al-Jarani SG continued on page 3

SSN and Chicago allies discuss student debt Celia Bever News Editor Southside Solidarity Network (SSN) and a coalition of similar organizations from area colleges, together forming the IIRON Student Network, held a public meeting about student loans and efforts to combat the problem

at the Chicago Temple on Saturday.

The speakers pointed out that the sum of the outstanding student debt in the country is over $1 trillion—larger than all of the credit card debt combined. The average student debt per recent graduate is approximately DEBT continued on page 4

Approaching the library’s two-year anniversary, the University is offering unique, behindthe-scenes tours of Mansueto, its newest and most state-of-the-art library. In addition to the tour, the maroon got a special chance to see the preservation department, and speak with Library Director and University Librarian Judith Nadler about her insights into the new facility on Friday.

The tours, which are being held every other Friday during spring quarter, offer University faculty, students, alumni, and prospective students a chance to explore Mansueto beyond the Grand Reading Room and to see how the $81 million facility supports academic life at the University.

Associate University Librarian for User Services James Vaughan led a small group through Mansueto’s Grand Reading Room and over 50 feet underground to see the library’s unique approach to storing some of the University’s most prized and least accessed volumes.

Currently housing some 1.5 million volumes of books, jour-

nals, and even a small video game collection, Mansueto plays host to a wide range of materials from different libraries on campus, including a portion of Special Collections’, Vaughan said.

Large metal bins, which run the length and breadth of the underground space, store the library’s collection by the material’s physical size and are accessed by five robotic cranes that can quickly retrieve a selection.

“We average about seven and a half minutes to retrieve a book after it is requested,” Vaughan told the group.

The robotic cranes are an integral part of the storage and retrieval system of the library and have even been affectionately named by student workers after other famous robots, including Bender and R2-D2, said Matt Warnock, head of Mansueto circulation. He then walked over to a computer next to the bins and demonstrated a request for a book that a library patron can make online. “The cranes run at about four miles per hour,” he added, which is quick enough to handle at least 50 simultaneous requests, the most requests LIBRARY continued on page 3

Tours of Mansueto Library give students and faculty an opportunity to see the library’s innovative robotic book storage and retrieval system.

JOHNNY HUNG | THE CHICAGO MAROON

IN VIEWPOINTS

IN ARTS

IN SPORTS

Granting the right to a debt-free education » Page 5

Happy trails for HPAC resident » Page 7

Maroons grab 11 top five finishes at penultimate UAA tune-up » Back Page

A new trauma epicenter» Page 5

GastroConference takes a bite of Chicago’s food scene » Page 7

Hot bats smoke Monmouth, but pitching falters at St. Norbert » Page 11

THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | April 16, 2013

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STUDENT GOVERNMENT The CHICAGO MAROON 2013 Election Guide: Student Government Liaisons

by MAROON Staff Candidates for Undergraduate Liaison to the Board of Trustees

JOANNA KADIEVA

SYDNEY COMBS

COURTESY OF AMY PHILLIPS

With extensive experience in synthesizing student input into the decision-making process, third-year Joanna Kadieva plans on utilizing those skills in order to effectively represent the student body to the Board of Trustees.

If elected, Kadieva plans on hosting office hours at least once a quarter and would like to update students on the activities of the Board of Trustees, often criticized by students for not being transparent, through blogging on the SG Web site.

Kadieva also emphasized her belief that the role of Undergraduate Liaison to the Board of Trustees should remain advisory. According to Kadieva, because the Board of Trustees generally focuses on longterm projects, adding a “short-term” voice would remove objectivity, an argument that current Chairman of the Board of Trustees Andrew

BRENDAN LEONARD

Alper made in an interview with the Maroon back in 2010.

Although she supports the referendum on socially responsible investment, Kadieva thinks that it is important for whoever is in the position of Liaison to facilitate fair dialogue between all the parties involved, not just to relay her own opinions. “[Activist] voices can get too loud sometimes,” she said. “[I would be on the Board to talk about] the short-term effects on students of long-term projects.”

Kadieva cited the need to discuss the immediate effects of Pierce Tower’s closure in the broad scheme of housing on campus as an example.

Also on her agenda is further connecting the campus community and the city of Chicago by supporting such initiatives as the Roosevelt Shuttle and the Arts Pass.

| THE CHICAGO MAROON

Running for Undergraduate Liaison for the Board of Trustees, Brendon Leonard is a third-year who has been heavily involved with UChicago Climate Action Network (UCAN) and its campaign, Stop Funding Climate Change, which attempted this past year to speak with the Board of Trustees about UCAN’s concerns over the University’s investment in fossil fuel companies.

The lack of response from both the Board and the Liaison led him to believe that the position has suffered from disengagement with the student body. For Leonard, “[the role of Liaison] is to communicate student concerns and student issues to the Board of Trustees. Right now we don’t have student engagement, so I want to fulfill that role,” he said.

An immediate change that Leonardplanstopursueistoorganizeopen biquarterly conversations between

ROHAN MANTHANI

SYDNEY COMBS

| THE CHICAGO MAROON

Third-year and current Undergraduate Liaison to the Board of Trustees Rohan Manthani is dedicated to expanding on his work this year and helping undergraduate students build individual relationships with members of the Board.

Working from experience, Manthani currently sits on the Campus and Student Life Committee on the Board of Trustees and is a member of the current SG cabinet. He plans on continuing to push his idea for a student life center on campus and to increase facetime between the liaison and Board members if he is re-elected to the position.

He believes that trustee luncheons—there are two this quarter—are useful in bringing students closer to board members and that the trustees who attend these luncheons are receptive to student opinions.

He does not believe, however, that there is a huge lack of transparency between the board and students, emphasizing that many issues discussed at board meetings cannot be announced to the general public because of their nature, like plans to buy and develop land.

In addition to strengthening the relationship between liaison and the trustees, Manthani wants to implement an enduring strategic vision, something that comes along with being a liaison to a group with a set agenda.

“I have a very good feeling on the Board and it has given me a long-term vision for what I can do now that can affect something way in the future,” he said.

HOLLY RAPP

COURTESY OF CARRIE CHUI

the Board and students, and to put studentconcernsontheTrusteecommittee meetings’ agenda to ensure those concerns are addressed.

To increase transparency and accountability of both the administration and the Liaison, Leonard also envisions the creation of a public account of the administration’s decision-making roles and relationships, as well as a public Web site to submit proposals to the Liaison.

Leonard also hopes to renew conversation about instituting a student voting member on the Board of Trustees.

“Student government itself passed [an] amendment expressing that they were going to pursue student voting power years ago; it’s in their constitution. Yet there hasn’t been this follow-up—visible conversations about it—and that itself can lead to great things, whatever we decide as students,” he said.

First-year Holly Rapp, a current Class of 2016 College Council representative and representative to the Transportation and Security Advisory Board, is running for Liaison to the Board of Trustees.

Rapp supports gaining voting power for the Undergraduate and Graduate Liaisons, who currently do not have that power on the Board. Her approach involves holding more meetings between Liaisons and Board members.

“It probably won’t be accomplished in a year, while I’m liaison,” Rapp said. “What I would like to do is set the stage for future liaisons to have that power.”

Rapp expressed frustration at students’ inaccessibility to Board members. Out of about 200 students that requested to attend a recent luncheon with a trustee member, only a small number

were given a spot, she said. Rapp would like to expand those offerings.

Regarding the issue of divestment, Rapp said she feels that it should not be within the scope of SG’s power to have an influence on University investment practices.

“I know some people get frustrated with that, but the fact of the matter is we have these Kalven principles, and they’re principles because they’re not wavering,” Rapp said.

As a College Council representative, Rapp has worked alongside other representatives to hold Class of 2016 events, procure student discounts from various Hyde Park restaurants, and has been working on developing an event called “Taste of UChicago,” meant to connect local restaurants and vendors to the campus community.

THOMAS REMISSONG Undergraduate Liaison to the Board of Trustees candidate first-year Thomas Remissong intends to revive a position he believes is currently ineffectual by improving communication and increasing transparency between the trustees and the student population.

Remissong is currently the Chairman of Public Relations in the Student Alumni Committee, active in the South Campus West Council, and is working with the administration to write a book about the university’s history, traditions, and alumni retrospectives.

“I have been to several of the luncheons that have been hosted with the trustees this year, and, in talking to them, I have realized that there is not much communication currently going on. At the last trustee luncheon, which was on Friday, I asked a trustee about the liaison position, and he said he didn’t even know who the current liaison was. That was an eye-opener,” Remissong said.

Remissong intends to create and run a Board of Trustees Facebook page where students can post questions and concerns for the Board and access its responses in addition to increasing trustee luncheons and other outlets for students to engage with the Board.

“Most students have a very faulty understanding of how the Board works. It is a very complex entity and they have a very specific goal which is to ensure the stability of the school,” Remissong said. “The fact is that the Board controls whether our degree will matter in the future because they control the overall direction of the school.”

TIFFANY TAN

| THE CHICAGO MAROON

THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | April 16, 2013

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Candidate for Graduate Liaison to the Board of Trustees

Candidate for Community and Government Liaison

NAVIN JOSE MANJOORAN

CHRISTINA DONG

COURTESY OF NAVIN MANJOORAN

As this year’s only official candidate for Graduate Liaison to the Board of Trustees, Navin Manjooran, a first-year M.B.A. student at the Booth School of Business, hopes to give a revitalized voice to graduate concerns at UChicago.

Manjooran, who served as a representa-

tive on the Board of Visitors as a graduate student at Virginia Tech in 2005–06, highlighted the value of his previous student government background.

“Since I worked on such a forum before, I have the experience,” he said. “I thought this would be a good platform to use the best things from other schools and apply them here.”

For instance, Manjooran highlighted his support for voting privileges for student members on the Board of Trustees. Representatives at Virginia Tech, he said, “participate not just in one committee but in all the committee meetings, and they are considered a board member.

But if you look at the Board of Trustees Web site at Chicago, the undergraduate and the graduate liaisons are not even listed.”

Manjooran emphasized the importance of more direct communication between graduate students and both the administration and Board of Trustees through opportunities like luncheons and one-on-one meetings.

He also hopes to keep promoting graduate-specific needs such as the expansion of graduate scholarships, extended residencies, which impact Ph.D. students’ tuition rates and eligibility for University services, and childcare support.

The only candidate for Community and Government Liaison, first-year Christina Dong aims to take her experiences as a College Council representative and her work with a new RSO, BridgeMe, and apply them to a new role.

As a Class of 2016 representative, she has worked with local restaurants such as Harold’s Chicken and Mellow Yellow to garner 10-percent student discounts and helped plan the Class of 2016 study break held at the Logan Center for the Arts that brought together various performing arts RSOs. Working on these initiatives influenced her decision to run.

“Doing the restaurant discounts and talking to business owners, I felt like it was something I was really passionate about and something I wanted to continue further on, and I felt like it was a project that should be fitting of the Community and Government Liaison,” she said.

She is also active in BridgeMe, a new RSO funded by the Uncommon Fund that enables international students and American students to share their experiences, a position that she believes will provide her valuable experience as a liaison that she will be able to apply in her new position.

As Community and Government Liaison, Dong hopes to bring in local elected officials and community leaders to discuss their roles with the student body. She also wants to promote community service

ELLEN RODNIANSKI

| THE CHICAGO MAROON

through establishing quarterly service days. To expand the reach of these events, she plans to collaborate with community service RSOs. “I think we can really combine efforts amongst all the community service RSOs and bringing together forces and make something really big,” she said.

Iqbal: “E&R has seen nothing wrong Students reflect on lasting effects to hometown to such a wonderful city, and so many deal for us, because my brother didn’t in the conduct of Ignite Slate thus far” BOSTON continued from front SG continued from front

denies both claims.

The first complaint objected to alleged campaigning before the official start of elections. E&R received an anonymous complaint and an attached e-mail that provided evidence for the claim. Al-Jarani’s e-mail, dated March 29 and addressed to a current member of Graduate Council, read, “I just wanted to reach out to inform you of my intention to run for President of Student Government next year, and to seek out any support you could offer in that regard with campaigning at Booth. It can be anything from forwarding an email to list-hosts or helping to hand out flyers to students.”

Fourth-year and current E&R chair Lester Ang defined campaigning as a physical solicitation of votes such as hanging up posters and chalking sidewalks. For Ang, the word “support” does not necessarily count as a specific attempt to gain votes.

Additionally, because the infraction was prior to the mandatory SG candidates meeting on April 9, during which E&R explained and interpreted this year’s election rules to candidates, it was unfair to expect candidates to understand those particular interpretations before the meeting, Ang said.

“We saw it as a really fine line,” he said. “We have to make that distinction between informing and campaigning.”

Although Al-Jarani was subject to the same by-laws as a slate candidate during last year’s election, the interpretation of those rules change from year to year, Ang said.

According to Al-Jarani, the emails were meant to feel out potential running-mates for vice president of student affairs.

“When I was talking to individuals I was missing the third person in my team,” he said. He added that he only found Ignite’s third running-

mate, physical sciences division Ph.D. candidate Anthony Martinez, at the first Graduate Council meeting of the quarter on April 1.

A second complaint made against Al-Jarani this quarter alleged that he offered to create cabinet positions for third-year Steph Mui, second-year Vidal Anguiano, and second-year Raymond Dong tailored to their interests. Mui and Dong are running together as part of UChicaGOLD against Al-Jarani’s executive slate.

One student, who requested anonymity because elections are ongoing, met with two members of E&R after issuing an e-mail statement to them alleging that Al-Jarani was offering positions in the SG cabinet. According to the student, E&R suggested Al-Jarani’s actions were unethical and said they would follow-up with the student. As of press time, the student had not been contacted by E&R about a verdict on the matter.

E&R said that it has addressed the second complaint but has not released the verdict. Ang said that the committee “reserves the right to reveal as much as we can” to both the complainant and the public, and in this case decided not to release more information at this point.

“E&R has seen nothing wrong in the conduct of the Ignite slate thus far,” fourth-year E&R member Sarah Iqbal said in an e-mail.

Al-Jarani said that he was not offering positions to those individuals, but rather talking about the possibility of expanding cabinet in light of conversations he had with his current slate about the organizational structure of student government associations at other Universities that have larger cabinets with more targeted positions.

“At the end of every meeting [I had with those individuals] I always encouraged people to do what’s best for them,” Al-Jarani said.

got outside and it was really crazy,” he said.

“For sure, you think, it could have been anyone there, so he was lucky, because it could have gone off at any time. It’s a good thing he trained really hard and finished before they went off.”

First-year Emily Benjamin’s mother was in the crowd cheering on her friend when the explosion happened.

Benjamin said her mom actually saw the explosion but was uninjured.

The friend she was cheering on had crossed the finish line three minutes before the explosion and was also uninjured.

“Of course it saddens me, and then it just disgusts me,” Benjamin said.

“I’ll look at pictures, and it was right in Copley Square, which holds so many wonderful memories for me. I just can’t imagine anybody doing this

wonderful people. I don’t understand how anyone could do that.”

Benjamin said she often goes to Copley Square, where the explosions happened.

“That was very hard to see—the places I’ve been walking even two weeks ago on spring break, now have blood on the sidewalks,” she said.

Social media played a large role in how most UChicago students from the Boston area found out about the explosions.

“I first heard about it on Facebook, but I just thought it was a small explosion until my [news] feed started blowing up, since all my friends are from Boston,” third-year Yaxi Wang, who grew up in Boston, said.

Students were grateful that social media allowed them to quickly verify the safety of their friends and family. “[Having social media] was a big

have a phone on him when he was running, so the only way we heard about it at first was one of his friends posted something that made us realize he had finished and was safe,” Anderson said. “It would have been a lot more worrisome for us, but we figured out pretty quick that he was OK through Facebook.”

Even amidst the horror caused by the blasts, Bostonians were proud of the spirit displayed by their city and their country.

“I think it’s truly amazing how everyone ended up helping and how people are donating blood even after running the race. It just shows the solidarity of everyone in Boston,” Wang said. “I think this only makes the country stronger, and I don’t think the people [responsible for the attack] accomplished what they were trying to do.”

Maroon gets special look inside preservation department LIBRARY continued from front

to come into the circulation desk at the same time.

After walking around the perimeter of the cavernous basement, Vaughan and Warnock led the group back up to the surface where the tour ended.

Following the conclusion of the public tour, Preservation Librarian Sherry Byrne gave the Maroon a special look into the preservation department next to the Grand Reading Room.

Byrne took the Maroon through the department’s digitization and conservation laboratories. The space in Mansueto that houses these two operations was specially designed and built with the department’s needs in mind. She also discussed the digitization laboratory, which digitizes different kinds of library materials, including archival collections from Special Collections.

Before moving into the new space, the department did not have the equipment to safely scan older materials, said Head of Digitization Kathleen Arthur. She showed

two pieces they are currently working to digitize: a letter to President William Rainey Harper from 1896, and a Diderot Encyclopedia from the 18th century.

Right next door is the conservation laboratory, which works to repair and rebind damaged materials from across the University library system. Ann Lindsey, head of conservation, showed the Maroon how its space in Mansueto was built for her department’s specific needs.

From the right plumbing and ductwork to rooms for conservation equipment, the space in Mansueto enables Lindsey and her team to save and put back into circulation some of the University’s oldest and most damaged collections.

After the tour of the preservation department, the Maroon sat down with Nadler, who became director of the entire library system in 2004, just as the new library was beginning to take shape.

“Mansueto was built itself as a library for books in a digital age,” she said. “Its impact encompasses the entire mission of the library, which is to provide re-

sources regardless of whether materials are in print or electronic.”

Nadler believes the choice to build Mansueto as a library with an underground storage facility was a great idea by the architects and strongly stands behind promoting it as the choice for the new facility. “This is the equivalent of the Regenstein Library upside down,” she added.

Nadler said that many library preservation departments are built as afterthoughts, usually housed in smaller spaces and in library basements. Mansueto was built “with an eye to making preservation a celebration of the artifact, to bring the department more out in the open and to showcase the work that we do,” she said.

Mansueto’s Grand Reading Room, its underground storage, and its preservation department all connect together to make the facility a unique part of the library system, Nadler said. “It’s really the oneness of it—the fact that these different pieces hold so tightly together—is the thing that appeals to me most about Mansueto.”

THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | April 16, 2013

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NEWS IN BRIEF Hillel appoints director UChicago’s Newberger Hillel has tapped Andrea Hoffman to be its next Executive Director.

Since late August 2012, Hoffman has served as Interim Executive Director of the organization as a committee of students and board members conducted a national search for a permanent Executive Director. Hoffman replaced Interim Executive Director Rabbi Paul Saiger after he retired from 38 years working for Hillel.

Saiger had stepped into the role of Interim Executive Director after former Executive Director

Dan Libenson and members of Hillel’s board were fired in late March of 2012.

A graduate of the University of Illinois, Hoffman brings nearly 20 years of experience to the office of Executive. According to Ben Sher, the chair of Newberger Hillel at UChicago, Hoffman is the recipient of Hillel International’s Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence Award, the co-founder of Tikkun Ha-Ir in Milwaukee, and a founding member of the Limmud Chicago Steering Committee.

—Nathan Peereboom

CORRECTIONS •

The April 12 article “SG 2013 slates: Ignite” misnamed the slate’s candidate for vice president of student affairs. His name is Anthony Martinez.

•

The April 12 article “SG 2013 slates: Impact” incorrectly stated that Jane Huber is a member of the UChicago Climate Action Network.

UChicago students join Chicago gun violence vigil Jennifer Standish News Editor Students from the UChicago branch of Organizing for Action (OFA)—a continuation of the national coalition which worked to re-elect President Obama— showed their support for Senate Bill 649, the Safe Schools, Safe Communities Act of 2013, by attending a gun violence vigil organized by the Illinois chapter of the organization at Federal Plaza Saturday evening.

At the vigil, various speakers, including CPD officer Kevin Kilmer and a survivor of the Virginia Tech shooting, Garrett Evans, shared their thoughts on the issue to the crowd of approximately 100 gun control supporters.

Evans said that the best thing for students to do, other than contact their state legislatures, is to create conversation about the issue.

“Talk about it because this is a problem that affects black, white, asian—everybody. This happens in neighborhoods you never would have thought [of ],” he said in an interview with the Maroon

UChicago campus not a likely home for future library OBAMA continued from front

said that “It is premature to discuss a presidential library.”

Before the University even decided whether to seriously pursue the presidential library, it first had to look at whether having a presidential library would be in line with the Kalven Report, which proclaims a University policy of political neutrality. Political science professor Charles Lipson raised this concern in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times last year. “[The library] will not be a disinterested, scholarly institution. It will be advancing a political agenda, funded by President Obama’s political allies,” he said.

However, Stone waved off Lipson’s comments, saying that after studying the issue extensively, the committee found that any pitfalls could be easily avoided by keeping a distance from the library.

“The library would be essentially independent. If it was possible to have student fellows work in the library that would be great. If it would be possible to have some kind of academic center that studied issues that rose out of this erahealthcare being an example, or race and politics,” Stone said.

If the University is successful in bringing the library to Chicago, Stone said it would most likely not be on campus.

“It’s not obvious that there’s a good location on campus that would make sense for it. And beyond that we think it’s important for it to be an asset to the larger community and therefore not to be tucked into the University directly.”

Bronzeville also hopes to see the future Obama presidential library in their neighborhood. Several Bronzeville community groups have been publicizing the old Mi-

chael Reese Hospital site at South Ellis Avenue and 29th Street as a possible location for the library.

They envision a National Heritage Site telling the story of the Great Migration of African-Americans from its beginnings in the early 1900s all the way to the election of the first black president.

Paula Robinson, the President of the Black Metropolis National Heritage Area Commission (BMNHAC), said that the Obama library would be “the cherry on the sundae” for the proposed Black Metropolis National Heritage Area. “[Obama] didn’t just pop out of Hawaii and just come somewhere and it happened. There are people…who recognize, ‘Wow, there was a path there.’ And that path is everyone before him,” she said. “This is the story of how those people were able to put the first black president in the United States [into office].”

Robinson said she has reached out to Sher about collaborating on a bid for the Presidential Library, and was redirected to the University’s Office of Civic Engagement.

Robinson hasn’t set up a meeting with Civic Engagement yet, but said that the University is aware of her interest and is supportive of the larger Black Metropolis National Heritage Area.

But the BMNHAC has not been the only organization that has reached out to the University about a possible partnership. Dan McCaffery, the CEO of McCaffery Interests, has also talked with the University about partnering to put the library on the former U.S. Steel South Works site, McCaffery Interests’ Lakeside Development property. He said the University has visited the site but has not made a decision on using it.

McCaffery touted several attributes of the site that would make it a good location for the library.

“This is where he was first elected. It’s two miles from Michelle’s family home, it’s four miles from their home now, it’s three miles, I think, from the place where he worked as a community organizer. It’s not very far from the University of Chicago.

It’s tremendously accessible to tourists,” he said.

The University has been very secretive about their desire to get a library, in contrast with the University of Hawaii, which has been openly campaigning for the Presidential Library for some time now.

Stone said that this has to do more with President Obama than with the University’s desire for secrecy.

“We’ve been respectful of the President of the nation. The signals he’s sent is, I don’t want to be thinking about this right now. So, we’ve respected that. Hawaii has taken a different tactic,” he said.

While there has been intense competition within Chicago to secure the Presidential Library, all three major bidders expect the library to end up somewhere in Chicago. “I think [Chicago] is clearly the right place for it to be. Given the president’s connection to the city, to Hyde Park, to the University, to the law school. I think it makes complete and total sense for it to be here,” Stone said.

“I would put [the chances] up in the 90s for [the library] being in Chicago,” McCaffery added. “I know Hawaii is very aggressive. But I think of all the families who might want to visit the library, that’s one hell of an expensive trip, you know. So I think the fact that Chicago has trains, planes, and automobiles that could get to it is a big deal.”

after he spoke to the crowd.

“I think gun violence is a huge issue and anything college students can do is huge. So I thought I would come down [to show support],” said first-year UChicago OFA member Sarah Landes.

According to Eve Zuckerman, a second-year member of UChicago OFA who plans to spearhead the group’s gun control campaign, this is the beginning of a longer fight.

“The first thing we need is to inform students to make sure they have access to the information on the issue,” she said.

“Hopefully once we bring that information to students...and establish partnerships [with other campus organizations]...OFA can be the link to students and community members.”

In the future, Zuckerman plans to step up the group’s actions to promote gun control, potentially including a UChicago gun violence vigil on the Midway, pressing legislatures to support gun control laws, and reaching out to campus and community leaders.

“I hope this could also be an opportunity for UChicago students

First-year Sarah Landes stands silent in a candlelight vigil downtown to advocate for the Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act, which will mandate criminal background checks when selling firearms.

SYDNEY COMBS | THE CHICAGO MAROON

to show support for the greater South Side and to finally cross the midway…its literally happening two blocks away…its not happening to you until it is.”

SSN to meet with Nondorf tomorrow on No-Loan policy DEBT continued from front

$27,000, and over half of recent college graduates are unemployed or underemployed.

The group advocates a threepronged “ReNew Deal” to ease the troubles of young college graduates: job creation, student debt alleviation, and climate change prevention.

“This is what we’re inheriting: a melting planet, a trillion dollars of debt, and a lack of good jobs,” second-year Brianna Tong said.

They urged attendees to contact their congressmen and express support for the Student Loan Fairness Act (House of Representatives Bill 1330), which proposes a “10–10” plan for current student debtors to repay their loans. Graduates would pay 10 percent of their discretionary income for 10 years, after which the remainder of their loans would be forgiven. The bill would also cap interest rates on student loans and offer a reduced loan forgiveness period for graduates who work in public service professions in underserved communities. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Danny Davis (D-IL) told IIRON they would co-sponsor the bill.

Loyola graduate student Amanda Weaver shared her story of struggling with debt. After being unable to find a job after graduating from college, she decided to return to school for a higher degree. Now, a month away from receiving her master’s degree, she worries about her prospects. She estimates that she and her husband have a combined student debt load of over $200,000 and said their inquiries into securing a loan to buy a house - a dream they’ve had for the past few years met with laughter at the bank.

Weaver said she was always told to take out loans in order to go to col-

lege and create a life more comfortable than her upbringing.

“In many ways, I am in worse shape than my parents were,” she said.

Additionally, SSN advocated a UChicago-specific initiative: a noloan financial aid policy. Secondyear Xander Wikstrom explained that the proposed policy would meet all accepted students’ demonstrated need with grants, eliminating the need to borrow money to pay for college.

“Let’s be clear: the University of Chicago can afford this,” Wikstrom said. “They’re sitting on a $6.7 billion endowment.”

SSN members will be meeting with Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid James Nondorf and Executive Director for University Aid Amanda Fijal tomorrow. Approximately 20 members of the IIRON Student Network will be going to Washington, D.C., next weekend for the National People’s Action Network’s annual conference. Third-year Aija Nemer-Aanerud said in an interview that Schakowsky and Davis sent a request on IIRON’s behalf for a meeting with U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan. According to Nemer-Aanerud, they hope to urge him to tie federal aid to colleges to their ability to tame rising tuition costs. As of press time, Duncan had not yet responded to the request.

“This is a fight against the corporatization of our schools,” Tong said.

“And we are the leaders we have been waiting for who are going to do something about it.”

The IIRON Student Network is comprised of student groups at UChicago, Loyola, DePaul, North Park University, and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

VIEWPOINTS

Editorial & Op-Ed APRIL 16, 2013

Granting the right to a debt-free education Administrators should work with activists campaigning for a no-loan policy at UChicago The student newspaper of the University of Chicago since 1892 REBECCA GUTERMAN Editor-in-Chief SAM LEVINE Editor-in-Chief EMILY WANG Managing Editor DOUGLAS EVERSON, JR Senior Editor JAMIE MANLEY Senior Editor MATTHEW SCHAEFER Senior Editor CELIA BEVER News Editor MARINA FANG News Editor MADHU SRIKANTHA News Editor JENNIFER STANDISH News Editor AJAY BATRA Viewpoints Editor EMMA THURBER STONE Viewpoints Editor EMMA BRODER Arts Editor ALICE BUCKNELL Arts Editor DANIEL RIVERA Arts Editor VICENTE FERNANDEZ Sports Editor SARAH LANGS Sports Editor JAKE WALERIUS Sports Editor HYEONG-SUN CHO Head Designer SONIA DHAWAN Head Designer KEVIN WANG Online Editor ALICE BLACKWOOD Head Copy Editor JEN XIA Head Copy Editor BEN ZIGTERMAN Head Copy Editor SYDNEY COMBS 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 ANKIT JAIN Assoc. News Editor HARINI JAGANATHAN Assoc. News Editor STEPHANIE XIAO Assoc. News Editor

This past Saturday, members of UChicago’s Southside Solidarity Network (SSN) participated in a public meeting on post-graduation debt as one of five campus justice groups involved in IIRON Student Network, the anti-corporation, prostudent organizer of the event. The network—also comprising students from DePaul, Loyola, University of Illinois at Chicago, and North Park University—called on attendees to garner support for the “ReNew Deal,” its three-part platform to raise post-graduation employment, reduce student debt, and protect the planet through the creation of green jobs across the country. While public support or condemnation of this sort of initiative lies beyond the University’s self-imposed political neutrality, the administration should seriously consider the no-loan policy demands advocated by SSN on our own campus.

Although the ReNew Deal is just a theoretical platform, it reflects the growing national anxiety regarding student debt, which recently surpassed $1 trillion. Its principles are made manifest in legislative efforts at the national level: House Bill 1330, or the Student Loan Fairness Act, which both Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Representative Danny Davis (D-IL) told IIRON they

would cosponsor. The bill—which would provide loan forgiveness after 10 years of payments at 10 percent of discretionary income, cap loan interest rates at half the current amount, and include extra loan forgiveness for public service jobs—has not yet gotten out of committee.

While this bill should undeniably be of interest to all students, including those at UChicago, the University as an institution has an opportunity to address those same concerns locally.

SSN’s no-loan campaign provides a necessary outlet for students and administrators to work together to relieve the growing burden of student debt in a way that is beneficial to both sides. Administrators have already agreed to meet with SSN tomorrow. The University has also demonstrated its support for converting loans as often as possible to grants through the Odyssey scholarships, created with an anonymous donation of $100 million in 2007.

The donor specified that in order for him to pay the full amount, the University had to do its part and “build” an endowment worth $38 million by 2010—and it did. Now, more than 1,000 students in the College receive Odyssey scholarships that convert approximately $3,500 per year per student from loans to grants, which

means less debt upon graduation.

The UChicago Promise program, one of whose components eliminates loans for admitted students from the Chicago area, is also an important sign of progress and the administration’s commitment to the no-loan objective. But with a tuition increase of four percent coming up next year, even with a 5.1 percent increase in the financial aid budget, the $60,039 price tag for a UChicago education means it’s not yet time to rest.

Coming off the news of a recordlow acceptance rate and a recordhigh ranking, the administration has added incentive to keep up with its peer institutions. As the Maroon reported last week, Columbia and University of Pennsylvania, both with endowments close to the $6.57 billion of UChicago, already have no-loan policies, as do Princeton, Harvard, and Stanford—five out of the top ten schools in the U.S. News rankings, in which UChicago is quickly solidifying a prominent place. To be worthy of the ranking and the prestige that the admissions office clearly worked hard to attain, a no-loan policy is a necessity—showing prospective students, parents, and future alumni that the University can put its students’ needs first.

The current first-years, the Class of

2016, are also one of the most socioeconomically diverse classes to enter the College, which the News Office attributed to the added incentive of the Odyssey scholarships. If Admissions wants to continue widening the range of student voices, and supporting the College atmosphere as one of critical thinking and challenging assumptions, a no-loan policy can only assist them in attracting more students from a variety of backgrounds.

When student leaders from SSN enter their meeting with Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid James Nondorf and Executive Director for University Aid Amanda Fijal this week, both sides should keep an open mind. It’s important to recognize what the administration has already done toward reducing loans for students, but it’s equally if not more important to recognize how much more potential it has to help all students. A no-loan policy, especially by 2014–2015, is not only a savior for the numerous students who receive need-based aid, but also a vital step in maintaining UChicago’s reputation as an open and inclusive environment.

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

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Oh, the humanities There is room for more structure in teaching the study of literature without damaging its open-endedness

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By Eleanor Hyun Viewpoints Columnist Perhaps as a result of joining Science Olympiad in high school and taking pre-med courses in college, I find that my friend group skews scientific. It’s no surprise, then, that I often feel pressure to defend the legitimacy of my major (English). The

decline in popularity of the English major—and humanities subjects in general—has been a long, unfolding trend. While I can’t claim to know the full and complex causes behind this trend, my own experience tells me that it has in part to do with English’s position as a subject with no specific professional outcome attached to it, as well as its unfortunate reputation for being fancy bullshit.

The prevalence of this school of thought among my peers, I think, can be traced back to how English is taught. After years of classes in which teachers are the sole arbiters of didactic truth, the introduction of the

discussion-based class can be quite jarring. This more democratic format is a direct reflection of the philosophy of the humanities, where there can be no absolute truth—only compelling paths toward it—and where each thought and opinion is valued.

In this context, students are encouraged to form their own opinions in the absence of authority.

I experienced shades of this in my elementary school, where teachers emphasized “free-writing,” an activity that disregards spelling, grammar, or punctuation in order to encourage creativity. Because its prescriptions discourage students from writing,

grammar was never formally taught.

This wasn’t really a problem at the time. My single-digit age gave me license to write a horrible Harry Potter knockoff without sparing a thought for word order.

No: The problem arose later. When the discussion model was introduced in my English classes, the same philosophy was implemented. Teachers asked very open-ended questions to give students unabated freedom to interact with and interpret the text.

There was a twist though: They began grading us.

Usually, when you turn in a math ENGLISH continued on page 6

CHELSEA LEU Copy Editor

HEIDI SIEGRISTCopy Editor

A new trauma epicenter

LINDSEY SIMON Copy Editor

If activists want to see a trauma center on the South Side, they may want to take their cause to City Hall

KATIE LEU Copy Editor KATARINA MENTZELOPOULOS Copy Editor JONAH RABB Copy Editor

ESTHER YU 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

Jake Smith Viewpoints Columnist “You can’t always get what you want.”

That seems to be the University of Chicago Medical Center’s response to the activists who have pressed adamantly over the last three years for the UCMC to reopen its adult trauma center. Most recently, we’ve all seen photos of the questionable arrests, tense protests, and well-documented police blunders that have kept the issue at the forefront of campus consciousness. But will these new pressures finally make the behemoth Medical Center cave in to the demands of protestors who have all but beaten down its doors?

Probably not. I think that the activists face a handful of institutional barriers that have successfully kept the University from bowing, and that are not likely to yield any time soon. The folks who care about a trauma center are going to have a lot better luck if they bring the fight to people who can help them win it— namely, the city or state government.

Let’s look at the situation from the administrators’ angle. Like it or not, the UCMC administrators who incessantly put the kibosh on a trauma center are simply doing their jobs. The University tried a trauma center during a bizarre citywide trauma fad in the 1980s. When it became apparent that the center was not financially sustainable, the UCMC

shut it down in 1988. That’s what private institutions do—not out of sheer selfinterest, but because it is their charter. It’s the same reason that the UCMC emergency room (which has to close its doors more than 20 percent of the time due to overcrowding) has not been expanded; the ER is bad business, since entitlement programs and meager insurance reimbursements can’t keep up with the costs of treatment.

Activists claim that in spending exorbitant millions on shiny new research and specialty care facilities in lieu of a trauma facility, the University is once again neglecting the needs of low-income South Side residents. But as a private hospital, the Medical Center is ac-

countable for its balance sheets. Cruel as it may sound, the hospital has every right to focus on saving the lives that can pay, and UCMC decision makers cannot responsibly make choices that will hemorrhage money.

So if the UCMC cannot be coerced to act, where exactly should the trauma advocates turn?

City Hall would be a fine place to start. In 2011, Chicago City Council passed a formal resolution acknowledging the need for improved trauma care access on the South Side. Unfortunately that was the last of it—the Council passed the buck completely, urging the UCMC to reopen its center and asking TRAUMA continued on page 6

6

THE CHICAGO MAROON | VIEWPOINTS | April 16, 2013

Protesters’ current actions serve to shame, not change TRAUMA continued from page 5 the state congress to figure out the federal funding. Now, two years have passed without a stitch of progress. The activists should make the aldermen revisit that issue and start revamping the city’s trauma system in earnest.

Of course, dealing with local government requires cutting through an entirely new maze of red tape and political maneuvering. But it’s worth a try—after all, opposing health care for low-income populations looks awfully bad to constituents on Election Day, particularly for aldermen from South Side wards. If forced to take action, a sizeable portion of City Council might just climb on board.

“

Aldermen are also more accountable to the public than to University bigwigs, so a big enough push could bring results.

”

Aldermen are also more accountable to the public than to University bigwigs, so a big enough push could bring results. If the degree of hubbub that often happens outside the Medical Center happened at City Hall, for instance, aldermen (and maybe even the Mayor) would feel serious pressure to act.

At the very least, the protests would get more TV

airtime and headline inches—and with enough bad press, local governments can be leveled with (just look back at the Chicago teachers’ strike).

But if the aldermen continue to shirk responsibility, trauma advocates can take their fight straight to the Statehouse. Despite Illinois being deep in the red, there is a great deal of federal money available to states for precisely this sort of community health project. Obamacare allocated a huge chunk of change for improving trauma systems, and the state of Illinois could make a convincing case for getting access to more of those federal dollars. The state could then funnel that money to the reopened UCMC trauma center and bolster its lackluster revenue, which would at least get the ball rolling.

In the end, it’s essentially a question of intent.

If the protesters’ goal is to shame the University, then they should stay the course and keep showing up on the UCMC’s doorstep. But if their goal is expediting care for trauma victims, they should take the fight to City Hall, or maybe even Springfield.

Although I love the activists’ passion for enacting positive change in our community, passion misdirected is passion wasted. The trauma center activists can’t get what they want from the UCMC—but if they take this fight somewhere they can win it, they just might get what they need.

G R E Y C I T Y THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF THE

CHICAGO MAROON

Jake Smith is a fourth-year in the College majoring in political science.

Teaching structures helps students improve writing ENGLISH continued from page 5 or science test, you can roughly predict your grade even if it’s curved. When I asked a friend about how she predicted her paper grades, though, she said, “If I think it’s good I will get a B or lower; if I pulled it out of my butthole I will get an A.” Many of us see our grades in the humanities go up and down in this seemingly arbitrary fashion—and that breeds resentment.

The truth that many teachers fail to mention until they lay their red grading pen on a fresh stack of papers is that, although there is no absolute “right” answer in English, some answers are better than others. But there is no absolute guideline for this “quality,” owing to the many paths one can take to achieve it. As a result, many of my teachers were reticent to present interpretations in class, perhaps fearing that their students would feel overshadowed by their answers. Perhaps the intentions of these teachers were admirable; they probably hoped to empower students by having them develop their own rubrics of quality, but instead the effect was often the opposite: Without examples or references to draw on, we felt frustrated and powerless in the face of ambiguity.

I admit that there are few hard and fast rules for writing, but instruction on the topic could benefit from some solidity. When our first papers were graded most of my Hum class realized that our introductory paragraphs were unsatisfactory. In order to amend this, our next writing seminar was dedicated to the “stasis-destabilization” form of introductory paragraph, in which a common convention is presented only for the thesis to counter it. Most of us adopted that form for our next papers and, unsurprisingly, the evaluations of our introductory paragraphs were more positive.

Some may say that this goes against the core philosophy of the discussion- and free inquiry– based approach to the humanities. Why reward students for adhering to a mold? Teaching the stasis-destabilization form was an efficient method for bettering students’ writing, which is necessary in a class where they’re expected to write decent papers by third week. The form gave students something solid to use, analyze, deconstruct, and perhaps eventually transcend.

If we could improve so much knowing only one form, I wonder what could be gained in learning a plethora of forms that could help us refine a sentence, a paragraph, and an entire piece.

Unfortunately, in only three writing seminars, we did not learn any more forms that quarter.

In a sonnet, William Wordsworth writes, “Nuns fret not at their convent’s narrow room;/ And hermits are contented with their cells;/ and students with their pensive citadels.” Students’ efforts are facilitated, not hindered, by formal education. Having students independently construct their own paths to quality may be an ideal of the humanities, but quality rarely, if ever, arrives spontaneously. It usually lies at the end of a long path of initial imitations and careful mentorship. Rather than dangling a lofty ideal of “quality” over students’ heads, teachers must empower students by giving them sturdy footholds, in the shape of imitable forms and examples, which they can use to climb upward. Without these forms, we risk stranding students at the bottom of a mountain that they have no way to climb, and they will walk away without belief in the beautiful view we insist is at the top.

Eleanor Hyun is a first-year in the College majoring in English.

SUBMISSIONS

SPRING 2013 ISSUE

COMING SOON

Fundamentals: Issues and Texts Announces a Public Colloquium

The

Power of Books: Some Personal Accounts Wendy Doniger Professor of Divinity, South Asian Languages & Culture, and Social Thought

Justin Steinberg Professor of Romance Languages & Literature

Wednesday, April 17 4:30 P.M. Stuart 105 Reception to follow This event is recommended for students considering a major in Fundamentals.

More information about Fundamentals will be available at the event.

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.

Persons needing assistance should contact Jonny Thakkar (jthakkar@uchicago.edu).

ARTS

Heartlandia APRIL 16, 2013

GastroConference takes a bite of Chicago’s food scene Alexandra McInnis Senior Arts Staff It’s no secret that Chicago is a city for diverse food experiences, with devoted restaurant-goers seeking out authentic ethnic cuisines at hole-inthe-wall locations, or vying for tables at big names like Next and Alinea. As foodies in 2013, we approach eating experiences with a heightened set of expectations for the ambiance, food quality, and presentation (somewhat due to iPhone photography), but it’s difficult to pin down what makes a culinary enterprise successful and what makes for a flop. The food industry experts and entrepreneurs of Chicago and beyond gathered at the EnvisionDo GastroConference held in Ida Noyes Hall this past Saturday to address this question, and revealed the strategic considerations that exceed mere passion for food.

Barry Nalebuff, a keynote speaker at the conference and the co-founder of Honest Tea, identified two major questions that a food venture must ask itself: Why will you succeed, and why will you succeed in the face of competition? Of Honest Tea’s own success as a beverage company, Mr. Nalebuff highlighted its unprecedented “two teaspoon” approach to sugar content, which was enough to add taste to the tea without adding excessive calories for almost zero impact on taste. The locally-sourced ingredients, the commitment to featuring quality teas, and a little bit of luck all contributed to Honest Tea’s near-overnight success when first

introduced through Whole Foods markets in 1998, he said.

Innovation doesn’t just pertain to the product itself. Major players in the Chicago restaurant scene such as chefs Iliana Regan of Elizabeth Restaurant and Josh Kulp of the Sunday Dinner Club mentioned a memorable atmosphere as a factor for their restaurants’ successes. Both Elizabeth and the Sunday Dinner Club reject the conventional RSVP policy (diners need tickets for Elizabeth, and require invitations from a referral-only mailing list for the Sunday Dinner Club), but provide unique dining experiences that keep the seating requests flowing.

Regan described Elizabeth as “the restaurant version of [my]self,” and explained the homey ambiance and commitment to personal attention that makes her guests feel comfortable and special. At the Sunday Dinner Club, the restaurant is located in an actual home, and gives diners the sense that they’re at a dinner party— Kulp’s newest venture, Honey Butter Fried Chicken, will be a similarly cozy environment.

Ambiance has so much power that it can transform an average-quality restaurant into a major hotspot. Regan mentioned Hop Leaf Bar on the North Side as an example of a restaurant with mediocre food but a fun, chaotic atmosphere that keeps her coming back.

Jason McKinney, co-founder of iCream Café, the innovative Wicker Park ice cream parlor that uses liquid nitrogen to make ice cream, is

Sarah Runkle, a first-year and member of EnvisionDo, the RSO that organized the conference, distributes meal tickets and complementary Honest Tea to attendees in Ida Noyes on Saturday.

SYDNEY COMBS | THE CHICAGO MAROON

no stranger to struggle in the food industry. His initial ice cream parlor closed within two days of opening, and remained closed for six months. Rethinking his machines and branding, coupled with some serious perseverance, allowed his venture to make a comeback, and he is now set to have iCream branches open in Kuwait City and Dubai.

Meanwhile, UChicago grad Teresa Ging (A.B. ’00) will be opening the second location of Sugar Bliss bakery in Streeterville. Ging opened

Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique six years ago in the Loop, an area where she identified a lack of fine bakeries at the time. A savvy sense of quality control and cost and demand have restrained her from accepting offers to open branches in the suburbs, and the specific low-price items offered during the recession have kept her business thriving amid the arrival of brand bakeries in the Loop, such as Magnolia and Crumbs.

A newcomer at the conference was Alex Abbott Boyd, a UChicago

grad (A.B. ’11) who started an organic cocktail mixer company, Cocktail Crate, two months ago. Boyd’s artisanal mixers are currently sold in select markets in New York City, but he hopes they will be available in Chicago within a few years (they can currently be ordered online). Boyd served conference guests samples of his mixers, and the enthusiasm for his products (particularly the “Ginger Bee”) gives hope that he, too, will be able to make his company stand out in a highly competitive industry.

Happy trails for HPAC resident At Music Box, Carruth premieres Color feature horse and a nude male model accompanied only by a polo mallet and a Ralph Lauren Polo sweater.

Prior to the performance, the announcer said, “It’s a durational piece. You can come and go as you please.” But as expected, a crowd of upwards of a hundred people gathered in the corner of the gallery for the full half-hour tentatively snapping photos, sipping wine and whispering to each other in awe, as nude model and horse stood almost perfectly still, except for the occasional need of the horse to relieve himself on the gallery floor.

A wild rumpus of rumps: For the exhibit’s opening, a naked model sat atop a horse from Palos Hills Riding Stables.

COURTESY OF HYDE PARK ART CENTER

Lauren Gurley Associate Arts Editor It’s long been argued that dog is man’s best friend. But if you talked to Chicago artist Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford, he would probably make a very compelling case for the horse. His new exhibition, Hall of Khan, which opened on Sunday at the Hyde Park Art Center (HPAC), explores humans’ long relationship with horses, particularly with regard to military history.

The show—the product of

Hulsebos-Spofford’s yearlong residency at HPAC—includes an eclectic mix of media forms, including photography, collage, sculpture, drawing, and installation. But the piece in the gallery that drew the most attention at Sunday’s opening reception was a nude man sitting bareback atop a live horse for 30 minutes. For the first half hour of the show, two horses from Palos Hills Riding Stables were available for petting, feeding, and admiring, but half an hour in, the show transitioned into the spectacle of one

HALL OF KHAN Hyde Park Art Center Through July 28

This piece, along with a photo collage of hundreds of horse monuments from around the world, and a sculpture made of wood, sneakers, and a Hanes Tshirt, entitled “White Man Can’t Jump,” makes reference to the horse as a symbol of militarism and masculinity. Although avantgarde artists like Picasso and Matisse made the switch from representational painting to expressionism a long time ago, the traditional war-horse monument, HORSE continued on page 9

Hamid Bendaas Arts Contributor Upstream Color is only Shane Carruth’s second feature film since he broke into the scene with 2004’s cult classic Primer, a hyper-realistic time travel narrative made on a $7,000 budget. Upstream Color is a similar feat in ambitious filmmaking, since Carruth was the movie’s director, writer, cinematographer, music composer, camera operator, and chief editor. He also acted as one of the two leads—and he’s self-distributing the film. As with Primer, Carruth has succeeded in creating a rich and special film that necessitates repeat viewings simply to understand what it all means.

Carruth was on the stage of the Music Box Theatre last Friday for the movie’s Chicago premiere to take audience questions. It is a testament to the type of movie this is that attendees asked questions not just related to filming logistics or plot points. One audience member felt the need to comment, sincerely curious, “I was wondering if you have a story, like, in your brain before you start shooting.”

Upstream Color does have a story. Its problem is that it is communicated in a different way than any movie you are likely to have ex-

perienced. Carruth’s ultimate goal is to experiment with the storytelling ability of film as a medium, and with Upstream Color he has attempted to communicate a message as nonverbally as possible.

“Upstream is veiled because everything has to be so nonverbal,” Carruth said. To compensate for the limited dialogue of the movie, he has saturated his film with scenes of vibrant color and heady noise and music, which he calls “compositions of communication.”

To explain the significance of the film’s nonverbal exposition necessitates going into the plot.

Before continuing, however, I would like to argue that this film is best experienced, at least on first watch, with as little knowledge of the plot as possible. Upstream Color is engaging and rewarding in its gorgeous visuals and technical mastery alone, and is rare in that it permits and encourages the viewer to engage with it while living apart from it, to exit the theatre without immediately understanding the grand message or meaning of the work, and to be OK with that.

The plot of the film functions much like a thought experiment.

The character who lives this thought out in the film is Kris COLOR continued on page 8

THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | April 16, 2013

8

With Upstream Color, Carruth finds success in writing, directing, scoring, starring COLOR continued from page 7 (Amy Seimetz), a woman who is one day abducted in the back of a bar and drugged with a concoction created from speciallycultivated maggots. The psychoactive effects of the drug strip away one’s individual will (as in hypnosis). Under her abductor’s spell, Kris, in a trance, feverishly transcribes the entire text of Walden, folding the pages one at a time into a long paper chain. The text becomes one of the movie’s main symbolic references, and many of Thoreau’s descriptions of the natural world at Walden Pond find their visual equivalent in the film.

UPSTREAM COLOR Shane Carruth Music Box Theatre

The effects of her abduction and abuse are emotionally and physically devastating. By the end, she has been stripped of all identity and perhaps possibilities of ever developing or regaining one—she loses her job, her body is mutilated, and her own memories become unfamiliar. According to Carruth, the plot seems veiled only because it is nonverbal, and it must be unspoken because Kris is unable to verbalize her situation, or the grief and loss she undergoes.

However, the message of the film is not entirely psychological: The sci-fi horror of the first half transforms into contemplative spiritual meditation in the second. Kris, isolated and silent, eventually meets Jeff (Carruth), a stranger who seems to have under-

Kris (Amy Seimetz) and Jeff (Shane Carruth) might be able to hide from their emotional instability in the bathtub, but they can’t escape their Organix nourishing coconut milk shampoo.

COURTESY OF ERBP FILM

gone the same ordeal. Though their meeting on a train is a classic happy accident, their relationship avoids typical rom-com tropes; they seem drawn into one another’s lives as if pulled by a force greater than and outside of themselves. Both have experienced great loss, and their relationship is a demonstration that we can love without understanding either ourselves or the object of our love—or perhaps that love can be found within this absence.

Throughout the movie, a slow revelation unfolds: The well-traveled toxin affecting Kris has ingrained within her very nature a connection to objects and places she has never before seen or experienced. Images of material as apparently arbitrary as a pregnant female pig and the ambiguous character of a pig farmer serve to punctuate the film, and in some liminal way, shape the direction it takes. It is a credit to Carruth that he makes this narrative believable throughout the

whole length of the film, and despite all the ambiguity and tragedy, that it might conclude with an inspiring message—the source of our sense of loss is also the opportunity to find remarkable comfort in unexpected and seemingly unremarkable matter, like a pig or a blue flower. Upstream Color transforms into a narrative not necessarily about any of its characters, sounds, images or objects, but about the poison and color that bleeds through and connects them all.

Where fun comes to eat fondue and dance in Skechers

Second-year Will Craft, crowned “Mr. Shorey” by his housemates, dances with Shorey RH Evan Kuehn at the Pierce Awkward Ball. Due to the planned demolition of Pierce Tower, the ball’s future is unclear.

GRIFFIN DENNIS | THE CHICAGO MAROON

Marika Van Laan Arts Contributor Saturday night, I expected myself to be arguing with my friends about whether to go to the Snail or Noodles for dinner. If not, I was sure I would spend half the night rolling my eyes at everyone going to frat parties, and, of course, end up joining them eventually. However, instead, I found myself walking into a soiree which evoked mixed memo-

ries of seventh grade dances and my grandma’s retirement home Christmas party. Tubs of soda cans, wall-to-wall carpeting, balloons, and rows of chairs facing the dance floor also conjured flashbacks of preteen birthday parties. I had entered the Pierce Awkward Ball.

The event is one of the dorm’s newer but well-loved traditions and embraces the odd characters that occupy the building.

Second-year and Pierce Tower

Council President Mark Maskeri described the Awkward Ball as “a reason for students to get together and have a good time,” and commented, “We’re all awkward—and we know it—so why not celebrate it?”

Interestingly enough, the ball didn’t feel like a gathering or celebration, but more like it was intended to be a petri dish or incubator for the tender cultivation of social ineptitude. It was like some mad scientist had taken over

Pierce Dining Hall and combined the fluorescent lighting and garish music to create an absurd social experiment.

In the early stages of the evening, I enjoyed Potbelly sandwiches and a chocolate fountain as Pierce inhabitants arrived. The guests entered the dining hall like a parade honoring the sartorial diversity we enjoy (and, sometimes, cringe at) on campus. Guys who represented the classic jeans, Skechers, and hoodie look joined pajama-wearers. Soon, the residents who respected the title of “ball” arrived, all dressed to impress in tuxedos and evening gowns. I even watched one girl impressively edge down a small flight of stairs in seven-inch heels. The clashing styles beautifully complemented one another as revelers filed in past the fourth meal cash register and soda fountain, where a makeshift red carpet had been rolled out for this classy affair.

Luckily, I was not merely a freeloading gatecrasher; I had the pleasure of bringing my own lack of social skills to the table and contributing to the uncomfortable atmosphere. Not knowing anyone in Pierce, I shuffled around, quietly dripping chocolate fondue on myself. I noticed that several of the attendees had donned sashes, as if they were beauty queens. I gathered that the participating houses all elect a Mr. and Mrs. House to represent them, just to make sure we haven’t forgotten our high school years.

Interestingly, the Tower Council even arranges a dating service to match up random residents, in

case the dance was in danger of being too normative.

After butting into one too many conversations, hearing enough Macklemore to last a lifetime, and dodging the skateboard of one of the Resident Master’s children, my date bluntly told me it was time to go. She seemed traumatized; she cursed me for coercing her into attending the affair.

Yet later on in the night, I began to reflect on the Ball and regarded it with renewed respect.

Pierce had created something great, something impressive.

Normally balls, dances, formals, hoedowns, and whatnot simply ignore the social anxiety that plagues us. The Awkward Ball takes a step back and allows us to talk, relax, and joke about all the natural discomfort that arises when enough people are in a room together.

Unfortunately, as we all know, Pierce’s time on campus is short, and because of this, the Awkward Ball’s fate is uncertain. The looming closure of Pierce and threat to this tradition echo the recurring cries of distress concerning our school culture and identity. Is UChicago losing its weirdness? Is our rising popularity a bad thing ?

According to Pierce Tower Council members, many residents are enthusiastic about continuing the tradition, and hope to do so in the new location. It seems that even as the school changes, at least a small part of UChicago will remain a place where fun comes to die belly-up—awkwardly, that is.

THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | April 16, 2013

Trance parks itself firmly between opposing ideals

On this balcony, Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson), a hypnotherapist, attempts to work through the amnesia of Simon (James McAvoy), an art auctioneer recently injured in a theft. Danny Boyle’s newest movie is as visually stunning as the rest of his oeuvre.

COURTESY OF 20TH CENTURY FOX

James Mackenzie Arts Staff Trance, the latest film from acclaimed British director Danny Boyle (127 Hours, Slumdog Millionaire), is another in the long line of movies attempting to disrupt the viewer’s perception of reality. James McAvoy stars as Simon, an art auctioneer who conspires with a group of thieves led by Franck (Vincent Cassel) to steal a multimillion-dollar painting. In the course of the heist, Simon suffers a head injury and forgets what happens to the painting. The group of con artists then enlists hypnotherapist Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson) to help recover Simon’s memories.

TRANCE Danny Boyle AMC River East

However, as the characters begin to delve into each other’s psyches, the intrigue between them grows to encompass far more than just a valuable paint-

ing. The film goes through constant changes and escalations as the pasts of certain characters are revealed to be connected, causing them to inevitably turn on each other. These plot twists elevate what at first seems to be just a classic heist film, morphing it into a surreal psychological thriller and finally ending as an intense focus on an emotional and physical struggle between the three leads. For a film that starts out feeling so modern, it is surprising yet effective when Trance’s final act achieves the drama of a Greek tragedy.

A slew of initially disconnected plots and styles blend together thanks to a fast pace which keeps the film tight and trimmed. A relatively short runtime (under two hours) keeps any of the film’s distinct acts from being overbearing or bloated, contributing to a much more coherent whole. Today it is surprising and refreshing to see any film, let alone one by a world-class director such as Boyle, limit its duration.

Despite the craft with which it is told, the story sometimes suffers from the inconsistency of its characters. McAvoy’s emotional shifts help pace the film, but the other two leads’ motivations be-

come extremely confused from their relatively straightforward beginnings. Cassel in particular is pulled around haphazardly by a largely unbelievable romance with Dawson, ultimately ending up without any satisfying character resolution.

Dawson’s character may actually be the film’s most interesting.

She helps reveal darker aspects of McAvoy, including a drug and gambling addiction, and becomes the closest thing Trance has to a stable emotional center. Dawson’s initially confusing motives are cleared up in a twist regarding her past with McAvoy’s character that is beautiful if not a little too clean. Despite leaving a sizable plot hole, Dawson’s arc nicely ties up the film’s intentional study of relationships, specifically one person’s control over another.

The hypnotism itself is well integrated into the film’s plot so long as the audience accepts the conceit that it affords nearmagical authority over others.

While the film does play with some scenes in regards to reality, there is generally little question as to what is real and what is a trance. Regardless, Boyle opts to give the entire world, dream and reality alike, a surreal quality

that draws occasionally from the world of fine art (though not the kind that is being stolen). This is helped by repeating images, such as McAvoy’s window tapping, or his gripping of a key ring with bandaged fingers. There is little in the way of sunlight or the outdoors, leaving a number of dark indoor shots lit only by a primary color scheme.

These elements highlight the thoughtful construction of Trance, both visually and thematically. The film telegraphs its hidden plot elements without revealing anything about them, leaving the audience eager to delve further into the movie. And the dreamlike atmosphere only helps pull viewers into each character’s psyche, entrancing them with its surrealism. All of the dreams and diversions only make the final act more potent as the film reaches its contrastingly real and brutal climax.

Yet potent as it may be, the film’s ending feels tonally awkward and unnecessarily happy. To some it may take the punch out of the resolution and further confuse the character’s motives, but personally speaking, it didn’t detract much from what was a tense and enjoyable experience.

9

Hall of Khan is muddled in its disparate media HORSE continued from page 7 Hulsebos-Spofford felt, never made it into the arena of modern art. It seems that this is because horses have been obsolete in the context of war for hundreds of years.

In Hall of Khan—a reference to the great Mongolian steppe horseman Genghis Khan— Hulsebos-Spofford decided to take a stab at a contemporary warhorse monument. His abstract recreations of these statues, which are often just a fragmentary part of the monument like a saddle, are made of a smattering of materials including but not limited to foam, furniture, polystyrene, epoxy putty, plaster, wax, acrylic, boiled sugar, 90 percent dark chocolate, and dried pineapples.

While Hulsebos-Spofford, a Vermont native, remains close to his fascination with all things equestrian throughout the show, the mix of media forms makes it feel at times disjointed and lacking in a specific aesthetic effect or artistic methodolog y. A massive wooden skeletal structure entitled “Hall,” which towers high above the other pieces, is a scaled-down recreation of the Crystal Palace in London’s Hyde Park, and a feat of construction, but has a hard time fitting in with the size and color scheme of the other pieces in the room.

What is most commendable about Hall of Khan is perhaps the way it brings the horse, a rarity in urban Chicago, to young children, and even adults, who have never touched or even seen live horses. In addition to the exhibition, HPAC will hold horse drawing classes as well as a high noon ride with Chicago’s Broken Arrow Horseback Riding Club. Whether or not you share Hulsebos-Spofford’s fascination with horses, Hall of Khan takes a daring and highly radical approach to history and art, and makes for an entertaining place to spend your Saturday afternoon.

In Mandel, OLAS show a success for two years running Ellen Rodnianski Arts Contributor On Saturday evening, OLAS (Organization of Latin American Students) presented to the UChicago community its second annual cultural show, this year Tradiciones, in Mandel Hall.

What set the show apart from other cultural events on campus was its incorporation of a number of Latin-American dance groups from the Chicago community.

Mixed in with the organization’s renditions of a variety of different dance styles, including but not limited to salsa, bachata, and cumbia, were performances by rapper Righteous Ones; Brazilian carnival group Samba I; and most strikingly, Los Cinco Magnificos de la Quebradita, a highly acrobatic dance group.

At a university with so many

cultural groups staging annual shows, coordinating performances with distinctly different characters is a difficult task. However, by bringing in outside groups pertaining to its Latin American culture, OLAS did just that.

The audience witnessed a diverse show that did an excellent job of incorporating the myriad Hispanic-American traditions present in the Chicago area.

The show astutely highlighted the diversity of both Latin America and OLAS. To begin, each of the board members came on stage with placards showing their nationalities. Furthermore, apart from the more widely recognized Latin American dances, the organization also included a few performances that pertained to specific regions or historical periods. For instance, “Danza de Concheros,” performed by Co-

Chair Christian Sanchez and member Edgar Alarcon Tinajero, is a pre-colonial dance from central Mexico that can now be seen during Catholic and indigenous ceremonies.

The organization also added some humor to their show in their video intermission, “Finca de Tradiciones,” which was a parody of the very popular telenovelas, or Latin American soap operas. In this exclusive telenovela, six OLAS members played out a typical soap story that involved love, cheating, and death. The show ran a little more than two hours (including an intermission), and it featured 19 different acts.

OLAS had not produced a cultural show for some time, but members of the current board decided to bring the show back last year.

Second-year Christian Sanchez, an OLAS co-chair, in their show Tradiciones. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!

ELLEN RODNIANSKI | THE CHICAGO MAROON

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THE CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | April 16, 2013

Missing when it matters: Chicago drops close matches to Bears, Gusties

Kohm: “We had some good hits, but they just wouldn’t fall into gaps.�

Men’s Tennis Sam Zacher Associate Sports Editor Effort can only take you so far.

No. 29 Chicago (11–4) was simply outmatched against No. 14 Wash U (12–5) and No. 18 Gustavus Adolphus (18–9) on Saturday, falling by scores of 6–3 and 7–2, respectively. “Against Wash U, we felt as if we were right there with them,� second-year Deepak Sabada said. “Every match was tightly contested, but they were able to play better than us in the clutch situations, which led to them winning a lot of close matches.�

Sabada has played extraordinarily well for the South Siders this season, comfortably taking on the No. 1 singles role. Prior to the match against the Bears, he had won eight straight individual matches. On Saturday, he ran into the regions’ No. 1 singles player, Adam Putterman, and lost 7–5, 6–2.

Second-year Ankur Bhargava and third-year Neil Karandikar came out victorious at No. 2 doubles. Third-year Alexander Golovin won on the No. 3 singles court, while first-year Jake Crawford secured the Maroons’ third and final point with a win at No. 4 singles.

Although Chicago had won 10

of their last 11 matches before Saturday, the odds were stacked against them. Not only did the Maroons have to face two top-20 teams, they had to play them on the road and back-to-back. “Against Gustavus, it was a similar story,� Sabada said. “We lost four extremely close matches which would have changed the outcome of the match.� “Playing Gustavus Adolphus on the same day right after Wash U was a huge task and very difficult on the team physically and mentally,� Bhargava said. “We competed very well throughout all nine matches, but fatigue did catch up with us. However, we battled till the very end. Two great examples were [first-year] Gordon Zhang and [fourth-year] Harrison Abrams that continued to fight even after the match was over.�

Sabada triumphed in his match against the Gusties, winning 6–3, 6–2. Chicago’s victory came from first-year Gordon Zhang and Crawford on the No. 3 doubles court (8–6).

The Maroons put in a lot of effort on the day, but some certain problems have persisted that could hurt the team later in the season. “[Losing close matches] has been a problem for us the last three matches, and this is something we

are looking to fix as a team before UAAs,� Sabada said.

Sabada and the South Siders are still confident, though. After all, they won 10 in a row earlier in the season, so they know how to play at a high level. “We have been playing some of our best tennis late in the season, and once we learn how to finish close matches we feel like we can do well at UAAs,� Sabada said.

After losing their last three matches, the Maroons look to swing the season momentum back around this Wednesday against UIC (5–14) and Thursday against Wheaton (9–3).

Although UIC’s record doesn’t seem too daunting, the Flames are a DI team, so the young Maroons will have to bring their A-game this week.

On the other hand, Wheaton’s winning percentage (.750) is similar to the Maroons’ (.733).

The Thunder has had a relatively easy schedule, however, with its hardest game coming against No. 28 UW–Whitewater, to which it lost 8–1. The South Siders lost to the same team 6–3 a week ago.

Chicago heads a few miles north on Wednesday to face UIC at 4:30 p.m. and gets right back at it on Thursday, traveling to Wheaton, IL. to play the Thunder at 4 p.m.

Premedicine and Professional Health Careers

SOFTBALL continued from back another RBI single in the fifth and held the lead from there.

The South Siders know what they want to work on for the remainder of the season. “We just need to keep pushing through the entire game and work together as a group,� Kohm said. “We had some good hits, but they just wouldn’t fall into gaps. They will start to fall very soon, so Illinois Wesleyan should be nervous.�

On Tuesday, the Maroons will face the Illinois Wesleyan Titans (20–7), who are going to be a solid opponent. In the Titans’ doubleheader against North

Central, they managed to split their results, winning their second game against the Cardinals 9–3— handing North Central its only loss of the season. This game should prove to be challenging for the South Siders, but they are happy to play the underdog. “We are very excited to face Illinois Wesleyan,� Kohm said. “The pressure is all on them because we are going to play at a high level of intensity and are ready to come back with a fire after these past two games.�

Illinois Wesleyan plays the revved-up Maroons today at 3:30 p.m. on Stagg Field.

Tee looks for leadership from underclassmen W. TENNIS continued from back Sdvizkhov (6–2, 6–4) and firstyear Sruthi Ramaswami (6–3, 7–5) also pulled out straightset victories at No. 3 and No. 5 singles, respectively.

But, wins over Li (6–2, 6–2) at No. 2 singles, McGillis (7–5, 7–5) at No. 4 singles, and firstyear Stephanie Lee (6–2, 7–6 (6)) at No. 6 singles clinched the dual win for the Bears. “I told the team after the loss that we need some people to step up and lead,� Tee said. “Linden [Li] has been doing a great job as

WE WANT

our only senior, but it shouldn’t be up to one person.�

With only one match left in the regular season, the Maroons are focusing on a successful postseason run. “All of us, including the coaches, need to ask what else we can give to the team in order to be successful,�

Tee said. “If we’re going to make a run in the postseason we need to focus our energy and make some adjustments.� The Maroons play their only match at Stagg Field tennis courts today at 4 p.m. against Wheaton.

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THE CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | April 16, 2013

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Hot bats smoke Monmouth, but pitching falters at St. Norbert Baseball Russell Mendelson Sports Contributor The Maroons (13–8) were involved in two slugfests in Monmouth on Sunday, coming out on top in the first game of their doubleheader before falling short in the second.

After splitting decisions in its two games on Sunday, Chicago is now tied with St. Joseph’s for third in the Independent Conference. Although there is over a month left in the season, with 15 games to go, the Maroons face an uphill battle to catch second place Covenant (22–10) and conference leaders Huntingdon (23–9).

Chicago came into the weekend riding a five-game winning streak and managed to extend it to six against Monmouth (5–16) as it hit its way to a 22–4 victory. The day ended on a sour note, though, as St. Norbert (14–6) gave the South Siders a taste of their own medicine, racking up 16 hits en route to a 17–7 victory.

“We took some really good swings today and hit the ball hard,” third-year DH Ricky Troncelliti said. “We had a good approach and battled. As a result we had a lot of success.”

The approach worked at the beginning as the Maroons plated six in the first in their game against Monmouth and managed to knock starter Ray Gerard from the game in just 1.2 innings.

Third baseman Kyle Engel recorded eight RBIs on three

home runs in Chicago’s first game. He was not the only Maroon hitting them out of the park, however. Troncelliti, fourth-year outfielder Ben Bullock, and third-year outfielder Brett Huff all went yard. Fourth-year left fielder Cinoman tripled in a run in the fourth to break the Maroon’s all-time career triples record.

Cinoman now has 17 in his career and five this season.

“Kyle Engel’s three home runs were great, and Jack [Cinoman] setting the all time triples record is a tremendous honor,” Troncelliti said.

Second-year Kyle Nitiss’s pitching wasn’t spectacular, but managed to prevent Monmouth’s scoring from getting out of hand, allowing four earned runs on six hits in five innings of work. He pitched three scoreless innings after a rough first two, which was enough to earn him the win.

“Kyle Nitiss battled in the first game and settled down after a bit of a rocky start,” noted Troncelliti.

The Maroons’ pitching staff never seemed to settle down in their game against St. Norbert as they allowed at least one run in every inning except the fifth.

Third-year Alex Terry started for Chicago, giving up 11 earned runs on eight hits, including three home runs, in three innings.

Pitcher Brett Nohr went the distance for St. Norbert, but his seven innings were far from flawless. He surrendered seven

Fourth-year Matt O’Connor pitched a complete game in the Maroons’ win against Dominican University on Tuesday, April 9.

JAMIE MANLEY | CHICAGO MAROON

runs and allowed 13 Maroon hits.

Cinoman continued his extra base success in the second game for the South Siders as he hit a two run homer in the sixth.

Second-year catcher Brenden Dunleavy doubled twice, collecting two RBIs. Third-year shortstop Dylan Massey matched Dunleavy, recording one RBI on a sac fly in the second and another on a third inning single.

“We have to continue to execute in the field and at the plate and I’m sure our pitching will

rebound soon,” said Troncelliti.

The Maroons fielded a clean game against Monmouth, but recorded three errors against St. Norbert. No runs were scored as a result.

Hitting remains the team’s strength. At the time of release of the latest NCAA statistics on April 7th, the South Siders lead DIII with a .366 batting average and are sixth in scoring with a whopping 9.4 runs per game.

This team is fifth in slugging at .509.

“We need to keep playing strong defense and have our hitting stay at a high level. We will get good pitching from some reliable guys this week,” said Troncelliti.

The Maroons travel to the North Side to face North Park (1412) this evening before returning home to play North Central (11– 13) tomorrow, ending the week with a rematch against North Park at home on Friday.

The game against North Park is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. tonight.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK COURTESY OF JOHN BOOZ

The executive boards of the Women’s Athletic Association and the Order of the “C” have implemented a program, “Athlete of the Week,” to highlight athletes making a big impact on the campus community—both on and off the field. We hope the MAROON’s series on these ‘Uncommon’ athletes can start a conversation...and not just within the walls of Ratner.

JONATHAN WEATHERWAX, MEN’S TRACK & FIELD Head coach Christ Hall: Jonathan is a senior on our team that ran his debut performance in the 10,000-meter run last Saturday. It was a spectacular debut.

He won the 22-team Chicagoland Championship, and the way he did this was really fun to watch. Jonathan was in third place in the meet with 800 meters to go and a significant gap had formed between him and the lead runner. While he had been running the majority of the race at about 1:19–1:20 400-meter splits, he closed his last two laps in 1:10 and 1:07 (2:17 in the 800). His fastest 800 ever is 2:13, so to close so dramatically after completing 9,200 meters of the race prior to that was a strong indication he has much more inside of him.

COURTESY OF DAVE HILBERT

LINDEN LI, WOMEN’S TENNIS Head coach Jay Tee: Linden went 6-0 in her matches last week at the Midwest Invite, winning several key matchups where she was not the favorite. She led the team in attitude, spirit and energ y throughout the weekend. She is a senior captain and played like it this weekend. She is ranked No. 16 in the region and beat the No. 17 player 6–2, 6–2 to get a crucial point against Case Western Reserve.

SPORTS

IN QUOTES “Maybe Father Time has defeated me...Then again maybe not! It’s 3:30am, my foot feels like dead weight, my head is spinning from the pain meds and I’m wide awake.”

—Lakers guard Kobe Bryant reflects on his career-threatening Achilles injury in a Facebook post Saturday.

Offense stifled in losses to North Central Wash U downs Maroons Softball

Fourth-year Kim Cygan throws a pitch in a win over Hope at Stagg Field last year.

COURTESY OF DAVE HILBERT

Tatiana Fields Associate Sports Editor The South Siders just couldn’t gather enough momentum to defeat nearly invincible North Central.

On Saturday, the Maroons (12– 8) dropped both games of their doubleheader to No. 23 North Central (25–1) in Naperville,

IL. Coming into the game, the Cardinals were known to be a tough opponent and proved it twice over.

Chicago kept it close in the first game, but was just edged out with a final score of 3–2, while North Central dominated the second game, winning 4–1.

Although they were disappointing losses, the Maroons

will learn from them and use them as motivation.

“This doubleheader definitely will push us to work harder and continue to strive for success,” firstyear infielder Kathleen Kohm said.

“There were several good takeaways and things we can learn from that will help us in the important coming weeks.”

Game one started on a promising note as the Maroons’ fourth-year right fielder Jacqueline Ryan scored on a North Central error in the top of the first. The Cardinals tied it up with an RBI single in the fourth, and the Maroons countered with an RBI single of their own from firstyear Jordan Poole, grabbing a 2–1 lead.

North Central countered in the sixth with back-to-back doubles, tying the contest 2–2. After Chicago put up a goose egg in the last inning, the Cardinals loaded the bases, and in unlikely fashion, they drew a walk to walk-off with the win, 3–2.

In game two, North Central picked up right where it left off.

The Cardinals came out strong in the first two innings with an RBI double and RBI single, and along with a Maroons’ passed ball, they took a three-run lead.

Chicago fought back with an RBI single in the top of the third by first-year catcher Kristin Lopez, but that was the end of the offense.

North Central went up 4–1 with SOFTBALL continued on page 10

to even season series

Women’s Tennis Alexander Sotiropoulos Senior Sports Staff It was a tougher loss than most.

After extending their winning streak to 10 matches by defeating Wash U in the Midwest Invitational final on April 13, the Maroons’ streak was snapped on Saturday by the same team, as they lost to the Bears 5–4 in St. Louis.

“It was a tough loss for everyone because we know we didn’t play to our potential,” head coach Jay Tee said. “As a team, we need to learn how to give a consistent effort every time we play. It’s not enough to have three or four players compete as hard as they can because that still leaves us a point or two short of a win. We need to play better in the big moments. No excuses.”

The Maroons boast one of the best doubles lineups in the country, but on Saturday, Chicago headed into singles action with a 2–1 deficit.

In the Midwest Invitational final, the Maroons had a 2–1 lead after doubles with wins from second-year Megan Tang and first-year Helen Sdvizkhov at No. 1 and fourth-year Linden Li and second-year Kelsey McGillis at No. 2.

Once again, Tang and Sdvizkhov pulled out the win (8–6).

“It was neck and neck basically the whole match,” Tang said.

“However, in the last few games to close it out, Helen definitely stepped up her game. She poached a lot of cross-court balls and put away many shots both down the line and at net.”

The No. 2 Chicago tandem also found itself in a familiar situation, tied at 6–6. But, this time, the outcome went in favor of the Bears, 8–6.

“Unlike last week, we played timid and waited for the other team to lose rather than trying to win the match on our terms,” Tee said. “We didn’t rise to the occasion.”

Even though Wash U had momentum on its side heading into singles, Tee said the match was far from over.

“I was disappointed that we weren’t able to take a lead coming out of doubles, but I wasn’t worried,” he said. “I was confident that we’d be able to scrape out four singles wins, especially when Megan Tang has been an automatic point for us.”

And Tang was, once again, an automatic point for the Maroons, defeating Wash U’s Theresa Petraskova 6–1, 6–2 and extending her singles’ winning streak to 13 matches.

W. TENNIS continued on page 10

Maroons grab 11 top five finishes at penultimate UAA tune-up Track & Field Isaac Stern Sports Staff In the race to prepare for the UAA championship, the men and women finished fourth and fifth, respectively, this past weekend at the Benedictine Invitational. The men’s squad scored 60.83 points, finishing behind NAIA Olivet Nazarene (105.5), DI Loyola (105), and DIII Carthage (96.33).

The women scored 59 points to finish behind Loyola, Carthage, and DIII Illinois Wesleyan.

The frigid weather on Saturday proved to be the Maroons largest obstacle. However, the cold did not prevent Chicago from placing in the top five in 11 different events.

“Conditions were tough, it was cold, windy, and rainy for most of the meet, and I thought we still performed well,” fourth-year sprinter Dee Brizzolara said.

Brizzolara returned to the track for the first time since the indoor conference championship over a month ago. He competed in the 100m (4th, 11.18) and 200m (6th, 22.37) sprints in addition to the 4x100m relay (5th, 43.47).

“Other than the cold weather, it felt great [to get back on the track],” Brizzolara said. “I had a

nice extended break, and I felt good running again.”

Numerous other Maroons continued to improve and place well in their events: a positive sign with the conference meet now less than two weeks away. Thirdyear Sam Butler came in second in the 3000m steeplechase with his time of 9:48.25, and first-year pole vaulter Michael Bennett took second with a height of 4.24m.

Third-year Jennie Porter took third in the 400m run with her time of 1:07.53. In the women’s 1500m run, fourth-year Julia Sizek (4.40.32) and first-year Brianna Hickey (4:44.15) sealed second and third for the Maroons, respectively.

Fourth-year Vicky Espinoza won the 3000m steeplechase in a time of 12:01.48.

“It was exciting to have won my first collegiate race in the steeplechase,” Espinoza said. “It started snowing a bit before the steeplechase. During the race, it was hard to stay focused given that there was no one to work with throughout the race. Hearing my teammates [cheer for me] throughout the track helped me regain focus when I felt I could not keep track of how I was performing.”

The Maroons have only one

meet left to gear up for the UAA championship. Physically, the Maroons are not likely to improve drastically in the next 12 days. However, in their current condition, they do have the talent and ability to contend for the conference. This weekend they will compete in the Wheaton Twilight Invitational to get in one final round of races before the climax of the season.

“Coach has done a great job keeping us healthy and prepared,” Espinoza added. “As a team, I think we will be focusing on conference and trying to meet goals [and times] close to what we would want to hit then. Most importantly for me, I need to focus on the mental aspect of the race.”

As the clock ticks toward conference, many South Siders, in particular the fourth-years, are beginning to feel the brevity of the season. Outdoor season started only three weeks ago, and the season is already at the halfway point.

“I think we just need to stay focused and remember that conference is only two weeks away,” Brizzolara said. “We have a very short outdoor season and we need to continue to improve in order to be ready.”

Second-year Ben Nickerson leads the pack in a race during last year’s Chicagoland meet at Stagg Field.

COURTESY OF DAVE HILBERT