052413 Chicago Maroon

FRIDAY • MAY 24, 2013

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892

CHICAGOMAROON.COM

ISSUE 48 • VOLUME 124

Night author advocates a more moral politics Jon Catlin Maroon Contributor

Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel discussed his moral outlook with Institute of Politics director David Axelrod (A.B. ’76) on Wednesday in Rockefeller Chapel.

KRISTIN LIN | THE CHICAGO MAROON

SG to update E&R rules Ankit Jain Associate News Editor After a contentious election cycle, Student Government (SG) is strongly considering amending its constitution and by-laws to give the Elections & Rules (E&R) Committee clearer directives on election procedures and dealing with potential complications.

Amendments to the constitution and by-laws will be proposed by an ad hoc committee convened by the current SG executive slate. The sevenmember committee—which includes fourth-year Lester Ang, current E&R chair, and third-year Michael McCown, incoming SG president—met yesterday and will present its recommendations to the SG assembly next Thursday.

The committee was formed with a broad mandate: “thinking critically about any areas for improvement within SG’s governing documents,” SG president and third-year law student Renard Miller said. But McCown said the committee would mostly be focused on E&R continued on page 3

Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel reflected on the nearly seven decades since his traumatic childhood experience in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps in a conversation with Institute of Politics (IOP) director David Axelrod (A.B. ’76) on Wednesday evening.

In the culminating event of the IOP’s inaugural year, Wiesel spoke at a packed Rockefeller Chapel—the largest indoor venue on campus—for what turned out to be the IOP’s most popular event yet.

The author of 57 books, Wiesel, 84, has spent his life speaking out against injustice and genocide all over the world. The Nobel Peace Prize committee called him “a messenger to mankind” for his work raising awareness of the Holocaust and other human rights violations.

Recalling Wiesel’s visit to Buchenwald with President Barack

Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2009, Axelrod said that he asked Wiesel how he could stand side by side with German authorities.

“The children of murderers are not murderers,” Wiesel responded at the time.

“Once you start [hating], you never stop,” he said on Wednesday. “Hatred becomes self-hatred, ultimately.”

In his questions, Axelrod inquired into what enabled Wiesel to endure the camps and retain optimism in humanity despite the atrocities perpetrated against him.

“I tried to look at the other side,” Wiesel said, “But I don’t know what sustained me.”

In his introduction of Wiesel, thirdyear IOP student advisory council member Eric Wessan lauded the IOP’s aims of engaging students in “the ultimate human art of politics.”

But Wiesel did not seem to share this view, as he began one response to a political question by positing, “I don’t WIESEL continued on page 2

French activist lifts the veil on the burqa ban Celia Bever News Editor Fadela Amara, an activist and former minister in the French government, spoke about the situation of Muslim women in France and defended the controversial “burqa ban” at International House on Wednesday night.

Amara began by relaying the history of banlieues, the working class neighborhoods that surround French cities. Originally diverse, composed of native French and immigrant populations fighting for the same social and labor issues, now many neighborhoods primarily house poor Muslim families. During this transition,

few politicians took up the cause of improving the lives of residents, and their political alienation provided fertile ground for fundamentalist movements.

This led to a surge in what Amara referred to as “more arcane traditions” —namely forced marriage, polygamy, circumcision, and violence against women.

It was around this time that Muslim girls and women began wearing the veil and the burqa. As the founder of the activist group Ni Putes Ni Soumises, translated as “Neither Whores nor Submissive,” and later as the Secretary of State for Urban Policies, Amara strongly supported the 2010 law that banned face coverings. Though the ban TALK continued on page 3

Activist Fadela Amara, right, talked about the French ban on face coverings in I-House on Wednesday. Deborah Joyce translated.

SARAH BLAUSER | THE CHICAGO MAROON

Students plan future dorm The frat is back in town Andrew Ahn Maroon Contributor Plans for the residence hall set to replace Pierce Tower are taking shape, as students work with administrators to select the architecture firm that will design the building.

According to first-year Ethan Stockwell, a member of the Pierce working group, administrators have narrowed the selection of architecture firms down to four, from the 24 that responded to the University’s call for design proposals.

“The four firms are all over the

map. Some of them focus on modern architecture, and some on Gothic,” he said.

Second-year David Goldfeld, a member of the working group, said the decision will likely be based on the exterior layout. While Gothic may fit the traditional University of Chicago architecture, Stockwell said that, according to administrators, this style costs three times more than modern architecture.

The University aims to select the final design for the hall, currently called Campus North by the end NORTH continued on page 2

Stephanie Xiao Associate News Editor Espousing ideals of social and academic balance and community engagement, the newly rechartered Zeta Psi fraternity hopes to leave a positive mark on campus.

The long inactive chapter received its official rechartering and recognition from Zeta Psi headquarters on May 11. The chapter, which was first established in 1864 as part of the Baptist-founded Old University of Chicago, was terminated with the closing of the school in 1887.

According to second-year Robin Greif, the president of the fraternity, the founders

of Zeta Psi began meeting informally as friends in the middle of spring quarter last year and gained colonization status at the end of autumn quarter.

Currently, the 25 founders span first-, second-, and third-years in the College and come from a variety of academic and extracurricular backgrounds.

“There’s a very special character to what we try to bring. We’re not trying to bring people from one sports team, from one major; we don’t want to have just one thing.

We’re trying to find people who are diverse, who are very unique. We want to have passionate people,” Greif said.

FRAT continued on page 3

IN VIEWPOINTS

IN ARTS

IN SPORTS

Trivializing translations » Page 4

Creative Cloisters » Page 8

Letter: In defense of Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions » Page 5

Daft Punk gets lucky with Random Access Memories » Page 10

Sizek fourth in 10,000m, will run with Young in 5,000m » Back Page Tang, Sdvizhkov overpowered by nation’s best » Page 11

THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | May 24, 2013

2

Argonne works for HIV vaccine SOUL supports Pierce workers Rebecca Pierce Maroon Contributor Cutting-edge research at UChicago’s Argonne National Laboratory is a potential first step to the development of an HIV vaccine. The research, focused on mapping the development of the CH103 antibody, was a collaborative effort, bringing together analysis conducted at Los Alamos National Laboratory and experiments conducted at Argonne.

The natural antibody CH103 is able to neutralize multiple strains of HIV, making it a uniquely effective and adaptive virus killer. By examining the formation and evolution of the antibody in relation to the virus, scientists can better understand how to reproduce the antibody in a vaccine.

“HIV–1 is a master of disguise, and it is very difficult for the human immune system to make antibodies that effectively

neutralize diverse HIV–1 isolates. “The CH103 antibody is pretty good as a neutralizer,” Doctor Peter Kwong (A.B. ’85, S.M. ’85), who led Argonne’s efforts in the research, said. Kwong works in the Structural Biolog y section of the National Institute of Health’s Vaccine Research Center.

In order to conduct the study, the researchers acquired samples from an HIV–positive donor starting from the time of infection, allowing the group to obtain information about the progress of the virus and the evolution of the antibody.

Today, Kwong’s research group studies the conditions, on an atomic-level, that trigger the creation of CH103 antibodies.

Understanding the development of the CH103 antibody is a significant first step toward developing an HIV vaccine, though the complete creation of a vaccine is probably years down the road.

By Marina Fang

Weekly Crime Report

Anastasia Kaiser News Staff

This is a series the Maroon publishes summarizing instances of campus crime. Each week details a few notable crimes, in addition to keeping a running count from January 1. The focus is on crimes within the UCPD patrol area, which runs from East 37th to 65th Streets and South Cottage Grove to Lake Shore Drive.

Here are this week’s notables: » May 15 to 16, 6035 South Blackstone Avenue (South Chiller Plant), unknown time—Between 3 p.m. on May 15 and 8:45 a.m. on May 16, an unknown person(s) broke a glass panel on the north side of the building. » May 9 to May 17, 1118 East 58th Street (Eckhart Hall), unknown time—Between 10:30 a.m. on May 9 and 12:50 p.m. on May 17, seven boxes of HP ink cartridges were taken from a secured supply closet.

There was no sign of forced entry.

Since Jan. 1

Since May 16

2

1

Robbery

1

0

Attempted robbery

8

0

Battery

5

0

Burglary

2

0

Criminal trespass to vehicle

13

1

Damage to property

200

11

Other report

3

0

Simple assault

168

3

Theft

3

0

Trespass to property

0

Arrest

0

Traffic Violation

59th 60th

S. Hyde Park Cornell

57th

Stony Island

55th

S. Lake Shore

Ellis 51st 53rd

like politics.” In general, he focused his remarks on the moral obligation to speak out against injustice.

Wiesel urged students considering a career in politics to seek out human connections in their work. “We need ethos, ethical character,” he said of engagement in government. “Follow the question, ‘What do you present to the other?’ and you can’t go wrong.”

While Wiesel may not seem like an obvious choice to speak at an IOP event, Darren Reisberg, executive director of the IOP said, “One goal of ours is to elevate public discourse over partisan rancor, and we do more productive, solutionoriented discussions. And somebody like Elie Wiesel, in terms of how he’s carried out his life and higher mission, really fits nicely into the way we’d like to see our students approach the world

62nd *Locations of reports approximate

CORRECTIONS » The May 3 article “Going Down Down, Baby” incorrectly stated when U2 came to perform at the University. U2 performed at the University on its first tour in the United States after the release of its first album.

and follow that path in terms of how one deals with others, attacks injustice, and the like.”

Fourth-year Dory Fox observed tension between Axelrod’s political focus versus Wiesel’s insistence on speaking in terms of morality during the talk.

“Yes, [Wiesel] is very outspoken about the need for action in situations of injustice, but he does not lay out political plans for statesmen to follow....

This could have been an interesting discussion of the way that morals fit into politics, but it seems to me like a lot of the evening was spinning wheels.”

Still, she found inspiration in Wiesel’s words.

“One thought that echoed in the discussion was the idea of ‘not being silent,’ of always asking, ‘Am I doing enough?’”

—Additional reporting by Emma Broder

Commercial space considered for new dorm NORTH continued from front

Source: UCPD Incident Reports

Schutzius confirmed that Aramark had not yet met with union representatives to begin negotiations.

According to the University’s dining Web site, Pierce dining staff will have the option to bid on campus food service positions. However, it remains unclear whether all Pierce employees will be guaranteed future employment in the University’s dining system, Schutzius said.

As they delivered the letter to the dining office, SOUL members spoke to Mason about their concerns. The students, some of whom were Pierce residents, described Pierce dining workers as “members of their family” at the University.

After listening to students’ share memories of their experiences with the employees, Mason told SOUL members that he would be in touch and that he feared there had been a misunderstanding.

He did not provide further comment. SOUL members said they hope that negotiations between Aramark and the union happen before the start of the summer in order to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

IOP chose Wiesel to speak on commitment to peace

Blackstone

» May 21, 6030 South Ellis Avenue (Edelstone Hall)— Between 7:45 a.m. and 8 a.m., an unattended iPhone was taken from an office desk top.

Type of Crime

Concerned about the future of employees at Pierce Dining Commons, members of Students Organizing United with Labor (SOUL) delivered letters yesterday afternoon to Director of Campus Dining Richard Mason’s and President Zimmer’s office in the administration building. These letters call on the University to pressure Aramark to negotiate with union representatives, focusing on the issue of the future employment of Pierce’s current workers, including their pay and hours.

Catherine Schutzius, a senior union representative for Teamsters Local 743, the union that represents dining employees at the University, told the Maroon that the situation remains unclear. She said she expects that most of the employees at Pierce will be reassigned to other campus dining locations following the demolition of the building, but expressed concerns that they will face reduced hours and different shift times.

WIESEL continued from front

University

» May 20, 1116 East 56th Street, 8:50 p.m.—An unknown male, implying he had a weapon, took an iPhone from a victim walking on the sidewalk before fleeing to a vehicle waiting nearby. The two suspects were arrested by UCPD.

Cottage Grove

21 » May 20, 5700 South Cornell Avenue, 4:20 p.m.—UCPD officers 134 stopped a vehicle with three occupants for a traffic violation. The suspects were want47th ed by CPD for an off-campus robbery that had just occurred.

The three subjects were identified and arrested by the CPD.

On Tuesday, students congregated in the UChicago Dining office to deliver a petition regarding the lack of information given to the workers at Pierce about their fate for the next academic year.

TIFFANY TAN | THE CHICAGO MAROON

of June, with the possibility that a firm will be selected by finals week this quarter, according to first-year member Jonny Behrens.

Goldfeld said that once the University decides on the architect, it will finalize the interior layout of the building. They will consider suggestions made by students during focus groups held last spring and fall.

“The focus is on keeping the Pierce love of the house lounges and keeping this intact by having large, centralized house lounges, and making sure that [they are] an integral part of each house,” he said.

According to Goldfeld, the new dorm will house significantly more students than Pierce currently does by increasing the number of houses from four

to eight, with 100 students in each. Currently, Pierce hosts 250 residents.

Administrators want upperclassmen to make up a significant portion of the students living in Campus North hoping to attract them by adding apartment options, Stockwell said.

He said they also hope the new residence hall will serve as a “grand entrance” for the University.

“It will show to people coming from [the] north that the University is full of life...and offer upperclassmen a cool neighborhood to hang out in.”

As part of that grand entrance, the University is considering putting several shops in and around the Campus North area, according to Stockwell.

While no timetable has been released, the demolition of Pierce is set to begin in August.

THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | May 24, 2013

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Student stories charge UCPD with racial profiling Harina Jaganathan Associate News Editor Students shared their experiences with the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) at the Southside Solidarity Network’s (SSN) “UCPD Speakout” event last night. Some testimonials were presented by students directly, while other stories were submitted through a Google Doc and read by members of the campaign.

Second-year SSN member Ava Benezra described her positive encounters with UCPD officers, citing an instance when an officer drove her home from the Regenstein Library one night. She noted that these experiences conflict with stories she has heard from local high school students who told her they avoid the University campus for fear of being stopped by a UCPD officer.

“UCPD is the most active representative of the University…on the South Side,”

she said. “My tuition funds their salaries. I am quite actively supporting the message that black teens don’t belong here, that they’re not wanted, that this place of academic prestige is not for them.”

One first-year recalled a time her boyfriend came to visit her on campus and was stopped and asked by a UCPD officer to present identification. When he took out his Northwestern ID, the student said the officer did not believe him and walked with him to the lobby of the University student’s dorm to watch her greet him.

“He happened to be black at the wrong time,” she said. “It makes me feel embarrassed and upset that he should have to endure something like that just to come here.”

The event was part of a larger campaign launched by SSN at the beginning of the quarter meant to reform aspects of UCPD, including “more transparency, better systems of accountability, and looking

into the Independent Review Committee’s relationship with UCPD,” among other goals, according to third-year Aerik Francis, a member of the campaign.

Francis, who told about an incident during his Orientation Week when his father was escorted out of Ratner for stepping in to use the restroom and failing to present evidence of his association with the University, cited racial profiling as one of the campaign’s main concerns.

“Honestly, the chief goal [of the campaign] is to eliminate racial profiling as a method of policing,” he said. “I think if the campaign were to list one thing ,that would be the ultimate goal.”

Despite this, students also addressed other issues. Fifth-year Christina Pillsbury told of being whistled at by UCPD officers.

“I don’t think their interactions with women are anywhere near appropriate,” she said.

After sharing stories, students in attendance broke off into small

From left to right, second-year Octavia Butler, first-year Ben Chametzky, thirdyear Aerik Francis, second-year Sofia Flores, second-year Ava Benezra, and third-year Omari Moore each present stories from the community regarding issues with UCPD at the OMSA community room this Tuesday.

FRANK YAN | THE CHICAGO MAROON

groups to discuss their thoughts about UCPD and the issues surrounding their presence. “[UCPD] is hired for us, but we’ve never had a conversation

about what we want them to be,” Benezra, who initiated the campaign, said. “I think this is the first step in starting to create a dialogue in which people

question, ‘Is it really okay that they do these things?’”

Editor’s Note: Christina Pillsbury is a former news editor for the Maroon.

Amara: “I’m within the school that thinks wearing the veil is a sign of oppression” See the full interview at chicagomaroon.com.

TALK continued from front

was overwhelmingly supported in France, with 70 percent in favor of it, it proved a controversial topic among some Muslims, feminists, and civil libertarians around the world.

During the question-and-answer portion, one first-year, a self-identified Muslim and feminist, adorned in a black headscarf, challenged Amara’s claims.

“I’m not oppressed,” she said. “How can you say you’re for women’s rights when you support a law that limits my rights as a woman?”

“For me, the veil is not a religious symbol,” Amara, who is a practicing Muslim, responded.

“I’m within the school that thinks wearing the veil is a sign of oppression.” She called the religious symbolism of the veil a “historic lie,” arguing that the veil existed before the emergence of Islam.

“This is the eternal debate that we could have between you and your position and me and my position,” she said. “I respect you, but I might offend you.”

The talk was hosted by the University of Chicago French Club and moderated by Bernard Harcourt, a law professor and chair of the department of political science. Deborah Joyce translated for Amara.

Before the event, Amara sat down with the Maroon for an interview translated by secondyear Eve Zuckerman, president of the University of Chicago French Club and a native French speaker.

Chicago Maroon: You’re on campus to talk about the French ban on face covering, which has been enforced for over two years now. What, if any, changes have you seen in the situation of Muslim women in France since the ban?

Fadela Amara: It has protected women who wanted to wear neither the veil nor the burqa.

And it has allowed us to say to the men or boys, the Islamists who wanted to force these women, that the law banned it —they couldn’t force it. So it’s a law that protects women from the projects.

And it’s a law that engages them in a process of emancipation and combat for equality between men and women.

Of course, the medicine can hurt, but I think that when you’re attacking cancer, you have to cut, with no qualms.

CM: How do you respond to women who wore the burqa publically in order to protest the ban, insisting that it was their choice, not their husbands’, that they wear it, and arguing that the ban infringes on their liberties?

FA: Women who wear the burqa by choice do not exist. It’s very much linked to the context in which you live in these ghettos. On one side, there’s the question of being conditioned by your

education, the traditional roles that a woman has to play to get married and to be at the service of a man, and this message has been recaptured by the religious radicals who enforce the wearing of the burqa, keeping complete control over public and political space.... The strategy of radical Islamists was to send in veiled women to force unveiled women to wear the burqa. And this is a real battle that has been going on for 15 years in France.

And women who do not wear the veil, who were refusing to wear the veil, have been harassed and attacked, either verbally or physically—verbally by insulting them and calling them sluts, because for them these are not women who are respectable....

So we decided to stop all of this. And to act in a way to protect the women who were resisting in these neighborhoods.

CM: You have called the veil “the visible symbol of the subjugation of women.” In 2010, UChicago Professor Martha Nussbaum wrote that such an argument used in favor of the ban is flawed, because there are other symbols of female objectification, like pornography and plastic surgery, which are not banned. To ban them, including the burqa, she said, would be “an intolerable invasion of liberty.”

How would you respond to that?

FA: It sounds like a man speaking.

Translator: C’est une femme.

FA: C’est une femme?

After contentious election season, SG aims for consistent rulings E&R continued from front

changes to E&R, which is tasked with supervising SG elections. He hopes the committee will “provide more guidance for E&R so that it’s not left...essentially on a year by year, case by case basis, re-evaluating situations.”

McCown said he believes E&R should have more of a structure to facilitate a delineated and consistent approach to problems that might arise in future elections.

“There were always rules that were broken during the election, or alleged rule-

breaking, but part of the issue is that there was not sufficient guidance within the current by-laws to deal with the kinds of things that were happening,” he said.

“My understanding was that [E&R] sort of needed to make up rules or responses on the fly about how they would deal with different perceived infractions. So essentially, the point of this committee is to potentially dramatically revamp that section of the SG constitution, and make it clearer and more agile, more prepared for an election like this in the future.”

Ang agreed that E&R needs more clarity and said he would propose amendments that would help candidates to be informed of campaign rules earlier and clarify rules on confidentiality.

“I think it would be better if candidates are informed earlier so they can better plan campaign strategies and be more thorough in ensuring that they’re running a clean campaign,” he said.

SG felt it necessary to make changes now because they wanted the amendments to be in

place for first-year College Council elections in the fall, according to McCown.

Amendments to the constitution require passage by a two-thirds vote in the SG Assembly and a threefifths vote by members of the student body to be ratified. Amendments to the by-laws only require a threefifths vote of Assembly to be implemented. The constitution lays out the basic governing principles of Student Government, while the by-laws lay out specific rules for the different committees that make up SG.

Translator: Oui…. She takes it back; she thought it was a man.

FA: You can’t put pornography on the same level as the veil.... In the end, [porn] does give a bad image of women; that’s a reality. So I do think you have to fight against the phenomenon of the pornographic movies. But nevertheless, and this is why I don’t think you should put it on the same level as the veil, it’s not through pornographic movies that you are going to confiscate women’s rights.... But the veil, that’s an immediate effect.

A woman who wears the veil is dispossessed of her body. She is completely in the hands of male domination, of male power.

You have to understand that this also translates into prohibitions into going to concerts, for example, or any other show, because you have that mix of men and women in these situations. It’s the prohibition of a sexual life — you can’t have a sexual life. Or you can have a sex life following the choices of your husband. So she’s denied her own desires, her own wants. So we are in a real regression....

And so it follows that they can’t wear what they want. They can’t wear low-cut shirts; they can’t wear anything that might provoke desire in men. And the women who wear the burqa do not work, many of them, except in jobs where they will only interact with women. Where’s the free choice?

Students attracted to new frat for community involvement FRAT continued from front

Second-year founding member Brendan Leonard said the fraternity was composed of “people who I didn’t necessarily associate with Greek life as it exists now,” which motivated him to join.

Leonard, who is the community service chair of the fraternity, also highlighted the community service orientation of Zeta Psi, citing in particular a multi-quarter involvement with the Southside Hub of Production, which has since closed.

“We made sure to develop really personal relationships with community members.... Especially

in Greek life, there are community service programs, but not many of them focus on building ties with the community.”

Ultimately, Greif hopes that Zeta Psi will retain a lasting influence on campus.

“The best thing would be if we can manage for the fraternity to have a positive impact beyond when we are here, that when we pass on the leadership to the next generation, they will still be able to live by the ideals of combining academic and social life and fostering brotherhood and engaging with the community,” he said.

VIEWPOINTS

Editorial & Op-Ed MAY 24, 2013

Awareness in the red University’s insufficient publicity of Red Line closure at odds with mission of facilitating city engagement 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 KRISTIN LIN 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 ALAN HASSLER Head Copy Editor JEN XIA Head Copy Editor

Whether they are going to see a White Sox game or visiting Chinatown, students use the Red Line as a critical resource for exploring the city beyond Hyde Park. Last Sunday, that resource was restricted, as the CTA began work replacing and rebuilding tracks as part of the Red Line South Reconstruction Project, which will suspend Red Line service between the 95th/Dan Ryan and Cermak-Chinatown stops until October. While Chicago newspapers were filled with maps explaining the closure and alternate routes, the University’s efforts to communicate these changes did not go far enough to make sure that all students—who, after all, are residents of the city of Chicago and of the South Side—were notified. Facilitating student engagement with the city of Chicago is a worthwhile and necessary endeavor for the University, but

the lack of a widespread awareness campaign regarding the Red Line closings suggests that the University is not as committed to this end as it should be.

To communicate the temporary elimination of a major transportation resource, a Transportation and Parking spokesperson said the department has added reminder messages to the bottom of TransLoc display screens, distributed CTA brochures in “high traffic” areas on campus, and posted an announcement on its Web site with alternate transportation options and a link to a project description on the CTA Web site.

While these are good first steps, they do not do enough to inform students who do not actively seek out these resources.

The University has a responsibility to directly inform students of large-scale transportation changes like the Red Line South

Reconstruction Project not only for their convenience, but also so that they can better understand the city in which they live. Although the University is in many ways its own community, the Red Line closure, one of the nation’s biggest transportation disruptions in near ly two decades, is relevant to all students as Chicago residents, regardless of how often they decide to get out of Hyde Park. This is particularly important for students that will remain here during the upcoming summer: They may have to commute downtown, or could perhaps have their best opportunity to explore Chicago so far.

The University can work toward overcoming its “take-it-orleave-it” attitude toward exploring and engaging with Chicago during the period that the Red Line is closed. Beyond providing CTA maps and explanations of

the project, Transportation and Parking could partner with the Department of Civic Engagement to help students understand how the Red Line closings will impact the South Side of the city. Student Government and its Community and Government Liaison can play a crucial role in facilitating collaboration between departments like Civic Engagement, Transportation and Parking, and the Office of Undergraduate Student Housing to provide resources for students to explore neighborhoods not serviced by the Red Line. Ensuring that students know that they too are affected by changes like the Red Line closure is important for the larger aim of integrating them into the city of Chicago.

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

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

Trivializing translations “Pero yo ya no soy yo” Attempting to put troubling experiences into words when there are none is an exercise in futility

HARINI JAGANATHAN Assoc. News Editor STEPHANIE XIAO Assoc. News Editor WILL DART Assoc. Arts Editor LAUREN GURLEY Assoc. Arts Editor TATIANA FIELDS Assoc. Sports Editor SAM ZACHER Assoc. Sports Editor JULIA REINITZ Assoc. Photo Editor FRANK YAN Assoc. Photo Editor TYRONALD JORDAN Business Manager TAMER BARSBAY Undergraduate Business Executive QUERIDA Y. QIU External Director of Marketing IVY ZHANG Internal Director of Marketing VINCENT MCGILL Delivery Coordinator ANDREW GREEN Designer SNEHA KASUGANTI Designer JONAH RABB Designer NICHOLAS ROUSE Designer KEN ARMSTRONG Copy Editor KRYSTEN BRAY Copy Editor CONNOR CUNNINGHAM Copy Editor LISA FAN Copy Editor NISHANTH IYENGAR Copy Editor CECILIA JIANG Copy Editor MICHELLE LEE Copy Editor CHELSEA LEU Copy Editor KATIE LEU Copy Editor CARYSSA LIM Copy Editor KATARINA MENTZELOPOULOS Copy Editor JONAH RABB Copy Editor HEIDI SIEGRIST Copy Editor LINDSEY SIMON Copy Editor RUNNAN YANG 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

By Emma Thurber Stone Viewpoints Editor I was groped at Wellapalooza. The “wellness fair,” which lines the sidewalk outside Cobb twice a year, proffers services and handouts to un-frazzle the perpetually frazzled students of this frazzling university, calling out to us with free stress balls and granola and begging us to relax, for once. A hand snuck up my thigh, just under the hem of my dress, as I was waiting for some basil seeds to plant in a little plastic flowerpot. I later knocked the pot over with my knee, emptying it of about half its soil and all of its seeds when I stood up to leave class. Discussion had been held on the Classics quad, and quite fittingly so.

It had been a beautiful day.

Argument is my first defense and each word a link in its chain mail, so I sat down in Harper to find a vocabulary. I knew that I had to be careful: The cost of crying wolf here was not my credibility, but the credibility of others who have suffered far worse. Straightaway, my Googling made clear that “sexual harassment” was no good—althou gh it sounded appropriately mild, its definition implied a workplace or some institutional structure, neither of which applied to a fair in the middle of the main quads. Warily, I shifted strategies. Ever the destination

for the impatient and confused, the great Wikipedia preached thus: “Sexual assault is any involuntary sexual act in which a person is threatened, coerced, or forced to engage against their will, or any sexual touching of a person who has not consented.”

Now, that fit, but it wasn’t what I wanted. What I wanted was a way to avoid having to say later, “No, not like that—not that bad” about something that had deeply disturbed me, and those words would have had to follow if I’d chosen to call what happened to me “sexual assault.”

I had “grope” at my disposal— and I’ve disposed of it above— but it’s a playful word, an only occasionally pejorative word. It turned out (not very much to my surprise) that there isn’t really a non-colloquial term for an intrusive hand. The word choice, then, was a choice between appearing to trivialize a violation of my body or appearing extreme, presumptive, and out of line.

So I was sexually assaulted at Wellapalooza. I’m still trying to toe the line between maintaining polite conversation and swaying into silence, the way silt settles to the bottom of still water. I mentioned it, for example, to someone I met in the laundry room, as though it were a difficult problem set. “Yeah, man, it sucked,” I said as I heaved a pile of dripping , fragrant cloth across the aisle to a second-level dryer.

It all comes down to the question of how a thing becomes trivial, and whether or not I have the power to make it so by reducing it to fodder for casual conversation, or by making it the subject of an op-ed.

WORDS continued on page 7

When life abroad slows down, you’re left to face the melancholy music of your thoughts

By David Kaner Viewpoints Columnist Yo sólo quiero caminar…

The most beautiful woman in the room stands near the corner.

She is not, like most of the others, in full flamenco regalia— the dress with its many ruffles, the gigantic flower blooming from the side of the head. She is in jeans and a T-shirt. But she dances beautifully, hands and arms following the twists of her body in a single fluid motion.

Everyone else on the dance floor does the same, weaving backward and forward, left and right, every step in perfect synchrony.

It looks choreographed. But this is the Feria de Abril. The dancers aren’t professionals, but migrants from southern Spain who grew up learning the steps.

For one week in the springtime, they set up tents in Barcelona, recreating the festivals of Seville and Granada in a fairground by the sea.

It feels like a time out of time.

The stomps of feet on wooden floors resound from every direction. Sherry fills and refills each cup. Middle-aged couples stroll the grounds, transformed in elegant outfits saved just for the occasion. For a few hours, the constant grind of la crisis seems to recede.

But flamenco does not lend itself to idealism. It groans. It keens. Often, the singer’s voice

appears on the verge of breaking.

If the immediate concerns of the moment disappear as you listen and watch, it’s only because, at its best, it takes you deeper and darker, to a place that’s at once profoundly sad and immensely reaffirming. Immensely human.

It’s wine-thick with a bittersweet longing , a sense of loss that you’ve felt before but can’t quite name. …como corre la lluvia del cristal…

I’ve grown to relish the opportunity to walk home alone, drunk, late at night through the alleys of the old part of the city. If I’m lucky, I come across a plaza, empty except for a guitarist. It’s 2 a.m. and he can’t possibly be looking for tips—just the lonely sound of the instrument, bouncing back to him off the freshly washed pavement. …como camina el río hacia la mar…

Munich. “Duende,” my friend explains, illuminated in the dark bar by the light of his phone. He is reading the definition. It is art’s dark accomplice: the thing that strikes you deeply, sending chills crawling up your spine. It is authentic. Earthy. Death feels always present.

Lorca quotes a master of the guitar. “‘The duende is not in the throat: The duende surges up, inside, from the soles of the feet.’

Meaning , it’s not a question of skill, but of a style that’s truly alive: meaning , it’s in the veins: meaning , it’s of the most ancient culture of immediate creation.”

We trade examples back and forth. The blues. Goethe. Postcoital depression. …lorei lorei loreilo...

ABROAD continued on page 7

THE CHICAGO MAROON | VIEWPOINTS | May 21, 2013

5

Structural inequalities Undergraduates across all departments would greatly benefit from increased levels of guidance and structure when writing a B.A.

By Maya Fraser Viewpoints Columnist B.A. season is over. After months of constantly seeing agonized Facebook posts about B.A. catastrophes and awkwardly— albeit delicately—attempting to ask about the State of the B.A. without causing panic, I am glad that the fourth-years have been released. They can breathe the sigh of relief of those who know that, for better or for worse, nothing further can be done.

It makes sense that the B.A. is stressful for many students. Often conducting original research for the first time, a student writing a B.A. must come up with an appropriate research question, figure out what methodolog y is appropriate, collect data, analyze that data, and produce a polished piece. Many of these elements can be difficult or mysterious without previous experience. And for those who want to go on to academic careers, the B.A. is the most likely candidate for a writing sample,

and thus of great importance for the future.

Writing a B.A. is a great opportunity to learn new skills, figure out whether you enjoy doing research, and create a piece of writing that represents what you have learned over the course of college. However, many once-enthusiastic students end up beset by difficulties and stresses that weaken or negate these benefits—difficulties that are not even inherent to the project. Rather, many problems are caused by a lack of departmental organization, unclear guidelines, or detached advisors. If departments invest in more organized and structured B.A. paper processes for their students, the quality of student work will improve, and students can avoid surplus stress.

I am fortunate to be a part of the sociolog y department, which has a very explicit set of expectations and a pre-determined schedule for its students. We start the B.A. seminar in the spring of our third year, have the summer to collect data, and then pick the seminar back up in the fall and winter. For sociolog y majors, such a structure is necessary because the B.A. is a requirement. Students who do not complete one cannot graduate—and that’s a headache that the department cannot afford to have.

Departments for which a B.A. is not required may only want students capable of self-motivation and pacing to write B.A. papers. But not all departments may need to have a system as highly structured as the one in place for sociolog y majors. For one thing, this level of rigidity forces people to make progress, but it isn’t flexible enough to allow for an individual to meet all of her needs, and it requires a lot of effort on the part of seminar preceptors. Moreover, even the best students are bound to run into pitfalls, and they are unlikely to know what those pitfalls will be from the start.

Now that I’ve almost completed the first quarter of my senior seminar (which misleadingly occurs in the third year), I think that the following elements are the most important in ensuring student success: 1. Having the B.A. process start the school year before the B.A. is written makes sense for many reasons. It provides students with time to do research that does not coincide with school, allowing them to tackle a wider variety of projects because they could do research somewhere outside of Chicago and devote a greater amount of time to it. The extra time also provides a cushion in the event of unforeseen problems such as a change of topic, inaccessibility of data, or issues with advisors.

2. Expectations and deadlines should be set by the advisor at the beginning of the process, both for the student and for the advisor. If deadlines are set in advance, then the student who attempts to write her 50-page B.A. over the course of a weekend has no one to blame but herself.

3. Departments should make sure that their students have a background in appropriate methodolog y before the start of the B.A. process. For example, having a list of several recommended courses for those who want to write a B.A. would be useful. Though I have taken the methodolog y course required by my department, I still do not feel sufficiently prepared.

These steps would go a long way towards making the B.A. a more manageable and rewarding endeavor. A certain amount of frustration is inherent in research, but it should only be expected up to a point.

Like any skill, knowing how to research is not innate. Students will feel more comfortable and produce higher quality original work if their first forays into the process are more structured. After all, when throwing someone in the water to teach her to swim, a few tips on how to stay afloat could prevent her from drowning.

Maya Fraser is a third-year in the College majoring in sociology.

Once an ally, not always an ally Though Israel supports the LGBTQ community, we cannot condone its oppression of Palestinians based solely on its progressivism Jonathan Katz Viewpoints Contributor Let us talk about a state where LGBTQ rights are very good, but where others’ rights are not so well maintained. A state that simultaneously allows some young women to love one another while imprisoning and knocking down the homes of other young women. A state where two young men enjoy rights to love and play in one place, yet, 50 miles away, under that same state’s authority, two other young men could be told that their hometown is now a military “firing zone” and be forced to leave.

That state is Israel.

Admittedly, I can only speak for myself when I write this. I am an openly gay man, a practicing Conservative Jew, and the son of an Israeli mother. I am against the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement; I support two states, side by side. Israel does hold a certain place in my heart, but I think that, at the very least, I should point out that Luke Brinker’s analysis is dangerously flawed.

I will acknowledge that Israel, compared to the rest of the world, does fairly well on the spectrum of LGBTQ rights, as well as in

other areas of rights that Brinker enumerates. For LGBTQ persons in Israel, there exist rights to adoption and quite stellar protections. And what happens far too often to LGBTQ folk in the Palestinian territories is not exactly savory.

But that doesn’t undo the horror of the occupation. No amount of pride parades and rainbow condoms will undo the fact that, 50 miles away, Palestinian villagers are kicked out of their ancestral home when, on a whim, it’s deemed an Israeli Defense Force “firing zone.”

For many in the LGBTQ community, oppression is a daily reality whether we are forced to hide our lives or we face grievous harm for living them. That bias and the knowledge thereof is never far from our minds, even for those like myself and many others on this campus who are lucky enough to live in environments where we are affirmed and supported.

I feel that both the LGBTQ community and its allies—who may well be sympathetic to others’ experiences with oppression— could do better than blindly side with our “supporters” no matter what. Should we not use our own memory and compassion to advocate for and support those who also face

injustice? Shouldn’t they serve to motivate us to support a struggle for basic human rights, for recognition, for a right for Palestinians to live how and where they choose?

Should we, based on one plane of rights, really turn away from advocating for another plane of rights?

Tzedek tzedek tirdof: “Justice, justice you shall pursue,” we are told by the Torah in Deuteronomy. I believe that this timeless command of the Holy Scripture commands us—not as LGBTQ people or as Jews, but as compassionate humans—to never stop in the pursuit of said justice. As fervently as we seek to advance justice for ourselves, we must also seek to advance justice for others.

As LGBTQ people, this does not mean simply internalizing our sense of oppression, but also enlivening it, allowing it to serve a purpose beyond ourselves and to foment advocacy for all those stamped down. As Jews, this means that our chesed—grace—ought not to be confined to the Jewish community; rather, we are told by scripture to work beyond our borders to achieve that command of tikkun olam—repairing the world.

Repairing a world in which a child in the West Bank might die because the roadblock won’t let her ambulance through—a world

in which a family’s generations-old olive grove could be burned down and declared the property of someone from far away who only arrived six months ago.

The Talmud reminds us that it was not Romans alone who destroyed the Second Temple in 70 C.E., but indirectly the sinat chinam—senseless hatred and lack of justice—of Jews themselves that ultimately brought destruction. Should such reactions, such sinat chinam, follow from our command toward justice—as queers, Jews, both, or neither? I think not.

What I want to say is this: Yes, as people who support the rainbow spectrum, we should honor Israel for what it has done.

But that does not mean in the slightest that we should use this to whitewash—or, dare I say, “pinkwash”—what happens in the occupied territories. Rather, merely from our sense of obligation as human beings—as members of a species that should share in our collective burden of past oppression— we should be able to criticize Israel and to say unequivocally, “This occupation must stop.”

Jonathan Katz is a third-year in the College majoring in history and geography.

Letter: In defense of Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions In response to “The flaws of ahistorical activism” (May 21) In a recent op-ed, Luke Brinker responded to an event organized by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) on the growing and increasingly successful Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The global BDS movement very succinctly aims at three goals: an end to the Israeli occupation, an end to the second-class status of Palestinian citizens of Israel, and the implementation of the right of Palestinian refugees of the 1948 and 1967 wars to return to their land and property. If you have any doubt that these are real issues, please refer to any Palestinian or Israeli human rights organization Web sites.

Brinker does not address a single one of

these points. In fact, he does not seem to have attended the event at all. If he did, he was not paying attention: From the very beginning of his article, he draws on clichéd arguments of colonialist discourse on sexuality and reproductive rights in order to justify the continued occupation of the Palestinian people.

If he had paid attention, he would have heard Sherry Wolf, a prominent activist in the BDS movement, discuss the hypocrisy of pointing out the lack of queer rights in Palestine while supporting the oppression of all Palestinians. How exactly does Brinker propose that Palestinians engage in democratic and open discussions under the oppressive

structure of occupation? Why hasn’t Israel ever welcomed a single queer or female Palestinian into the state to protect her rights if it is so concerned about them? He also might have heard about the great number of queer activists engaged in the BDS campaign, who have spent too much time debunking these types of deflective arguments.

However, Brinker is right to say we should put everything in its historical context. His arguments are not new and are in fact quite old.

They are firmly rooted in centuries-old colonialist discourses that posit the uncivilized nature of the colonized as justification for their oppression. Whether it was the French civiliz-

ing mission, the British white man’s burden, or the white South African appeal to common heritage with the West, the forms of these arguments have always been the same.

BDS is in turn firmly rooted in a tradition of nonviolent resistance against oppressive and destructive systems, whether it be in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the anti-apartheid movement, the Delano grape strike, or the current divestment campaign against fossil fuel companies. Reality is quite opposed to Brinker’s assertion: We are deeply invested in history.

—Students for Justice in Palestine

6

THE CHICAGO MAROON | VIEWPOINTS | May 24, 2013

An open letter to Career Advancement Career Advancement’s recent changes are not sustainable without clearer aims and a stronger mission statement Alice Li Viewpoints Contributor Dear Career Advancement, Let me preface this letter by acknowledging your many improvements and successes (UChicago Careers in Business and the other UCI programs, a record amount of Metcalfs, etc.) and the fact that there is much potential in what your organization is capable of achieving. The latter reality is what makes the current state of affairs between students and Career Advancement (CA) so frustrating. In this letter, I hope to convey my insights about various issues surrounding CA and offer potential changes. These are insights that I have gleaned as an undergraduate student worker; they are thus limited.

1. There is a lack of cohesion in CA’s mission.

One of the most important things an organization needs is a strong mission statement that should guide its actions. The end of the “About” section of your Web site reads, “Our goal at Career Advancement is to help University of Chicago students and alumni achieve theirs.” While a broad mission statement is important in keeping the flexibility of an organization to adapt and grow, it is equally important to keep a mission statement focused enough that the organization can prioritize goals and actions.

Right now, CA is all over the place.

There is an Employer Relations and Development team that works solely with employers, a general advising team that works purely with students, people who work within the respective University Careers In (UCI) programs, people who are liaisons to alumni, Admissions, and other university departments. All of these people

serve valuable functions, and I understand that our school is diverse in terms of networks and interests. However, I worry that your staff has become so compartmentalized that it forgets your central mission: to connect and guide students to opportunities they want. If you bring on 50 new banks as employers and you have three students who want to work at an aquarium, you are not fulfilling the central mission of connecting students to opportunities that they want.

2. There is a disconnect between CA and students.

Simply put, there are two nodes you must think about: the student and the opportunity.

Now, I understand that a large part of CA is helping students figure out a starting point, and having a vast array of employers is helpful in demonstrating what is possible and available.

However, learning more about the students plays an equally critical part in helping students figure out their career paths. For example, Hack@UChicago currently handles all the technical recruiting on campus because there is no one at CA with the technical computer skills to liaise for them. If you don’t take the time to learn about and work with students, it ends up being a lose-lose situation: You get frustrated that employers aren’t hiring students, and students get frustrated that you aren’t helping them find opportunities they want.

3. Recent adjustments have been minor or ineffective.

This summer, there was an overhaul of your brand. Gone is the Career Advising and Planning Services name. Chicago Careers In… became UChicago Careers In. Your Web site changed. Considering these

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changes, I hoped that I might find a brand new organization, as the overhaul suggested. Instead, you got a face-lift when you really needed a heart transplant.

While the new Web site looks nicer, the Chicago Career Connection (CCC) Web site, where all the jobs and internships are listed, is as broken as ever. The new features added to the CA site did not add any significant functionality. I would rather have CCC look like Craigslist—which is extremely functional, albeit ugly—than be sleekly designed but dysfunctional. We have many students who have the skills to build a perfectly functional CCC—take advantage of that! I guarantee that if you paid a couple students the amount you pay Symplicity, CCC would be fine.

4. CA has a poor organizational culture.

The high turnover rate among CA personnel does not bode well for an organization. Few CA advisors from my first year are still here, and that has serious consequences for students, for whom continuity and working relationships with career advisors can be the difference between finding the right career path and fighting unemployment. And the effects of this turnover can be felt across the CA spectrum—that is, it doesn’t just damage relationships between students and full-time employees. Take the Career Peer Advisor (CPA) program for example. It has been around for three years, which should be more than enough time to establish itself.

Instead, it has been punted around as a program for the newest hire to take care of, and CPAs regularly vacillate between being endorsed as part of CA to being unpaid errand boys (and girls).

There are some solutions to the problems I’ve enumerated here. First: Selfawareness is crucial for improvement. It

is important that you understand your unique place in the University—as the office in charge of guiding several thousand students closer to their career goals and futures—and maintain such a vision in your mission statement. If there is a strong and clear mission statement that permeates an organization, then the organization at large will naturally follow through.

In conclusion, CA is an organization that has lots of potential, but is scrambling to get its act together. A strong mission statement and clear prioritization would be a great start to revitalizing Career Advancement into an effective, integral part of college life here at the University of Chicago.

Alice Li is a fourth-year in the College majoring in economics.

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

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THE CHICAGO MAROON | VIEWPOINTS | May 24, 2013

7

There’s a joy in embracing uncertainty and despair that stick with you even through the best of times ABROAD continued from page 4 Two days later, sitting on a train, I want to write something. I don’t even know what. Just to get everything banging on the inside of my skull onto paper and then to sleep for a very long time.

An American couple boards at the same station, sits next to me, and strikes up a conversation. They’re far too chipper.

Isn’t Europe awesome? Isn’t the size of beer mugs here hilarious? Don’t I love all the clubs in Barcelona?

My answers get shorter and shorter and I can’t understand why they want to talk about entrance fees to Razzmatazz here and now. It takes 35 minutes to get from Dachau back into Munich. I wonder if the tracks we ride on were the same used to transport prisoners to the concentration camp. When I get off the train, I don’t much feel like writing anymore.

My mother calls. I rush to wrap up the conversation. I don’t want to talk about

how your business is doing poorly, I don’t want to talk about how I’m doing post– break-up, I don’t want to talk about how badly we both miss grandpa, I love you, good-bye.

The line goes dead and I am immediately angry with myself for being so distant. …Repicando campanadas…

For the first time I can remember, I have vivid dreams, at least weekly. Most are tinged with an extravagant Spanishness that makes me worry my subconscious is terribly cliché.

I am harvesting olives in the hot sun.

I am being led to a firing squad for a crime I didn’t commit.

A monk lies dying in his cell. There’s a cut on his arm, from which trickles a thin line of holy water. My mind renders the scene in the dark colors of Goya’s last paintings, the ones he made in House of the Deaf Man, fearing insanity, waiting for death.

… la torre de las campanas…

I make a million plans for the summer.

I am going to teach myself how to draw. I am going to learn how to play the guitar.

I will pick up sticks and a knife, become a skilled whittler. I have made such promises before. As if the problem of expressing oneself fully, meaningfully, is a question of format and not of content.

As if frustration is to be overcome. …y un rayo de sol alumbra…

“Seeking the duende,” Lorca writes, “there is neither map nor discipline. We only know it burns the blood like powdered glass, that it exhausts, rejects all the sweet geometry we understand.”

He uses the word “struggle” six times in that lecture. …la cárcel de la mañana…

I leave here in a week. I am less at peace—not more. If I know myself better, it’s only to the extent that I’m more aware than ever that I don’t know myself very well.

I alternate between feeling excited, creative, energetic and overwhelmed, worthless, shallow. I can’t decide from one moment to the next if this is a moment of possibility or hopelessness.

I am lost—terribly, terrifically. Though I wouldn’t say I’m even close to miserable, I can’t say I’m happy either.

But there is this: I find myself, just a little more than when I arrived, open to that darkness woven deep in the flamenco. The uncertainty. The despair. The steadfast refusal to turn away.

And I’m willing : There’s a certain, strange joy there too. Its truths don’t feel uniformly comforting , or pleasant, or easy. They are almost always the opposite—it is a struggle.

But it does feel like living. ...y aguruuguuu aguruuguuu aguruuguuuuuuaaaa...

David Kaner is a third-year in the College majoring in Law, Letters, and Society.

The burden of keeping experiences alive and relevant is too much for anyone, no matter her determination WORDS continued from page 4 I guess what I would rather risk is cheapness. I guess I would rather speak than know that I didn’t. Perhaps this is what selfishness looks like at its bony heart. Perhaps making others uncomfortable isn’t supposed to come easily to anyone.

It all comes down to the question of respectability, and how we mobilize a fact of the past in the world as we move. Or how, otherwise, we let it lie.

I’ve been watering the soil in the plastic flowerpot. It has become apparent now

that some seeds must have stuck to the soil; seven or eight little green threads have splintered their way through the dirt. It’s disappointing , the little I have to tell you compared to the volume of what I could say. There I was. It was a sunny day; I wore a sundress because it was sunny. There are people in this world who, like me, enjoy indulging in things that they believe are up for the taking. I took a plant; someone took of my body. We happened to have disparate understandings of what was free.

The untitled things are the things that

fade, unless we revive them ourselves. But that can only be done so long and to so much of a degree. Everyone, including me, has too much living to do. I told a certain trusted confidant later, privately, that I felt unsafe on our campus. I don’t feel unsafe anymore. I feel wiser about something I already knew : There are strange forces that bind the object of a wrong with no name, and stranger forces that bind one whose reaction is disproportionate to the potency of the vocabulary available to her.

Progress rests, sometimes gently and

sometimes firmly, on forgetfulness. But forgetting this thing in particular seems capitulatory, so I’m struggling. I’m struggling in a laundry room, in quiet places, during chance encounters. I fish around.

I test the waters and the viability of these paltry dictionary words with stale circumlocution and a tentative combination of hope and shame. The waters are cold, and lukewarm, and cold again.

Emma Thurber Stone is a second-year in the College majoring in anthropology and gender and sexuality studies.

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ARTS

Heartlandia MAY 24, 2013

For Molière Festival, meet The Misanthrope at Court Angela Qian Arts Staff

It’s always fun to see a person who hates the world pontificate on the failings of humankind with a vituperative tongue. The Court Theatre’s production of Molière’s The Misanthrope gives us just such a character, all while providing a gorgeously produced, bitingly accurate commen-

tary on the foolishness of societal conventions that’s just as applicable in the contemporary world as it was in 17th-century France. Not to mention what’s happening onstage visually—an outlandishly ostentatious combination of semi-French Baroque clothing, with cross-dressers, modern-day thigh-high boots, and garter belts. This first offering of the twoproduction Molière Festival gives us

cattiness, love-lornness, gossip, and backstabbing worthy of any Gossip Girl episode today.

Meet Alceste (Erik Hellman), a rich member of the nobility who hates flattery, gossip, and insincerity above all things. Unfortunately for him, he’s in love with the coquettish Célimène (Grace Gealey), who is hugely popular and hosts all sorts of men and women at her home—and engages in precisely

the flattery, insincerity, and catty gossip that Alceste despises. Meanwhile, his poor heart is constantly played as Célimène entertains all sorts of other lovers, such as the would-be sonneteer Oronte (A.C. Smith), and avoids giving him a straight answer when he asks her to be devoted to him alone.

Alceste has already gotten himself into trouble by refusing to praise Oronte’s attempts at a sonnet to

Célimène, calling it all sorts of trash and generally tearing Oronte’s self-esteem to pieces. His foil, the socially sagacious Philinte (Kamal Bolden), urges him to be a little more diplomatic, but Alceste sticks firm to his principles.

Hellman pulls off the character with admirable finesse, switching between self-righteous, pompous speeches to quavering tears at Célimène’s feet in COURT continued on page 9

“Untitled,” 2012, 120mm film. By second-year Jason Gold.

Gold took the photo on Venice Beach, in California.

Notes regarding the flesh tones of small worlds

By Thomas Mathew The heat of the summer could become theirs for the taking only when they realized what it meant to conquer, to really feel, something.

The leader, a pretty blonde with full lips and an elegant splash of acne on each cheek, spent most of the day doling out orders on a field some ways behind his house where the younger cows would sometimes graze. He leaned back against his jerry-rigged throne, a pine log his father had sawed off and he had sanded into relative smoothness a couple summers back. Not too smooth, because he liked shimmying his spine around on textured things.

The rest settled the grass or fumbled around rocks. They drank from old stockpiles of beer.

He appreciated the hot breeze drifting up his

shorts, peeking at his thighs. He knew the rest of the boys like he knew his own body. They were his extensions: more sallow, or ganglier, with generally worse proportions. Already, he had sensed their discontent that today seemed the same as yesterday. They itched for more sensual pleasures, harder drinks, better cigars, more girls. Any girls, one said, with a rickety laugh, a desperation that meant: unsexed for months, years, maybe always. He was neither troubled nor moved by the state of affairs.

Evening became night, the cicadas came out in droves, the stars decided against a good showing, everyone shifted positions except for him, and he announced that he did not even need to piss—and hadn’t it been several hours? The others admired him for taming his bladder. Liking a well-guarded secret, he did not tell them: sometimes, without him really striving towards anything, on its own will, his bladder just decided to be totally docile.

“Once (and Again),” 2012, 35mm color negative film.

By third-year Anita To.

At 10:00 or 10:30 came a drawn-out metallic shriek that, for a brief and meaningful period, blotted out all hot unknown feelings.

They looked toward the train tracks, hidden behind trees and fields and more farms. With his eyes he commanded them to stop talking, feeling his breaths grow ragged and then still. They looked towards the tracks, hidden behind trees and further fields. Tomorrow the news would say that they hit some tottering old drunk woman. For now they memorialized the event by breaking the silence. Ironic whistles, brief and implausible speculations, a comparison with a banshee—and didn’t someone tell them, when they were little, those tracks were haunted, and wasn’t banshee a fun-

nier word than ghost?

An inward sense of empire. Only now could he put to this sense a name, though he had been feeling it shimmy, itch, even order him around. Only months to pass. Summers like this would become nothing, and far away from the trains and the cows he would engage greater pleasures, he would find not extensions of himself, but others, not boys but men.

Thomas Mathew is a fourth-year in the College majoring in English Language & Literature. This may become a piece of a short story based loosely on the “Kill Team,” a division of soldiers who fought in Afghanistan and were featured in Rolling Stone in March 2011.

THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | May 24, 2013

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Director Newell’s interpretation proves everybody (still) talks COURT continued from page 8 seconds. Meanwhile, there’s a bevy of other men in love with Célimène, plus women fawning over the untouchable Alceste, as well as love triangles, court intrigue, and politics galore.

The Misanthrope has an almost completely African-American cast, with the exception of Hellman and Gealey. This was a decision director Charles Newell and the other producers of the Molière Festival made in order to look at the play from what they feel is a deliberately new perspective; for the most part, these have been white-dominated parts in the past. Hellman, then, stands out particularly amongst his court.

The theme of fresh perspectives is also followed with Célimène’s so-called friend, a supposedly prudish woman named Arsinoé, played by a man, Allen Gilmore.

The acting in the entire production is completely on point, and Wilbur’s translation of the centuries-old Molière play is delivered in rhymes that sound neither stilted nor forced. Modern speech patterns make it all much easier to follow, helped along by plenty of jokes that keep the audience laughing. The costuming and staging are beautiful, too; with the Court Theatre’s traditional minimalism, the entire setting of the play centers around one set—a lavish bedroom, with all the characters in exaggeratedly opulent rich black robes and dresses with showers of gold ornamentation.

The music, too, fits in perfectly with this production, which attempts to straddle both centu-

ries past and the current era by mixing traditional court-style harpsichords and tunes with modern beats and electric remixes. This, in addition to the casting decisions and the modern translation

by Richard Wilbur, propel The Misanthrope, written in the age of the Sun King and Versailles, into a setting that’s at once historical and con-

THE MISANTHROPE Court Theatre Through June 9

temporary, emphasizing the universality of the social critique launched by the play. It’s not just Molière’s age that was false and insincere; it’s an enduring trait of human nature to be dishonest.

Yet despite the serious subject matter, the play is by no means heavy. Just look at Allen Gilmore, pulling back the hem of his dress to reveal his leg, clad in seductively feminine black hose, as (s)he tries to seduce Alceste, or Alceste’s immediate caving to Célimène’s anger, familiar to any henpecked husband, which makes the audience break out in giggles. No matter how dark Molière’s critique is, however, it’s the comedic aspects of his satire—rivalry between lovers, puffed-up courtiers, unrequited love, and the levels to which these courtiers stoop to snipe, insult, and ruin one another—that keep the audience entertained.

Célimène (Grace Gealey) and Alceste (Erik Hellman) share a moment in Court Theatre’s The Misanthrope. Bets on who’s wearing the bigger Bumpit™?

COURTESY OF MICHAEL BROSILOW-COURT THEATRE

Eisenberg’s uncertainty principle: Does magic make the movie?

Kimberly Han Maroon Contributor Behind the fabulous flash of magic and the smirking faces of pompous magicians, there is a grand trick waiting to amaze. Opening on May 31, Louis Leterrier’s Now You See Me is a fashionable and modern magic show in itself.

To my satisfaction, what I knew would be a hit-or-miss movie turned out to be a hit. Movies about magic and illusion are often fascinating to begin with, but Now You See Me is surely one of the better ones I’ve seen thus far.

NOW YOU SEE ME Louis Leterrier AMC River East starting May 31

The film shines with phenomenal performances by its lead actors. Jesse Eisenberg is as smart and witty as ever; Isla Fisher is cute and fierce; Woody Harrelson, mean and frank; and Dave Franco, adorable and bursting with star potential. And everyone probably agrees that little to nothing can go wrong when Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are on the team.

Mark Ruffalo (aka the Hulk) is incredible

as the FBI agent who chases a band of bankrobbing magicians, trailing them closely, but of course, always one step behind the game.

His love interest, played by the Inglourious Basterds heroine Mélanie Laurent, is a French Interpol agent who partnered up with Ruffalo as a detective. Their clashing personalities spark on screen, adding a dash of romance to this surprisingly action-heavy picture. I would have to argue, however, that the love-hate relationship between Eisenberg and Fisher is much more compelling, so much so that it overshadows what should be the film’s central love story.

It’s not as though there are only a few movies centered on magicians, and it is easy to compare Now You See Me to other films of this genre. While it is similar to The Illusionist (2006) and The Prestige (2006), these two acclaimed magic movies hover under a dark fog with a little more fantasy and deeply grim plots. By contrast, Leterrier’s film stays in the light without the overwhelming emotional gravity—it remains sprightly, fun.

At times, this movie also reminded me of the Ocean’s series; it tends to be light and witty, with great actors, great lines, and a few great robberies. What the Ocean’s trilogy does not have, however, is cinematographer Larry Fong’s arresting visuals of Las Vegas magic

shows and heart-racing car chase sequences.

The term “trendy” is suitable here. Now You See Me has what a modern, of-the-moment audience wants in a movie: First, it has the wits.

Casting Eisenberg was a master stroke—every line he utters seems to speak from a place of

intelligence. Wisdom radiates from his facial features. Most of the screenplay is smart and well-thought-out as well.

The film also has the requisite hyper-polished, glossy look modern audiences demand of their SEE ME continued on page 10

Robert H. Kirschner, M.D. Memorial Human Rights Lecture

What Has the International Human Rights Movement Accomplished?

Aryeh Neier Founder of Human Rights Watch Aryeh Neier is a leading activist and public intellectual in the human rights movement. Neier founded Human Rights Watch and was HRW Executive Director for 12 years. He is President Emeritus of the Open Society Foundations and was National Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union. Author of seven books, in his most recent work, The International Human Rights Movement: A History (2012), he analyzes the growth of the modern human rights movement, including its main goals and internal debates.

Thursday, June 6, 2013 at 6:30 p.m.

International House Assembly Hall 1414 East 59th Street Free and open to the public with a reception to follow.

This lecture series honors the life and work of Robert H. Kirschner, M.D., noted forensic pathologist and a founder of the University of Chicago Human Rights Program. ********* This event is co-sponsored by the International House Global Voices Program. The program will include the recognition of the winners of the 2013 Human Rights writing, research, and fellowship competitions and graduating students of the Program. For more information or to RSVP, please email: human-rights@uchicago.edu University of Chicago Human Rights Program 5720 S. Woodlawn Avenue • Chicago, IL 60637 773-834-0957 • humanrights.uchicago.edu

So Michael Caine walks onto a private jet. He asks, “Why the hell am I in this movie?”

Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Caitriona Balfe, and Woody Harrelson have no answer.

COURTESY OF SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT

Persons with disabilities that may need assistance should contact the Of ice of Programs & External Relations in advance of the program at 773-753-2274.

THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | May 24, 2013

10

“Who doesn’t love a good thrill from cars tossing and crashing...?”

SEE ME continued from page 9 blockbuster entertainment. This visual style renders the magic, or so-called “misdirection,” as it’s oddly termed in the movie, believable and authentic. Whether the magic is simply a conglomeration of misdirection or not, it seems almost supernatural and makes the viewer want to believe in it.

Last, and most important of all, is the action.

As unexpected as they are, the action scenes are delightful and keep the audience on the edge of their seats. These moments of sleek action are modern and like other energetic blockbusters.

And who doesn’t love a good thrill from cars tossing and crashing on a highway?

If there is one thing lacking in the film, it is that the ending could have been more power-

ful. Yes, there is a plot twist, and yes, it is unforeseen, but I can’t quite determine for myself if it is unexpected in a good way. However, considering that movies centered on magic usually have difficulty maintaining accountability for the inner workings of the plot, this one deserves credit for at least making sense of the complicated plot for the viewers.

While the movie is not perfect, the overall presentation is certainly enjoyable. It has a great mixture of a sensible plot, solid visuals, romance, action, and mystery—all of which combine to a good amount of fun and thrill. For those who are looking for good, lighthearted entertainment, this film will serve well.

Daft Punk gets lucky with Random Access Memories Ellen Rodnianski Arts Staff Random Access Memories, the latest from Daft Punk, was released just last week. The 13-track album, licensed exclusively to Columbia Records, is the duo’s fourth studio album. However, it bears very few similarities to their first three.

Daft Punk has always been an exciting and slightly mysterious band to follow. Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, the pair behind it all, try to keep their faces hidden even at social events by showing up wearing their trademark funky robot masks. Although they categorize themselves as an electronic/house band, their music has always been unpredictable. It is this mystery that allows audiences to appreciate their unique take on the electronic genre every time, be it with their hit “Da Funk” on their debut album or with their latest single, “Get Lucky,” from Random Access Memories.

Time has been good to Daft Punk; their latest is by far the most original work the band has produced.

And this says quite a lot about the album, since Daft Punk was never close to being conventional in the first place. While their first three albums were very EDM-heavy, Daft Punk critically reduced the number of electronic instruments used here. It seems that they limited their tools to modular synthesizer and drum machines. To replace their usual heavy electronic sounds, the duo recruited musicians to record live instrumentation in studios. For instance, the song “Within” features Chilly Gonzales on the piano, and it has very few additional instruments.

Apart from Chilly Gonzales, the album features Panda Bear, Julian Casablancas, Todd Edwards, DJ Falcon, Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers, Paul

Williams, and Giorgio Moroder (whose track collaboration consists of a narrative on the subject of the beginning of his musical career). This narrative exploration of the 1970s music scene, along with the variety of repurposed sounds, makes it clear that the album aims to pay tribute to a bygone era. A thematic thread of disco and soft-rock runs through, compounding the throwback. Even the album’s title presents the duo’s desire to pay tribute to the past— which they do, creatively and originally.

Despite its being an undeniably creative album, it is hard to call Random Access Memories flawless.

The song “Motherboard,” for instance, is nothing special. The beat and the rhythm of the synth make it sound a little too much like Woodkid, and not at all like a unique piece by the experimental duo.

Other songs, like “Instant Crush” and “Beyond,” don’t make a huge impression at first, but it is possible to appreciate them within the album’s broader themes. Nevertheless, the energetic beat of “Get Lucky” will most likely become a dance floor favorite this upcoming summer, while “Lose Yourself to Dance” and “Doin’ it Right,” with their modern disco groove and calmer take on EDM, will become essential to the ultimate beach soundtrack.

Although the vocals are at times performed by popular and acclaimed artists such as Pharrell, they are by far not the most important aspect of the songs. It is the scheme behind the voice, the rhythm, the groove, that makes this album so memorable.

The ingenuity behind it all speaks louder than the vocals ever could. It should also be mentioned that the album began as a great promotional venture.

The band created a web series featuring all their various collaborators to build up hype. In short, this album was definitely not an easy undertaking, but

To get your kicks for the day, Google what these guys look like sans space masks.

COURTESY OF COLUMBIA RECORDS

Daft Punk succeeded. If you are curious to explore a contemporary take on disco music, or if you just

DESIGN.

DRAW.

want listen to an original album, Random Access Memories is a must.

WRITE.

COPY EDIT.

SEEKING WRITERS, DESIGNERS, COPY EDITORS, CARTOONISTS, PHOTOGRAPHERS Have what it takes to make the Maroon Staff? Contact us: editor@chicagomaroon.com

11

THE CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | May 24, 2013

THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS As Brizzolara, Whitmore close out careers, Bennett just getting started Men’s Track Sam Zacher Associate Sports Editor

Fourth-year Dee Brizzolara competed in the 200m prelims and finished 11th in the NCAA Championships Thursday.

COURTESY OF HANS GLICK

This NCAA weekend will be more important than most for the three Maroons competing. It is a weekend that will see the end of two long and successful careers and hopefully jumpstart another.

Yesterday, fourth-year sprinter Dee Brizzolara competed for the final time in his college career at the NCAAs in La Crosse, WI. He raced in the 200m, finishing 11th place at 21.69s after coming in as the 18th seed.

“Dee ran great. He ran his lifetime best time,” head coach Chris Hall said. “I think it’s hard being at your first national meet, pressures that go with it. He ended up in a [bad] lane, but he didn’t care. I think he feels good about his effort. I’m proud of the way he competed today.”

Unlike for many athletes, the realization that he won’t be able to compete at the college level again hit Brizzolara even before the race.

“I actually cried today about four hours before my race because I didn’t want to run it,” he said. “I just didn’t want this to end, and

it was really upsetting that after today I am no longer a collegiate athlete.”

Fourth-year distance runner Billy Whitmore is awaiting his final collegiate competition as well. He will run the 5,000m on Saturday.

It’s never easy losing such impactful contributors as in Whitmore and Brizzolara, but Hall remains optimistic.

“We’re always sad to see our seniors go, but that’s just the cycle of the sport,” he said. “We’re excited they’re at the national meet, that they can be here and enjoy it. We’re feeling good going into next year, though. We’ll certainly miss [the seniors], but there are seniors every year.”

Speaking of the future of Chicago track and field, first-year pole-vaulter Michael Bennett also competed at NCAAs. Bennett was the only first-year of the 20 qualifiers in his event, entering with a height of 4.81m.

“Michael went out at his second height of 15 [feet] 7 [inches] after his first height of 15 [feet] 1 [inch],” Hall said. “He was a final qualifier, and he moved up at least three guys.”

Those heights translate to 4.75m and 4.60m, slightly lower than Bennett’s best vault this season.

This experience will undoubtedly boost Bennett’s confidence and give him an extremely meaningful experience to build on for the rest of his college career.

“I think just the experience of being here as a freshman, there’s a lot of nerves being at the national meet the first time, and to get those out of the way is a great learning experience,” Hall said. “I know he’s excited to be here and I think it’s been a great week.”

Attention now turns solely to Whitmore, the only Maroon on the men’s side yet to compete.

The fourth-year will be looking to finish inside the top eight and finish his career as an All-American, an honor he has previously received in indoor track and field and cross country, but never at the outdoor championship.

Whitmore is currently ranked 20th in the nation, but don’t expect that to put him off as he looks to end his career in style.

The men’s 5,000m final is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Tang, Sdvizkhov overpowered by nation’s best Women’s Tennis Alexander Sotiropoulos Senior Sports Staff In a mere two years at Chicago, Megan Tang has been faced with an overwhelming amount of adversity.

Not only has she had to take over the top singles spot for the Maroons that was previously held by an All-American and NCAA national champion, Kendra Higgins, but she has also had to face the nation’s top players throughout the year as an underclassman.

Through all of this, Tang has been a proven contender all season long with a 28–4 singles record and 15–6 doubles record. Still, Tang’s past success was not enough to get her past the first round of the Individual Championships in singles, as the No. 4–seed lost to unseeded MIT third-year Lauren Quisenberry 6–2, 6–1 on Thursday. In doubles, Tang, along with fellow No. 4 seed first-year Helen Sdvizkhov, lost to Williams’ Rebecca Curran and Kara Shoemaker 6–1, 6–1, ending the Maroons’ stellar season.

Without having previously played Quisenberry, the Chicago second-year did not know what strengths and weaknesses to expect going into the match.

“I’d never even heard of her, so I had no idea who she was or really how she played,” Tang said.

Quisenberry overwhelmed Tang with powerful and accurate first and second serves combined with a force of a forehand. Tang was unable to drive the ball to the MIT

third-year’s backhand.

“She would pretty much run around everything and hit with her forehand and dictate points,” Tang said. “I didn’t think the match was going to be easy, but I didn’t expect her to play as well as she did.”

Tang said she felt ill-prepared to play a hard-hitter.

“I haven’t had good enough practice, I think, against those types of players because they hit the ball really hard, and I haven’t played people like [2012 NCAA singles champion] Gabby [Clark], [2011 NCAA Singles Champion] Krystal [Lim], or [Quisenberry] in practice, so I’m not as prepared to play against people that hit with that type of pace,” Tang said.

But it was not just Quisenberry’s strengths that gave Tang problems.

The Maroon felt added pressure being seeded.

“There was a little bit of pressure being the No. 4–seed,” Tang said. “I know I shouldn’t be thinking about that, but I felt that, being the No. 4–seed, I should definitely get to the quarterfinals, if not the semis.”

Tang was also the fourth seed in doubles along with Sdvizkhov. The team had a daunting task going against the No. 1 pair from the National Champion Williams squad.

Still, it was a time for Chicago to let loose.

“I think we’re just going to go into it and play without any pressure and just go for all of our shots because we have nothing to lose,” Tang said before the match.

“I think we’re just going to try to

First-year Helen Sdvizkhov, left, and second-year Megan Tang competed in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships yesterday at Kalamazoo College.

COURTESY OF HANS GLICK

come to the net a lot and play our formations that we’ve been doing during practice.”

Unfortunately, the mentality was not enough for the Maroons, as they won just two games in the match.

“I thought we could have done

a little more, taken a few more chances…maybe sacrificed consistency for a few more errors to be more aggressive,” head coach Jay Tee said.

Even with Chicago’s season ending on losses, Tee continued to enrich a team that did not have many

expectations after its success last year.

“It’s been a great year to be a part of the tradition, to be a part of the tennis program, and I think we’ve some really good improvements,” Tee said. “We’re going to continue improving.”

SPORTS

IN QUOTES

“Talking about the big event and celebrity and the VIP-ness of Johnny Manziel, that’s also a big factor in detailing his story.”

—Joe Tessitore describes, using an interesting choice of words, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.

THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

Sizek fourth in 10,000m, will run with Young in 5,000m Women’s Track Russell Mendelson Sports Staff The Maroons may not have qualified for any relays at NCAA DIII Outdoor Track and Field Championships at UW–La Crosse, but the squad will still witness a passing of the baton as fourthyear Julia Sizek, in her final collegiate race, competes alongside first-year Catherine Young, in her first national championship, in the 5,000m on Saturday.

That race will be Sizek’s second of the NCAA tournament after an impressive fourth place finish in the 10,000m last night. Sizek finished in a time of 35:54.67, just under 10 seconds behind the winner, Calvin’s Nicole Michmerhuizen.

The race was a slow one compared to the qualifying times of the competitors (Michmerhuizen has raced a 34:09.96 this year, and Sizek only improved her season’s best by around three tenths of a second). But Sizek will care little, as she secured All-American honors in outdoor track and field for the first time in her career. This result will come as vindication, too, after the fourth-year missed out on an All-American spot in the same event last year.

Make no mistake, this is an achievement to be very proud of for Sizek, but, such is her professionalism, any celebration will be set aside until after Saturday’s 5,000m final.

Sizek enters that race ranked 10th with a time of 17:00.19, while Young

holds the eighth seed with her qualifying time of 16:57.37.

“I am very happy that me and Julia are able to run together and can train together,” Young said. “She is a great running partner and really inspires me in races.”

“Julia is always giving me advice and tips before races and even practices.

She help[s] me with everything from workouts to training schedules to meet days. I am really grateful to have her as a teammate.”

Young is not the only one, however, looking forward to competing with one of her teammates. Sizek, with all of her experience, knows the advantages of having another runner on your side.

“There is nothing better than having a teammate in a race with you,” she said.

“We will have the great opportunity to work together and push ourselves to our best performances.”

“I don’t think that I am really a fountain of knowledge on anything, but I think that we have learned from each other. Catt has reminded me of how tenacity and heart count in both life and running,” said Sizek.

Young recorded her qualifying time earlier this month at the North Central Dr. Keeler Invitational in Naperville, IL, making her the fastest member of the UAA in the 5,000m this season.

“I don’t know if winning is in the cards, but I just really hope to not be scared to run my own race and do my best,” Young said. “I’ve worked hard

throughout the season and I just hope it all pays off.”

Sizek was similarly philosophical about the prospects of a Maroon victory, noting “the strength of the field and the fact that [she] would have to run very substantial personal best times in order to win.”

“I think that my experiences over four years of collegiate running have prepared me for this moment,” said Sizek.

“I wouldn’t be able to pinpoint it to a moment, but can instead only say that it is a strange amalgamation of running in 98 degree 98 percent humidity weather (or, for that matter, -20 degrees with windchill), waking up to do what seems like an impossible run or workout, running alongside my teammates, and doing this again and again.”

Although both Maroons have performed exceptionally well in intra-conference play, each runner will face stiffer competition when racing beside the best of DIII. The top ranked DIII runner in the 5,000m, Taylor Berg from St. Thomas, MN, holds a qualifying time of 16:34.51, almost 23 seconds ahead of Young’s personal best and just under 26 seconds faster than Sizek’s.

Overall, this weekend proves to be an opportunity for both runners to compete against a challenging field, but also bond with teammates. As Sizek succinctly put it, “I am looking forward to hanging out with my teammates and competing against a great field.”

Fourth-year Julia Sizek finished fourth in the 10,000m at the NCAA Championships last night.

COURTESY OF HANS GLICK

Despite loss, Sabada optimistic about team’s future Men’s Tennis Sam Zacher Associate Sports Editor

Second-year Deepak Sabada competed in the NCAA Singles Championships yesterday.

COURTESY OF DAVE HILBERT

Even losses can bring wins—and not just moral ones.

Even though second-year Deepak Sabada lost his first-round match at the NCAA Men’s Individual Championships, the Maroons will benefit in the long run.

Trinity University’s Aaron Skinner, also a second-year, defeated Sabada 3–6, 6–1, 6–0 yesterday in Kalamazoo, MI. “I thought I competed well,” Sabada said. “The score doesn’t reflect it, but I had chances to win the second set but let them slip away a bit.”

After unseeded Sabada commanded and won the first set 6–3 in the round of 32, No. 8-seeded Skinner figured him out.

“I served extremely well in the first set and that propelled me into winning the first set,” Sabada said. “At the beginning of the second set I had opportunities to go up 3–0 but didn’t convert my opportunities and instead went down 3–0.

That gave him a lot of confidence for the rest of the match and he ran away with it a bit from there.”

Playing No. 1 singles for the Maroons this season, Sabada entered the NCAA Championships match ranked No. 4 in the Central Region with a 15–5 record.

This young Chicago team ended the season with a 14–5 record—not a bad finish for a squad boasting a starting lineup dominated by underclassmen. In addition, the South Siders are only losing one fourth-year in Harrison Abrams (No. 6 singles).

That being said, the Maroons will have most of their firepower returning next season, and Sabada merely competing at NCAAs will not only give him more experience, but he will also be better equipped to lead the team even more so than this year.

“Deepak was definitely a team leader,” second-year Ankur Bhargava said.

“He was quiet in his actions, but the team followed him. Everybody on our team looked up to him as he was by far our best player.”

On top of No. 1 singles, Sabada led the doubles charge for Chicago, competing on the No. 1 court alongside third-year Krishna Ravella for most of the season.

“Playing doubles with Deepak this year was great,” Ravella said. “It’s always nice to have a partner that you’re entirely confident in to make any shot in the book at any given time during a match, and Deepak was definitely that type of partner.”

Sabada and Ravella concluded the spring with a record of 8–4 together.

At the UAAs a few weeks ago, the South Siders fell in their first match but regained their balance to win the next two, finishing at fifth place in the conference. They will definitely have a good shot at the top four next year.

“I’m really excited for next season,” Bhargava said. “We have a strong recruiting class coming in who will hopefully bring a lot of energy and charisma to the team. We are losing a great senior [Abrams], but hopefully we’ll still be a strong team.”

At times, Chicago played far better than the fifth-best team in the conference, too. From February 16 to March 28, they won 10 straight matches. No. 30 Chicago also played No. 10 Wash U tough on April 13, losing 6–3.

“We played Wash U extremely close this year and could have won the match, and they made the semis of NCAAs,” Sabada said. “We are losing some key parts but I feel with the talent we have and the talent coming in we will be able to achieve our goals next year.”

Sabada and the Maroons will enter next season with confidence, hoping to make the tournament just like their top player did this season.

“I’m hoping [for us to] excel even more than this year and boost our way into the NCAA tournament at the end of the year,” Bhargava said.