TUESDAY • MAY 5, 2015
CHICAGOMAROON.COM
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892
ISSUE 43 • VOLUME 126
UCPD to create advisory board drawing from local community Katherine Vega News Staff The University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) recently announced that it is in the process of creating a Community Advisory Board, which will consist of community members from the Hyde Park, Kenwood, Oakland, and Woodlawn neighborhoods, according to a University statement. The community members on the committee will be selected based on conversations between University officials, local leaders, and aldermen in the affected wards by the end of this academic year The intersection of E. 54th Street and S. Woodlawn Avenue, an area where many University students reside, is a common spot in which security alerts are issued. MARTA BAKULA | THE CHICAGO MAROON
What’s behind security alerts? An in-depth look into the Univ. process Cairo Lewis News Staff Some University students and affiliates were shaken by the lagged posting of security alerts surrounding the Ross Jacobs’ attack on his roommate. Many reported first finding out through
other news and social media outlets that the former University of Chicago student had stabbed his roommate at 3 a.m. on March 13 on the 5400 block of South Hyde Park Boulevard. A University security alert and update was issued the next day at 10:24 p.m. However, the University and
the UCPD have increased the number of security alerts by 59 percent in 2014 compared to the seven-year average. The number of security alerts issued that year was 17, roughly six more than the average number of alerts over the past seven years. The crime ALERTS continued on page 2
Satellite dorm activists hosted town hall meeting yesterday Annie Nazzaro Associate News Editor Save our Satellites (SOS), the organization of students protesting the University’s decision to close satellite dorms and move their houses into Campus North Residence Hall, held a town hall meeting in Harper Memorial Library yesterday in order to raise awareness for their cause and discuss further campaign strategies. According to the event’s Facebook page, the meeting was originally intended to be an administration-moderated student discussion, but no administrators were in attendance. Administrators were invited to moderate the meeting, but David Clark, one of the Col-
lege Housing representatives who met with each house after the original announcement, e-mailed Mike Dewar, one of the Maclean representatives on the SOS Council, to state that administrators would not be attending. “Essentially they say that the house meetings were sufficient...and therefore, quote, ‘on behalf of the campus leadership who were invited to the May 4 meeting, we will be unable to attend,’” Dewar said at the meeting, quoting Clark’s e-mail. During the meeting, SOS released an online “pledge of nondonation.” The pledge states SOS’s grievances with the administration and its housing decisions, and promises that those who sign will not donate any
money to the University “until and unless the administration reconsiders its rash decision, and reaches a compromise with the student body agreeing with all parties.” According to the Housing website, one of Housing’s goals in moving the nine houses into Campus North is housing more students closer to campus. In keeping with that goal, Campus North is similar to Renee Granville-Grossman Residential Commons, which College Housing has maintained in meetings and discussions has higher retention rates than the other dorms, according to Aliyah Bixby-Driesen, another Maclean representative on SOS Council. SOS continued on page 2
and will start their duties soon after. According to UCPD Assistant Chief Gloria Graham, the Community Advisory Board will serve as an important bridge between the UCPD and non– University affiliated community members who live in the areas the UCPD patrols. The UCPD’s jurisdiction currently extends from East 37th Street to East 64th Street and South Cottage Grove Avenue to South Lake Shore Drive. Graham hopes that the advisory board will be able to provide helpful feedback on UCPD relationships with sur-
rounding areas. “Much of what we do affects more than just the University community. We wanted to have dialogue with those audiences as well,” Graham said. The announcement comes just days after Illinois House Bill (H.B.) 3932, which would require the UCPD and other private police forces to make the same amount of information publicly available as public police forces do, passed in the Illinois House. It awaits passage in the state senate. However, Graham says that the creation of this committee has been in the UCPD continued on page 2
SG Elections: E&R addresses complaints, Open Minds withdraws Isaac Stein Senior News Writer Since the Student Government (SG) elections opened on Thursday, a number of complaints have been filed against candidates and slates in the election; in its deliberations, the SG Elections and Rules Committee (E&R) has assessed an election penalty on one candidate and issued a warning in response to one other complaint. On Friday, E&R considered three separate complaints at its 1 p.m. meeting. The first complaint, which was filed against Anthony Downer, candidate for undergraduate liaison to the Board of Trustees, and Nina Katemauswa, his running mate and candidate for community and government liaison, claimed that an election poster featuring the pair was hung in the Cathey Dining Hall in violation of University policy. According to the minutes of the E&R meeting, Downer said that he had received verbal permission from a Cathey staff member before hanging the poster, but SG rules in accordance with University policy state that candidates must “ask University housing [and] dining office permission to poster.” In addressing the complaint, E&R assessed a 5 percent vote reduction on Downer, noting that the incident was a “minor infraction.” E&R did not assess
any penalty on Katemauswa, citing that she had no involvement in the production or hanging of the poster. Downer has since removed the poster in question, and, on Monday, was also ordered by E&R to remove a similar poster that was placed in Bartlett Dining Commons by today at noon. Downer was not penalized for the poster that was placed in Bartlett. The second complaint that E&R addressed on Friday claimed that a petition initiated by third-year Mark Sands, a member of the College Council, represented “collusion of slates.” According to the meeting minutes, Sands’ petition argued against slates announcing their intended cabinet members before the conclusion of the election, as “he believ[ed] this misrepresents [the] process of Student Government.” Sands then distributed the petition for signatures; the petition did not state that any particular slates had named cabinet members. In addressing this complaint, E&R issued a warning to all slates and all signatories to Sands’ petition. According to the meeting minutes, the warning said “to be careful about what could be perceived as collusion, in [the] spirit of the election.” A third body of several complaints alleged that the incumbent United Progress (U.P.) slate had improperly used all-
student e-mail and sponsored Facebook posts in promoting their own campaign. E&R unanimously dismissed all of the complaints against U.P., on the basis that it did not use all student e-mail, and the sponsored Facebook posts in question were normal SG announcements that did not promote the U.P. slate. On Monday, Open Minds slate announced their withdrawal from the election via a post on their public Facebook page. The post said that the slate withdrew because it objected to election proceedings that it viewed as noncompliant with SG regulations, but did not cite specific examples of the alleged conduct. “Over the past week our team has become aware of and subject to private SG election proceedings that clearly fall outside of the purview of the SG Election By-laws, Code, and the Candidates’ Packet…we as individuals are unfortunately unable to bring public awareness to this issue while remaining in the race,” the post said. The post also said that more information regarding Open Minds’ withdrawal from the election “will come shortly.” As of press time, neither Open Minds nor E&R could not be reached for further comment regarding Open Minds’ withdrawal from the SG election.
IN VIEWPOINTS
IN ARTS
IN SPORTS
The cost of sexual assault: The moral and financial benefits of Title IX compliance » Page 3
The writing on the wall: Will Maclean art survive the jump?
This week in professional sports: The Chicago special » Backpage
Photo essay: Flurry of events take Reynolds Club » Page 5
Baseball: Maroons send Illinois Tech home empty-handed in doubleheader » Page 7
» Page 4
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THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | May 5, 2015
59 percent more security alerts issued in 2014 than the average of the past seven years ALL CRIMES REPORTED AROUND THE UNIVERSITY
VIOLENT CRIMES REPORTED AROUND THE UNIVERSITY
GRAPHICS BY FORREST SILL
ALERTS continued from front
rate in Hyde Park, meanwhile, has decreased by 31 percent since 2009. The violent crime rate from Hyde Park to the South Kenwood area has steadily decreased from 246 crimes in 2009 to 128 crimes in 2014—a 48 percent drop, according to the University of Chicago’s website. Areas within the UCPD jurisdiction—which includes Hyde Park, parts of Kenwood, and Woodlawn—also witnessed a decrease in general crimes: 559 crimes in 2009 to 379 crimes in 2013, a 31 percent average change. However, as reported in a previous Maroon article, there has been a recent increase in crime rates in Hyde Park, with three people shot near campus in April. According to a statement released on Thursday, April 30 by Associate Vice President for Safety, Security and Civic Affairs and Chief of Police Marlon Lynch, there has been a 22 percent decrease in violent crime when compared with the previous fiveyear average throughout the University of Chicago Police Department’s (UCPD) patrol area. Some students still believe that more security alerts should be sent out and should be timelier. In a study conducted by The Chicago Maroon, 86 respondents shared their input on how they believe security alerts should be issued. Of the students, faculty, and staff who responded, 37 percent believe that that security alerts provide adequate information about crime in Hyde Park. When asked about the safety of the campus, 46 percent of respondents believe that the alerts help people stay safe. 27 percent of respondents believe that security alerts are sent out in a timely manner.
More concerns indicated in the survey include a need for the UCPD to be more transparent with University students, faculty, and staff about crimes in the surrounding UCPD area: providing more details in regards to the location of the crime, what happened, the suspect’s appearance in alerts, and possibly sending these alerts to the rest of the Hyde Park community. “I think that more security alerts should be sent out, especially if there are violent suspects at large around campus, even their crimes don’t involve university affiliated people. And while I do think that incident reports ought to come out as soon as possible, I also think that this needs to be balanced with accuracy and diligence in putting together the information they contain,” second-year Daniel Meagher said. The University’s current objective is to send timely messages “to give members of the campus community information that will allow them to adjust their behavior to protect their personal safety.” University Communications Assistant Marielle Sainvilus said, “As soon as an incident that meets the criteria for consideration of an alert is reported, regardless of the time of day, there is an immediate conversation between members of University Communications, Campus and Student Life, and the UCPD. The team then follows the University’s Guidelines for Immediate security alerts, which are publicly available on the University’s website to determine whether or not to issue a security alert.” As of July 15, 2014, the University and the UCPD have revised their policy to include the race of a suspect if UCPD decides that it is relevant.
Lynch said race will be included if there is additional information, such as a tattoo or other noticeable body differences. Previously, race has been included in a number of security alerts, but not consistently. Including race in the security alerts has also been a concern for students. “I wish that they provided more identifying information about perpetrators than ‘young adult black male.’ This is not enough information to correctly identify someone, but it is just enough to make being a young adult black male UChicago student difficult. I’m not saying they should take out the racial information if it is true, but they should provide more information if UCPD truly intends to give us enough information to find a suspect,” second-year Daphne McKee said. Lynch said that there are strict guidelines about what to include in security alerts. Complete security alerts usually include the date, time, a description of the incident, and other information that may help find suspects. In the case where there is an arrest or if there is a risk of compromising law enforcement efforts, an alert does not have to be sent out. Any untimely alerts may be included in a security alert the next day or posted on the University’s Community Safety website. Crimes in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (“Clery Act”) are sent out in security alerts. Clery Act crimes include: stalking, hate crimes, domestic violence, aggravated assault, dating violence, arson, burglary, motor vehicle theft, murder and non-negligent manslaughter, negligent manslaughter, robbery, and both forcible and non-forcible sex offenses. Clery Act jurisdiction
| THE CHICAGO MAROON
surrounds campus and non-campus buildings or property and public property. The University also issues timely security alerts in certain circumstances when non–Clery Act crimes occur and/or when crimes occur outside of Clery Act geography but within the UCPD’s jurisdiction, which extends from East 37th to East 64th Streets and South Cottage Grove Avenue to South Lake Shore Drive, and have the potential to threaten the campus and its surrounding community. Examples of circumstances that would require the University to send out a security alert include, but are not limited to, any violent crime that occurs within UCPD service area, any crimes involving children (and if the crime occurs near a school), whether an individual is killed due to violence in the UCPD service area, and whether a pattern can be established if a trail of crimes has been committed within a short timespan. In terms of transparency and communication, Lynch said that he and University officials including University Communications, Campus and Student Life, members of Student Government, and the UCPD hold meetings every school year to discuss ways to improve alerts and to make frequent changes. “The Security Alert policy is also reviewed on an as needed basis in certain situations. Last year, there was an as needed review which prompted minor changes to clarify language related to incidents which occur close to an off-campus residence hall, to assure compliance,” said Assistant Vice President and Assistant Chief of Police Services Gloria Graham.
UCPD advisory board will include members from Oakland, Kenwood, Hyde Park, and Woodlawm UCPD continued from front
works for about a year, and has nothing to do with H.B. 3932. “This is something completely separate that we are using as a tool or a mechanism to keep track in real time…. If we can have relationship building, information could be much more free flowing,” Graham said. “The overarching goal is to have an avenue to get feedback about safety services and community relationships.”
Organizations such as the South Side Solidarity Network’s Campaign for Equitable Policing (CEP) have noted tensions between the UCPD and the surrounding community for several years. According to the CEP’s website, these tensions were partially a result of the lack of transparency in the UCPD. If H.B. 3932 passes in the Illinois Senate, it could potentially alleviate these tensions, although Graham stated that the UCPD already voluntarily provides much of the information that
would be required by H.B. 3932. UCPD Chief Marlon Lynch was heavily involved in the creation of the committee and was one of the initiators of the proposal, according to Graham. The University Department of Safety and Security, which runs the UCPD, also worked closely with the Office of Civic Engagement, with Graham noting that Vice President of Civic Engagement Derek Douglas was also involved in planning for the committee.
No students will sit on the Community Advisory Committee, with Graham stating that the main purpose of the committee is to increase communication between non-University community members and the University. Graham noted that students are already on two other committees, both of which are run by Student Government: the Committee on Crime Prevention and Security on Campus and the Neighborhood and the Independent Review Committee for the UCPD.
College housing declined to release information on retention rates in different houses SOS continued from front
At the meeting, students wondered if it would be possible to access information about those retention rates, but according to Austin Lee, an InterHouse Council representative, IHC has requested this information before and College Housing has
declined to release it. Otherwise, students discussed the goals of SOS and further strategies for gaining attention and support for their cause. Suggested ideas included making T-shirts, contacting the press, and holding tours of the dorms that are set to close.
When one student suggested reaching out to prospective students, Dewar said that while he would want to inform prospective students about what was happening, he wouldn’t discourage them from coming to the school. “I still do have quite a bit of affection for this University, separate from
the administration,” he said. “I still do love this university and being here and being a student here, so I wouldn’t recommend not coming, because I would feel like I was cheating them.” SOS plans to release a petition to Student Government requesting support for their cause.
VIEWPOINTS
Editorial & Op-Ed MAY 5, 2015
The cost of sexual assault It’s in universities’ best interest, both morally and financially, to comply with Title IX Michele Beaulieux Maroon Contributor The Hunting Ground, a documentary screened on campus last week, portrays heartbreaking sagas of campus sexual assault survivors and the callous responses of their colleges and universities. It aims to inspire outrage, as it should, but what it doesn’t do is tell us why we can hope that schools will improve their sexual assault prevention and response—and we can. The emboldened survivors’ activism, which the film chronicles, combined with a confluence of other
“Sexual assault survivors are costing more in settlements and legal fees than alleged assailants.”
factors, is altering the financial calculus: Sexual assault survivors are costing more in settlements and legal fees than alleged assailants. That growing cost, combined with increasing public awareness, will help assure that schools do the right thing. The Hunting Ground notes that schools fear the financial costs of the legal backlash from alleged perpetrators, but it does not point out that this fear is misguided. In reality, schools’ financial risk when violating student victims’ rights to equal educational opportunities under Title IX (the federal statute prohibiting sex discrimination in education) is exponentially greater than when violating accused assailants’ rights to due process fairness. Schools need
ALICE XIAO
| THE CHICAGO MAROON
to fear the financial backlash of victims, not perpetrators. Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education Vice President Nancy Chi Cantalupo, who participated in an Institute of Politics panel on campus last quarter, found more than 50 victim cases alleging Title IX violations that were decided unfavorably toward schools and there-
The student newspaper of the University of Chicago since 1892. Eleanor Hyun, Editor-in-Chief Sarah Manhardt, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Stephen Moreland, Managing Editor The Maroon Editorial Board consists of Alan Hassler, Eleanor Hyun, and Lear Jiang. News Natalie Friedberg, editor Alec Goodwin, editor Marta Bakula, deputy editor Isaac Easton, associate editor Raymond Fang, associate editor Shelby Lohr, associate editor Maggie Loughran, associate editor Annie Nazzaro, associate editor Isaac Stein, senior writer Viewpoints Sarah Zimmerman, editor Nina Katemauswa, associate editor Patricia Nyawga, associate editor Kayleigh Voss, associate editor Arts Andrew McVea, editor Evangeline Reid, editor Ellen Rodnianski, editor Hannah Edgar, associate editor Grace Hauck, associate editor James Mackenzie, senior editor Sports Helen Petersen, editor Zachary Themer, editor Ahmad Allaw, associate editor Katie Anderson, associate editor Tatiana Fields, senior editor Sarah Langs, senior editor Grey City Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Editor-in-Chief Kristin Lin, Editor-in-Chief Design Annie Cantara, head designer Copy Sophie Downes, head editor Alan Hassler, head editor Sherry He, head editor Morganne Ramsey, head editor
Multimedia Forrest Sill, editor Photo Marta Bakula, editor Yeo Bi Choi, associate editor Liana Sonenclar, associate editor Video Amber Love, editor Social Media Emily Harwell, editor Online Ryan McDowell, web developer Business Nicolas Lukac, chief financial officer Ananya Pillutla, vice chief financial officer Andrew Ahn, co-director of marketing Eitan Rude, co-director of marketing Ben Veres, director of operations Patrick Quinn, director of strategy Lenise Lee, business manager Harry Backlund, distributor Kay Li, director of data analysis This issue: Copy: Delana Tavakol, Michelle Zhao Design: Stephanie Liu, Elle Rathbun Editor-in-Chief E-mail: Editor@ChicagoMaroon.com Newsroom Phone: (773) 702-1403 Business Phone: (773) 702-9555 Fax: (773) 702-3032 For advertising inquiries, please contact Ads@ChicagoMaroon.com or (773) 702-9555 Circulation: 6,800. © 2015 The Chicago Maroon Ida Noyes Hall, 1212 East 59th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
fore were likely to cost them money. Her research showed that the top two publicly disclosed settlements in litigated Title IX cases cost the schools $2.8 million and $850,000, respectively. Accused students, in contrast, are more likely to file lawsuits, but they are less likely to win, and even less likely to win big. Cantalupo found only three cases where the court decided that the school’s disciplinary procedures in a sexual violence case violated due process for the accused assailants. In only one of those cases was the student awarded any money: $26,500. While courts have long held that the emotional and physical damage to victims is greater than to alleged perpetrators, that truth has only recently become a reality for schools’ financial risk assessments (which include the costs of claims that do not make it to court). United Educators (U.E.), which offers liability insurance to schools, evaluated the total costs of three types of sexual assault claims: demand letters, lawsuits filed in civil court, and, more recently, Title IX complaints to the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR), which are different from lawsuits alleging Title IX violations.
In U.E.’s study of claims filed in 2011 through 2013, litigation brought by victims accounted for 84 percent, or $14.3 million, of the total losses, which included legal fees. The fact that victims take up the lion’s share of the liability is an about turn from U.E.’s previous fiveyear study, which showed the opposite. Accused students brought 54 percent of the claims and comprised 72 percent of the financial losses.
“Schools are now facing more Title IX complaints than alleged perpetrator and victim lawsuits combined.” Title IX complaints to OCR, like those chronicled in The Hunting Ground, account for the dramatic shift. The Obama administration’s 2011 “Dear Colleague Letter” reminded schools that the dictates of Title IX extended beyond equality in sports: A sexually hostile environment cannot provide equal educational opportunities. The Hunting Ground shows how students became aware of their Title IX rights and started holding their schools to their
legal obligations. Schools are now facing more Title IX complaints than alleged perpetrator and victim lawsuits combined, and it is those Title IX complaints that account for the greater cost of victims’ cases in the second U.E. study. The courts also have consistently shown that violating Title IX is more damaging than violating due process rights. When schools understand how courts will rule, their overall risk assessments may reflect that fact, too. Fiscal realities can make doing the right thing a lot easier. The financial calculus is tipping in victims’ favor, and that provides hope that schools will work harder to prevent sexual assault in the first place and treat victims with sensitivity when assaults do occur. The University of Chicago, currently under OCR investigation for noncompliance with Title IX, could be facing significant financial liabilities. UChicago students can hope that the University will work harder to provide a safe and equitable educational environment. It’s the right thing to do, but the fact that it also makes financial sense may help assure that justice actually occurs. Michele Beaulieux is a College alumna (A.B. ’82).
SUBMISSIONS
The Chicago Maroon welcomes opinions and responses from its readers. The Chicago Maroon Attn: Viewpoints 1212 East 59th Street Chicago, IL 60637 E-mail: viewpoints@chicagomaroon.com
ARTS
What is art? MAY 5, 2015
The writing on the wall: Will Maclean art survive the jump? Grace Hauck Associate Arts Editor In the past couple weeks, you’ve probably read and heard a lot about the recent housing decision. Some students finally feel liberated from the distant, isolated dregs of an outdated UChicago regime; others seem to be arming themselves for a coming apocalypse. But a great many students take the optimistic middle road: It’s about the community, not the building or the names. In the case of Maclean, however, UChicago’s northernmost and westernmost dorm of only one house, the community is characterized by and centered on the physical building. It’s embedded in its very walls. Maclean House celebrates a tradition unique among all other dorms. As a member of this small community, I have had the rare chance to live in the midst of it. Simply take the short walk a block past Ratner, step inside, and you’ll notice it from the get-go. The walls of Maclean are covered in quotes. Every floor, from stairwells to ceiling braces to elevator doors: quotes, quotes, and more quotes. They range from the inspiring and familiar
to the silly and obscure, yet each is expertly executed. “I think that it’s a great conversation piece for those who come here that have never been here before,” Maclean House Resident Head Ali Jackson said. “I love watching their initial reaction where they go around and see the various quotes that we have on the walls because they’re just completely fascinated. And you could literally spend all day studying each quote.... It seems like every day I read something new on the wall that I had never taken the time to read before.” Most of the quotes throughout Maclean are written in English while others are in Arabic, Spanish, Latin, and Chinese. Some highlight imagery more than phrase, but almost all are physically painted onto the wall, with the exception of the digital message board plugged into the doorframe of the second-floor solarium. Far beyond simple lettering, these quotes are works of art, and Maclean’s first floor is proof. The south wall of Maclean’s first-floor living room (“HQ”) brandishes an intricately carved world map, realized in sheer black paint. The elegant callig-
raphy centered above the painting quotes Tolkien: “Not all those who wander are lost.” Resting in the background of the heart of house life, this quote harkens back to a commonly beloved fantastical journey and acts, as most quotes do, as subtle reassurance to the young college everyman. The nearby dining room also exhibits large-scale works: two pictorial comic strips featuring, on the left, God’s sacred gift of bacon and, on the right, a play on the theory of statistical correlation—a natural combo. Certain artworks verge on full-on murals, from the massive rays of sunlight shining down on the encouraging sentiments of Yolanda Adams to the grand lettering of Douglas Adams’s humorous “UNIVERSE.” An erratic profusion of color and splintered lettering across an entire section of second-floor hallway lends playful distortion to the lyrical words of Lewis Carroll. At the same time, Maclean’s smaller illustrations demonstrate diligent attention to detail, such as the depictions of quotes of Nick Gatsby and Dwight Schrute. The great Dean Boyer himself even makes an appearance on the walls of Maclean: “The
only way to beat a party is to throw a bigger party.” A well-loved house favorite is the parody painted on the central ground-floor stairwell. As a Macleaner, it starts your day and welcomes you home, reminding you to “Play like a nerd today.” Notre Dame fans will recognize this spin-off immediately, and Macleaners embrace its all-too-typical UChicago humor. This tradition, however, is not about glorifying flashy, recognizable phrases. “A lot of these quotes are anonymous,” secondyear Cairo Lewis said. “You don’t even know where they came from, so it’s really interesting to go and have to research where exactly the quotes came from, what influenced the person to put that on the wall. I think there’s a bigger story behind the quotes.” This story starts with Maclean House orientation aides and orientation leaders, who arrive on campus early each fall to prepare for incoming first-years and, more importantly, to immortalize their chosen words on the walls of Maclean. The process itself is quite complex. First, students spend months agonizing over the choice: the single quote
they will forever embed on the walls of their home for future generations to behold. The one quote that emerges victorious from this inner struggle must then be transformed into artistic reality. Most students design their quote in Microsoft Word to test out font, style, and layout. This design is then printed, projected onto the wall, traced, and painted not once, but three times over. Despite the massive scale of some designs, each one demonstrates a keen attention to detail. Edges are clean. Fonts are consistent. Colors are vibrant. These are not silly wall doodles; these are artistic feats. Of course, some more adventurous students still opt for the free-hand approach, such as third-year and Maclean House R.A. Madeline Klinger. “It’s kind of like getting a tattoo,” Klinger said, “not on your body but on your home, which is still very much a part of you.” Klinger purposefully positioned her E.E. Cummings quote directly across from her room so that it greets her every time she steps out her door. She expressed deep emotional attachment to both the quote and her own material interpretation of it—a design in which she
literally left her thumbprints behind. Mohamed Hammoud, a third-year in Maclean and one of this year’s orientation aides, explained the rationale behind his quote selection: “I am personally Moroccan, and I am very proud of my culture…. I wanted to add yet another language to the list of languages.” Like Klinger, Hammoud chose to paint his quote across from his room. He even incorporated the red and green colors of the Moroccan flag into the Moroccan Arabic script of his proverb, which encourages any passerby to live life without regrets. This living record of Maclean history allows students and alumni alike to engage in a continual dialogue—a mutable mélange of culture, experience, and intellectual thought. One can witness this very process take place on the walls, for certain adjacent quotes directly reference and sometimes contradict one another. Klinger discussed one of her experiences conversing with the past: “There’s a Camus quote over there. Cummings and Camus are both my two favorite dudes. It’s just kind of cool to see that MAC continued on page 6
CSO goes for Baroque
Avengers feels like money grab
Hannah Edgar Associate Arts Editor
James MacKenzie Senior Arts Editor
There are those of the opinion that Baroque music is background-music fare, music whose quaintness sounds unassuming and, at times, predictable to the superficial (read: occupied) ear. A quick YouTube survey yields hours-long videos with Buzzfeed-worthy titles like “The Best of Bach” or, more unabashedly, “<3 4 HOURS <3 Classical Music—Relaxing Bach Music for Studying Concentration and Sleep.” If you’re a late-night frequenter of these Reader’s Digest playlists, I won’t pass judgment. But half-hearted listeners miss out because, in its own peculiar way, Baroque music is some of the most thrilling out there, especially in live performance. It has a gestural, physical aspect to it that is too often missed in recordings. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) took a breather from its usual Romantic-leaning repertoire to remind patrons of Baroque on Saturday night, the last performance in a three-concert program. Baroque specialist Harry Bicket led the orchestra in four well-
selected works: Jean-Philippe Rameau’s Dance Suite from his comic opera Platée, Francis Poulenc’s Concert champêtre, Igor Stravinsky’s arrangement Four Preludes and Fugues from Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, and the always-popular Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major by Bach. With the exception of the Bach suite, very little of this music had been recently programmed by the CSO, and the 20th-century inclusions of both a harpsichord concerto with Baroque sensibilities (the Poulenc) and an orchestral arrangement of solo Bach keyboard pieces (the Stravinsky arrangement), alongside two Baroque suites, made for a program that was thematically unified but never redundant. The Platée suite was an attention-grabbing opener. Principal percussionist Cynthia Yeh kicked off the piece before the opening applause had even ended by turning a crank on a primitive wind machine, not unlike what Rameau calls for in his opera: a large, scroll-like apparatus that creates a gusty roar when the wheel turns against its encasing fabric. It was a little corny, a little awkward, but when it
came to contextualizing the first movement—which takes its title from the French word for thunderstorm—it did the trick. Musical effects in the suite—cheeky glissandos, the entrance of a sparky little tambourine near the end—preserve the tongue-in-cheek silliness of the original opera. The final, unbroken dance movement, the Air Pantomime and Rigaudons, was a hearty jig that showcased all the extreme contrasts essential to Baroque music, and the CSO emphasized these especially well. An essentiality that fell short, however, was the CSO’s sizing of a small ensemble to pull off Platée. Though the stage was indeed arranged for reduced forces, they were still too large in the strings, which would have benefitted from a reduction to about another two-thirds ratio to emphasize the clarity of the running lines. The next piece, Poulenc’s Concert champêtre, was something of an homage to days past: The title is derived from fêtes champêtres—luxurious outdoor garden concerts— popular among French noblemen in Rameau’s day. HowBACH continued on page 6
In classical science fiction tragedy, the creations of man inevitably come to reflect the worst aspects of their creators. Perhaps the most magical thing about the contemporary film industry is that this pitfall is largely avoided; films can have artistic merit even though they are often designed to serve the greediest of corporate agendas. That something so pure can come out of an institution so cynical is nothing short of a marvel Creator and creation are at the center of Avengers: Age of Ultron, the latest offering from perhaps the most commercialized and most prolific cinematic engine in history. Following the destructive events in The Avengers, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) comes to the conclusion that his Iron Man act will soon be insufficient to protect the Earth from external threats. This leads him to create the titular Ultron ( James Spader), an artificial intelligence designed to protect the world—although it, in
the classical fashion, embodies the very worst of Stark as a person. It is arrogant, obsessed with the bottom line, and so convinced of its own righteousness that it will cause massive devastation before shifting from its course. Upon invention, it hopes to trigger an extinction-scale event that will leave only the fittest humans left standing, forcing the Avengers to reassemble and make shitloads of money once again. And this is where the creation begins to reflect the creator. Fan service, the concept of introducing new characters from and referencing the comic books, is (despite its name) a pretty one-sided relationship in favor of the studios. Fans get to geek out at the nod toward their knowledge of the source material, while the studios get to throw in free advertising for future products. It’s like self-reflexive product placement. It’s pretty overwhelming, and also draining. One can’t help feeling a bit fatigued at this point, no matter how well put together the movie is. Ultron is certainly an en-
joyable ride. The action is well paced and executed, even if the sheer volume of it is numbing by the film’s end. Director and screenwriter Joss Whedon, unlike his counterparts in the DC Comic film complex, knows the key to these films’ success is to keep them light and fun. In between all the talk of human extinction and the hubris of scientific endeavor, this is a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The real knock on Ultron is simply that we’ve been there before. The plot is little different from any other Marvel film produced thus far, the character arcs hit all the same beats from before, and Whedon’s deliberately clunky dialogue starts to wear on the audience’s patience. Once again, all of this is not to say that Ultron is not a good film; it is very fun and well crafted. The question is how much longer this can last. After almost eight years of Marvel movie madness, the illusion is starting to wear off. The films are slowly beginning to betray the commercial forces to which they are beholden.
THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | May 5, 2015
Onslaught of events hits Reynolds Club over weekend
TEDx UChicago, the Rythmic Bodies in Motion (RBIM) Showcase, Festival of the Arts (FOTA) Springfest, the Brazilian Student Assoication (BSA) Carnaval and the Women and Youth Supporting Each Other (WYSE) Middle School Dance occured this weekend in the Reynold's Club. COURTESY OF
(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT)
ERIC JENG,FRANK YAN,
ALEXANDRA PEREZ-GARCIA, KIRSTEN WIARD-BAUER, ALEX PIZZIRANI
On a Possible Epistemology of Revelation a lecture by
Wed. May 6 4:30pm Swift Hall 3rd Floor
Jean-Luc Marion
Presented by the Lumen Christi Institute for Catholic Thought. Cosponsored by the Department of Philosophy. Free and open to the public. For more information and to register, visit www.lumenchristi.org.
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THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | May 5, 2015
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“The great Dean Boyer himself even makes an appearence on the walls.” MAC continued from page 4
someone else had read that quote and felt a similar way to the way that I connected to Camus…. They’ve graduated, they’ve moved on, they’re doing things with their lives, and if they got through it, I can get through it. It’s like having all of these invisible ancestors.” The irretrievable artistic legacy of the quotes and students’ genuine attachment to the physical struc-
ture of Maclean have made the recent housing decision all the more difficult for some Macleaners. Hammoud reflected, “I won’t be able to come with my kids and be like, ‘See that building over there? That’s where I used to live when I went to college here.’” Klinger, who used to live in Max Palevsky Residential Commons , explained her experience living in a larger dorm: “It still felt homey. There was a good com-
munity within the house, and the RHs were great. But you, you didn’t draw on the walls. You couldn’t see things from years past on the walls all around and wonder what those people were like, and why they chose that quote—what they were going through.” Despite the unavoidable demolition of the quotes now adorning the walls of Maclean, there is still hope for the survival of this house tradition and even
for the quotes themselves. Lewis, Klinger, and Hammoud all expressed interest in documenting the current quotes and perhaps recreating them in the new Campus North Residence Hall. Yet the heart of the issue still rests with the nature of the building itself. “I’m sure people would get into painting on walls in other dorms,” Klinger said, “but because they’re such big dorms, and they have so many other houses,
it wouldn’t have quite the same effect. It would be just kind of like, ‘Oh this is a fun art project,’ rather than like, ‘Yeah, this is my home.’” Nonetheless, Maclean House Resident Heads Ali and James Jackson remain optimistic about carrying over this tradition. “That’s something that my husband and I are definitely going to try to champion and try to have a conversation with housing. Hope-
fully they allow us to carry this special tradition over because it is so special and it really means a lot to our students,” Ali Jackson said. “I think having the ability to keep something like this going is only going to help that transition be that much smoother and help us carry a part of our culture.” Until that time comes, students will continue to paint quotes on the walls of Maclean, whatever the future may hold for them.
“His comport behind the keyboard was... nimble, impassioned, and intuitive.” BACH continued from page 4
ever, Concert champêtre is no Baroque copycat; the alwaysidiosyncratic Poulenc is too good for that. There are whiffs of Stravinsky in the fractured percussiveness of the first movement, and Gershwin in the bluesiness of the second, but such comparisons are only approximations: In this concerto, Poulenc blazes a trail as
enrapturing as it is original. Remarkable, too, was the evening’s dapper soloist Mahan Esfahani, who stepped in for the ill Kristian Bezuidenhout, seemingly out of nowhere, to play Poulenc’s esoteric, quirky gem. Though he attended Stanford as an undergraduate, the Tehran-born Esfahani made his American orchestral debut with this
concert program, and it was in every respect a successful one. His comportment behind the keyboard was unpretentious— his nimble, impassioned, and intuitive musicianship more than speaking for itself. The same went for his inspired encore, Rameau’s Gavotte and Variations from his Nouvelles suites de pièces de clavecin, concluding a very French, and very
The University of Chicago Law School Presents T h e 2 0 1 5 M a u r i c e a n d Mu r i e l Fu l t o n L e c t u r e s h i p i n L e g a l H i s t o r y
Courts, Democracy and Jeremy Bentham David Lieberman James W. and Isabel Coffroth Professor of Jurisprudence, UC Berkley School of Law
Thursday, May 7 th 4:00-5:30 p.m. Classroom V University of Chicago Law School 1111 East 60th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 Reception Following This lecture is free and open to the public. For special assistance or needs, please contact Erin Wellin at ewellin@uchicago.edu or 773.834.4326
satisfying, first half. Stravinsky’s arrangement of Bach’s Four Preludes and Fugues was his last project, on which he worked doggedly despite his ailing health. The devotion shows: The preludes and fugues are tenderly arranged so that Bach’s music is enhanced, not effaced. The ensemble contracted to its smallest size yet, with the strings
playing the preludes and the solo winds playing the fugues (This pattern is changed up for the B minor Prelude and Fugue, which is written exclusively for strings). This gave the members of the more intimate ensemble a chance to shine— most notably, principal clarinetist Stephen Williamson, whose floating singing line enriched the F major Fugue—
and showed us what could’ve been had the strings stripped down just a few stands more for Platée. Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3 obligatorily closed the program, a well-balanced and memorable delight from a very animated orchestra. It was enough to make one wonder: Hey, why don’t we do this more often?
THE CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | May 05, 2015
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Maroons send Illinois Tech home empty-handed in doubleheader Baseball Britta Nordstrom Maroon Staff The Maroons bounced back after their loss to Concordia (WI) on Wednesday, coming out of the past weekend 3–1 and bringing their season record to .500 and 17–17. They played two doubleheaders, one on Saturday against Illinois Tech at home, and one on Sunday at Eureka. The Saturday games resulted in two great wins for Chicago, with the first an 11–3 blowout, and the second a 10–6 victory against the now 21–9 Cobbers of Concordia. Third-year pitcher Lucas Friss got the first win for the Maroons, striking out eight batters and only allowing three runs, eight hits, and one walk through all seven innings. Fourth-year third baseman Kyle Engel hit his 22nd double of the season, going 3–3 with three RBI. In total, the efficient South Siders only committed one error and had 10 hits in the first game en route to their opening victory of the week. The second game of the doubleheader was slightly closer, and was reflected by the 10 hits and three errors
by the Maroons. Secondyear pitcher Tom Prescott started the game and went four innings while giving up five runs, seven hits, and one walk. Fourth-year pitcher Simon Swanson closed out the last three innings and got the win, bringing his record to 3–0 for the year. “I think the key to our success on the mound has been trusting the defense to make plays,” said Swanson on his success this year. “There are seven guys behind me who I know will make a play for me, which really helps take the pressure off.” On Sunday, Chicago drove out to Eureka College for another doubleheader, and ended up splitting the set 1–1. The first game was brilliant for the Maroon hitters, with six players hitting a total of seven doubles, and three players hitting homers. Fourth-year pitcher Anthony DeRenzo got the win in six innings, allowing six runs, nine hits, and three walks. The South Siders capped this stellar performance with only two errors and a seasonbest 17 runs. Unfortunately, the great weekend would end in defeat for Chicago. Eureka rallied
in the second game to beat the Maroons 7–4. While the South Siders started out well, leading 3–2 after four innings, the Red Devils of Eureka stormed back in the fifth inning with five runs. Chicago threw a trio of first-year pitchers at Eureka; Ricardo Fernandez pitched four and a third innings and took the loss, Robert Fuentes threw one-third of an inning, and Chase Packard tossed the last one and a third innings, but to no avail as the Maroons were not able to scrounge up enough offense to cap off what would otherwise have been an undefeated week. Still, the Maroons hope to take this disappointing loss and move forward. “I think we’re playing good baseball right now. We’re looking for a good last few games for us seniors and I also think there’s a lot to be excited about for next year,” Swanson said. Last evening, the Maroons were able to snag a 5–3 victory over Edgewood. With that victory, the Maroons improved to a winning record of 18–17. The Maroons’ next game will be this Friday at 3 p.m. when they play host to the Bears of Wash U.
Second-year Ryan Krob prepares to bat last season at a game against Beliot College. COURTESY OF UCHICAGO ATHLETICS
Shulamit Ran, artistic director
50TH SEASON 2015
CONTEMPO: TOMORROW’S MUSIC TODAY I
05.06.15 WED | 7:30 PM PERFORMANCE HALL, LOGAN CENTER FOR THE ARTS 915 E. 60th Street Featuring performances by Cliff Colnot, conductor eighth blackbird Pacifica Quartet Winston Choi, piano Enjoy the first of two programs showcasing University of Chicago’s doctoral candidates in composition. Hear cutting-edge pieces by Pierce Gradone, Timothy Page, and Jae-Goo Lee. Performed by conductor Cliff Colnot and GRAMMY-winning artist-in-residence ensembles eighth blackbird and Pacifica Quartet, the concert will draw you into the finest of today’s new music. FREE admission, no reservations required.
CONTEMPO. 50 YEARS, AND COUNTING.
contempo.uchicago.edu
SPORTS
IN QUOTES “Mayweather has hugged Manny more times than my dad has hugged me my whole life” – Parody twitter account @DonaldGloverrr weighing in on the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao boxing match
Chicago prepares for last-chance meets Track and Field Max Hawkins Maroon Staff The Maroons look for their hard work to pay off this Thursday as they head into their penultimate meet in Naperville, IL at the North Central Dr. Keller Invite. With the Chicago men coming off a third-place finish at the UAA championships last week, the Maroons will look for another good showing. Though the Maroons are hoping for sustained success, they will also look to build on some key individual performances, notably
in the 4x100-meter men’s relay team and 4x400-meter men’s race. These groups are striving to qualify for nationals along with a host of others. The 4x100-meter men’s relay team consists of second-year Temisan Osowa, first-year Nathan Downey, third-year Ben Clark, and third-year Jacob Romeo. The quartet finished first last week at the UAA championship with a time of 42.24. “We’d like to qualify two relays for the national meet. Indoors we were able to make a late push in the 4x4, and we’re hoping to continue to improve in
that event. Having Jake Romeo back for the 4x1 has brought that relay into contention as well. We’ve had some injuries to guys in that group, so our chances depend on our health,” said Clark. Meanwhile, the 4x400-meter relay team consists of first-year Obinnaya Wamuo, Clark, third-year Ryan Manzuk, and Downey. That squad finished second at the UAA championship with a time of 3:20.82. Downey also finished second in the 200-meter race at the UAA championship with a time of 22.48, while fourth-year Semi
Ajibola also finished second but in the 5,000-meter race with a time of 15:05.79. The women are coming off the program’s first outdoor UAA championship and are looking to continue their high performances and send some women to nationals following a series of incredible results this season. Third-year Nelson Trotter finished first in both triple and high jump, while fourthyear Pam Yu finished second in triple jump and first-year Ade Ayoola finished second in high jump. Second-year Michelle Dobbs finished first in
the 800-meter race, while with third-year Nkemdilim Nwaokolo finished first in the discus. The 4x100-meter women’s relay team and 4x400-meter women’s relay team also finished second at the UAA championship. The 4x100meter relay team consists of third-year Rachael Jackson, third-year Mikaela Hammel, third-year Alison Pildner, and second-year Charissa Newkirk. Meanwhile, the 4x400-meter relay team consists of secondyear Eleanor Kang, Pildner, Hammel, and Dobbs. A myriad of others will look
to finish the season on a high note and improve on their previous accomplishments during the year. “Coach encourages everyone who wants to fulfill personal goals to compete in the last two meets. It’s an unusual opportunity given our school’s quarter system so it’s nice to see a lot of guys trying to get better,” Clark said. The Maroons will begin competing at 12:15 p.m. in Naperville on Thursday and again at 3 p.m. on Friday before coming back to Chicago.
Third-year Kyler Hu runs down the track at the Windy City Track and Field Invitational earlier this year.
Third-year Mackenzie Smith speeds down the track as she gives her go at the Pole Vault at the Windy City Track and Field Invitational earlier this year.
COURTESY OF UCHICAGO ATHLETICS
COURTESY OF UCHICAGO ATHLETICS
This Week in Sports:
THE CHICAGO SPECIAL Sarah Langs Senior Sports Editor CUBS The North Siders dropped two out of three this weekend to the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. The Cubs took the first game 1–0 behind a strong pitching performance from left-hander Jon Lester. The lone run was supplied by rookie Addison Russell, who blasted his first career home run to give Lester all the runs he’d need. On Saturday, with Jake Arrieta— their ace so far this season— on the hill, the Cubs weren’t
able to continue their winning ways. Arrieta didn’t bring his best stuff and was missing his spots all day, and the Brewers ran wild on the base-paths. The Cubs made two errors and scrounged just one run, on a sixthinning Anthony Rizzo solo shot. The Brewers won 6–1. On Sunday, Jason Hammel posted a quality start, giving up three earned runs over six innings, but the Cubs were held to just three runs themselves. Pedro Strop gave up two runs in the eighth and the Brewers won the game 5–3. Milwaukee fired its
manager on Sunday evening and named Craig Counsell the new skipper on Monday morning. This week, the Cubs will play four against the Cardinals in St. Louis and then three in Milwaukee over the weekend. WHITE SOX The White Sox had an eventful week, but have zero wins to show for it. After their first two games were postponed Monday and Tuesday due to the events in Baltimore, the Sox played in the first ever MLB game to be closed to fans on
Wednesday. Jeff Samardzija gave up six runs in the top of the first and the Sox never got into a groove. They lost the game 8–2, in front of three scouts, the media, and some fans beyond the outfield fence who showed up to cheer anyway. In a four-game weekend series with the Twins, the White Sox dropped all four games in Minnesota. The South Siders will look to win some games this week, with the Tigers in town for three games and then the Cincinnati Reds for an interleague set at the Cell.
BLACKHAWKS The Hawks began their second-round series with the Minnesota Wild at the United Center on Friday, winning the game 4–3. The Hawks got out to an early 3–0 lead in the first period before allowing two goals in the second to let the game get tied up. A Teuvo Teravainen goal at the 19:01 mark in the second put the Hawks up 4–3 for the eventual win. On Sunday, they took down the Wild 4–1 at the Madhouse on Madison. That game featured goals by Jonathan Toews, Patrick
Kane, and Patrick Sharp, plus an empty net goal from Kane. The series will shift to Minnesota tonight for Game 3. BULLS The Bulls clinched the series over the Bucks last Thursday with a 120–66 win. They’ve been idle since then, but began their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers Monday night in Cleveland. The teams met four times in the regular season. The Cavs won three of the games, and the Bulls won one.