FRIDAY
IN VOICES
IN SPORTS
Anime-niacs unite
Maroons take a dive
» Page 5
» Page 8
The Japanese Animation Society hosts their annual anime convention.
First-year divers make a splash on the DIII scene.
JANUARY 29, 2010
CHICAGO
AROON
VOLUME 121 ISSUE 23
CHICAGOMAROON.COM
The student newspaper of the University of Chicago since 1892
HEALTH CARE
CULTURE
New director to oversee student health services
Lupe fiasco: Hackers spoil MAB’s Summer Breeze poll By Asher Klein News Editor The Major Activities Board (MAB) canceled its Summer Breeze poll yesterday after hackers distorted voting results. Thousands of votes were logged for one artist overnight, suggesting foul play, MAB Chair Liat Bird said in an e-mail. The poll, run by PollDaddy.com, received over 6,000 responses by Thursday night; Summer Breeze garners an annual attendance of around 2,000 each year. “We’ll continue accepting suggestions for bands, but at this point we’ll have to put together Summer Breeze without really taking the poll into
account,” Bird said. A Web site called Hacker’s Lane explains a method for manipulating PollDaddy surveys: Internet browsers offer privacy settings that enable a user to log multiple votes by disabling cookies, which allow Web sites to track users. Bird said MAB had anticipated that someone might break the one-vote-per-person rule, but the magnitude of the hack was unexpected. “While we always accepted that as a possibility, and assumed some people would fail the honor system and vote twice, maybe three times, it’s never been this rampant before. The poll is generally a
MAB continued on page 2
CAMPUS LIFE
Vice President of Campus Life Kimberly Goff-Crews (left) speaks to fourth-year Ashley Angulo (right) after the Student Government town hall in Harper Memorial Library Thursday evening. DARREN LEOW/MAROON
Medical director to consolidate services, may move SCC By Michael Lipkin News Editor All aspects of student health care will soon be under one roof, funded in part by an increase in the student life fee, administrators said Monday. “We’re forming an integrated health service under one leader, and hopefully one space,” Vice President
for Student and Campus Life Kimberly Goff-Crews said. An executive medical director— responsible for physical, mental and preventive care, and student health insurance—is expected to start sometime after spring quarter. He will lead the yearlong process of incorporating the Student Care Center (SCC) and Student Counseling and Resource Services (SCRS) into one department. Plans are also underway to find both a short- and long-term home for student health care “in the heart
of campus,” Goff-Crews said. Even moving to the short-term location, however, may take two years because “space is clearly at a premium.” Administrators said the plan would be more convenient for students and allow for more holistic treatment. “It’ll be one-stop shopping for students,” said Chief of General Internal Medicine Deborah Burnet (M.D. ’89, M.A. ’03), whose department administers the SCC. The costs of hiring a director,
HEALTH CARE continued on page 2
Students name café in South Campus dorm By Kayley Ingalls News Contributor South Campus students won’t buy their coffee and snacks at Life of the Grind, Crescat Café, In Caffeino Veritas, or The Allegory of the Crave. The South Campus Café was christened Midway Market Wednesday after an online vote by University students. Community leaders and University administrators attended the ceremony, including former senator
DISCOURSE
DISCOURSE
Panel traces roots of Congo rebellion
Illinois governor candidates debate at Booth School
By Gabe Valley News Contributor The rebel conflict in Congo, perpetuated by an illegal weapons trade, has become forgotten in the West, panelists said Wednesday at a forum to view and discuss a documentary about the war. The event, at the International House, was moderated by Kisuule Magala Katende, host of “Ear to the Ground” on Chicago Public Radio. The current conflict began when the armed Rwandans chased refugees into the Congo, said Dr. Justine Nzeba, an editorial board member of The Great Lakes Research Journal. Soldiers devastated the country, she said, raping men and women indiscriminately. The discussion included a short documentary film, The Street Children of Kinshasa, directed by panel member Gilbert Mulamba. The film focused on the number of orphaned children living in poverty since the late 19th century, a pattern caused in part by a heavy foreign involvement in Congolese affairs. Along with the current crisis, the
panel also discussed the possibilities for progress in the Congo. “It has enormous potential that could bring about change, not only for itself, but for the entire continent of Africa,” said Maurice Carney, co-founder and executive director of Friends of the Congo, a support network for the Congolese people that spans the globe. Carney said Congolese mineral deposits, which have helped fuel the modern technology age, could give Congo international leverage. If the government had more control over those proceeds—and took advantage of currently untapped hydroelectric power—Congo could become a central power in Africa, he said. Despite the Congo’s great potential, Nzeba said its wealth is at the root of the conflict. Organizations including the Chicago Society, the African and Caribbean Students Association, Student Government, and the International House sponsored the event. The panel exhorted the audience to raise awareness about the crisis in the Congo. “The war has to end,” Nzeba said.
and New Zealand ambassador Carol Mosley Braun (JD ’72). Braun is the founder of Ambassador Organics, which partnered with Aramark to supply the café. Former UCPD chief and current director of community partnerships Rudy Nimocks, 20th-Ward alderman Willie Cochran, Vice President of Civic Engagement Anne-Marie Lipinski, trustee John Rogers (LAB ‘76), and Bishop Arthur Brazier also attended.
CAFÉ continued on page 2
By Adam Janofsky News Staff Third-party and Republican candidates for Illinois governor debated on mostly economic issues at a debate held at the Booth School Wednesday, with some embracing their place at the margin. Candidates from the Libertarian, Green, Constitution, Independent, and Republican parties were present at the debate hosted by Free and Equal, an organization dedicated to improving ballot access laws. Although all parties were invited to the debate, no Democratic candidates attended. “I, too, have a voice and I just want to be heard,” Independent candidate Michael White said. Though a third-party candidate has never won the Illinois governorship, the Green Party was made an official political party in the state in 2006, when Rich Whitney received 10 percent of the vote in the gubernatorial election. The party now
Independent candidate William “Dock” Walls III introduces himself in the opening remarks of the Free and Equal Gubernatorial debate. MATT BOGEN/MAROON
needs fewer signatures to get on the ballot and has access to voter data. “The Green Party is a real movement, and we’ve been working to create a new political party,” Whitney said. The last time a third party won official status was in 1986,
when no Democratic candidate ran, and the Solidarity party, under Adlai E. Stevenson III, won almost 40 percent of the vote. Republican candidate Dan Proft, who trails the other six Republican
GOVERNOR continued on page 2
2
CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | January 29 , 2010
CAMPUS LIFE
Centralized health care space may replace SCC
Sidewalk repair work to end next week By Amy Myers News Staff Construction on campus pathways will be completed February 8, ending weeks of rerouted traffic on sidewalks across campus. The work is intended to increase accessibility. Most of the work will end Sunday, but some projects, like Cobb Gate, will take until next month, University spokesman Jeremy Manier said. None of the projects are off schedule. First-year Alan McCormick noticed sidewalk accessibility problems while touring campus in August. “It was extremely difficult for my brother to get around using his wheelchair,” he said. “When he comes again, [the new paths] will greatly improve how he gets around campus.” While the goal of the construction is to
MAB to take suggestions via e-mail after poll failure
improve accessibility, the work has raised safety concerns among students. Some projects have closed entire sidewalks, like the west side of the 5700 block of Woodlawn Avenue, forcing students into the street and into traffic. Recent construction on Cobb Gate has impeded pedestrians crossing University Avenue, which first-year Emilie Lohman said can be confusing. “It’s really hard to cross the street because you can’t see the other side of the pedestrian walkway,” she said. Noise complaints have also stemmed from the ongoing construction on campus. First-year SnellHitchcock resident Heidi Siegrist said she could hear the work from her room. “The noise is pretty distracting,” she said, adding that Saturday morning construction has been especially frustrating for students living in Snell-Hitchcock.
SG reps, Inter-House Council members voted on new café name: Midway Market
MAB continued from front page good gauge for what the student body is interested in, and now it’s really just been totally discredited.” Bird said she did not know who had foiled the system. MAB will take now take a “short-term, labor-intense” route, culling suggestions by e-mail to determine what acts are both costeffective and available, while still trying to pick groups “that we think have a broad appeal and that are good musically,” Bird said. On Wednesday night, Lupe Fiasco and The National had received far and away the most votes, but according to Bird, “Kid Cudi gained something like 2,000 votes overnight.”
CAFÉ continued from front page Campus Dining began taking submissions for the café naming contest in December “to bring attention to the café in an overt way,” Richard Mason, director of operations and communications for housing and dining, said. Sales were slow at the cafe last quarter, when Mason said the store was only seeing 70 percent of expected business. Students voted this month on which of eight possible names would be the new café’s moniker. The Campus Dining Advisory Board, a group of Inter-House Council and Student Government representatives, had narrowed the field from over 200 suggestions.
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HEALTH CARE continued from front page restructuring departments, and moving to a new location, will need to be partially defrayed by students. “This will be a substantial investment,” Goff-Crews said. “Student fees will have to support some of this change.” It is too early to know how large the increase would be, she said. Deputy Dean Martina Munsters said having a centralized location would improve preventive services, including exercise and health education programs, which are currently split between Ratner, the SCRS, and others. “There will be a strong educational component, which will allow doctors to spend more time with you about what it means to be a health consumer,” Munsters said. The plan would also standardize responses to health issues, like eating disorders, which require both mental and physical care. “There are differing views about how you support people with eating disorders,” Goff-Crews said. “There’s currently no mechanism to bring them together when [the SCC and SCRS] might be in conflict.” Goff-Crews said the University’s decision follows a national trend to centralize college health care bureaucracy. The new location would be an improvement over the current SCC in the medical center, Burnet said, which is outdated and requires frequent repairs. But whether health services would eventually be moved to an existing building or a newly constructed one was still undecided, and administrators differed on the likelihood of each scenario. “There’s been talk about building a new
space, but it’s unconfirmed, and we don’t know where it would be,” Burnet said. “It makes sense to have, and most likely build, a new physical space for the Student Care Center.” Goff-Crews said the University was “not likely” going to build space expressly for the new offices. The University commissioned a study last winter on campus health care, whose results echoed student complaints about long wait times at the SCC. The study recommended both an executive director and a shared space. Goff-Crews had few details about how the transition would be implemented because administrators didn’t want to tie the medical director’s hands before hiring him. “We know the end point, but the director will have to drive that process,” Goff-Crews said. “I don’t predetermine it for them.” Graduate Students United member and fourth-year anthropology graduate student Duff Morton said he supported having one central figure accountable for health care on campus but was skeptical about the cost. “The core issue is underfunding. The SCC is significantly less well-funded than our peer institutions,” Morton said. “This could make the problem worse by creating a salaried position that would presumably cost a lot. But if this is a step towards spending more money on student services, then it’s great.” Goff-Crews said the University will hire more student-dedicated doctors and nurses, on top of the doctor and two nurses she added to the SCC over the summer.
Candidates debate gay rights, Libertarian Green proposes end to income tax GOVERNOR continued from front page primary candidates in a poll conducted by Public Policy Polling, supported the inclusion of the other candidates in the race. “Having third- party candidates expands the debate,” he said. Some candidates enjoyed their fringe status, using the debate as a platform to express positions not in the mainstream; Whitney suggested the establishment of a state bank, and the Constitution and Libertarian party candidates called for the repeal of the 16th Amendment, which allows for a federal income tax. “We need to eliminate the income tax,” Libertarian candidate Lex Green said. “The longer we go down the wrong road, the more drastic the remedy we need.” Debate centered around five studentsubmitted questions that ranged from gay marriage to the recent Supreme Court ruling against restrictions on corporate donations to political campaigns. The candidates related almost all the issues to economic policy. When asked if they would support a bill legalizing gay marriage, several candidates said it depended on fiscal details. “Most issues about gay rights are not about the rights,
they’re about benefits,” said Green, referring to tax and other benefits married couples receive. Questions about Guantanamo Bay led to a debate over “self-funding prisons.” “It’s a sad day when we look at prisons as a form of economic development,” Independent William Walls said to applause. Pressure has been building on Democratic incumbent Pat Quinn both from within his own party—he is being opposed by Democratic Comptroller Dan Hynes—and from doubts raised about the strength of the national Democratic Party after Scott Brown’s unexpected victory over Democrat Martha Coakley in the Massachusetts Senate seat. All the candidates at Wednesday’s debate agreed that Illinois needs new leadership and that voters want new leadership. Appropriating Barack Obama’s campaign rhetoric, Constitution party candidate Randall Stufflebeam told the audience, “We are on the cusp of change.” “Not the change we can believe in,” he added. The Illinois gubernatorial primary takes place February 2, and the general election on November 2.
CHICAGO MAROON
| VIEWPOINTS | January 29, 2010
VIEWPOINTS
3
EDITORIAL & OP-ED JANUARY 29, 2010
EDITORIAL
Top chef CHICAGO MAROON
The student newspaper of the University of Chicago since 1892
SUPRIYA SINHABABU, Editor-in-Chief TOM TIAN, Managing Editor MICHAEL LIPKIN, News Editor ASHER KLEIN, News Editor EVAN COREN, Viewpoints Editor HAYLEY LAMBERSON, Voices Editor BEN SIGRIST, Voices Editor JAKE GRUBMAN, Sports Editor JORDAN HOLLIDAY, Sports Editor BEN ROSSI, Editorial Board Member
Upcoming contract negotiations will allow much-needed competition in campus food service Next year, Aramark will compete with other food vendors for the first time in 15 years as its contract ends. Administrators will draw up a request for bid proposals as early as this spring, so the coming quarters are a crucial time for students to speak up about campus dining. As for the University, it should seriously consider the widespread dissatisfaction over Aramark service, food quality, and labor practices when it evaluates the company’s bid. For many students, food and service in the dining halls and other Aramark facilities fall short.
Although some of the dining halls have improved in the past couple of years, most of the halls still suffer from limited selection and rotation of their menus and inconsistent preparation. In addition, students have complained about unhelpful food service workers and managers. If the new meal plan system has made eating at the dining halls more attractive, the University could create an even stronger incentive by improving the experience of eating there. Th e U n i v e r s i t y s h o u l d a l s o consider Aramark’s reputation for
unfair labor practices. Its treatment of workers has been protested on campuses across the country— including ours. In spring 2008, a number of student groups on campus partnered with the dining hall workers’ union to advocate for better wages and working conditions. With the workers’ contract coming up for negotiation in spring 2011, the University should make sure that Aramark is committed to treating workers fairly. This spring, Aramark will partner with students and administrators to conduct a campus-wide
assessment of dining services. The Maroon hopes this evaluation is a sincere attempt at improving service and not posturing before contract negotiations. But students who are dissatisfied with Aramark’s performance should let administrators know that they don’t think the company’s contract deserves to be set in stone.
On April 3, 1968, Martin Luther King delivered the speech that is known as “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” The occasion here was a strike by sanitation workers in Memphis, TN. In the opening of his speech, King considers his response to the Almighty’s query, “Martin Luther King, which age would you like to live in?” King reflects on this question, describing a number of appealing possibilities: Ancient Greece, perhaps, to argue philosophy with Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle; or the Roman Empire; or the Renaissance. But “strangely enough,” King declares, he would be just fine to remain in the latter half of the 20th century. King’s answer was, of course, ironic. At this time in American history,
President Johnson had expanded the war in Vietnam and all but abandoned federal support for the Great Society. King’s attempts at combating racist discrimination throughout the nation, which achieved organizational expression in the Poor People’s Movement, was foundering on seemingly invisible obstructions to equality. The limits of the civil rights movement, in its last efforts to secure economic security to poor blacks, became ever more visible. The “Black Power” slogan flew on the tail of race riots and existential angst among the student movement in its desire to see immediate revolutionary change “by any means necessary.” If there was a time for King to wind up
The move is particularly unappealing given the spectacle of the Republican Party marching in lockstep since 2008—the rigid conformity of its members in congress has gone a long way towards stymieing critical work in government. That the Democrats might become a more effective political force at the cost of party regimentation is not a prospect that should warm the cockles of any heart. In another disquieting announcement two days after Brown’s victory, the Supreme Court issued a decision in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The Court has held for some time that money as a form of political speech is protected by the First Amendment. The novelty of Citizens United was that the Court decided in effect that corporations are people, too, and that they can essentially spend whatever they please on political communications. The majority argued that “the First
Amendment does not allow political speech restrictions based on a speaker’s corporate identity.” In an extensive, passionate, and well-argued dissenting opinion, Justice Stevens offered two seemingly inoffensive observations: First, that the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, declared unconstitutional in the decision, was not an absolute ban but a “time, place, and manner restriction.” Individuals are subjected to these all the time—you have no constitutional right to shout “Fire!” in a crowded theater, for example. BCRA §203 infringed the First Amendment in exactly the same way that gun control laws requiring background checks infringe the Second. Second, that corporations are not, in fact, people: “Although they make enormous contributions to our society, corporations are not actually members of it.” They cannot vote or
— The MAROON Editorial Board consists of the Editor-in-Chief, Viewpoints Editors, and an additional Editorial Board member.
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OP-ED
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On the mountaintop
CHRIS BOOTS, Associate Viewpoints Editor LIAT SPIRO, Associate Viewpoints Editor RYAN TRYZBIAK, Associate Sports Editor
Activists could better interpret King’s legacy
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The CHICAGO MAROON is published twice weekly during autumn, winter, and spring quarters. Circulation: 6,500 The opinions expressed in the Viewpoints section are not necessarily those of the MAROON.
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Last week, U of C students observed the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The celebratory events attracted the usual dreamers. The slogans and protest methods seem to remain the same, museum-like: “We shall overcome.” But this year marks the 40th anniversary of two main organizations of the New Left: Students for a Democratic Society (S DS) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). The ideas from this past
generation appear familiar, but appearances are deceiving. It is much like when two stargazers spot the same star from different points of view, and by the refraction of the light’s rays, think it is in a different location in the heavens. We are subject to a similar historical refraction. King desired to see a radical transformation of our society that remains unfulfilled; his vision was not simply egalitarian, but like his predecessors in the Left, he strove to make the world philosophical. But by treating King’s incomplete project as an accomplished fact, contemporary activists risk losing sight of the sweeping political objectives and radical perspective that motivated the dream.
MLK continued on page 4
OP-ED
A king and his fool MA election, Citizen’s United ruling present challenges for democracy
By Andrew O’Shaughnessy Viewpoints Contributor If American democracy has as its aim a government of, for, and by the people, then no doubt the people of the country are its king. So then, Stephen Colbert is a Shakespearean fool loose in modern America—a social critic hiding behind an entertaining persona, both amusing and needling his master, a generation of voters that has come to see him as an increasingly legitimate source of news in himself. This generation, currently reaching maturity, must not merely laugh at recent political developments but act on them, lest a new and ever more apathetic American public comes to play the Lear to Colbert’s suddenly tragic Fool. The first of these is the recent election of State Senator Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate seat of the late Ted Kennedy. This has been much bally-
hooed, not least by Mr. Colbert himself, who, along with others, was quick to point out the existence of Senatorelect Brown’s nude 1982 Cosmo spread. As considered by mainstream commentators, the Massachusetts special election has been notable primarily in its consequences for health care reform. But fair-minded people can disagree about the merits of the health care bill under consideration in the senate, and thus the relative import of Brown’s ascension. The real consequences of his victory are obvious only when considered alongside other recent events. For example, the Obama administration is seeking to centralize control over the Democratic Party’s campaigning in light of Brown’s surprise victory and in anticipation of the midterm elections. While the centralization of campaign strategy need not necessarily equate direct political control, the two are hardly unrelated.
U.S. DEMOCRACY continued on page 4
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CHICAGO MAROON
|
VIEWPOINTS | January 29, 2010
Jesse Jackson, Andrew Young betray King’s legacy
EDITORIAL CARTOON
MLK continued from page 3
RAISING ELLE
and go home, this was it. Perhaps King was being coy? Not at all. He emphasized that the world was on the verge of a human rights revolution, in which the masses across the world, from Johannesburg and Accra to New York City, were rising to grasp their freedom. “Only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars,” he declared. King was confident that, despite the odds, never had the fruits of civilization come so near to being realized for the human race. Never were peace and justice so close to being secured for all time. King was murdered the next evening, shot dead on the balcony of his second-story motel room, igniting race riots across the nation. King’s closest followers, Jesse Jackson and Andrew Young, literally dipped their hands in the martyr’s blood as he was dying and went on to use their clout to bury radical reform in their own opportunistic ambitions for political status. But in the face of it all, activists have since failed to constructively learn from and succeed the leadership of Martin Luther King. Partly, this is a result of their clinging to activist models, like community organizing in inner-city ghettos, that have dominated students’ efforts at mass political mobilization with very little gained. In fact, it was the language of “community self-determination” that enabled protest to be integrated firmly within the constraints of the Great Society initiatives of the federal government. These programs suffocated without adequate financial support, as public goods were passed off to churches and community-based organizations that were more responsive to private foundations than public constituencies. All this took place under the watchful eye of former civil rights activists— “decentralization.” Far from being the persistent
By Elle Opitz
dissidents of civil rights dissolution, the succeeding generations of activists up to the present generation are in certain respects largely to blame. The night is darkened as if by smog; The invocation of past dreams seems to obscure the path to freedom, squelching our sight of the stars. Our generation’s mistake, which there is still time to correct, is to presume that King’s struggles were complete, but in such a way as to flatten his mountaintop into a mole-hill. Thus, every organizing drive today speciously resembles the protest days of old, despite the neartotal collapse of the labor movement and dissolution of a coherent political framework in the face of identity politics. But when everything is a revolution, from tenant organizing to anti-war protests, even basic, substantive reform like universal health care slips below the horizon. Yet it was King’s partial success at reaching the stars that made visible the extent to which another crest loomed on the horizon. King attempted to carry out a revolution through reform and underestimated the extent to which his methods would come up against social obstacles that demanded nothing less than class struggle. But the problem was not solved by reversing the equation either, to demand immediate revolution “by any means necessary.” Rather, the task was, and still is, to connect in a mass political movement demands for both revolutionary freedom and meaningful reform. King reflected on this dilemma despite unsuccessfully resolving it. Our present situation demands no less courage, lest we unintentionally replace an emancipatory vision of the future with the grim nightmare we face today. — Greg Gabrellas is pursuing a Master of Arts degree in the Social Sciences.
Student apathy continues as problems for democracy mount U.S. DEMOCRACY continued from page 3
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run for office. Nabisco does not have the same political rights as you do. But in yet another bitter 5–4 split, the Court rejected Stevens’ interpretation, exposing the political process to an unprecedented torrent of corporate money. (Ask the Fool if corporations enjoy First Amendment protection: “Yes, if it’s Apple, and they’re saying, ‘Here, Stephen—have a free iPad.’”) The net effect of these developments is that an individual and his vote matter less, and corporate money and party politics count for more. The general level of awareness about these trends amongst the student body at Chicago seems quite high—but so too does the level of apathy. In 2008, the Pew Research Center found that only 27 percent of Americans could correctly identify both their U.S. senators. I admit to occasionally quizzing my friends and acquaintances about theirs (a habit that has dampened my popularity at parties). Worse than the fact that the percentage appears, anecdotally, to be even lower than average in the
undergraduate demographic is that people are often defensive about their ignorance, arguing that they are entitled to it—politicians are so feckless that students can’t be bothered to care. King Lear, too, gave up his kingdom to those unworthy of it because it had come to burden him. The Fool spends much of the play haranguing him caustically for this mistake, but his lyric jibes are shot through with concern as Lear begins to lose his mind: Then they for sudden joy did weep, And I for sorrow sung, That such a king should play bo-peep And go the fools among. Yet should our own Fool ever break character to comfort us, it will likely be too late. Moneyed interests and hack politicians fill the space left by retreating voters. Perhaps, in the senescence of our youth, we have abdicated. — Andrew O’Shaughnessy is a third-year in the College.
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CHICAGO CHICAGO MAROON MAROON| VOICES | VOICES| November | January 29, 20,2010 2009
VOICES
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT JANUARY 29, 2010
FILM
THEATER
UChi-Con celebrates myth and Miyazaki
2nd Story comes down to First Floor Theater for night of storytelling
American religious traditions,” Freeman said. He offered the comparison between Superman and Astro Boy as a “classic example.” “Superman fights for justice. Astro Boy fights for peace. Whether you have admired the captivating These are not the same thing,” he said. storytelling of a Hayao Miyazaki film or the The anime screenings at UChi-Con will be gravity-defying hair of a Dragonball Z character, a grab bag of old, new, popular, and obscure chances are that you have encountered anime anime. The organization of the different screenat some point in your life. While Japanese ing rooms reflects the careful planning of animation was once relatively obscure in the UCJAS Acquisitions United States, it is Officer Michelle Tait. now impossible to “I have rooms desdeny its growing influignated by broad ence on American genres, like shonen culture. How many U [anime intended for of C students wouldn’t young males], and, recognize Pikachu’s in that same room, mousy visage? I have specifically Those U of C-ers mecha, which is the who want to celbig rob ot anime,” ebrate their love of she said. By includanime along with ing older and more those who are merely obscure anime in curious can join the rooms organized by members of the U of genre, Tait hopes to C Japanese Animation introduce audiences Society (UCJAS) this to new anime they Saturday for their would not otherwise annual anime con- Clockwise from top left: Spirited Away, Ponyo, Howl's Moving Castle, and Princess be familiar with. vention, UChi-Con. Mononoke. All will be featured in UChi-Con's Miyazaki marathon. One of UChi-Con’s The event can be BOTTOM LEFT COURTESY OF MIRAMAX FILMS, OTHERS COURTESY OF WALT DISNEY PICTURES new offerings this thought of as a mini anime convention with a distinctly U of C Alone Complex and Tsume in Wolf ’s Rain, his talk year will be a café serving ramen, sushi, and flavor. It will feature several essential “con” will not focus on his voice work. Instead, he will other appropriate snacks for long hours of conactivities such as anime screenings and video discuss mythology in anime and the implica- tinuous anime viewing. The idea to set up a café was born out of a dual need to satisfy hunger game tournaments, but it will also be a fertile tions of mythological storytelling. Guided by the work of Joseph Campbell during marathon screenings and to account ground for discussion about the genre. “We’re trying a lot of new things this year that we’ve in comparative mythology, Freeman seeks to for the extra expenditures from this year’s Con. never done before,” UCJAS President Kelley understand the cultural traditions that have “Expenses this year are much greater than influenced anime and how those traditions they have been,” said UCJAS Secretary Bryant Leung said. function in popular culture. At UChi-Con, he Jackson-Green. But, for the UCJAS, the extra effort invested will discuss superheroes in American culture UCHI-CON in UChi-Con is a labor love. “It’s a matter of and giant robots in anime. Harper Memorial Library “Giant robots are rooted in Japanese reli- pride,” Leung said. “To my knowledge, no other Saturday, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. gious traditions and superheroes are rooted in college anime club throws its own con.” By Ben Sigrist Voices Super Saiyan
The speaker for this year’s UChi-Con, voice actor Crispin Freeman, represents one of the new directions that the event is taking. For regular attendees of the Con, the speaker selection might appear to break with tradition. UCJAS organizers “usually go with academic speakers,” according to Leung. Although Freeman has been the English voice of both Togusa in Ghost in the Shell: Stand
MUSIC
With Sunday evening show, Friday Night Boys threaten the space-time continuum By Keegan Hankes Voices Flux Capacitor Pop-punk up-and-comers The Friday Night Boys caught a lucky break—not from a talent scout, but from legions of internet fans. Following the unexpected online popularity of their self-released The Sketch Process EP and the release of their first full-length album Off the Deep End, the band has embarked on their first headlining tour. Along with other Fueled by Ramen bands Anarbor, The Bigger Lights, and the Ready Set, the Boys will bring the Once It Hits Your Lips Tour to Chicago’s Beat Kitchen this Sunday. While doing some last-minute packing in his hometown of Fairfax, VA, vocalist and guitarist Andrew Goldstein was able to spend some time reflecting with the Maroon on the band’s humble beginnings, the consequences of recognition, and adapting to the touring lifestyle.
FRIDAY NIGHT BOYS Beat Kitchen Sunday, 6 p.m.
CHICAGO MAROON: The Sketch Process EP was self-recorded. How did that experience help shape the album?
The Friday Night Boys (Left to right: Mike Toohey, Adam Elmakias, Robby Reider, and Chris Barrett) press against the fourth wall. COURTESY ADAM ELMAKIAS
Andrew Goldstein: It was cool. We actually recorded in a friend’s basement. He had nice recording stuff. We didn’t have a producer, so we had to use our best guess. It turned out well, and we ended up really
proud of it. With no budget, we were paying my friend whatever money we had at the time. It wasn’t done in some studio with plaques on the wall.
FRIDAY continued on page 6
By Blair Thornburgh Voices Storybook Weaver Everybody’s got a story to tell. That’s the idea behind 2nd Story, a hybrid experience of theater and socializing that will be performed this Friday by storytellers from the Serendipity Theater Collective at the First Floor Theater. “We’ve chosen stories that we think speak to a college-age audience, and that deal with issues experienced at a University,” said Amanda Delheimer (A.B. ’99, A.M. ’99), the artistic director for the show who will also host and direct Friday’s performance. “We’re bringing in four storytellers, and a couple of our all-time favorite stories...all of our stories are real, written, and performed by the tellers themselves.”
2ND STORY First Floor Theater Friday, 5 p.m.
A typical 2nd Story performance is not like that of your average play. “We’re based in a mix of traditions—the theatrical tradition, the literary tradition, the jazz tradition,” Delheimer said. A night with 2nd Story is more like a cross between a performance and a cocktail party with a group of friends. Rather than relaxing in the dark anonymity of their seats, the audience mingles over food and wine, chatting and noshing casually until the lights dim. As the room darkens, a spotlight falls on a storyteller, who then shares their tale. After the lights come up, the party continues. “Everything we do is for the audience—in every story we program, we look for that moment of universality that anyone can connect with, whether they’ve had the same experience or not,” said Megan Stielstra, a lecturer in Creative Writing and 2nd Story’s Literary Director. The emphasis on real rather than fictional stories is another way that 2nd Story sets itself apart from traditional theater. “It’s an interesting collaborative process between a whole bunch of professional actors and a bunch of professional writers, and we’re trying to let the two crafts feed into each other both with the final product and the process,” Stielstra said. “We do a lot of drafting and re-writing through the rehearsal process, so the director has more flexibility in terms of the words on the page than they would with a script, but also must balance their thoughts and opinions of what the story could or should be with those of the writer/performer,” Delheimer added. “I think it’s a particularly exciting form to be involved with as a director. Though 2nd Story usually performs monthly at Webster’s Wine Bar and Red Kiva Lounge in Chicago, they also travel for guest performances like this one, which Stielstra describes as “a bit of a homecoming.” Friday’s performance will also feature sound design by Mikhail Fiksel (A.B. ’01), and Sara Kerastas, Bobby Biedrzycki, Khanisha Foster, and Matt Miller will be sharing their stories. With its unique blend of storytelling, wine, and music, 2nd Story’s philosophy extends beyond the stage, and promises to entertain and enlighten with its spin on the age-old tradition of telling tales. The takeaway message, says Stielstra, is that “stories matter—YOUR stories matter. Your voice, your experience, your point of view.”
6
CHICAGO MAROON | VOICES | January 29, 2010
Voices STD (Stuff to Do) Friday | January 29 Although it doesn’t quite have the grandeur of its parent orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet still manages to command quite a presence when it performs. Enjoy the Wind Quintet’s performance of various contemporary pieces without leaving the confines of Hyde Park. (Mandel Hall, 7:30 p.m., $5) There is nothing rabid about Chicago-based band Rabid Rabbit. The avant-garde metal band is mainly known for its long instrumental songs. Rabbit will be appearing with fellow Chicagobased band Loto Ball Show at Cal’s Liquors. Bassists Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and Nate McBride will also engage in a “bass duel” before the show. (400 South Wells Street, 10 p.m., $5)
guests will be assigned to groups that reflect global food distribution statistics, and meals will be served accordingly. Guests include Haiti expert Greg Beckett and other speakers on the issue of global poverty. (Ida Noyes, 6 p.m., $3 suggested donation)
Acoustic last October. The guitarist, who usually performs shirtless or naked, will be appearing with My Cold Dead Hand and Blackbox. (1572 North Milwaukee, 9 p.m., $10)
Tuesday | February 2 Sunday | January 31 Chinese filmmaker Zhao Liang (not to be confused with the world’s second-tallest man of the same name), will be at the Film Studies Center for a screening of his latest film Petition: The Court of the Complainants. The documentary is an exposé on the scores of Chinese who go to Beijing to plead their case against injustice. A conversation with Liang will follow the screening. (Cobb 306, 3 p.m., free)
Monday | February 1 Saturday | January 30 Learn about the stark reality of global poverty at the Hunger Banquet for Haiti. At the door,
With Christine Yang
After being fired from Queens of the Stone Age, Nick Oliveri has maintained a prolific solo career. He released his second album Death
The 2010 Midwest Independent Film Festival kicks off with a screening of the highly anticipated thriller Chicago Overcoat. The film stars Frank Vincent (of Sopranos fame) as an aging hit man determined to take out one more hit and regain his former glory. A cocktail reception will precede the screening. (2828 North Clark, 7:30 p.m., $10) Every first Tuesday of the month, the Museum of Contemporary Art hosts Doodleganza, a drawing extravaganza that brings together people of all different skill levels for an evening of art making. The Museum provides art supplies and instruction by sculptor Kelly Kaczynski. (220 East Chicago Avenue, 6 p.m., free)
Wednesday | February 3 So-called dream pop group Asobi Seksu will play an acoustic show at Schubas Tavern to promote its latest album, Rewolf. Asobi Seksu, which means “playful sex” in colloquial Japanese, is known for its flowy melodies and ethereal sound. Singer-songwriter Barton Carroll will open for the band. (3159 North Southport, 9 p.m., $14, 21+)
Thursday | February 4 In the latest installment of the “World Beyond the Headline” speaker series, Deborah Brautigam will discuss Chinese “aid” to Africa in a talk titled “The Dragon’s Gift: The Real Story of China in Africa.” The presentation will debunk myths about the two countries’ relationship, and coincides with the release of Brautigam’s book by the same title. (International House, 6 p.m., free)
Have an event you’d like to see in STD? E-mail christineyang@uchicago.edu.
Citing Blink 182 and Sum 41, Boys stay true to pop-punk influences FRIDAY continued from page 5
pop convention of infectious hooks, which are also a cornerstone of Fueled by Ramen bands. When you’re writing, what comes first: verses or hooks?
embrace certain spontaneity. Is it a product of the sudden lifestyle change that comes with touring so frequently?
AG: Our fans have never been older guys. Usually girls, as with a lot of pop. We’re always looking to expand to something everyone can enjoy. Although, you always want to be honest with yourself and try not to be something you’re not.
AG: It’s actually different every time. You can be inspired anytime to write a song. We might write a song in three hours or three weeks, or have an idea for a year and then finally finish it. Maybe even if you’re messing around on guitar, you get a cool riff or melody or a song title or line before the song to build around. It just depends whatever comes first.
CM: Your songs seem to be based on the familiar
CM: The process you’re describing seems to
AG: It depends. Sometimes we write on the road. It’s just more difficult when you play a show, talk to the fans, then immediately have to head to the next place. By the time you get to the hotel, it’s 4:30. Sometimes you get something messing with the band in the van in between shows. Sometimes in sound check, pre-show. I try to write everyday at home, since it’s a little more difficult to write on the road with minimal time.
CM: The scene you guys are part of now, with Fueled by Ramen, is a lot different than the bare bones process you’re talking about. It seems to have gravitated to a younger crowd in the past few years. How has this affected the band?
CM: Where do you guys regularly draw inspiration from? What were some of your early influences? AG: Some favorites have always been Oasis, Third Eye Blind, Jimmy Eat World, Nirvana, and Blink 182—stuff along those lines. At the time of the EP it was all about pop-punk: lots of Blink 182, Sum 41, and stuff. CM: And what about the hip-hop side of the ’90s, Biggie and Pac. Who’s influenced you more? AG: Tupac. Not trying to say one is better than the other, but personally.
The Bad Plus
Reid Anderson, bass Ethan Iverson, piano David King, percussion Tickets : $ General $ Students with valid ID 773.702.8068
FRIDAY/ FEB 5 / 7:30 PM Mandel Hall, 1131 E. 57th Street
Whether controversial, audacious or daring, The Bad Plus is anything but forgettable. One of the most talkedabout acoustic jazz groups in recent years, the self-proclaimed "power piano trio" has become known for putting its own groove and visionar y spin on ever ything from avant-garde jazz to indie rock, covering Nir vana, Pink Floyd, Ligeti and Stravinsky.
chicagopresents.uchicago.edu
Tchaikovsky Tapestry
University Symphony Orchestra Barbara Schubert, Conductor Pathétique Symphony and Swan Lake excerpts
Saturday, January 30 • 8 pm Mandel Hall, 1131 E. 57th Street Donations requested: $10 general /$5 students event hotline: 773.702.8069 • music.uchicago.edu Persons with a disability who need assistance should call 773.702.8484.
7
CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | January 29, 2010
Schmidt, Gallagher point to experience on high school club teams to explain quick success at Chicago DIVING continued from back page Indiana, Gallagher in New York—and they said the caliber of their coaches and teammates provided unusually strong foundations for college competition. “A lot of the other kids on the Chicago team here have come with no club experience,” Schmidt said. “I’m amazed at how far they’ve come without structured training.” Schmidt said her club team drilled for technique and form, which are essential to the three main components of a dive: the takeoff from the board, the kick out in the air, and the entry into the water. Schmidt, who has been diving for almost 10 years—ever since her elementary school gymnastics coach suggested she try it—had
extensive experience even before high school. Gallagher, on the other hand, didn’t start until his freshman year, but progressed quickly enough to place 11th at the state meet as a high school senior. And when it came time to choose a college, Schmidt and Gallagher, like so many other Chicago athletes, said it was the University’s academics that finally made up their minds. “Diving wasn’t so much of a consideration,” Gallagher said, describing his college search. “I’d go [to the school] and see the program, and if I could walk on I would, and if I couldn’t, it wouldn’t be a big deal.” Now, with the bulk of their first college diving seasons behind them, Schmidt and
Gallagher have slightly different tracks ahead. Shortly after this weekend’s home meet with DePauw, Schmidt will begin to taper off her training regimen so that she’s rested for the UAA meet in mid-February. For Gallagher, though, DePauw will mark the last meet of the year. Injury and illness have hobbled him this season, and prevented him from developing the full complement of three-meter dives he would need to compete at UAAs. But Gallagher was hopeful the practice he’d put in this year would have him ready for a full campaign in 2010–2011. “The main focus of this year is to really learn [the fundamentals of diving],” he said, “so that next year I’d be poised to learn a lot of dives really quickly.”
Fast-paced Emory, balanced Rochester offense await Chicago for second half of four-game road swing M. BASKETBALL continued from back page The last time Chicago went 2–0 on the second weekend of back-to-back road series was during the 2000–01 season, a year the Maroons finished 14–1 and won the UAA. Having played three of five conference games on the road, two more wins away from Ratner would give the Maroons a major leg up heading into the second half of conference play, when they play five of seven at home. Still, the Maroons are two long flights and potentially long games away from that home-heavy second half, as Emory and Rochester have established two very different brands of basketball so far this season. Emory—b oasting its b est start in 2 0 years—has been by far the highest-scoring
offense in the UAA, with over 80 points per game; Chicago, meanwhile, has scored just 65 per contest, which ranks last in the conference. “Emory’s going to push the ball offensively and attack off the dribble,” head coach Mike McGrath said. “We need to take them out of their transition game, and we need to make them score in the half-court.” Two days later, the Maroons will see Rochester’s multi-faceted offense, one that has had a different player leading the team in scoring in each of the last five games. Facing a team with six players averaging between 8 and 12 points, Chicago is hoping to capture the same type of intensity on defense that earned the team two road victories last weekend. That assertiveness
“A KNOCKOUT PERFORMANCE… THAT IS SIMPLY LIKE NONE OTHER IN EXISTENCE.” —Chicago Sun Times
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on the defensive end produced an especially strong performance Friday at Carnegie, where the Maroons came up with a season-high 45 rebounds while holding the Tartans to 36.2 percent shooting. “I think those two games this past weekend we just came out with more energy than either team,” Johnson said. “We set the tone that we would be the more aggressive team, and because of that we were able to control both games throughout.” Chicago will face these same teams at home next weekend, so this weekend could set the stage for a second half that the Maroons hope will see them continue to rise up in the UAA standings. “We are determined to win the UAA Championship,” Johnson said, “and it’s right there for us.”
Offense starts clicking as Maroons get serious about UAA title talk W. BASKETBALL continued from back page always very good about taking what you do well from you,” Roussell said. In order to continue their winning streak, Chicago will need to replicate their offensive success of the past four games. They have been averaging over 73 points per game during their win streak—nearly 10 points above their season average. “Recently we have started moving the ball around in our offense which creates better shots,” second-year Meghan Herrick said. Additionally, both Herrick and Halfhill, two of the top three scorers on the team, pointed to improved transitional play as another key to the offense’s better play. “We have been doing really well in transition and getting easy baskets and easy steals, which is something that we were lacking in the beginning of the season,” Halfhill said. This weekend’s contests should challenge the team’s stamina as they form the last two of fourstraight road games. The big question is whether the team will show signs of fatigue—especially in Sunday’s clash at Rochester. The difficulties of trying to balance school and basketball while traveling for the second straight weekend—and right before midterms—are not lost upon Herrick. “It is extremely exhausting…it involves a lot of time management and sleep,” she said. This weekend should define what the ceiling on this team’s achievement is. If the Maroons are successful this weekend, they will remain at most one game behind Wash U. As they stay within reach of the Bears, the Maroons are relishing the chance to take down the league leaders in the final game of the season. Meghan Herrick’s confidence in what the result of that game will be is indicative of the belief that this winning streak has instilled in the team’s collective psyche. “Since we’re playing with a chip on our shoulder, we would not lose to them again,” she said.
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IN QUOTES
SPORTS
“Police arrested a Norwalk man on Saturday who allegedly threatened his wife at knifepoint for canceling ESPN a few weeks before the Super Bowl, a department spokesperson said.” —The Norwalk Hour, reporting on a domestic dispute in Norwalk, CT. This year’s Super Bowl will be seen on CBS, though ESPN will broadcast the usual wall-to-wall preview coverage.
DIVING
Bolstered by first-years, Chicago diving is on the rise By Jordan Holliday Sports Editor For the uninitiated, watching the dive competition at a Chicago swim meet requires some faith. You can appreciate that the divers are jumping high off the boards, and be impressed by all of the somersaults in mid-air, but when the proud mother in front of you says, “Oh, that was a reverse one-and-a-half tuck!” you mostly have to take that on trust. That said, if ever there was a time to learn better what the Maroons’ divers are doing, this may be it. Besides revising the University’s record books almost weekly, the current class of first-years has played a central role in Chicago’s wins over some of the DIII’s best squads, and it could soon be in a position to pick up points for the Maroons at the highly-competitive UAA Championship. Of course, if it takes you a while to figure out all the twists, inwards, and outs of diving, you won’t be alone. Even some meet officials don’t seem to have all the details straight. “At a recent meet, one [of the three] judges was a swimming official—and swimming officials are not diving officials,” first-year diver John Gallagher said. According to Gallagher, the swimming official gave out a few scores that were out of sync with the other judges; in one case, the swimming official scored a dive
two points higher than his fellow judges—a substantial difference on the 10-point scale. As it happened, that discrepancy was on one of Gallagher’s dives, and the inflated score worked in his favor. “That really threw the meet off, though,” Gallagher said. “It is kind of frustrating, but it happens,” first-year diver Becky Schmidt said of the inconsistencies in scoring. “It’s usually better when you can get just coaches, who know what they are doing, to score.” Gallagher said that errors in scoring are particularly noticeable for the divers, who can tell which aspects of a dive worked and which didn’t, even before they see the results. “When I dive, I’ll know if I was leaning too far back when I was jumping, or when I was spinning in midair, I’ll know if I bent my legs a little bit,” Gallagher said. “When you’re in the water, before you come up, you already know how your performance was.” Problematic scoring may be part and parcel of college diving—which is unique among Chicago’s varsity sports, in that its results rest on the subjective evaluations of judges— but it evidently hasn’t hampered Schmidt and Gallagher much this season. Schmidt, for her part, has won the one- and three-meter diving competitions in all the meets she’s entered this season, including last weekend’s dual meet with D-I UW–Milwaukee. Already she has set school records
First-year Becky Schmidt dives off the one-meter board at Myers-McLoraine pool. Schmidt already holds Chicago records in all four diving events in which the Maroons compete. ALEX GLECKMAN/MAROON
from both board heights, and done so in the dual-meet and championship-meet formats. (In brief, dual meets require six dives from each board, championships require 11, and so separate records are maintained for the formats.) “The team here is really fun, and
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
As women’s basketball prepares for a crucial weekend on the road, optimism abounds within the team. Since losing 34–63 to rival and conference leader Wash U nearly three weeks ago, the Maroons have been
dominating opponents. They have now won four straight and are eager for another opportunity to prove themselves this weekend against Emory and Rochester. First, the Maroons head to Atlanta tonight to play Emory, whose highscoring attack should test Chicago’s tough defense, which is currently sec-
Fourth-year guard Jamie Stinson, shown against NYU earlier this season, has helped lead Chicago to second place in the UAA with a 4–1 record. DARREN LEOW/MAROON
earned with a dive-list that Gallagher himself described as “weak.” Both Schmidt and Gallagher attributed their early success at C h i c a g o t o t h e i r h i g h s ch o o l preparation. Each competed and trained with a club team—Schmidt in
DIVING continued on page 7
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Four-game win streak has Chicago aiming high on the road By Henry Phillips Sports Staff
I’m just having a lot of fun the whole time, which I find is helping me do better in general,” Schmidt said. “And I’ve gotten a lot of personal records, which has been fun.” As for Gallagher, he holds school records in dual-meet one-meter and the dual-meet three-meter—the latter
ond in the UAA with only 54.8 points allowed per game. Head coach Aaron Roussell called Emory’s attack “explosive” and “tough to scout and defend.” Second-year guard Bryanne Halfhill, however, has confidence in Chicago’s ability to keep up with Emory’s pace. “I feel like they should be more worried about slowing us down,” she said. On paper, Sunday’s game looks like the team’s biggest challenge since the Wash U game. Rochester enters the weekend with a 13–3 record overall and is sitting at third in the UAA standings with a 3–2 conference record. This is virtually a must-win game for the Maroons if they hope to have a shot at topping Wash U for the UAA title. “We really can’t drop one more game,” Halfhill said. “We need to play every game like it’s the national championship.” Rochester’s style of play should look familiar to Chicago as it is very similar to that of the Maroons. Chicago and Rochester are ranked second and third, respectively, in scoring defense in the UAA, and are the top two rebounding teams in the conference. “Rochester is always going to be a tough team to beat.... Rochester is
W. BASKETBALL continued on page 7
Maroons’ confidence rises as road-heavy first half comes to close By Jake Grubman Sports Editor Men’s basketball headed into last weekend’s road series having lost six of their last seven games and, at seventh in the UAA standings, were determined to simply take care of business. Now, a week later, the Maroons are knocking on the door of the conference’s top tier. Chicago (9–7, 3–2) takes on two of the four teams ahead of it in the UAA standings this week-
end, heading to Emory (12–4, 4–1) Friday and Rochester (12–4, 3–2) Sunday on its second consecutive road series. “When we lost a few games in a row, I think we realized that we lacked a certain kind of confidence that you gain through winning tough, close games,” second-year guard Matt Johnson said. “I think now, after three conference wins and very close losses to Wash U and Brandeis, we have that belief in ourselves.”
M. BASKETBALL continued on page 7
CA LEN DA R Friday
1/29
•Wrestling @ Wheaton Invite, 2 p.m. • Women’s Basketball @ Emory, 6 p.m. • Men’s Tennis vs. DePaul, 1 p.m.
Saturday
1/30
• Wrestling @ Wheaton Invite, 10 a.m. • Men’s & Women’s Track and Field host Chicago Duals, 11:30 a.m.
• Men’s & Women’s Swimming and Diving v.s. DePaul, 1 p.m.
Sunday
1/31
• Women’s Tennis vs. Illinois- Chicago, 9 a.m. • Men’s Basketball, @ Rochester, 11 a.m. • Women’s Basketball @ Rochester, 1 p.m.
Log on to chicagomaroon.com for track & field coverage, and visit the MAROON’S sports blog at MaroonCity.com, for all of your U of C sports news.