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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2010 • VOLUME 122, ISSUE 16 • CHICAGOMAROON.COM

WOODLAWN

FINANCES

Charter School student killed Student's shooting ruled accidental

By Asher Klein News Editor A 14-year-old student at the University of Chicago Charter School’s Woodlawn Campus (UCW) was shot and killed Tuesday in what police have ruled an accident.

Jalil Muhammad, a freshman at UCW, was shot by a sibling who accidentally discharged a firearm on the 200 block of West 93rd Street at around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night, a Chicago Police Department (CPD) spokesperson said. A University spokesman said he died at Comer Children’s Hospital after being transported from his home.

Muhammad’s aunt, Dorothy Cummings, said Jalil was shot by his 9-year-old brother, who won’t be charged with a crime.

The boys’ father was charged with a misdemeanor for failure to register a firearm, and with a city ordinance violation for not having a firearms registration card, according to the CPD spokesperson.

Cummings said the father, Lyle Muhammad, was a security guard for Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam. “They were in church about every other day,� she said.

Spokespeople for the Nation of Islam were unavailable to comment by

press time.

Hakim had found his father’s gun and was showing it to Jalil when it went off, Cummings said.

She said the family was distraught. “It’s awful,� she said. Of Hakim, Cummings said: “I don’t think his brother’s old enough to understand what’s going on.�

University of Chicago spokesperson Steve Kloehn said in an e-mail that the UCW would provide counsleing for any students who need support after the death of their classmate. “Woodlawn Campus Director Shayne Evans, together with faculty and staff, counselors from across the Urban Education Institute, Chicago Public Schools, and community-based mental health teams, has been meeting with UCW students and staff since notification of this tragedy,� Kloehn said. “[The Urban Education Institute] and UCW are committed to ensuring that all the necessary support and care is available to the entire school community, in the immediate and long-term,� he said.

Located on 6420 South University Avenue, UCW is a public preparatory school directed by senior administrators at the University of Chicago. It is one of four University of Chicago charter school campuses.

Zimmer's salary tops $1 million

By Adam Janofsky Associate News Editor Uncommon students may be one in a million, but the U of C’s president is worth a million.

President Robert Zimmer’s annual pay increased by 25.3 percent for the 2008–2009 calendar year, to $1,162,213, according to a tax form, making him the 21st-highest-paid university president of the 30 earning more than $1 million.

The pay raise, from $927,814 in 2007– 2008, is largely due to changes in Form 990, which is submitted by tax-exempt organizations to the Internal Revenue

Calendar Year '08: $1,162,213*

2008

25.3% University Revenue Fiscal Year '06-'07: $2,201,490,815 Fiscal Year '07-'08: $2,296,624,007

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Zimmer's salary, which is set by the Board of Trustees at the start of the year, increased in 2008 after a bump in University revenue. *In this year the IRS began asking non-profits to report compensation by calendar year, not fiscal year.

RANKINGS

Women in math: a complex problem Part one of a two-part series on the

Faculty Gender Gap

By Christina Pillsbury Senior News Staff

MATT BOGEN/MAROON

SALARY continued on page 3

Zimmer's Salary

FACULTY

Diane Herrmann (Ph.D. '88) is a senior lecturer in the Math department. As with many other schools' Math departments, the faculty is mostly male.

Service to calculate their expenditures, according to University spokesperson Steve Kloehn. Unlike last year’s documents, housing benefits are taken into account this year. “A substantial portion of the difference is accounted for in housing expenses,� Kloehn said, adding that Zimmer’s President’s House on East 59th Street and South University Avenue represents a large part of the $110,715 “nontaxable benefits� category.

Zimmer’s real pay did rise, though, in part due to deferred compensation, which increased 28 percent, from

When Michelle Lee (A.B. ’10) was a first-year, she thought she might one day pursue a graduate degree in mathematics. By her fourth year, the male-dominated math classes she had taken at the University made her reconsider. “If there was more of a female presence,� said Lee, who now works at a political consulting firm in Washington, D.C., “I feel like I would still be in math.�

Despite extensive efforts to improve the balance, the U of C, like many of its peers, has a dearth of female mathematicians: Senior Lecturer and Co-Director of Undergraduate Studies in Mathematics Dianne Herrmann (Ph.D. ’88) has seen only one female mathematician gain tenure in her 35 years here.

The one didn’t stay long. Karen Uhlenbeck was tenured at the University from 1983–1988, but left

MATHEMATICS continued on page 3

Yet again, Booth tops BusinessWeek rankings

By Rebecca Guterman MAROON Staff The Booth School of Business was named the top business school in the nation for the third consecutive time in BusinessWeek’s biennial rankings, published November 11.

Booth took the top spot in the 2006 and 2008 rankings as well. The 2008 rankings followed a $300 million gift from alumnus David Booth (M.B.A. ’71), the largest gift ever given to a busi-

ness school.

Booth was followed by Harvard, still at number two from 2008; University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, up from number four; and Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management, down from number three.

The rankings of full-time M.B.A. programs are based mainly on polls of graduates and corporate recruiters, dean of the full-time M.B.A. program Stacey

BOOTH SCHOOL continued on page 2

ACADEMICS

Core art requirement opens to creative writing

By Hans Glick News Staff The Committee on Creative Writing now offers courses that count toward the undergraduate general education requirement in the arts.

The winter quarter courses, entitled Reading As a Writer: Chicago Stories and Introduction to Genres: Writing and Performance, join

the current slate of drama, music, visual arts, and art history courses that fulfill the requirement.

Incorporating creative writing into the Core is the next step in solidifying what has been a gradual expansion of the creative writing program at the U of C, said English professor Janice Knight, chair of the Committee on reative Writing. “Up until the past three to four

ART CORE continued on page 2

2

CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | November 19, 2010

INTERVIEW

Uncommon Interview

with Augusta Read Thomas

C

omposer Augusta Read Thomas was announced as the University Professor of Composition on November 8. It makes her one of five current professors with the designation "University Professor," which signifies “potential for high impact across the University,” and the 16th ever to hold the title, according to a University press release. Formerly a composer-in-residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic, Thomas is known for improvisation-inspired music, which avoids traditional forms and styles. Thomas will take the post next year. She spoke to the MAROON about her plans for the U of C, her love for music, and the voices in her head.

CHICAGO MAROON: When did you start composing music?

Augusta Read Thomas: I started making up little songs—I wouldn’t call it composing—when I was seven, eight, and nine. The first big piece I wrote, I was in ninth grade. It was a piece for two trumpets and band, and it won a little competition in my hometown.

CM: What is your writing process like?

ART: I write on paper with a pen, and I stand at three very large drafting tables with the music surrounding me in a circle on very large manuscript pages. I have all sorts of sketches of the pieces that I’m working on on my desk, or pinned up on the wall or around me, and I have a piano on which I improvise and play through harmonies and constantly touch the music. When I compose I’m always singing and conducting and tapping all the rhythms, because I feel that it’s my responsibility to really be in touch with all of the sounds before

I pass it on to the performers that will be performing it.

CM: Do you hear the music you write in your head?

ART: Absolutely, and sometimes I just wish I could get it to stop, if you know what I mean. I’m just going over and over things nonstop in my mind. I get very obsessive about every last little tiny, tiny, tiny detail.

CM: Why did you join the University of Chicago?

ART: The faculty in the department of music is stellar, exceptional, internationally renowned, very, very civilized, cultured, elegant, refined human beings. I had the good opportunity to meet with many of them one-on-one in the course of making my decision, and with each new faculty member that I met, I was just astonished and thrilled to find that everyone was just so exceptional. Additionally,

there are composers on the faculty already, Marta Ptaszynska and Shulamit Ran. Another major attraction to me was to be able to work with them, those two particular people, because they’re composers of the highest order.

CM: What classes do you hope to teach?

ART: The thing that I’m very, very passionate about is being able to teach and follow that up instantly with a performance, or, if not a performance, a reading, or a workshop, or a laboratory, or something where the sounds are made right in front of the composer. One of the courses I’d like to teach is a course on living composers…very, very recent music. And I will be teaching a course in the Core. One more [class] I’m going to be teaching, which is every week, it’s for composers or people interested in composition—I will be giving very detailed weekly assignments. Every single week the composers will write a small exercise that’s absolutely tailor-made to my assignment,

COURTESY OF AUGUSTA READ THOMAS

and [they will be] performed every week. One way to think of this course is as a kind of interactive laboratory of sound and its nuance.

CM: Would you like to write music specifically for the University ensembles?

ART: Nothing would give me more joy than to write for every single one of the University of Chicago ensembles. If anyone asks me…any of the ensembles knocks on my door and says ‘Would you write a piece for us?’, the answer would be yes.

--Madalyn Frigo

HYDE PARK

DISCOURSE

In its old age, Hyde Park Neighborhood Club celebrates youth

Minister calls on Christians to work towards nuke drawdown

By Crystal Tsoi News Staff For its 101st anniversary, the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club (HPNC) is restructuring its programming to focus solely on youth as part of its “Strategy for a Second Century” mission announced in an August 20 press release.

In response to perceived community needs, HPNC phased out all programs not aimed at Hyde Park youth this fall. According to Beth Parker, HPNC’s director of institutional advancement, Hyde Park youth have the greatest need for the club’s resources.

“Hyde Park has many senior programs, whereas on the other side of the equation, we have very few organizations that were really paying attention to the crying need for places for kids to be safe after school and get mentoring,” Parker said.

According to the press release, HPNC will use its $200,000 state-funded grant to repair and

upgrade its current facilities and build a computer lab, literacy center, teaching kitchen, and gymnasium for new programming.

Plans to develop a day care center for young children and maximize the usage of the gymnasium to generate income for the Neighborhood Club are all in the works, in hopes that the “club will be more stable moving into [its] second century.”

While phasing out its other programs, HPNC worked to ensure the transition was supportive for its senior citizen members. “They were very nervous about our relocating their program because they all wanted to stay together,” Parker said.

On the website, HPNC expressed a need to raise revenue for the financially struggling club in order to continue programming.

“It’s really about having facilities here to address the needs of a whole child,” Parker said. “It is really important to us that kids from any economic group should be able to go to an after-school program that offers them literacy programs and athletic activities.”

Two creative writing classes in winter, spring will count toward Core ART CORE continued from front page years, Creative Writing has been a program that has been in the phases of development,” she said.

Although Creative Writing is not a standalone department within the University, the program continues to grow. It established “adequate institutional standing or support” to begin offering Core-level courses in addition to offering a minor and upwards of 30 courses per year, Knight said.

Considerable demand for courses in the Creative Writing program in previous years indicated to the committee that students would be receptive to the new arts options.

“We have such demand for our courses that we saw a pretty widespread interest,” committee coordinator Kate Soto said. “Students want to get an introduction to creative writing.”

First-year English major Hannah Sullmer said she wanted to take a creative writing class anyway, and was happy to hear that she could “kill two birds with one stone.”

“Especially as an English major and someone who really enjoys writing and hopes to do that someday, it’s really awesome to do something that involves writing,” she said.

Two similar Core-fulfilling creative writ-

ing courses will debut spring quarter. The plan is for these options to be made available on a quarterly basis, Soto said.

Students are required to take six courses in civilization studies and the humanities, with at least one and no more than two of the courses fulfilling the arts requirement.

The two creative writing classes offered during Winter quarter which satisfy the Core requirement in the arts are being taught by experienced intructors.

Reading as a Writer: Chicago Stories, which will be taught by English lecturer Garin Cycholl, “invites writers to reconsider the influence of Chicago’s public and private spaces on genre and artistic form,” according to a department mailing.

Introduction to Genres will be taught by English lecturer Megan Stielstra. It focuses on the intersection of writing and performance and will involve various forms of multimedia pieces and culminates in a final storytelling performance. Both courses are capped at 12 students and are limited to one section each.

Soto said she hopes the Core credit will attract students from all parts of the College.

“Creative writing really isn’t something just English majors can benefit from,” she said.

By Anna Jones News Contributor Baptist minister Tyler Wigg-Stevenson encouraged evangelical Christians to pursue nuclear disarmament at a discussion at the Harris School on Tuesday.

Wigg-Stevenson founded and directs the Two Futures Project, an organization of American Christians supporting the elimination of all nuclear weapons.

To achieve complete disarmament, WiggStevenson called for both international cooperation and American leadership. “The United States, by virtue of spending huge amounts of money on defense, is the dominant actor in global security,” he said. “American leadership will also require domestic political consensus that is fundamentally nonpartisan.”

Wigg-Stevenson rejected a question on the need for a deterrence strategy, saying it represents logic held over from the Cold War. It no longer applies to this political climate, he said.

“Nuclear weapons are so destructive that you cannot talk about discrimination between their effects in ways that are ethically significant.”

Wigg-Stevenson and his organization are encouraging Christian churches to firmly proclaim

their support for the elimination of nuclear weapons, which they have not yet done. “The Church cannot support their existence while it preaches the defense of life, stewardship of creation, and eradication of poverty,” he said.

Moreover, the minister argued that traditional American Christian theological doctrine necessitates speaking out against nuclear arms. “If you believe in American exceptionalism, then you have a theological view of the United States…. This in turn means that you believe God is the active and imminent judge of the nation. Could God support a nation that uses this kind of violence?”

Some audience members were concerned about churches immersing themselves into politics and becoming inappropriately powerful.

“I know what people think about evangelical political engagement…in the past, in response to cultural trauma we have radically overstepped our bounds,” he said.

However, Wigg-Stevenson maintained that religious and secular value-claims should be equally represented. “I believe the state corrupts religion far more than religion corrupts the state,” he said.

“Modern Christian engagement in public policy should take theological conditions seriously and face the challenge of transcribing them into policy solutions.”

Graduates rated Booth highly on teaching and career services, admin says BOOTH SCHOOL continued from front page Kole said in an e-mail interview. Corporate recruiters ranked Booth students higher than those of any other school, she said. “[Corporate recruiters] said our graduates have the highest management skills and the highest analytical skills. And the recruiters said Booth has the most effective career services office,” Kole said.

Graduates gave Booth A+ grades in teaching and career services, and the school ranked second overall in a pool of graduates, according to Kole.

The number of faculty publications and other achievements also factor into the rankings, according to Bloomberg News Service, which publishes BusinessWeek.

Kole cited the faculty’s relentless quest for critical thinking by pushing the students to their academic limits as a contributing factor to the rankings. “We constantly question and test ideas, and seek proof.

Our rigorous approach to the fundamental disciplines of business means students leave here ready to excel in challenging assignments for a wide vari-

ety of employers in the U.S. and abroad,” Kole said.

Jakub Mleczko, vice president for Alumni Relations of the Graduate Business Council and a full-time M.B.A. student, said that he sees the high national standing reflected in his time at Booth. “You go here, you get a feeling that it’s a truly special place, between the students, faculty, and the buzz of the campus and Chicago,” he said. “There is a nice kind of melding of what [the school’s] doing now and how it leverages its huge history.”

Still, Kole said, the Booth School constantly strives to improve, regardless of its national standing. “The level we are at today is, in some sense, a floor from which we intend to rise up in the coming months,” she said.

BusinessWeek also discussed the increasing competition for jobs in its summary of the rankings, citing some of the lowest percentages in years of employed graduates across all schools. The amount of unemployed students three months after graduation has risen from four to 12 percent since 2007, according to BusinessWeek.

3

CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | November 19, 2010

CULTURE

Newspaper program ends, but may return

A newspaper rack stands empty in the Reynolds Club on Monday morning after the Collegiate Readership Program ended its four-week trial run on campus.

MATT BOGEN/MAROON

By Hans Glick News Staff Hot before, but since Monday free national newspapers are not off the presses.

The four-week trial period of the Collegiate Readership Program (CRP) ended last Friday.

From October 18 to November 12, free copies of the Chicago Tribune, USA Today, and The New York Times were available on six racks located across campus.

The CRP and Student Government (SG)

are crunching survey numbers to determine whether continuing the program would be a worthwhile investment from the perspectives of the program and of the student body.

SG posted a survey on its website asking participants for the approximate number of papers they had taken during the trial and whether they would be willing to pay $5 or $10 a year to help subsidize the program.

Individual weekday subscriptions to the newspapers offered are in the range of $30–$100 for 30 weeks, although exact price comparisons

Chronicle lists Zimmer as 21sthighest-paid university president

aren’t possible because not every paper offers weekday-only subscriptions.

Though the CRP conducted a survey on the last day of the trial period, they have yet to release any analysis. SG president and fourthyear Greg Nance said the initial response to a survey request posted on the SG website has been positive.

Six hundred copies of The New York Times and 300 each of the Chicago Tribune and USA Today were made available each weekday. Of the three, The New York Times was by far the most popular among students, achieving 100percent “consumption” each day, Nance said.

Around 75 percent of the two other publications were taken each day.

“About 75 students have replied to our survey request and the vast majority indicated they would be willing to pay $5-10 over the course of the year for newspaper access,” Nance said in an e-mail.

The results of the CRP poll will be made available at a Tuesday meeting between representatives of SG and CRP, where they will discuss whether the pilot program was popular enough to warrant its long-term implementation, and how it could be funded in the long run—possibly by adding a newspaper fee to the student activities fee.

Nance was optimistic about the program’s long-term viability. “SG has been impressed with the response to the Collegiate Readership Program,” he said. “I can say that student opinion has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Present on around 500 college campuses in the U.S., the CRP is run by USA Today– owner Gannett Publishing, often in conjunction with other local and regional publications, as a means of “promoting civic literacy and global awareness on campus through daily exposure to the news,” according to the program’s website.

Members of SG met with USA Today in the spring of last year to discuss bringing the program to the University.

SALARY continued from front page

have the difficulty of attracting the women,” Constantin said.

He said retaining partners is part of a larger issue of gender slant at the University across departments, and indeed, the Office of the Provost has a department dedicated to finding

math professors are necessary to mentor graduate students and lecturers, who are necessary to mentor undergraduates, and so on down the educational track.

Recent alumna Lee said having women from the math department as mentors was important to her. “I felt like I could talk to them about where I wanted to go in the future because they had been there or are there in everyday life and have to deal with these issues,” she said.

But when women in the department are not tenured, it enforces negative stereotypes, Lee said. “I didn’t feel like I was as math-confident as the men,” Lee said. “It’s an environment where the stereotype is activated over and over, especially when you see all the professors are men, and the classes are mostly men.”

As an undergraduate, Lee said she was frustrated to see the breakdown of the math department align with traditional gender roles: women in teaching positions and men in researching ones. “It just seems like the women at the University are being pushed into the traditional women roles—teaching, nurturing, advising—and the men are the researchers.”

Fourth-year Scott is interested to see how the math department brings this problem to light.

“This isn’t the sort of thing that you get from class: ‘Okay guys today we’re going to talk about derivatives, and now we’re going to talk about the status of women in math,’” Scott said.

She’s happy the department is attempting to make changes, but said she can’t spend too much time thinking about the gender balance.

“It’s certainly something that you can discuss, but for me it’s not something that comes into the equation when you have three problem sets for the week,” Scott said.

$424,647 to $543,400.

The pay increase puts Zimmer in the ranks of the 30 university presidents who now earn over $1 million, up from 23 presidents last year, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. Its report, part of an annual review on academic salaries, looked at the total compensation of 448 University chief executives.

Zimmer is now the 21st-highest-paid American university president, a boost from his position as 27th last year but not as high as in fiscal year 2006–2007, when he was 15th-highest-paid.

The academic prestige of an institution does not necessarily correlate with its president’s salary, according to The Chronicle’s data. The president of Columbia University, Lee Bollinger, was the only Ivy League president to break into the top 10 with a $1,753,984 salary. The president of Harvard, Drew Faust, earned $822,011, over 41 percent less than President Zimmer.

The highest-paid college president on the list was Orthodox rabbi Bernard Lander, who founded Touro College 40 years ago and expanded it into a system of 24,000 students. Although Lander died in February, his total compensation package in 2008–2009 was $4,786,830.

Though Zimmer earns over $1 million from the University, his salary is less than half the amount made by the highest-paid U of C employees in 2008–2009, though the two highest paid employees of that year are no longer in their previous jobs.

Former University Chief Investment Officer Peter Stein was paid $2,848,248, more than any other employee. From 2005 to 2009, when he left the University for family reasons, Stein managed the $6.5-billion University endowment portfolio before it dropped in the market crash.

James Madara, Pritzker School of Medicine professor and second-highest-paid University employee, earned $1,781,935 in 2008–2009. He stepped down from his position as CEO of the Medical Center and dean of the Biological Sciences Division amid controversy surrounding the Center’s Urban Health Initiative in October 2009.

University trails peers in tenured female math faculty, despite a two-year initative to bring in qualified women MATHEMATICS continued from front page to teach at the University of Texas.

“I’m always hopeful. I have to be, but I’ve been here—I came as a graduate student in 1975,” said Herrmann. “But other than that brief period there have been no female tenured faculty members, so I’m still waiting.”

The University of Texas has six female math professors out of its almost 45 professors. The University of Chicago has no women among its 32 tenured math professors. (Three of its four senior lecturerers, however, are women.)

It trails the math departments at M.I.T., Princeton, Harvard, and Stanford; each has between one and five tenured women on faculty. Still, none comes close to reaching a balance between men and women.

The problem extends to the rest of the University as well: There are two female economics professors and only one in the physics department. Provost Thomas Rosenbaum set up a group, the Women’s Leadership Council, concerns itself with recruiting more female faculty and fostering a feeling of community among the women.

But the math department is the only major University department with no female faculty.

Fourth-year math major Anna Scott noticed that as the difficulty of her classes increased, the number of female classmates dropped.

“The harder classes tend to have less girls in them. Honors Calculus is pretty well mixed, but once you go farther in the major there are fewer girls,” Scott said.

Herrmann agreed, pointing out that in a broader sense, there are fewer women at the top. “Nationally that’s the case as well,” Herrmann said. “I don’t know the exact num-

bers, but it’s a pipeline issue. Women drop out along the way.”

Aware of the problem, Department Chair Peter Constantin set up a hiring group in the fall of 2008 to address the math department’s gender imbalance.

“This is one of my top priorities. We intend to maintain top quality of the department and pursue the issue of women in mathematics,” he said.

“We’re a small department so we are not going to be able to make more than a few offers.”

The group searched for viable female candidates who would meet the department’s rigorous requirements. The shortlist it compiled has been the starting point for a hiring process it is currently undertaking.

“The committee’s work is done,” Constantin said. “We have a wonderful list and we are working from it.”

Constantin and his faculty are waiting for a response from one woman to whom they have offered a professorship. Their first offer was to Stanford’s Maryam Mirzakhani, who declined it for personal reasons.

“She was working on an area that we are very interested in,” Constantin said. “But her husband wanted to be on the west coast. She was very interested in working here but in the end she stayed at Stanford.”

Constantin said one problem is that, in relationships where both partners are in academia, women tend to go where their male partners have an offer.

“It is often the case that women, younger [married] women in math will have more difficulty deciding when both people work.

They have to decide where to go. More often the women will follow the men, and then we

"It's an environment where the stereotype is activated over and over, especially when you see all the professors are men..."

—Michelle Lee (A.B.'10)

jobs for spouses of faculty.

Herrmann, who is joined by two other women at her level as senior lecturers, says she sees why women might stay away from a department without other female professors.

“It can be lonely to be here, if you’re the only woman here,” Herrmann said. “For a long time I was the only senior lecturer here in the department and it’s difficult to work without colleagues you can talk to, who are at your level.”

She said the lack of female professors is a self-perpetuating problem. “[The problem is] a lack of role models, a lack of somebody to go and talk to,” said Herrmann, who mentors undergraduate math majors. “There’s no choice there. If you wanted to study with a woman mathematician, you can’t do that here.”

This creates the pipeline problem; tenured

4

CHICAGO MAROON

| VIEWPOINTS | November 19, 2010

VIEWPOINTS

EDITORIAL & OP-ED NOVEMBER 19, 2010

EDITORIAL

CHICAGO MAROON

The student newspaper of the University of Chicago since 1892

JORDAN HOLLIDAY, Editor-in-Chief JAKE GRUBMAN, Managing Editor ASHER KLEIN, News Editor ELLA CHRISTOPH, News Editor PETER IANAKIEV, Viewpoints Editor ALISON HOWARD, Viewpoints Editor HAYLEY LAMBERSON, Voices Editor JORDAN LARSON, Voices Editor WILL FALLON, Sports Editor NICK FORETEK, Sports Editor VICTORIA KRAFT, Head Copy Editor MONIKA LAGAARD, Head Copy Editor HOLLY LAWSON, Head Copy Editor MATT BOGEN, Photo Editor JACK DiMASSIMO, Head Designer JOSH SUNG, Web Editor BURKE FRANK, Assoc. News Editor ADAM JANOFSKY, Assoc. News Editor SHARAN SHETTY, Assoc. Viewpoints Editor ILIYA GUTIN, Assoc. Voices Editor JUDY MARCINIAK, Business Manager VINCENT McGILL, Delivery Coordinator JESSICA SHEFT-ASON, Senior Designer IVY PEREZ, Senior Designer DOUGLAS EVERSON, Designer ANDREW GREEN, Designer REBECCA GUTERMAN, Designer ALYSSA LAWTHER, Designer VINCENT YU, Designer SABINA BREMNER, Artist SAALIKA ABBAS MELA, Copy Editor AMISHI BAJAJ, Copy Editor JANE BARTMAN, Copy Editor ALICE BLACKWOOD, Copy Editor MARCELLO DELGADO, Copy Editor DANIELLE GLAZER, Copy Editor DON HO, Copy Editor JANE HUANG, Copy Editor GABE VALLEY, Copy Editor ALEX WARBURTON, Copy Editor BELLA WU, Copy Editor LILY YE, Copy Editor SAMANTHA LEE, Copy Editor TARA NOOTEBOOM, Copy Editor LANE SMITH, Copy Editor RITOHDI CHATTERJEE, Copy Editor ALISON HUNG, Copy Editor VICKY HO, Copy Editor

The CHICAGO MAROON is published twice weekly during autumn, winter, and spring quarters.

Security Alert

Issues in the Department of Safety and Security undermine the department’s own efforts None of us harbors any illusion that the University’s campus is entirely safe and free of crime.

Though the crime statistics tell us that the vast majority of students make it through the University without ever encountering any type of violent crime, there will always be some number of incidents like last Thursday’s a s s a u l t s a r o u n d t h e M i d w a y.

They can’t b e blamed on the U n i v e r s i t y o f C h i c a g o Po l i c e Department (UCPD) or on any other department; as long as there is a University of Chicago, attacks like those will remain a source of concern and uncertainty for the University community.

But there are some things about which we should feel certain.

When the Department of Safety and Security tells us the SafeRide service provides reliable, pointto-point transportation, usually within 20 minutes, that should mean something. When Associate Vice President for Safety and

are not necessarily those of the MAROON.

©2010 CHICAGO MAROON, Ida Noyes Hall, 1212 East 59th Street, Chicago, IL 60637 Editor-in-Chief Phone: (773) 834-1611 Newsroom Phone: (773) 702-1403 Business Phone: (773) 702-9555 Fax: (773) 702-3032

SUBMISSIONS The CHICAGO MAROON welcomes opinions and responses from its readers. Send op-ed submissions and letters to: Viewpoints CHICAGO MAROON 1212 East 59th Street Chicago, IL 60637 E-mail: Viewpoints@ChicagoMaroon.com The editors reserve the right to edit materials for clarity and space.

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who feel uncomfortable walking around campus. Instead, dissatisfaction with the service is such that a recent Facebook petition protesting SafeRide problems has attracted almost 500 participants.

Issues have also cropped up with the safety alert system.

When Lynch wrote early last Friday to inform campus about the Midway attacks, a large portion of the e-mails were diverted

by Gmail’s spam filter and never received. The problem was not detected, and when Lynch and Vice President for Campus Life Kim Goff-Crews wrote a followup later that day, their e-mail was more confusing than comforting to those who had never seen the initial alert.

Three years ago today, graduate student Amadou Cisse (Ph.D. ’07) was murdered at East 61st Street and South Ellis Avenue, the corner where South Campus Residence Hall now stands. The

s h o ck f r o m t h a t t e r r i b l e l o s s touched off a renewed effort to address safety concerns in Hyde Park, an effort that aimed to close many of the gaps that existed in campus security and transportation.

Three years later, the issues with SafeRide should not still be lingering. Three years later, we should have a security alert system that works without fail.

Three years later, there are no more excuses for these types of problems to be so widespread.

Until we can say with assurance that the Department of Safety and Security is doing its b est to protect us, the doubts about our safety will continue to overshadow whatever certainty that department and its programs mean to bring us.

The M AROON Editorial Board consists of the Editorin-Chief and Viewpoints Editors.

ON THE OTHER HAND

SHARING THE LOOT

A sick system

Just another column about national politics

Current public health care spending is misguided

By Ajay Ravichandran Viewpoints Columnist

Circulation: 6,500 The opinions expressed in the Viewpoints section

Security Marlon Lynch tells us SafeRide will resume calling riders when their bus arrives, as he told the Maroon in April, we should be able to take him at his word. When we hear that the Safety Awareness Program will inform the entire campus of serious crimes via security alert e-mails, we should know that the alert system will operate properly. We can’t expect absolute safety, but we should have every confidence that the programs in place to make us safer are working, and working well.

Unfortunately that is not the case today, and hasn’t been for some time. Students continue to complain about SafeRide dispatch not taking their calls, or putting them on hold indefinitely, or refusing to call them when their bus arrives, or simply failing to send a bus to their location. If it worked as promised, the SafeRide program would be a tremendous reassurance to those

In the past few months, we’ve seen a lot of hand-wringing about the looming American fiscal crisis, but there has been far too little focused discussion of the single largest contributor to it: growing public health care spending. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that if no changes are made, outlays for Medicare (which pays for medical care for the elderly) and Medicaid (which pays for care for low-income Americans) will rise to roughly 12 percent of our gross domestic product by 2050—roughly two-thirds of the average share of the economy going to federal revenue. In order for the federal government to meet its obligations to the poor and the elderly and still be able to perform other important roles—without raising taxes to punitively high levels—we need to find a way to reduce this projected cost growth.

The solutions on the table from both the left and the right provide valuable starting points, but the ultimate goal must be a system which gives the beneficiaries of federal health programs incen-

Read at your own risk! tives to demand less care while preventing the re-emergence of the barriers to accessing health care that both programs were created to remove.

The main Democratic proposal has already been enacted as part of the new health care law. It involves creating a panel of independent experts, the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), to evaluate the treatments which Medicare covers for cost-effectiveness and adjust the program’s policies accordingly. Approaches that are not cost-effective either will not be covered or will be reimbursed at lower rates. While this is a sensible policy for improving the value Medicare provides and will likely lead to some cost reduction, we should not expect it to play a large role in bringing down costs. Efforts to push down prices for expensive medical services have been tried before, and providers typically respond by simply billing the government for more of those services in order to make up the shortfall.

The main Republican alternative, which is included in Representative Paul Ryan’s budget proposal, gets at the real source of skyrocketing health care costs more directly than the Democratic proposal.

Since health care costs are rising throughout the economy, it makes sense to look at features which both private and public health care payment systems share to try to figure out what’s driving the increase. The main characteris-

HEALTH CARE continued on page 5

By Tyler Lutz Viewpoints Columnist The fact that you’re reading this right now is nothing short of astonishing: For the last couple of months, we’ve been bombarded by incessant volleys of political campaigns and analyses, and yet you still have the patience to read another article with the word ‘politics’ in its title. Fascinating.

Maybe I’m being too harsh— with all the buzz and hubbub of the campaign season and its aftermath, it’s difficult to be impervious to the excitement.

Even still, there’s yet another thing I find baffling about the fact that you’re reading this, namely that, if this very column were to be published a few months from now, you probably wouldn’t be.

After the dust settles, we seem to slump invariably into a collective apathy or even contempt of elected officials. Indeed, it’s even not that much of an exaggeration to say that, at the end of the day, just about everyone will be dissatisfied with the consequences of this election–which is absurdly counterintuitive, considering that

as a group we decided the election’s outcome ourselves!

One of the following two considerations is likely to blame: 1) We expect way too much out of our leaders, or, 2) We have a political system that favors disappointing and mediocre politicians. Though the former is probably true—as anyone who attended the Obama rally knows, our country evidently has yet to shake itself of that tradition-rich proclivity to idolize leaders—I like to think that the latter is the real culprit here, and not without reason. If we look at the internal and external selective pressures exerted upon potential politicians, this unhappy conclusion follows without much effort.

Let’s begin then with a look at what dictates who, after all, decides to become a politician.

Taking a hint from Rousseau et al., we can try to frame the politician in his most primitive state— the second-grade classroom.

Even at that tender age, reality starts speaking to us: Politicians have no real power in a democracy, it says, as they are inevitably fettered by the views and desires of their constituents. If you really want to make a difference in the world, don’t fall into the soulsucking trap of politics; produce the ideas that move mountains instead of becoming mere slaves to them. And some listen. They become researchers, innovators,

DISAPPOINTMENT continued on page 5

CHICAGO MAROON

| VIEWPOINTS | November 19, 2010

5

DAY IN THE LIFE

Public health care can subsidize destructive behavior HEALTH CARE continued from page 4

SABINA BREMNER

Former-lawyers and former-businessmen running American politics has become tiresome DISAPPOINTMENT continued from page 4 artists, writers, teachers; generally speaking, extremely productive and influential people.

And meanwhile the resultant brain drain from politics persists deep into the future: If asked to find the smartest, most gifted, indeed, the most able potential leaders on campus, I doubt anyone with his head screwed on straight would look in the Student Government.

But unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there.

A regiment of inept political hopefuls steps up to fill the ranks in their stead. By the time high school rolls around, something rather profound happens to the way we approach government —whereas before it was a mere index of popularity, it quickly becomes an embodiment of popularity and acceptance. That is to say, if you couldn’t garner respect from your peers earlier through your athletic abilities, your intelligence, your character, your charisma, etc., you now had another, albeit artificial, arena in which to strive for acceptance. If you got lucky, you attained it after all.

And voilà, a double blow to those of us who would like to see competent, interesting people in office: Normative pressures engender an exodus of genuinely talented and creative people from politics, while a fantastic notion of leader idolatry replaces them and indeed gluts the ballots with candidates looking for little more than recognition and glory, and who likewise probably shouldn’t be serving.

But why should this matter? Regardless of any such internal motivations, the voting public should be savvy enough to winnow out the chaff, right? Hypothetically, yes, though America presents a nightmarish complication to the picture on two counts.

To begin with, the market for political hopefuls operates under something far removed from perfect competition.

American voters have erected almost insurmountable entry barriers for people not of the lawyerly or businessman persuasion. Indeed, according to data from the “International Who’s Who” database, over half of America’s politicians practiced law.

If we throw business into the mix, we find that nearly 70 percent of our leaders were drawn from those two professions alone.

I can conceive of no a priori reason to think that lawyers or businessmen might be better at leading a country than anyone else, and the rest of the world seems to agree with me; this trend, at least to such an exaggerated extent, is not replicated in any other major country. In Egypt, for instance, more than 2 0 percent of politicians are academics (who play only a negligible role in American politics), as compared to only 25 percent former lawyers and businessmen combined(!). China shows a marked propensity for engineers (at 40 percent), who yet again play practically no role in D.C. Furthermore, Germany’s current chancellor is a physicist, which would be almost inconceivable in America. This barrier amplifies the effects we saw above, as many businessmen or lawyers who would otherwise have no compelling reason to serve come to see politics as a realistic way to bolster their reputations (see Meg Whitman or Arnold Schwarzenegger in CA), while doctors (less than five percent of U.S. politicians), engineers, scholars, and countless others with solid political ideas, motivations, and abilities are kindly told to spend their time otherwise.

Though lawyers and businessmen might have a clear advantage when it comes to selling themselves to the public, I highly doubt that you can convince me that they have a monopoly on such traits as creativity, flexibility, eloquence, humility, courage, or intelligence, characteristics essential to effective leadership.

A second factor contributing to subpar politicians in America is intimately tied up with our culture of impatient impulse buying —we tend to focus more on the most significant contributions (or failures) of a given candidate rather than looking at her overall record. That is to say, we would much rather pick a very poor politician who happened be extremely successful in one or two endeavors over a much better politician who by chance made a huge mistake at some point in his career. In the end we not only manage to skip over such otherwise adept politicians, but we also engender a culture in which recklessness at the wheel is condoned, even encouraged.

I would very much like to be able to conclude this discussion with a recipe for how I think we might progress out of this quagmire, but unfortunately I am afraid that nothing of the sort exists. The hard truth is that the most influential positions in a democracy simply are not in the political realm, and truly talented and motivated people will continue to be attracted to more useful and productive endeavors regardless of what we do or say. Moreover, short of decommissioning the American Dream and its concomitant culture of sugarcoated instant gratification, I see no way to keep reckless fame- and thrill-seekers out of Washington.

But don’t worry, I’ll leave you on an optimistic note: I look forward to the day when America grows out of its puerile conception of leadership as a skill in itself and comes to see it as it really is: A field in which people of any background with powerful ideas and unyielding motivation can realistically help the country move forward. We should all hope that day comes sooner rather than later.

Tyler Lutz is a second-year in the College.

tic that jumps out is the absence of direct consumer control over spending. Most Americans pay for the bulk of their health care indirectly through premium payments, employer-provided coverage, or taxes; they are rarely billed for the full cost of any specific treatment. Therefore, they have no incentive to ensure that they’re getting good value for any given procedure. Ryan’s approach addresses this issue by converting most federal health spending into vouchers that are given directly to households—since any health care spending would then come from funds that people control directly, they would pursue low-cost options.

While this approach has merit, it is limited by its failure to properly account for the purpose of Medicare. The program was created primarily because elderly people were priced out of the private insurance market due to their greater demand for medical treatment—insurers could expect to spend more paying the claims of a typical elderly American than they took in as premiums.

While Republicans might justifi ably claim that it would be better for elderly people to use Medicare vouchers to pay for most care out-of-pocket so they maintain direct control over insurance spending, “most” is the key term here. There are some medical expenses, such as catastrophic accidents, which truly cannot be anticipated. Insurance is designed to pool these unforeseeable risks so that any one person afflicted by them can use the resources of others in the pool to cope (as can any of those others when disaster strikes them). Since it is virtually impossible for elderly people to be worth insuring, it seems appropriate for the government to directly provide them with subsidized catastrophic insurance coverage.

Such coverage would cost much less than the comprehensive coverage offered now, since medical emergencies are relatively rare. Elderly people could pay for their remaining healthcare expenses through savings and a voucher program which would serve the low-income elderly as well as former Medicaid recipients.

Thus, the best approach to reducing public health care spending lies in correctly distinguishing between beneficial and harmful government intervention in the economy.

The government can do harm when it mistakenly subsidizes socially destructive behavior. However, intelligently crafted government programs can spend on important priorities without creating bad incentives: Government intervention is sometimes the only way to provide certain social goods. A proper understanding of these distinctions would go a long way toward addressing the burgeoning cost of federal health care programs as well as various other problems we face.

Ajay Ravichandran is a third-year in the College majoring in Political Science.

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VOICES

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT NOVEMBER 19, 2010

powerful and universal. But what those English teachers forgot to tell you is that dissecting Shakespeare in a classroom and poring through footnotes that explain obscure words is not at all the experience, and Filament strives to make his plays to our modern world what they were for the theatergoers of his day.

Shakespeare is universal in his ideas and in his depictions of humanity, but those so often get obscured by time, language, and a certain barrier that is erected between us and the classics. Filament Theatre breaks down this barrier violently, rowdily, bawdily, and amusingly to create a performance that the audience can both participate in

CHOOSE THINE OWN ADVENTURE Filament Theatre Through December 11

THEATER

Filament Theatre transports Shakespeare back to his playful roots

By Ana Klimchynskaya Et Tu, Voices?

How do you write a review for a show that changes every night? Filament Theatre’s Choose Thine Own Adventure is a play in which the audience gets to decide what happens. In this improvised mash-up

of Shakespearean plays, there are 20 different ways the play could go and four possible endings. As one of the cast members added at the end, “If you didn’t like the show tonight, come back tomorrow, and maybe you’ll like it better!” So how do I review a play that I might love one night and hate the next? I discovered that, in

fact, it is this constantly changing nature of the play that makes it so wonderful and so unique.

Choose Thine Own Adventure is Filament’s attempt to recreate what theater was like in Shakespeare’s day. Shakespeare—as I’m sure has been drilled into you by high school English teachers—is brilliant and

and relate to.

In Shakespeare’s day, many theatergoers, instead of being prim and proper patrons, were people called groundlings who would pay a penny to stand, watch a play, and shout at the stage. They laughed at those bits that we now need footnotes for, and they probably cried at the end of Othello or Hamlet. They were involved with and attached to the performance, which is exactly what Choose Thine Own Adventure brings to life.

Audience members shouted themselves hoarse with votes for the way the play should go, such as raising their hand to suggest a name for Romeo to be “newbaptis’d,” as his appellation of “Capulet” w a s d i s p l e a s i n g t o J u l i e t . Ac t o r s r a n through the audience, b orrowed b eer bottles, and sometimes brought down the fourth wall rather violently to argue with each other about how the play should go.

It was funny, real, and alive.

And yet, despite all the rowdiness and shouting, the play kept the spirit of Shakespeare alive. At first, it felt slightly disconnected—like random scenes of Shakespeare plays strung together—but soon a common thread began to emerge as the play mixed poignant and tragic depictions of human emotion with humor, just as Shakespeare would’ve wanted it. For Shakespeare understood that life can be hilarious and depressing, tragic and comic— why else would he begin the tragedy of

CHOOSE continued on page 7

ART

Beats and Pieces brings to campus a multicultural view of art

By Hallie Grumer Voices Aesthete While the University of Chicago may have a reputation for being weak in the visual arts, that’s slowly changing. Certainly the Logan Arts Center is a large contributor, but so are student efforts. “Origins” is a studentorganized and student-created art show that displays arts from both the campus and community.

“Origins” was first created in 2008 by fourth-year Adama Wiltshire when she was inspired to change the art scene on campus.

The lack of art shows was her inspiration, and the building of the Logan Arts Center provided her with the perfect opportunity.

She took the construction of the new center to signal a shift towards a greater presence of the arts on campus.

Wiltshire teamed up with the RSO Beats and Pieces, which strives to connect the surrounding community with art.

BEATS AND PIECES Office of Multicultural Student Affairs Friday All Day

Marrissa Washington, fourth-year and president of Beats and Pieces, along with her vice president, Shiraz Gallab, have seized the opportunity this year to bring local artists from the community together with artists at the U of C. Washington and Wiltshire wanted to create a space for the artist, allowing students to discover just what an artist can be. In doing so, they have brought together people

from entirely different backgrounds, hence the name “Origins.” The show strives to celebrate multicultural approaches to art, as well as each artist’s origins in their native country.

To help organize the show and promote a multicultural approach, Beats and Pieces collaborated with multicultural RSOs like Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan and the Puerto Rican Students Association.

Plus, the show is being held at the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs.

There are six artists—some students and some community members—included in “Origins” this year: Social Sciences graduate student Sohad Murrar contributed spoken word poetry, while Yvonne Jeffries’s wire sculptures, Analia Rodriguez’s collages, Shirley Moore-Munos’s charcoal rubbings, Miguel Arroyo’s photography and painting,

and fourth-year Victoria Maya’s sculptures are all on display.

Each artist brings something different to the show, “[which is] what I love about them,” Washington said.

Some of the artists will even be selling their pieces at the show. This two-day art exhibit is unique to campus, and through it, Washington hopes that such shows will continue with the opening of the Logan Arts Center.

This exhibit provides the opportunity for students and community members to expand their cultural horizons and to help develop a vibrant campus art scene to welcome in the new Center. It is not only a collaboration with the community, but one with the students as well, challenging them to open their eyes to these different forms of art and per-

BEATS continued on page 7

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CHICAGO MAROON | VOICES | November 19, 2010

Style

Chicago Manual of

The three commandments of fashion

by Jessen O’Brien

I have many friends at the U of C who fear fashion more than their next Calc midterm. They either equate fashion with vanity or find the process of picking out an outfit so befuddling that they decide to just not attempt it. But fashion can be useful and not so scary if you know the rules.

Fashion is part art, part practicality, and part self-definition. Everyone—even those who claim to opt out—participates. Fashion is simply what we wear, so unless you are part of a nudist colony, you have your own style whether you know it or not. While no three words can sum up fashion completely, if there were three such words, they would be geometry, perception, and attitude. There are reasons why trends go in and out of style, why one skirt looks

better than another on you, and why you cannot wear that top with those pants.

Most of the time, that reason is geometry.

Geometry in fashion is how proportion, fit, and pattern create illusions on your body. High-waisted skirts are popular because they narrow the waist, lengthen the legs, and illuminate an hourglass figure.

An empire waist hides stomach issues and emphasizes the chest, while a pair of jeans that starts at the hips lengthens the torso.

Also, if a shirt is too tight, you will look bigger, not smaller, and if it is too large you could look like a waif. Vertical strips lengthen, horizontal stripes widen, and diagonal stripes are just confusing. So before you panic while attempting to shop for a winter wardrobe, take a deep breath and remem-

ber geometry. Maybe you hated it in ninth grade, but it can be a lifelong friend.

Perception is the impression your fashion choices have on others. People do not wear suits to work because they are the paragon of comfort. Suits, with their crisp angles and careful tailoring, are designed to make people look more powerful. A Peter Pan collar or a floral shirt, on the other hand, softens the wearer. But these perceptions are not unalterable. Combine a blazer with a floral shirt and you have a whole new look.

Attitude is perhaps the most important word to keep in mind when choosing an outfit. If you do not feel confident, you will inevitably look it. Perhaps this sounds like cheesy advice, but it is true. You will

slouch, lower your head, and tug on your clothes. If you cannot feel comfortable in an outfit, do not wear it. And if you are nervous and afraid that what you are wearing might be a little too daring, the best approach is to tell yourself you look wonderful. Take inspiration from fashion designers. The late Alexander McQueen was not praised b ecause he designed generic looks. Instead, his clothing is beautiful because it is a little different and a little daring.

Geometry, perception, and attitude— pay attention to these three words when shopping or putting together an outfit, and fashion will b ecome your friend.

Remember, look how you want to look, and never let clothing hinder your life.

Choose Thine Own Adventure improves Othello & others through improv Students and community put work on display in "Origins" CHOOSE continued from page 6 Romeo and Juliet with a scene of sex jokes?

In this respect, the actors were phe nomenal in portraying Shakespeare’s characters, capturing their grief and sorrows as well as their jokes and laughter. I was particularly touched by Othello’s line at the end, in which he ponders that a candle, blown out, can be lit again, but the light of life, once blown out, cannot be rekindled.

It was poignant and well played, but what made it even better was the actor’s humorous comment to the audience about what that line actually means.

Adding to the sheer novelty of the play was the pre-show. Having taken the rather

rickety stairs down to the Underground Lounge Bar, I was courteously greeted by a gentleman in a ruff and an Elizabethan outfit. Inside, guests mingled with drinks and chatted with the actors, all in Elizabethan dress, while a handout on the table let you play Shakespeare trivia or put together your own insults from a list of Shakespearean words. It was like descending into another world and another time.

I feel entirely as if I’ve spoiled the show, for I’ve given away everything that made me enjoy it. Yet it’s quite probable that I have said very little of what you’ll actually see, for the adventure that you choose will, quite probably, be different from mine.

BEATS continued from page 6 spectives. By teaming up with the “Origins” art show, Beats and Pieces hopes to achieve its goal in an interesting and exciting way.

In light of the progress “Origins” has made since its first run last year, Wiltshire’s project only stands to grow. Unlike last year,

M

“Origins 2.0,” as Washington likes to call this year’s incarnation, has been in the works since the beginning of September.

“Last year, we sort of threw it together, and I still don’t know how we did it,” she said with a laugh. “This year we had more time, but there is still so much to do.”

For more Voices... log on to ChicagoMaroon.com/Voices-Blog

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CHICAGO MAROON | VOICES | November 19, 2010

Voices STD (Stuff to Do)

1453 E. Hyde Park Blvd.

(773) 324-3800

With Christine Yang

Friday | November 19 Tuesday | November 23 Join chefs Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill and Topolobampo), Art Smith (Art and Soul), Charlie Trotter (whose eponymous restaurant was recently awarded two Michelin stars), and Food Network's Lee Brian Schrager at Chicago Chefs Live! The panel of esteemed chefs will talk about good food and restaurants with The New York Times Magazine writer and former Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni. (77 East Randolph Street, 6:30 p.m., $25)

If you haven’t already seen Squat the Condos at various on-campus events, the band (whose members are all U of C students) offers a free download of its new EP, “A Goolson’s Lollipop,” on its website.

The band will be performing such hits as “Benadryl” with Jared Bartman, Andrew Pellitier, and Mad Bread at the Double Door this Tuesday. (1572 North Milwaukee Avenue, 8 p.m., $5)

Saturday | November 20

Wednesday | November 24

Unless you’re the proud owner of the sorcerer’s stone, join author Dennis William Hauck at his presentation, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Alchemy.” Although your Harry Potter–riddled mind may not be able to get past the magical aspects of alchemy, Hauck will talk about how the principles of alchemy can be applied in the modern world. (International House, 12 p.m., free)

More Muppet magic awaits at the Gene Siskel Film Center’s screening of Follow that Bird. After Big Bird gets sent to live with a family of dodo birds, he feels out of place and runs away. In typical Sesame Street fashion, all his friends band together in order to find him. After the long and arduous journey, the viewer is left with the message that a family can consist of humans, grouches, counts, and even monsters—so long as they all love each other.

(164 North State Street, 6:15 p.m., $7)

Sunday | November 21 Catch the debut concert of the Middle East Music Ensemble’s new Performance Program Director Wanees Zarour. The ensemble will be performing a program titled “Muwashahat: Songs of Andalusia” in honor of Arab Heritage Month.

(International House, 6 p.m., free)

Monday | November 22 As part of its series on the post-classical Western, Doc will be screening Walter Hill’s 1980 film The Long Riders. The fictionalized account of the infamous James-Rider gang stars real-life siblings as Jesse and Frank James (played by James and Stacy Keach), Cole, Ed, and Bob Younger (David, Keith, and Bob Carradine) and Clell and Ed Miller (Randy and Dennis Quaid). (Max Palevsky Cinema, 7 p.m., $5)

Hyde Park location

Thursday | November 25 If you’re stuck in Chicago over Thanksgiving or just want to practice waking up early in anticipation of Black Friday, head over to the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade. While the parade organizers are keeping the full balloon lineup a secret until the parade, there will still be appearances by favorites such as Pilgrim Garfield, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and Curious George, among others.

(North State Street between Congress and Randolph, 8 a.m., free)

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Have an event you’d like to see in STD? E-mail StuffToDo@ChicagoMaroon.com

9

CHICAGO MAROON | VOICES | November 19, 2010

The Fun Corner.

CORE: Comic Only Read Entelligently

By Alyssa Martin

"Wizard Puzzle, Dear Reader"

Across 1. Silver seventh* 7. Slender 11. Drink like a cat 14. Create charged particles 15. Steve Martin's birthplace 16. Fuss 17. Cedric the ___ 19. Tour vehicle 20. Oration location 21. Stone seventh* 22. Secret seventh* 24. Elysia 26. Twitch 27. Alice B. ___, companion of Gertrude Stein 30. Slytherin seventh* 33. Certain balls or knuckles 34. "Sweet, there's Off-Off tonight!"

36. 9:30 AM lecture response 38. ___ Jordans 39. Soul sliver (stored in the starred entries) 42. Thermal prefix 43. "Arrivederci ___" 45. Actress Skye 46. Biblical spy 48. Slithering seventh* 50. Rosie's hardware 51. Substance of a MAROON article?

52. Write QED, say 54. For the problem at hand 57. Tractor follower 58. Anger, with "up" 62. Le ___ Soleil (Louis XIV) 63. Scarred seventh* 66. Sippable seventh* 67. Annoying overstatement for something mildly amusing 68. Puts up 69. Sosa's stats, briefly 70. Actor Rogen 71. Frank

Down 1. Departed 2. New Rochelle college 3. Not pro 4. Truck drivers?

5. Old Testament book before Neh. 6. Scotland's yards?

7. Fred and George, e.g.

8. "___ in there, baby!"

9. ___ cold (cooler than being cool) 10. "No, it's just that my people are ___" 11. "The floor is made of ___!"

12. Month after Shevat 13. The greatest Christmas present ever 18. Get an ___ (ace the class) 23. Gross 25. Salt measurement 26. Pad See-Ew topping 27. Ski lift 28. Belted constellation figure 29. ___ Police 30. Currency in 43-across, once 31. Ravenclaw mascot, curiously 32. "RT @kanyewest Up early in the morning taking meetings in Silicone Valley," e.g.

34. Captain Picard's counselor 35. Smash Bros. Melee system, briefly 37. Wealthy Londoners 40. Sty cry 41. Nero's 94 44. Foreign exchange premium 47. Warded off 49. Les Savy Fav singles compilation 50. One-piece that is fashionable now 52. Roost 53. Baltimore's Lewis 54. Aqueduct feature 55. Gloomy 56. A "major" at the U of C 57. JK Rowling, e.g.

59. The seven-year problem 60. "My So-Called Life" heartthrob 61. Formerly, formerly 64. Donkey Kong, e.g.

65. Lode load

M

Solution for 11/16 puzzle

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Android users can search "Chicago Maroon" on appbrain.com for the MAROON's new Android-friendly app.

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11

CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | November 19, 2010

Maroons improved stamina with new conditioning program

Disappointed with regional finish, women look for redemption W. CROSS COUNTRY continued from back page Atlantic Regional Champion St. Lawrence.

Last year’s national champions, with a score of 171 points, were the University of Wisconsin –Eau Claire. Their most recent victory was at the Midwest Regionals, where they outran Washington University 85–93. The team runs under good leadership: coach Dan Schwamberger was named NCAA D–III Midwest Region Coach of the Year for the second year in a row.

Though the field is intimidating, it does not look to be out of Chicago’s league. While the

team’s performance at Regionals was less than ideal, their overall record is more indicative of their national chances, and by that measure a triumphant run on Saturday seems a likely conclusion to the season.

“Personally my drive Saturday will come from it being my last cross country race ever. We are going to be relying on each other to trophy,” concluded Peverada.

The Maroons travel to Wartburg College in Iowa for the meet.

Chicago begins four-game road trip this weekend W. BASKETBALL continued from back page Fourth-year Matt Hart holds a Case wrestler down during a match last season.

ALEX GLECKMAN/MAROON FILE PHOTO

WRESTLING continued from back page Qualifier in February.”

The Maroon freshmen have had some help from their outstanding fourth-year leaders. Kocher was quick to compliment his seniors, saying that the positive attitudes of the first years–despite losing to Olivet–can mainly be attributed to “our upperclassmen and a large senior class that has been offering them real leadership and support throughout the season”.

The Maroons began practicing on October 2, their meet this past Tuesday against Olivet coming after just a month and a half of training. By comparison, Olivet had already wrestled in two meets before facing the Maroons. “[We start wrestling] pretty late,” said Oster. “We have been practicing for almost seven weeks now, and it is nice to finally get out there and show what we have been working on.”

An integral part of what the Maroons have been working on is a new conditioning program designed to keep the Maroons

fresh late in matches. According to Oster, the benefits were “immediately apparent” in the match against Olivet. “Even though this was our first meet and Olivet’s third, our conditioning definitely helped us outpace Olivet in the third period,” said Oster.

The Maroons’ conditioning was apparent in Oster’s match: With only thirty seconds remaining in the final period, Oster managed to take down his opponent for two points to seal the 4–2 victory. The Maroons are hoping that this newfound conditioning will help them at the hotly-contested Concordia Invitational this Saturday.

“Concordia is a very large, strong tournament. There are typically more than 30 entries per weight class. The field usually includes perennial NCAA Champion Wartburg and Division II and NAIA teams,” said Kocher. Despite the strength of competition, Kocher expects the same thing out of his wrestlers that he expects every time they step on the mat: “I am looking for our guys to bring their best and wrestle hard.”

CLASSIFIEDS

came off the bench to score 11 points in 16 minutes, while third-year Meghan Herrick came out strong for the defense with 10 rebounds in the game.

The Maroons will hope to carry this momentum with them on the road as they play their next four games away, starting with the Lakeland tournament this weekend. They will start the tournament against Loras in opening-round play Friday and continue on to face either Augustana

or Lakeland. In all-time series play, the Maroons lead Loras 4–2, trail Augustana 3–2, and are tied with Lakeland 1–1. Still, the Maroons are in a solid position heading into the weekend as all three of these teams dropped their season openers earlier this week.

Coming off last season’s strong performance, Chicago is expected to have another strong season. They’ve been picked to finish third in the UAA according to the league’s preseason poll.

Early season practices have focused on mistake-free play M. BASKETBALL continued from back page team will achieve as the season progresses.

In practice, the Maroons have been “focusing on our offensive sets to get more quality shots and we’ve also been working to protect the ball,” said Stefanou, who contributed two assists, two steals, and a block in 26 minutes on the floor.

Defensively, the coaches and the players agree that while they played solid early on, they must

maintain tenacity for the full 60 minutes. “Mistakes on the defensive side of the ball,” according to Williams, as well as “costly turnovers” are what caused the second-half Dominican rally. Williams was not satisfied with his six rebounds, two assists and two blocks, stating, “I would have liked to be more active”.

McGrath and the rest of the squad play their first home game Friday against Hanover College at Ratner Athletic Center, 7 p.m.

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5118 S Kimbark - Hyde Park large 1 br. apt in well maintained bldg, lots of light, hrdwd flrs, eat-in kit, miniblinds, ceil fan, laundry on site. $760 includes heat. Avail. Dec. 1 Call Jerry 312-608-1234

6113 S. Kimbark Beauty Deluxe 3 bedroom 2 bath condo in beautiful 8 unit building. This unit is loaded with amenities including jacuzzi in master bath, gas fireplace, hardwood floors, central air, granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, in unit washer and dryer, and more.

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Once again Tim Gant lights up the keyboards for 55th Street Jazz at the Cove. He will be joined by the sultry stylings of songstress Jocelyn Winston on Sunday, November 28th from 6-9pm. Seats go waaaaay fast, so you might want to get there early. The Cove is located at 1750 E. 55th Street.

As always — no cover, and raffle trip giveaways abound. 773.684.1013 or www.thecovelounge.com for more info.

In the University House System Resident Heads live in the College Houses to provide guidance, advice and direction to members of the undergraduate House communities. Advanced graduate students are encouraged to apply. Single, domestic-partnered, or married persons who are at least 25 years of age can apply. Children are welcome.

Compensation is valued at approximately $18,000 for a single person.

For married persons, the value is increased by the meals and health benefits provided for spouses and children and has been estimated to be as high as $32,000.

Compensation consists of a cash stipend, furnished apartment for 12 months of the year, meals when the College is in session, and University student medical insurance for full-time registered students and their dependents.

Application materials and additional information are available on the Office of Undergraduate Student Housing website at http://housing.uchicago.edu

[ Information Sessions \

Information Sessions about this position and the selection process will be held on Thursday, January 6, in the Dames Club at 7:00PM ~ 1369 E. Hyde Park Blvd.

(Fairfax); Monday, January 10, and Thursday, January 13, at 7:00 PM in BurtonJudson Courts Residence Hall ~ 1005 E. 60th Street; Wednesday, January 19, at 7:00 PM ~ 5710 S. Woodlawn and Thursday, January 20, at 4:00PM ~ Family Resource Center ~ Ida Noyes Hall ~ 1212 E. 59th Street Lower Level.

Attendance at one of these sessions is required for all applicants.

[ APPLICATION DEADLINE: JANUARY 24, 2011 \

IN QUOTES

SPORTS

“F that list and F them too.”

—C.C. Brown, tweeting his disapproval after being included on Deadspin’s list of 100 worst NFL players.

WRESTLING

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

“I will win this race.”

—Fourth-year Liz Lawton, on Saturday’s NCAA championship meet

The Race is On With their first NCAA A e bid since 2006, the Maroons have theirr sights set on the trophy stand.

By Gracie Sonnabend Sports Staff

Following a very successful season, the Maroons will have their sixth shot at the NCAA championship on Saturday. Although the women have never placed nationally, the strength and talent of this year’s team gives them a strong chance to win their first ever NCAA trophy.

They definitely have the ability; prior to last week’s Regional championship meet, they were ranked sixth

BIG MAROON NUMBERS NCAA Championship Noon Saturday, November 20 Waverly, Iowa

MEN’S BASKETBALL

“I’m going to run my race; I’m going to run true to myself,” said Lawton.

“I’m going to try to make this race as painful for everyone else as possible. If anybody is still with me, I know I have what it takes to win.”

Four other UAA teams will be present at the meet: Washington University (8th), NYU (18th), Emory (26th), and Case Western (dropped from rankings).

Of all the teams present, Wash U poses the greatest threat. Although Lawton won Regionals, the Bears managed to get four runners in before Chicago’s second runner.

The women are definitely aware of the situation. “We’re so strong this year because we’ve worked hard to realize not only our potential as individual runners, but our potential as a team,” said fourth-year Erin Cary. “If we’re going to be successful tomorrow, we have to run with, not for, one another.”

Other key teams include the Middlebury Panthers, ranked first in the nation and with five national titles under their belts; third-ranked Williams, with two previous titles; and second-ranked

nationally and second in the region.

The women finished fifth at the meet, partially due to a first-place finish by fourth-year Liz Lawton. Down but not out, the Maroons received an at-large bid for Nationals—the perfect place to prove themselves.

“Last week we learned that every single girl in the top seven counts,” said third-year Rachel Ohman. “I feel like that wasn’t accepted by all of us.

It’s not just about the top three or four, we can’t afford to check out for even a minute.”

“We know we can trophy...it’s just a matter of everyone putting forth their best race,” said fourth-year Molly Peverada.

Since taking first in both the 5000and 10,000-meter runs last spring, Lawton has been touted as a favorite for nationals, and last year’s outdoor track 5k and 10k champion had some strong predictions for this weekend.

“I will win this race,” she said.

For her part, she is looking to help the team with an individual win.

6

9

1

NCAA appearances for Chicago, including tomorrow’s race

All-American performances in five previous championship meets

NCAA Champion (Rhaina Echols in 1999)

W. CROSS COUNTRY continued on page 11

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Late Dominican free Maroons crush North Central to begin season throw sinks Chicago’s By Lori Knapp Sports Staff season opener The men’s basketball team dropped its season opener Monday night 74–73, as a free-throw by Dominican’s Marquis Turley with seven seconds left gave the Stars a one-point win.

Leading at halftime, the Maroons faltered in the second half. Down by six at the 4:38 mark, Chicago tied the game at 73 with 31 seconds remaining. Turley, a 2010 First Team AllConference guard, sunk one of two free throws in the final seconds, sealing the Maroons’ defeat.

Third-year forwards Tom Williams and Steve Stefanou, both returning honorable-mention All-Conference players last season, led scoring with 22 and 13 points respectively. Dominican’s top contributors were Jovan Turley with 16 points and Marquis Turley wiith 11.

Despite losing its first game, the team showed signs of promise. “I felt as good as I can about a performance in a game that we lost. There were incredibly good signs for the rest of the year,” said coach Mike McGrath, entering his 12th season. Stressing a “balanced [offensive] performance,” the coaches have indicated a need for better ball control, which they are confident the

Th e C h i c a g o w o m e n ’ s b a s ketball team opened the season strong with their eighth consecutive opening night victory, defeating North Central College 79-54.

It took some time for the Maroons to get warmed up in their debut, and North Central kept it close until midway through the first half. With 11 minutes left in the half, second-year Jenna Lillemoe hit a jump shot to start a 24-point streak for the Maroons.

Chicago finished the half leading North Central 48–26. In the second half, Chicago remained dominant, leading by at least 20 points throughout the rest of the game.

The Maroons saw strong performances both offensively and defensively. They shot 50 percent from the field versus 26 percent for the Cardinals and they outrebounded their opponents by a 53–36 margin. 3rd year Taylor Simpson was a leader in both regards, notching her third career double-double, with a career-high 18 points for the game. Third-year Bryanne Halfhill also finished the game with 18 points, sharing game -high scoring honors with Simpson. The team also saw a strong offensive performance from First-year Corey Mulder, who

M. BASKETBALL continued on page 11

W. BASKETBALL continued on page 11

By Peter Visser Sports Contributor

Chicago opens rebuilding season with loss to Olivet

By Mahmoud Bahrani Sports Staff The University of Chicago wrestling squad got off to a rough start Tuesday, falling 35–6 in a duel meet against Olivet College.

The Maroons won twice in the ten contested matches. Thirdyear Johansen Amin scored the Maroons’ first win with in a 5–3 decision, as fourth-year Chris Oster won the very next match 4–2.

However, it was all downhill afterwards as the Maroons dropped the next six matches, four by decision and two by pin.

The slow start is nothing new for head coach Leo Kocher and his squad. Last year, the Maroons lost to Olivet by nearly the same margin, falling 33–6. They promptly went on to win the UAA championship for the second year in a row and defeat several nationally ranked opponents.

“I do not, and more importantly our wrestlers do not, worry about being a little slow out of the gate.

It is a long season,” said Coach Kocher.

Oster agreed: “We don’t really see the duel against Olivet as an indicator of how our season will go. Olivet is always a tough opponent and has matches in before we wrestle them, and it’s tough coming in and wrestling that more experienced competitor right away.”

However, Kocher admitted that this team doesn’t quite have the firepower of last year’s team due to its youth. Half the Maroon starters are first-years. “It has to be considered a rebuilding year anytime a team starts 50-percent freshmen,” said Coach Kocher. “The important thing is to stay positive, keep moving forward as a team, and to peak at the UAAs and NCAA

WRESTLING continued on page 11

CA LEN DA R Friday

11/19

• M. & W. Swimming and Diving host Phoenix Fall Classic, 6 p.m.

• M. Basketball vs. Hanover, 7 p.m.

• W. Basketball vs. Loras (at Lakeland), 8 p.m.

Saturday

11/20

• Wrestling @ Concordia Open, 9 a.m.

• M. & W. Swimming and Diving host Phoenix Fall Classic, 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

• W. Cross Country @ NCAA Championship, noon • W. Basketball vs. TBD (at Lakeland), Time TBD

Sunday Third-year Bryanne Halfhill makes a layup during Monday’s home game against North Central. Chicago won 79–54.

MATT BOGEN/MAROON

11/21

• M. & W. Swimming and Diving host Phoenix Fall Classic, 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

• M. Basketball vs. Denison, 3 p.m.