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FRIDAY • OCTOBER 9, 2015

CHICAGOMAROON.COM

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892

ISSUE 3 • VOLUME 127

408 sign petition accusing UCSC of transgender discrimination Tamar Honig Associate News Editor An online petition aimed at the University Community Service Center (UCSC) for alleged acts of transgender discrimination has gained 408

supporters after circulating for a month. The petition accuses the UCSC of discrimination for choosing not to hire trans student Kris Rosentel as a program coordinator for its Chicago Bound social-change pre-orientation program.

The petition—written by fourth-year Sara Rubinstein, founder of a LGBTQ activism student group called Queers United in Power (QUIP)—alleges that this decision is part of a pattern of insensitivUCSC continued on page 2

University announces end to parttime student status Sonia Schlesinger News Staff Students gather on the Quad for a UCAN rally this past spring. SYDNEY COMBS | THE CHICAGO MAROON

Zimmer says University unlikely to divest from fossil fuels Isaac Stein Senior News Reporter Nationally, a recent wave of on-campus activism for fossil fuel divestment has pitted administrations against students who claim that colleges and Universities have greater moral responsibility in managing endowment resources than they recognize at present. In response, some administrations have taken steps to divest, but at the University of Chicago, this has not been the case. University President Robert J. Zimmer said at a meeting with The Maroon in June that the University’s Board of Trustees is “unlikely” to divest from fossil fuels. On precedent and principle, Zimmer disagrees with divestment as a best practice. He said

that the University’s role should be to produce climate change and energy use research, especially in partnership with Argonne National Lab, at which the University is the largest contractor. When asked how much of the University endowment is invested in fossil fuel companies, Zimmer said, “I don’t know the answer,” adding that this was because the University Investment Office, chaired by Mark A. Schmid, invests in portfolios rather than in individual companies. He said that the administration’s opposition to divestment is consistent with the Kalven Report, published by a University faculty committee in 1967, which recommended that the University maintain political neutrality in the interest of ensur-

ing free expression. Zimmer said he had seen the addendum to the UChicago Climate Action Network (UCAN) 2013 divestment report, which argued that the social impact of climate change was, in the language of the Kalven Report, “so incompatible with paramount social values as to require careful assessment of the consequences.” However Zimmer also said that he did not find the argument “convincing, compared to the arguments the other way.” In reference to the addendum, he said, “I appreciate and admire that people went through the effort of making those arguments, and just because you make an argument doesn’t mean people accept it.” “Investments are the responsibility of the Board of Trustees, UCAN continued on page 4

Freenters 2.0 coming soon, but at a cost Ben Andrew Maroon Contributor Freenters, a printing service founded at the University of Chicago, has permanently closed all of its kiosks around campus with the goal of implementing a new business model. Soon, students will be able

to print at any printer they have access to—personal or public— using a special piece of software developed by Freenters, but not necessarily for free. The new software is part of what Freenters calls “Freenters 2.0,” and it will be available on November 20, according to the company’s website. Previously, Freenters

required students to use one of its dedicated kiosks around campus to print for free. As part of the transition to Freenters 2.0, Freenters is also changing its advertising and reimbursement model. Previously, ink and toner were provided entirely free of charge at PRINT continued on page 3

Jay Ellison, dean of students in the College, announced last week that the University will be eliminating part-time status for students. Previously, students taking fewer than three courses per quarter were enrolled as part-time students. All students must now

register for at least three courses per quarter, though exceptions will be made in specific situations. These exceptions primarily apply to students with health issues, who can work with Student Disability Services to petition to enroll with a reduced course load. Even with fewer classes, these students will still be considered full-time in

order to retain benefits like financial aid and college housing. The e-mail explains that “this should help students concentrate on their health…and…continue to progress toward their degree with institutional support.” Fourth-year students in their final quarter who need fewer than three courses PARTTIME continued on page 3

University community remembers Marcus Cox Isaac Stein Senior News Reporter At Bartlett Dining Commons, the friends and coworkers of Marcus Cox are remembering a man who was multitalented, generous, and committed to “celebrating your birthday like it was his birthday.” Cox had worked at Bartlett as a display cook since late 2011, and had previously lived in Milwaukee. On September 27 at 4:22 a.m., Cox, 28, was fatally shot in the abdomen on the 9600 block of South Morgan Avenue, in the Longwood Manor neighborhood. Tony Evans and Dwight McGee, who both currently work at Bartlett, said that Cox was a generous person who attended all of his coworkers’ family events, irrespective of his other obligations. Evans said that he remembers how Cox attended Evans’ wife’s baby

shower and apologized for not bringing a present by showering both wife and baby with a stack of dollar bills. “Marcus was the kind of guy you wouldn’t mind be-

ing around; he celebrated your birthday like it was his birthday, and he brought the liquor,” he said. McGee said that Cox attended his uncle’s funeral, COX continued on page 3

Marcus Cox COURTESY PHOTO

IN VIEWPOINTS

IN ARTS

IN SPORTS

Editorial: Making success affordable » Page 5

An indie rock nerd’s experience at an EDM festival » Page 6

Football: First time in history cracking DIII top 25 » Page 7

Grossbard: The myth of the coddled college student » Page 5

Men’s Soccer: South Siders begin UAA road play at Rochester » Back page


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THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | October 9, 2015

Petition alleges that UCSC’s failure to hire transgender student suggests pattern of insensitivity UCSC continued from front

ity toward members of the trans community. UCSC Director Amy Chan wrote in an e-mail, “[L]ike all Campus and Student Life programs and services, [UCSC] greatly values the diversity of our campus and appreciates student input on how best to foster a welcoming community.” She declined to comment on the petition, “as it pertains to a confidential personnel issue.” Rosentel also declined to speak to The Maroon regarding the petition due to unspecified legal constraints. University spokesperson Jeremy Manier issued the following statement: “UCSC welcomes

students regardless of gender identity and does not discriminate on that basis or with regard to other aspects of identity.” Rosentel interviewed for two positions at UCSC: program coordinator for Chicago Bound 2015, which entails leading the cohort during its program week in September, and intern for Chicago Bound for Spring 2015, which entails supporting the program during the academic year. Rosentel was not hired for the position of program coordinator, but did accept and briefly fill the latter role in the spring. They left the post within weeks “after complaining about discrimination and harassment in the workplace,” the petition claims. Rosentel and

UCSC declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding Rosentel’s departure. The petition alleges that Rosentel deserved the job because they were qualified for the role and was “one of the most committed and passionate members of the Chicago Bound community since it s founding in 2012.” It maintains that the decision that was made constitutes an act of trans discrimination. The petition also levied wider accusations of a lack of LGBTQ-inclusivity against UCSC. Among the concerns: a devaluing of student voices, lack of gender neutral housing in UCSC programs, and UCSC staff ’s failure to undergo Safe Space training.

IOP Director launches new podcast, The Axe Files

David Axelrod and Matthew Dowd sit down to discuss political issues during a recent “Axe Files” podcast. COURTESY OF THE INSTITUTE OF POLITICS

Alexandra Blankenhorn Maroon Contributor On September 28, the Institute of Politics (IOP) launched The Axe Files, a podcast series consisting of interviews with politicians about their careers and lives. David Axelrod, IOP director and the host of The Axe Files, described the podcast as “real…honest conversations with fellow practitioners in politics and journalism” aimed at giving listeners “a richer sense of who [the guests] are and what they do.” Axelrod begins the first episode saying, “I love politics and I love politicians.” So it comes as no sur-

prise to hear from Matthew Jaffe, director of communications at the IOP, that the podcast is something Axelrod and his colleagues have wanted to do for a long time. Jaffe says that the IOP launched the podcast with “the goal of giving people a glimpse of the players in politics, and to show them the side they don’t usually see on talk shows.” The episodes, two of which have been released so far, are around 40 minutes each. The first is an interview with Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders. Axelrod interviewed Senator Sanders on September 28 en route from O’Hare Airport to Rockefeller Chapel, where Sanders addressed

UChicago students later that day. “We have led parallel lives,” Axelrod says, referring to their shared identity as New Yorkers and UChicago graduates. The two went on to share stories about growing up with Jewish immigrant parents, the political movements of the ’60s and ’70s, the Brooklyn Dodgers, and learning more outside the classroom than at the University of Chicago. The second episode, released Monday, October 5, features Matthew Dowd, a visiting Fellow this fall at the IOP. Dowd was the former chief strategist for Bush’s 2004 presidential campaign and is currently an ABC News political analyst. The interview took place at the IOP and covers Dowd’s 35year career. Dowd discusses how he was supposed to be a priest, his split with the Bush administration, and his thoughts on the camaraderie of politics. In the upcoming episodes of The Axe Files, Jaffe says Axelrod will host mostly guests who have been or are currently affiliated with the IOP, but not exclusively. The IOP hopes that The Axe Files will serve as a valuable resource to UChicago students, but already sees the potential for a much wider national—and international—audience. In this sense the initial response has been encouraging, according to Jaffe. The Axe Files already has a wide network, receiving the most listens not in Chicago, but in San Francisco, and reaching listeners in countries such as Japan, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and Iraq. The Axe Files episodes are free and available for download on iTunes.

Chan said that the UCSC associate director and UCSC community service advisor have both already participated in Safe Space training, and that staff members who have not “will do so as soon as new sessions become available.” She further asserted that UCSC provides gender-neutral housing for Summer Links, the IMPACT Conference, and all of its other residential programs, and added that staff and program participants “use preferred gender pronouns in introductions.” Rachana Muppa, one of the first-year participants in this year’s Chicago Bound cohort, said that Chan addressed the petition on the first day of the pro-

gram. “One of the driving philosophies of Chicago Bound was to ‘beware the danger of a single story,’ one that has no contention,” Muppa said. “We were encouraged as a group to carefully observe the climate for ourselves and decide our stance.”

IOP announces 5 new fall fellows Henry Bacha Maroon Contributor The University of Chicago Institute of Politics (IOP) has announced five new appointees to its prestigious Fellows Program, whose areas of expertise range from journalism to international diplomacy. The newly appointed Fellows, who will be in residence at the University for the duration of the autumn quarter, include sitting Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, chief campaign strategist for George W. Bush Matthew Dowd, former CNN Chief White House Correspondent Jessica Yellin, executive editor of National Review magazine Reihan Salam, and Pakistan’s former Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani. According to third-year Bess Goodfellow, fellows chair on the IOP’s Student Advisory Board, “The five Fellows this quarter…are each incredible and truly looking forward to engaging students with issues in politics today.” Each of the Fellows will be holding weekly office hours, open to all University students, and will utilize University resources to interact and engage with the campus and the city of Chicago. In addition, Fellows will each present a seminar series, open to all University students, staff, faculty, and community members. The series will consist of weekly 75-minute installments aimed at addressing political issues of national and international scope. Dart’s seminar series, titled “Systemic Injustice—the Crushing Impact of America’s Criminal Justice System,” will discuss the proliferation of alleged injustice within the American penal structure. The series will emphasize the disproportionate sentencing and rates of incarceration purportedly levied on

people of color, people living below the poverty line, and individuals affected by mental illness. “Our criminal justice systems have broken down and have become repositories for all of the societal ills that people have turned their backs on,” Dart said. Discussing his seminar series “Pakistan & the United States: Managing a Difficult Relationship,” Haqqani stated, “My seminar is more focused on Pakistan and the United States only as an example of a relationship that hasn’t worked…Why is it that $42 billion in aid did not win Pakistan over?” Haqqani’s tenure as ambassador ended abruptly with his 2011 resignation, following allegations that he requested American intervention to prevent a takeover of the Pakistani civilian government by the country’s military. Yellin will present “What’s Wrong With the News? Ratings, Clickbait, and the Search for Meaning in Political Coverage,” a discussion of the prioritization of eye-catching stories at the expense of meaningful editorial coverage. Dowd’s series, a collaboration with IOP Director and former Obama adviser David Axelrod, is entitled “Campaign 2016: WTF?” Their joint effort will focus on the 2016 presidential race, with a particular focus on the political tactics employed by candidates. Salam’s seminar series, “The Rise of Majority-Minority Politics: Color Class, and the American Future,” will revolve around the shifting American demographic landscape and its potential impact on American identity and electoral politics. Since the Institute’s establishment in 2013, the Fellows Program has been host to preeminent political practitioners, such as former Senator Mark Udall and Beth Myers, an adviser to Mitt Romney’s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns.

Smart Museum Cafe now accepting Maroon Dollars Cairo Lewis News Staff This September, the University of Chicago’s administration announced two new additions to the dining program for this school year. The University opened its first onsite cooking restaurant in the new William Eckhardt Research Center building, and students are now able

to spend Maroon Dollars at the Smart Museum Café. The Quantum Café, an 86-seat restaurant on the first floor of the William Eckhardt Research Center, is scheduled to open this fall. The on-site cooking restaurant will feature traditional American salads, sandwiches, and burgers. The University Dining office wrote in a statement, “Students iden-

tified the Smart Museum café as a place where they would like to use their Maroon Dollars.” The statement also reads, “UChicago Dining is not looking to expand to other locations at this time but is open to suggestions and feedback from student dining committees.” Some students think the University should revise current ways of allowing students to spend their Ma-

roon Dollars. Although he is excited about the recent changes, secondyear Joe Klafka suggested giving students more Maroon Dollars in order to maximize their eating options, rather than expanding the number of places where they can spend the Maroon Dollars they are given, which varies from $100–$200 depending on the student’s meal plan. “What we as a student body will

need is, instead of more places to spend our money, more money to spend in those places. The cost of increasing Maroon Dollars with the Phoenix and Apartment Meal plans is more than offset by the reduction in meals per quarter for those plans. The students, especially ones new to the College this year, receive a deluge of dining hall fare with the Unlimited Meal Plan,” Klafka said.


THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | October 9, 2015

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UChicago professor wins Emmy for Hyde Park used book sale set for PBS series Your Inner Fish Columbus Day weekend Laila Abdelmonem Maroon Contributor On September 28, Organismal Biology and Anatomy Professor Neil Shubin attended the annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards to accept an award for his PBS series Your Inner Fish. PBS has already demonstrated interest in a sequel. The documentary series, based on Shubin’s 2008 book, was nominated for two awards: Outstanding Science and Tech Production and Graphic Design and Art Direction. Your Inner Fish shares the award for the latter with another documentary series—National Geographic’s Future Cat. Professor Shubin’s journey began in 2012 when the

Howard Hughes Medical Institute approached him for rights to create a three-part documentary series based on his book. “The whole goal of the show is to show that we’re deeply connected to the rest of the life on our planet. In every gene, organ, cell in our body, we have over threeand-a-half billion years of history,” according to Shubin. Shooting, which began in the spring of 2013, took Shubin to destinations including the Arctic, Ethiopia, and South Africa. Shubin stayed on as a professor while the documentary was being made. “There were some days when I would finish lecture on Thursdays at three, hop on a plane, shoot a bunch

of scenes, and come back on Tuesday at one to teach,” Shubin said. As a result of the show, Shubin’s work has gained traction among younger audiences through social media and web-streaming services. According to him, the show’s publication on PBS Video online and Netflix has expanded his viewer population. Shubin has held live Twitter Q&A sessions in recent months with high school science classes. “I think there is a sense of immediacy to it, and it’s kind of fun. I mean today, four or five high school kids tweet saying ‘I’ve got my biology test on Friday, Dr. Shubin, wish me luck,’ and I’ll just [favorite their tweet]. It makes their day,” Shubin said.

Chicago Academy of Music opens in Hyde Park Austin Lai Maroon Contributor The Chicago Academy of Music has opened its doors in Hyde Park, offering students an opportunity to take private lessons with internationally acclaimed faculty and mentors. The primary campus is located at University Church on 5655 South University Avenue, though the music school has two satellite campuses at Saint Adalbert’s Church in West Chicago and Mana Contemporary Chicago in Pilsen. Executive Directors Michael Scott Carter and Kahil El’Zabar founded the academy to discover local musical prodigies and foster creativity through masters

of music who reside in Chicago. “Bebop and jazz masters like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonious Monk became masters because of the camaraderie of other masters. Historically, there is a relationship from prodigy to prodigy through prodigy,” El’Zabar said. The duo also wants to use the Academy to create a musical community. “Music was created as a group function,” El’Zabar continued. “In a pedagogical perspective, we had to make [music] an individualized practice so students would be able to grasp what music is; but that sanitizes what music is to the very soul, to exemplify...With camaraderie of other masters,

the unique nuances, secrets of expression, and formulas of excellence that are individually forged can be collectively garnered to share with our student populous for a much more direct impact of specialness.” In expanding the music program on campus, Scott hopes to invite University of Chicago students to participate in collaborative events. El’Zabar stated that the academy is open to matching teachers with different genres of music that students may wish to explore. “We are open to innovation. We encourage students who want to be a part of this community to build and deliver something that is wonderful for the community,” Scott said.

Bartlett dining worker, fatally shot at 28, was known for his optimism and sense of humor COX continued from front

and was “the first one to get there and the last one to leave.” Evans added that Cox was also well liked for his optimism and sense of humor. “He shut Facebook down when he passed away. Marcus was a well-liked guy by everybody. He didn’t argue or fight; if you were mad at him, you’d let it go in 30 seconds. He’d say something to make you laugh.” After being shot, Cox was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died of his wounds later that day. According to Thomas Sweeney, news affairs officer for the Chicago Police Depart-

ment (CPD), a criminal investigation into Cox’s death is ongoing, but no suspects have been named. Cleveland Wilson, Cox’s first cousin, came to the scene after the shooting. He said that Cox was likely robbed before he was shot, as he was found missing his wallet and car keys. He added that Cox was also shot in the ankle and that there were seven shells on the ground at the crime scene. Sweeney refused to comment on the details provided by Wilson. Wilson said that he will remember his cousin’s offthe-job passions for playing sports, video games, going to clubs, and cooking.

“We grew up together. Marcus liked to party; he’d go to bars for a few drinks, and dress up like a nerd and dance like a nerd. He also did MMA [Mixed Martial Arts], was good at Madden and 2K, and loved restaurant food. He was also big into cooking and eating desserts. You could also make a whole cake, and half of it would be gone the next day. He took a big slice,” Wilson said. A wake and funeral for Marcus Cox will be held on Saturday at the Leak and Sons Funeral Chapel, which is located at 18400 South Pulaski Road in Country Club Hills, IL. Services begin at 9 a.m.

Pete Grieve Maroon Contributor The Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference (HPKCC) will hold its ninth annual used book sale this weekend at the Hyde Park Shopping Center. Jane Ciacci, co-chair of the event, estimates that the group has collected almost 50,000 books spanning 50 subject categories, including mystery, poetry, fiction, and literary classics. Given that most donors are local members of the UChicago community, the selection includes many academic books and some textbooks. Books will be priced at 50 cents for small paperbacks, one dollar for large paperbacks and two dollars for hardcovers. Organizers have also collected several higher-priced “special books,”

such as first editions of novels and unusual historical books. On Monday, remaining books will go on sale at a discount—four dollars for a bag of books and five dollars for a box. In recent years, HPKCC has started advertising the book sale to University students. Ciacci says those efforts have helped contribute to the event’s recent success, although she admits it has been difficult to reach out to students because the event is so early in the quarter. The book sale is the HPKCC’s signature fundraising event. Its proceeds help the organization fund its operations and projects, which include improving schools, parks, community development, safety, and transportation in Hyde Park. Treasure Island Foods has sponsored the event for the last

eight years, providing a space for the collection and storage of the book donations, as well as assistance in the transportation of books to the event. HPKCC holds open monthly meetings, which have recently been focused on community policing issues, local public schools, and the establishment of park advisory councils for all of the MidSouth Side parks. The event will take place at the Hyde Park Shopping Center courtyard at 55th Street and Lake Park Avenue from 9–6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. on Monday. “We have a lot of wonderful books at really good prices, and we hope that people will come and take advantage of our sale. We will be there rain or shine,” Ciacci said.

Students must now register for at least three courses per quarter PARTTIME continued from front

to be able to graduate may also petition to work at a reduced course load. These students will continue to be considered part-time students and will pay their

tuitions on a per-course basis. Current fourth-year students who had been planning to enroll part-time before their final quarters may still petition to do so this academic year.

The University hopes through this change to “make certain our resources can cover all students for their full four-year experience,” according to the email.

Printing service closing kiosks, revamping model PRINT continued from front

dedicated printing kiosks. After the transition, students will have to cover the costs of printing themselves, but they will be credited 50 cents for every five pages printed. Currently, the University of Chicago charges 13 cents per single-sided page to print in black and white and 18 cents per single side page to print in color, so students will not be reimbursed for the entirety of printing costs. Freenters is considering using PayPal as its platform for subsiding printing. Another difference between Freenters 2.0 and the old Freenters model is the size and position of advertisements. Under

the previous business model, advertisements looked similar to Internet banner ads and appeared in the margins of each page. In Freenters 2.0, a full-page advertisement will be printed every five pages. According to second-year Stephen Huh, chief technology officer at Freenters, “the transition [to Freenters 2.0] is because of three things: capital expenditure was too high, the operating expenditures were too high, and the pipeline between us as a party and the school as a party was too slow,” when trying to establish new kiosks. Though the company is focusing on college students right now, it hopes to

expand into the home market, Huh added. Despite a previous hacking scandal involving the UChicago Electronic Army (UEA), the old model was very popular on campus. Over 3,000 users at the University of Chicago printed over 200,000 pages during the three years that the service has been active. Northwestern University currently houses the largest Freenters user base in the country and will also make the change to Freenters 2.0. However, Northwestern’s administration agreed to pay the service a fee to keep kiosks open during the transitional period.


THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | October 9, 2015

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“If I had to report on my sense of the Board’s view of this—is that they’re unlikely to want to [divest]” UCAN continued from front

and the University and the Board have long taken a position about divestment in general—that it’s not something that the particular views of some group of what’s politically important should be taken as the basis for, and that has been the ongoing view of the Board. And if you ask me, that’s the continuing view of the Board. So as I said, this is a Board matter, but if I had to report on my sense of the Board’s view of this—is that they’re unlikely to want to do that,” Zimmer said. The student activist group UCAN has lobbied for divestment since late 2012. UCAN recommends that the University remove all endowment investments, including “commingled” investments in mutual funds, from the 200 coal, oil, and natural gas companies which emit the most carbon, as defined by Fossil Free Indexes, LLC. The list includes blue chip companies such as BP, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips. One of UCAN’s ongoing objectives is to schedule a meeting with the University’s Board of Trustees to discuss its platform. In April, the group held a protest after it said that Darren Reisberg, vice president and secretary of the University, had reneged on a written promise to secure a meeting between the group and at least one member of the Board of Trustees. According to second-years Nadia Perl and William Pol, both co-directors of UCAN’s divestment campaign, the group has not yet contacted individual Trustees to schedule a meeting. UCAN’s proposal has received broad

student support; in a 2013 referendum, 70 percent of the student body who voted had voted in favor of divestment. After the referendum, the administration commissioned UCAN to write a report on the merits of divestment. Since its publication, the administration has not moved to divest. For fourth-year Kristin Lin, a former co-director of UCAN’s divestment campaign who has since taken a self-described “advisory” role to the group, the goal of divestment is not to substantially injure the balance sheet of major companies, but to “galvanize” people to discuss the global social impact of climate change, including change on Chicago’s South Side. “It is important to understand how divestment functions in a larger conversation and not to think of it as a panacea... UCAN also works for environmental justice, as climate change disproportionately affects minority and marginalized groups,” she said. When Administrators Move Other institutions have been more willing to budge on divestment, particularly with respect to holdings in coal. However, activists sometimes characterize administrative steps to divest as public relations gambits, as opposed to genuine commitments to social change. In May 2014, Stanford University announced its divestment from coal, including mutual funds that contain coal companies. In a press release, the administration cited Stanford’s Statement on Investment Responsibility, which, unlike the Kalven Report, states that

investment decisions may be made on the basis of whether the “trustees judge that ‘corporate policies or practices create substantial social injury.’” According to the statement, the administration noted that coal “generates higher greenhouse gas emissions per unit of energy generated than other fossil fuels,” and Stanford, by divesting from coal, was acting as a “Global Citizen.” Michael Peñuelas, a Stanford undergraduate and member of the activist group Fossil Free Stanford (FFS), is skeptical of that explanation. Instead, he suggests, Stanford had few material or human resources invested in coal before the announcement. “Stanford received almost none of its power from coal generation, and because of our geographical position, coal was also not a subject of research or research funding. Also, it was a financially savvy decision at that point in time, and remains so,” he said. In Washington D.C., activists also suggest that administrators hold ulterior motives when they choose to divest. On June 4, Georgetown University announced its divestment from all direct holdings in coal, which exclude holdings in mutual funds. In a statement, the University cited its commitment to “real world sustainability solutions,” a need to “[respond] to the demands of climate change,” and the University’s values as a “Catholic and Jesuit University.” The move was approved by the University’s Board of Directors, which passed a resolution on the subject on the same day. However, in the formal resolution, also dated June 4, the Board stated that

“an insubstantial portion of the University’s endowment is now directly invested in companies whose principal business is the mining of coal for use in energy production.” Caroline James, an undergraduate member of the activist group Georgetown University Fossil Free (GUFF) and the Committee on Investments and Social Responsibility (CISR), a 12-person committee of faculty, students, and staff, said, “That line makes me kind of nauseous every time I see it.” “And just that phrasing, ‘insubstantial,’ makes the University’s course of action seem like a political move,” she added. James also said that the administration has repeatedly tried to “appease” divestment protesters by burying their activism in red tape. Georgetown commissioned CISR in 2012. According to its charter, the committee is responsible for making recommendations against any University investments that are inconsistent with Catholic or Jesuit principles, or which underwrite “substantial social injury or involve a significant violation of human rights.” However, CISR itself cannot review, veto, or recommend specific endowment investments, as that power is reserved for the University’s Board of Directors. James said that the CISR is “dysfunctional,” as it only meets over e-mail as opposed to in-person, and argues that it misinterprets its own charter. “A lot of people on CISR are saying that it’s our job to encourage fossil fuel companies to invest in renewables, even though our ability to initiate change in

a large company is doubtful, as we are small shareholders. There is a lot of fear around this issue, because it involves the endowment. I think that CISR shouldn’t worry about the endowment, because its charge is moral responsibility,” she said. Plans for Advance While they face a variety of institutional responses to their claims, divestment activists at Chicago, Georgetown, and Stanford are all still pushing for their administrations to divest from Fossil Free Indexes’ list of the top 200 resource extraction companies; they head towards action with a variety of plans and counterclaims. For James, who said that the Georgetown administration attempted to anticipate GUFF’s protests by screening its members’ e-mail until the group moved its communications offline, a challenge is to avoid becoming disaffected. “I try not to be cynical,” she said. Peñuelas said that he disagrees with the idea that investments can be apolitical, as is implicit in the Chicago administration’s interpretation of the Kalven Report. “I think that more generally, investments are political. The point that folks often make is that it does have limitations in the institutional context when the returns are going to such a broad group of people. But when you’re talking about the impact of climate change, I don’t think the limits apply.” Editor’s note: Kristin Lin is a former editor of The Maroon.

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HUMANITIES DAY Saturday, October 17, 2015 Literature. Visual Arts. Music. Linguistics. Philosophy. Forty presentations by UChicago faculty members. Free and open to the public.

Grace and Edith Abbott Two Sisters in Search of Justice Wednesday, October 21, 2015

See the full schedule at humanitiesday.uchicago.edu or contact us at 773.702.7423.

Register Now! humanitiesday.uchicago.edu uchicagohumanities @uchicagohum #humanitiesday

5:30 – 8:30 p.m. Chicago History Museum, 1601 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL, 60614 Fee: $10 ($5 for students)

Free shuttle for students to and from the event! JOIN THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SERVICE ADMINISTRATION AS WE CELEBRATE A NEW BOOK, A Sister’s Memories: The Story of the Life and Work of Grace Abbott from the Writings of Her Sister, Edith Abbott. Grace Abbott was the chief of the U.S. Children’s Bureau from 1921-34 and her sister, Edith Abbott, was an economist, social work scholar, and the first dean of SSA. Both feminists blazed trails as two of the most important figures in American social welfare practice and education. Event will feature a discussion, readings, film clips, book signing, and reception. Register:

ssa.uchicago.edu/reunion


VIEWPOINTS

Editorial & Op-Ed OCTOBER 9, 2015

Making success affordable The University’s initiatives for under-resourced students are an opportunity to improve our track record Over the first few weeks of the school year, the University has announced a series of initiatives targeting under-resourced students, including those who are the first in their families to go to college or come from low-income backgrounds. The University has announced a new application system for the 2016– 17 application cycle called the Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success, an alternative to the Common App and Universal App, specifically catering to students from low-income backgrounds. Additionally, in a student-wide e-mail, the University recently announced its new Center for College Student Success, an office dedicated to supporting students from under-resourced backgrounds. The Center will provide a mentoring program for first-generation students this year and is working on additional programming, such as workshops on navigating the University. The new Center provides a much-needed space for students to feel supported and works with administrators to make the University a more welcoming place to students from a diversity of backgrounds.

The University has lagged behind peer institutions in terms of accessibility. This year, The New York Times’s College Access Index, which measures the socioeconomic diversity at colleges, gave the University a slightly below average ranking, as it had last year. Many of our peer institutions such as Dartmouth, Yale, Columbia, and Harvard score above average. This score is based off of the number of graduates receiving Pell Grants and the net price of attendance for middle-income students. In light of these numbers, it’s encouraging to see the University make concerted efforts to address these problems. The Maroon Editorial Board encourages the University to sustain the momentum of these recent efforts. The new Center for College Student Success’s engagement with students is promising, and hopefully these conversations will lead to further initiatives, such as providing a textbook bank and expanding financial aid. With time, we hope the University’s new initiatives will tangible and quantitative results for its students. — The Maroon Editorial Board

The myth of the coddled college student Using trigger warnings doesn’t shut down conversations—it opens them up

Lily Grossbard

Opinions from the ‘Bard The increasing employment of trigger warnings, particularly in the context of discussions on college campuses, has recently been the subject of national debate, editorialized in The Washington Post, The Guardian, The New York Times, and The Atlantic, among other publications. Trigger warnings are prefaces to written, spoken, or visual content that warn survivors of trauma (often sexual trauma

or mental illness-related trauma) that the subsequent material could potentially bring about the recollection of traumatic experiences. This has most recently been of issue in the College when, during a September 17 discussion with O-Aides and Resident Assistants, Dean Ellison stated that University of Chicago does not employ trigger warnings, according to a Facebook post by the UChicago Phoenix

The student newspaper of the University of Chicago since 1892. Eleanor Hyun, Editor-in-Chief Sarah Manhardt, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Stephen Moreland, Managing Editor The Maroon Editorial Board consists of the Editor-in-Chief, Deputy Editor-in-Chief & editors of The Maroon. News Marta Bakula, editor Maggie Loughran, editor Isaac Easton, deputy editor Annie Nazzaro, deputy editor Alec Goodwin, senior editor Viewpoints Sarah Zimmerman, editor Kayleigh Voss, editor Kiran Misra, senior editor Arts Andrew McVea, editor Ellen Rodnianski, editor James Mackenzie, senior editor Sports Helen Petersen, editor Zachary Themer, editor Tatiana Fields, senior editor Grey City Evangeline Reid, Editor-in-Chief

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Survivors Alliance. Trigger warnings are frequently lampooned as “coddling” students, or as shielding them from exposure to the difficulties of “the real world.” I would argue, however, that not only are trigger warnings of crucial importance for protecting the emotional and physical health of the student body at large, but they also actually allow for, and even promote the discussion of triggering topics. In fact, professors in the College should consider adding trigger warnings to their syllabi, class lectures, and discussions, as well as providing resources for students who might require them. Reactions to triggering material can be incredibly severe for those who experience them, and often lead to a range of psychological and physical responses including suicidal thoughts, traumatic flashbacks, and urges to self-harm. It’s not simply a matter of trauma survivors refusing to “believe” in or wishing to “avoid” a certain reality—they have likely already experienced the reality of the situation described in the triggering material, and reliving such trauma through the material can be emotionally devastating. Trigger warnings are therefore absolutely necessary, and denial of this fact only serves to invalidate the experiences of these survivors. Furthermore, those who oppose trigger warnings tend to conflate anxiety with trauma but while irrational anxiety and phobias can be mitigated through exposure to their triggers, trauma generally only worsens. Triggering material is also frequently mislabeled as “diversity of thought,”

and therefore the resulting argument is that limiting students’ exposure to such material simply prevents them from considering opinions with which they might disagree. Again, assuming triggering material simply comes down to difference in opinion conflates two very different categories of thought. A controversial opinion might be that the U.S. needs more aggressive foreign policy in the Middle East. A trigger, however, would be the aggressively Islamophobic views that often accompany such an opinion, and which could very well be psychologically damaging to Muslim and foreign-born students who have been victims of oppression. To use the rest of this article to debate why certain topics may or may not be triggering would be a waste of time. But it’s important to note many of the topics labeled as “not triggering” in the articles mentioned above—talks on rape culture, misogyny in The Great Gatsby, use of the n-word, and so on—can, in fact, be very triggering. These articles are primarily written by those who are not victims of the systems of oppression they discount, and they fail to employ any empathy in considering how such material might be triggering. The use of trigger warnings does not imply that sensitive or controversial material should not exist or should never be discussed. On the contrary, they allow trauma survivors and non-survivors alike to thoughtfully prepare themselves for such materials and conversations thereof, rather than altogether avoiding such topics. For example, a student who

fears being triggered by material in class might speak with their professor about the content beforehand rather than avoid the class discussion altogether. Similarly, there is no reason why we should not create “safe spaces” for students to seek refuge from triggering opinions and material. This is by no means to say that trauma survivors should be required to prepare themselves for triggering material and associated conversations. Hopefully, encouraging warnings would also encourage professors and students alike to reframe their ideas in ways that are less triggering, or to focus discussion on an analysis of why such material might be triggering in the first place. Such conversations would also promote a wider awareness and understanding of issues involving mental and sexual health, and may encourage individuals who need it to seek out help.And even if you don’t personally support or require trigger warnings, you should have no reason to oppose them—they by no means stop individuals from considering the material, and in many cases, they potentially prevent such triggering material from being ruled as too inappropriate. If anything, contrary to popular belief, trigger warnings are actually one of the most useful devices in promoting freedom of speech. Lily Grossbard is a first-year in the College studying gender and sexuality studies.


ARTS

What is art? OCTOBER 9, 2015

Prominent New Wave film director Agnès Varda in residence Walker King Arts Staff Legendary French filmmaker and visual artist Agnès Varda will be in residency at the University of Chicago from October 8–15, coinciding with the screening of many of her films as well as an installation of her video art and photography in the Logan Center. Screenings began Thursday night with an exhibition of her 2011 documentary Agnès Varda: From

Here to There, accompanied by a Q&A and an introduction by the artist herself. There is a formal opening reception on Friday at 5 p.m. in the Logan Center Gallery, followed by an Artist Talk delivered by Varda. Varda’s most well known films, 1985’s Vagabond and 1962’s Cléo From 5 To 7 will both be screening as part of the series, Vagabond at Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Logan Center Screening Room, and Cléo at the Music Box Theater in Lakeview

on Wednesday, October 14 (tickets $12). In addition to a selection of fiction, documentary, and short subjects by the director, there will also be a public conversation between Varda and artist Jessica Stockholder on Sunday, October 11 at noon in the Logan Center. While reserved tickets for many events are already sold out, waitlists are available at arts.uchicago.edu/cinévardaexpo.

Agnès Varda, prominent New Wave filmmaker, photographer, and video artist, in a still from her documentary film The Beaches of Agnès (2008). Courtesy of Agnès Varda

An indie rock nerd's experience at an EDM Festival Miriam Benjamin Associate Arts Editor An indie rock nerd walks into an EDM festival…. I’ve done some depraved shit to see artists I love, I admit. But wrangling a press pass to go to North Coast, a threeday EDM festival, in order to see The Chemical Brothers was pretty extreme, even by my standards. I’d never been to a rave before, but here I was, standing in the middle of Union Park, surrounded by the spiritual descendants of Woodstock attendees who exchanged candy bracelets using a special handshake while simultaneously intoning the phrase “Love, Peace, Respect.” (Or was it “Peace, Love, Respect”?) More observations from my weekend in raver’s paradise are as follows: On Friday, I decided to try my hand at festival EDM. The non-EDM headliner that night was ’80s jam band Widespread Panic; considering my utter abhorrence of long, wailing guitar solos, I figured I had nothing to lose. I started with The Glitch Mob.

The Glitch Mob is a group of three dudes (big name DJs are always dudes) who set up their launchpads visible to the audience. The launchpads added a visual element to The Glitch Mob’s performance and gave them credibility, proving that they’re doing everything themselves and, contrary to a long-held belief in the indie rock world, that it ain’t easy to be an EDM DJ. The amount of rhythmic coordination these three DJs displayed was unreal; they’re just as tight a unit as any band I’ve seen. During The Glitch Mob’s set, I gathered that the goal of festival EDM is to maximize the amount of dancing the audience can do; it’s hedonism distilled into “beatz.” Thus, musical greatness is achieved by perfecting the small-beat-to-big-drop golden ratio. There need to be enough drops in the music to hold the audience’s attention, but not so many that the drops lose their massiveness. Contemplating the carnage, I found myself appreciating festival EDM for the

power it imbues in the audience. Somewhere along the evolution of rock history, the performer became less obligated to please the audience. It became more important to push the boundaries of music, or to make music for oneself. If the members of the audience came around eventually, cool; if they didn’t, that didn’t make their music any less valid. A festival EDM DJ, on the other hand, exists for the audience. Because the crowd only has a single wish—to dance—the DJ’s only job is to make that happen. And dance we do. Following my stint at festival EDM, I decided to dedicate some time to Chicago bands, the first of which was NE-HI. Before it, I had never really gotten the chance to experience regional pride for a band. Watching it win over its small crowd (their parents were there! how adorable!), I reveled in the feeling that I lived in the same city that spawned NE-HI. Even better were the songs themselves: NE-HI used its guitars to stab out summery melodies,

with the end result being both abrupt and ethereal. I was less attached to The Gold Web, an “art-glam” band from Logan Square (their words, not mine). It seems more art than glam; its outfits appear to have been dreamed up by Noel Fielding, as the lead singer has a pair of five-foot raven wings attached to his back. Their supposed glam rock has none of the grittiness of, say, T. Rex. It’s all Walk the Moon-style pop rock, and I felt mildly let down. The EDM and Chicago bands were, admittedly, a lot of fun. But the reason I wanted to go in the first place was to see the headliners: and they didn’t disappoint. D’Angelo is one of those human beings whose existence seems unjust. The guy writes and produces his own music, plays guitar and keyboard, sings, dances, and oozes charisma. Is that really fair, Higher Being? Even though he didn’t leave much talent for the rest of us, at least D’Angelo exists. He and the Vanguard cranked out one

of the best shows I’ve ever seen and made it look easy. While D’Angelo is clearly the leader, almost every member of the Vanguard had his or her chance in the spotlight— D’Angelo danced with his backup vocalist, formed a chorus line with his guitarists, and even cozied up to his bass player, who smiled bashfully. The setlist was pristine. D’Angelo opened with “Ain’t That Easy,” the lurching, menacing opener of his 2014 comeback album Black Messiah. “Brown Sugar,” from his 1995 debut of the same name, cropped up at the end to euphoric cheers. In between, he gave a shout out to the Black Lives Matter movement, with which Black Messiah heavily concerns itself. The songs he played from Voodoo and Brown Sugar ensured the older fans left happy, but it’s hard to imagine anyone walking away from D’Angelo’s set unhappy. Despite his oftendark subject matter, D’Angelo beamed his way through the performance, and his pleasure was contagious. The Chemical Brothers are

the old dudes on the block. Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons started The Chemical Brothers in 1989, when some of the other DJs on the bill were in their mothers’ wombs. EDM has changed beyond recognition from when they started, and festival EDM in particular is clearly a young person’s circus. Yet the Chemical Brothers are still around—they and their fellow big-beat pioneers The Prodigy both headlined festivals this summer. The reason for their longevity is simple: they make bangers. Take 2015 single “Go,” from Born in the Echoes—longtime collaborator Q-Tip raps over zigzagging beats and blaring siren sounds. Live, “Go” was one of the few songs that wasn’t heavily remixed; and when Q-Tip screamed, “We’re only here to make you GO!” the song turned into a mission statement. They finished with the one-two punch of “Galvanize” and “Block Rockin’ Beats,” and as I wobbled toward the exit, I decided the press pass had absolutely been worth it.

New film The Martian is a surprisingly human tale Shoshanna Coalson Arts Contributor Last Friday, Ridley Scott’s The Martian premiered to high anticipation from fans of the novel, as well as high predicted box-office sales. Going into the movie, it’s easy to mistake it for a typical survivor story where, despite the ridiculous odds, the protagonist still manages to pull through. Instead, The Martian offers the story of a witty botanist-astronautfarmer bent on survival; refreshingly different from the typical male lead. The movie opens on a

scene of a crew of astronauts joking with each other while exploring a desolate-looking Mars. When a storm unexpectedly hits, they’re forced to leave one of their crew behind: He is swallowed up and presumed dead. This scene is mediocre—to say the least—thanks to unconvincing acting. It seems that the presumed death of their fellow astronaut, Mark Watney (Matt Damon), barely fazes them as they whizz away from Mars, leaving their fellow astronaut stranded. After this scene, I was not only extremely bored but also had little hope for the film,

since it seemed to already be filling the role of the clichéd survival story where one man, against all odds, lives by nothing other than his pluck and bravery. For a while, the film followed convention but entertained regardless. The moment that Watney realizes he is doomed to spend several years on Mars, he gets to work figuring out how to survive with the assorted supplies available to him—the most entertaining example being his own feces. It’s captivating to watch Watney transform from victim of a freak storm to the rational, cunning castaway who “colo-

nizes” Mars, surviving on his knowledge of botany, of all things. Watching him build this life for himself did play into the survivalist movie cliché, but did so in a smart and refreshing way. The Martian departed from trope in its message of the true power of human contact. During the first scene, it was unexpected how blasé Watney seemed about his time on Mars, especially since he was stuck on a planet by himself. He worked furiously to survive, laughed, and made jokes at the camera while apparently unfazed by isolation. How-

ever, as the movie went on, it became clear that Watney craved human contact. Further, the audience saw that everywhere around Earth, people are rooting for Watney’s survival. While he is very alone on Mars, his entire home planet is rooting for him to return alive. This is not only a beautiful thing to watch, but is very different from other survival movies, where protagonists are left to fend for themselves, and other people don’t play as much of a role in their safe return. In short, The Martian differs from the survivor trope by dealing with the ideas of hu-

man loneliness and human support. That being said, it’s clear that The Martian isn’t for everyone. At a little over two hours with very little action until the end, those looking for a fast-paced movie or a classic story of survival should look elsewhere. Despite my initial skepticism, I managed to enjoy myself and get lost in not only the science behind Watney’s survival, but also the beauty that exists when a large body of people work together to retrieve a man from hundreds of millions of miles away.


THE CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | October 9, 2015

7

No. 24 Chicago faces off with 4–1 Berry at home FOOTBALL

Fourth-year Vincent Beltrano readies to defend a pass earlier this season. COURTESY OF UCHICAGO ATHLETICS

Emmet Rosenbaum Sports Staff For the first time in school history, the Maroons have cracked the Division III rankings of the top 25. After a convincing win over Birmingham-Southern in Alabama last weekend improved the team’s record to 4–0, the squad made their way to

No. 24 in the national rankings. “It’s a great honor for us as a program,” said third-year wide receiver Syd Reynolds. “Especially for Coach Wilk to come in and break the top 25 in his third year coaching. We felt that we should have been top 25 last year, so it almost feels like it was overdue. Our coach keeps reminding us, however, that we still haven’t won anything, and we can fall out of the top 25 more quickly than we got in.” The South Siders will put their shiny new ranking to the test this weekend as they play host to a tough opponent, the Vikings. Berry has started its season 4–1, mainly on the back of its staunch defense, which has held its opponents to an average of about seven points per game in victories. But the team doesn’t seem concerned, having established its own offensive prowess by averaging 34 points per game so far this season. This success has mainly come out of third-year quarterback Burke Moser, who is averaging 242 passing yards-pergame, and second-year running back Chandler Carroll, who is rushing for an average of 171 yards-per-game. When asked whether the team might change its approach for a defensive-oriented team like Berry, Reynolds said, “No, I don’t think it changes much. I think our offense has more weapons than teams can cover. We’re just going to do what we’re coached to do and make plays when we’re supposed to. We’re excited for the challenge and to show everyone we can put up points no matter who we play.” The Maroons could not have asked for a better way to test the waters of their new

conference this year. The team is playing its first year in the SAA and is therefore facing a new slate of opponents, but Chicago seems to be more than ready for them. However, the new schedule isn’t without its own unique set of challenges. “As far as new opponents, there’s more at stake. Another league means another title and a possible playoff berth opportunity, so obviously there’s more pressure to work harder and not only win, but do something that hasn’t been done in the modern era,”

said Reynolds. “The biggest challenge so far with the new teams in the conference is travel. Sitting on a bus or riding a plane for hours just slows your body and mind and I think that has shown a little bit in our performances. I know for me especially it has been difficult to adapt from playing at home to playing on the road.” Chicago will face off against the Vikings Saturday at noon on Stagg Field. The home crowds are expected to be as rowdy as always.

Squad readies for Lucian Rosa CROSS COUNTRY David Kerr Sports Staff The men’s and women’s cross country teams look to continue their winning ways this Saturday in Kenosha, WI at the UW–Parkside Lucian Rosa Invite as the Maroons and 27 other squads vie to take home first place. The men’s side has started the season by taking two second place finishes and a fourth place finish, but second-year Jacob Amiri does not feel satisfied with the team’s performance. “As a team, the season has gotten off to somewhat of a shaky start but we still have our best performances ahead of us.” Amiri cited the closeness of the team as reason for optimism for the rest of season and believes that if the members can perform consistently, results should follow. “One of the biggest strengths this team has is how close we all are as friends. This plays a huge role in how we race, and it’s obvious that guys are willing to push themselves as hard as they possible can in order to help their teammates. Our weakness this season has been consistency. There have been some great individual performances but we’ve yet to put it all together on one day but I think that is going to change soon.” The women’s team has come out of the gate strong, finishing first in two of its meets, with a second place finish being its worst. Third-year Madison Hetzner remarked on the runners’ strong start when she said, “So far we have been racing well and consistently placing our top five runners within the top 20 with under

a minute spread between the first and fifth runner.” Consistency with the team’s top runners has made for a recipe of success so far for the South Siders. Second-year Cassidy McPherson noted how the improvement in practice is starting to make a difference in meets. “So far, I think the season is progressing how we’d like it to. Workouts overall for the team have been looking very good and we are starting to put it all together in the races,” she said. “We have some people coming off of injuries and just getting into racing for the year, but give it a couple weeks and I think we will be looking even sharper and ready for conference.” One thing that both the men’s and women’s teams had in common this weekend was the opportunity for more inexperienced runners to succeed because some of the more experienced runners were resting in preparation for the Oshkosh Brooks Invitational. Says Amiri, “I think the team will have a great meet this weekend. A lot of the people racing are first years that have only run one 8K in their lives up to this point and they get the opportunity to have another chance at that distance. The fact that this is one of the best courses in the nation makes me think we’ll have a good day.” McPherson added that, “I think it’ll be a good opportunity for some of the girls who haven’t had as much racing experience this season to keep learning and improving their racing style for postseason.” With the Maroons improving rapidly in time for the invitational, look for both teams to have strong performances. Races begin at 10 a.m. in Kenosha.

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SPORTS

IN QUOTES “The @Yankees DISGUSTED me!” –Sportscaster Stephen A. Smith reacts to the Yankees playoff loss against the Astros this past Tuesday

South Siders begin UAA road play this week at Rochester MEN’S SOCCER Jenna Harris Sports Contributor As the second week of the academic year comes to an end, the men’s soccer team will head to Rochester, NY this Saturday to face the Yellowjackets in their second conference game of the season. Last week, the Maroons (7–3–1 overall, 0–0–1 UAA) faced a tough loss against Emory. Third-year defender DJ Weis said, “We do not feel good after our loss to Emory. It’s the third game in a row we’ve failed to win and given up a late goal. We’re angry and we should be.” It was with this vengeance that the South Siders approached practice this week. “The first thing worked on is competitiveness. We lack a little bit of character and soccer intelligence to pull out tough results,” Weis said. “We need to stop being OK with losing. The other things were working on are set piece marking and attacking movement as we see them as our biggest deficiencies.” The Yellowjackets (4–2–3 overall, 0–1– 0 UAA) are coming off of their first conference tie last week against Washington University in St Louis (7–1–3 overall, (0– 0–1 UAA). Players to look out for include second-year goalkeeper Redd Brown, who made three saves last week, and fourth-year forward Andrew Greenway, who was the only scorer against the Bears. “We know that every team in UAA is very

good,” Weiss said. Yet instead of focusing on the opposing team, the Maroons tend to take a different approach. “[We] choose to focus mostly on our own play and do a quick scout on opposition the day before. If we play to our potential, we should beat all of our opponents,” Weiss said. This confidence is reflected across the board for Chicago in spite of the extra workload that school starting has provided student-athletes. Weis said, “Class obviously has an impact but the important thing is to minimize it, [but] as soon as it’s time to practice, we have to forget about everything that has happened and anything you have to do afterwards. You have to focus on, or escape into, the games.” Even then, according to Weis, the team still has time to have fun and joke around with the new first-years, many of who come from much warmer states and are having trouble adjusting to the colder weather as autumn sets in. The squad hopes that the northern New York environment won’t be too much for the newcomers to handle. However, Weis, from Southern CA, says that he has played there before and that “Rochester has a very nice turf field and the game will be under the lights. It’s a pretty exciting atmosphere in my opinion.” It will be a great game as the UAA men’s soccer teams start to differentiate themselves and set the conference tone, game by game.

Weis concludes, “This is a must-win game for our team. Despite our healthy record, our play has been disappointing for most of the season. We have to find a way to play better and get results. We need to come together here or face the reality of not winning conference and possibly not making the [NCAA] tournament.” Tune in to the game, which will be streamed online from Rochester at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 10.

Second-year Hill Bonin delivers a goal-kick earlier this season. COURTESY OF UCHICAGO ATHLETICS

Maroons look to find their footing on the road WOMEN’S SOCCER Michael Cheiken Sports Staff Last weekend the Maroons began conference play with a wonderful 1–0 result over Emory here in Chicago. This weekend the women’s soccer team continues its stretch of UAA fixtures. The Maroons will step onto the turf-laden pitch of Edwin Fauver Stadium at the University of Rochester for their second conference match. The 4–4–1 Yellowjackets are a youthful team. Their starting lineup features five first-years and four second-years. Only three of last year’s starters are still in Rochester’s starting lineup, while the other eight graduated, are injured, or have been relegated to substitute roles. The Yellowjackets’ youth makes them an enigma of sorts. They have had disappointing results thus far in the season, but many teams with a lot of new pieces take a while to get going. Individual players must become acclimated to the team’s style of play and become accustomed to their roles. They also must develop the trust that the other players will be making the anticipated runs and be in a proper formation. This takes time. If the Yellowjackets had shown signs of improvement in their most recent matches, it would be a sign of the team’s increased chemistry and would make the upcoming fixture much more dangerous for the Maroons. This is not the case. The Yellowjackets are on a two-game losing

streak, and over their last four games the team has scored only a single goal. This weakness will almost certainly be the downfall of the Yellowjacket team. The Maroons, in contrast to the youth and inexperience of Rochester, have assimilated the two first-year starters with relative ease, and the defensive unit is full of returners. Anchored by defensive midfielder and captain Nicole Mullen, the Maroons have stifled their opponents at almost every juncture of the game. The Maroons have provided their opponents with a measly eight goals throughout their 11 games. Save a monumental defensive blunder, it is hard to imagine an out-ofform Rochester attack producing for the home side. Meanwhile, the Maroons should be able to take advantage of the Rochester back line. Up to this point in the season, the Rochester defense has proven too immature to maintain solid formation for 90 minutes. The Maroon offense is built to take advantage of this. The counterattacking, fast-paced style that the team seems to prefer has a knack for taking advantage of poor positioning and collapses of formation. With the speed of Naomi Pacalin and Jenna McKinney on the outside, any lapse in concentration by the Yellowjacket back line has the potential to be devastatingly punished. Coming home from Rochester, the Maroons expect to be at least tied atop the UAA conference standings.


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