Chicago-Maroon-11-04-19

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CHICAGO

M AROON The student newspaper of the University of Chicago since 1892

SG ELECTIONS With voting starting today, check out what the candidates have to say.

News, page 2

TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2011 • VOLUME 122, ISSUE 40 • CHICAGOMAROON.COM

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

CAMPUS LIFE

HEALTH EALTH

New referendum TEDx rethinks the life of the mind aims to guide Local version of TED talks took over Mandel Hall Sunday U of C investments

Fewer first-years drinking their way to the ER

By Crystal Tsoi Senior News Staff

By Sam Levine Associate News Editor

An independent group of students is leading the charge to form a committee to guide the University’s investment policy, which they believe is not socially responsible. The group has written a referendum that is up for vote during this week’s SG elections, and if it passes it will show SG and the Administration that the student body agrees that the U of C’s social investments should be scrutinized. The Socially Responsible Investment Committee (SRIC) would act as an advisory committee composed of undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and administrators to evaluate the University’s current investments in “legally and ethically questionable endeavors,” according to the Facebook group’s mission statement. The Administration has continued to defend its actions with the Kalven Report, a guiding document which dictates the University’s official stance of neutrality. The report extends to the investment of endowments and has prevented politically motivated divestment. Third-year and candidate for undergraduate liaison to the Board of Trustees Nakul Singh believes that a focus on fundamental values will convince the University Administration to pursue the new investment course. Singh pointed to a passage of the report that reads, “In the exceptional instance,

being different from the norm.” The program of 14 speakers included presentations from a blind architect, a fourth-year psychology major in the College, and the first double-amputee to summit Mount Everest, as well as luminaries from fields as diverse as paleontology and cybernetics. Former president of Bolivia Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada had his 18 minutes, and a smattering of CEOs, scholars, and U of C alumni and professors each took their turn. The talks covered a wide range of topics, including drug legalization and

This year has seen a 39-percent drop in the number of first-years sent to the emergency room during fall and winter quarters. The decline follows last year’s record-high number of firstyear alcohol-related emergency room visits during the same period, according to Associate Dean of Students Marianne West. The drop follows the University’s introduction of the online course called AlchoholEdu, which requires all incoming first-years to complete a comprehensive online course on alcohol control. The program includes a series of videos, statistics, and activities on drinking behavior. The University’s decision to implement the program this year came after an all-time high of 23 first-years were sent to the emergency room for alcohol overdose in the 2009–2010 school year. Through the first two quarters of this academic year, 14 firstyear students had been hospitalized in incidents involving alcohol. “We didn’t know what to expect. We’re never as high as our peer institutions, but we’re certainly grateful to see the drop that we did,” said West, who oversaw the program last year. West also said that the Class of 2015 will be required to complete AlcoholEdu before arriving on campus. After completing the first segment

TEDX continued on page 4

ALCOHOL continued on page 4

SRIC continued on page 4

Former Bolivian President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada speaks at the TEDxUChicago speaker event Sunday afternoon at Mandel Hall. He was one of 14 speakers at the event. DARREN LEOW/MAROON

By Linda Qiu News Staff As of Sunday, the Life of the Mind has been reinvented, thanks to 15 U of C students who brought a branch of the TED conference to campus. TEDx, a localized non-profit branch of the infamous TED Talks, debuted at the University Sunday with a bevy of notable speakers and performance acts, under the banner, “Reinventing the Life of the Mind.” The “x” signifies the mutability and independence of the event, which caters its program to the university that hosts it.

ADMINISTRATION

A team of 15 students from the event’s on-campus RSO, TEDxUChicago, alongside volunteers and sponsors, organized the event into four series over the course of the day, each with several 18-minute presentations. Third-year and TEDxUChicago co-director Gümar Vaca Sittic described the event’s theme as a synthesis between U of C ideals and TED values. “Many of the speakers and professors did focus on things that we’re taught on a daily basis,” he said. “But they were trying to see [the University’s curriculum] from different perspectives, so they engaged students and inspired them by

HOUSING

Obama chooses Zimmer for Science Board Housekeeping staffers may be laid off By Jake Smith News Contributor U of C President Robert J. Zimmer will soon be putting his mathematics expertise back to work. President Obama chose Zimmer to join the National Science Board (NSB), according to an announcement from the White House last Thursday. Zimmer was nominated by University Trustee Emeritus Walter Massey, a former NSF director and current president of Morehouse College. “The pursuit of scientific discovery and innovation is essential for our nation’s future, and the National Science Foundation plays a crucial role in forming a vision to carry American research forward,” Zimmer said in a University statement. “Having the opportunity to contribute to this valuable work is an honor for me, and moreover it reflects the University of Chicago’s position as a global leader in research.” The University believes one of Zimmer’s greatest contributions will be a “more general science back-

ground” to balance what is currently an engineer-heavy Board, said University spokesman Steve Koppes. Zimmer received an A.B. in mathematics from Brandeis University in 1968 and a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1975. He became a faculty member at the U of C’s math department, writing extensively on topics in mathematical geometry before segueing into the administrative world. He held directorial positions at both Argonne and Fermi laboratories before moving to general University administration. Until 2010, Zimmer also served on the President’s Committee of the National Medal of Science. The 25 member NSB is recruited to make policy decisions for the National Science Foundation (NSF) while also serving as “an independent body of advisors to both the President and the Congress on policy matters related to science and engineering,” according to the Board’s website. According to Koppes, the Board “helps set science policy at the federal level, not just for the NSF,” and an appointment to the board represents a significant achievement.

By Ben Pokross News Staff Following an e-mail sent to students in housing, announcing shifts in facilities staffing, students have mobilized to prevent University housekeepers from losing their jobs. According to University Spokesman Steve Kloehn, current Housekeeping staff were told in a meeting on April 7 that their department will be merged with Facilities Services beginning on July 1 and that their employment status may be in danger. The decision came out of the University’s attempts to reexamine its business models, according to Kloehn. “Facilities Services already does [the work of Housekeeping Services] in most buildings on campus,” Kloehn said. “The conclusion was that we could [help maintain the residence halls] better if we could use the expertise of Facilities.” Because Facilities Services outsources most of its staff, most or all of the current housekeeping staff may lose their current jobs, according to Kloehn. Desk clerks will remain under the jurisdiction of Housing and building engineers

First-year Vitas Zukowski (left), third-year Larissa Pittenger (right), and other members of the Students Organizing United with Labor (SOUL) plan for a rally calling for campus workers' rights Monday evening at Harper. DARREN LEOW/MAROON

will be moved directly into Facilities Services. Student response to the news has been swift. The RSO Students Organizing United with Labor (SOUL), met last night to discuss the issue and hopes to designate an upcoming “week of action,” including a rally today outside President Robert Zimmer’s house.

“SOUL is pretty horrified by how quickly this is being pushed through, this is the most aggressive labor violation I’ve seen at the University,” said second-year and SOUL member Lexie Grove. “They’re acting like it’s a done deal already.” But according to Kloehn, while the

HOUSING continued on page 4


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CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | April 19, 2011

STUDENT GOVERNMENT The Official Chicago Maroon 2011 Election Guide By Amy Myers, Jonathan Lai, Harunobu Coryne, and Sam Levine

MEET THE SLATES • LIVEChicago •

• Moose Party •

• Uncommon Fun •

• UNITED Students Alliance •

1. uBazaar: Expand by having Doc Films passes and Summer Breeze tickets sold on the site by the end of the quarter.

1. Panda Bears: Have giant pandas in the quads for tourists to pet. Will make up for the government sending Tai Shan and Mei Lan back to China.

1. Transportation: Text Safe Ride feature and reduced fare transit cards. Reroute Roosevelt shuttle to red and green lines.

1. Tech Overhaul: Consolidate websites for RSOs and student groups. Work with Google to get free apps for campus.

2. Restaurant Crawl: Rent buses and take students to various discounted Chicago restaurants to give a cultural experience.

2. Saferide: Modify the shuttles so they can fit through drive-thrus.

2. Dining: Expand late-night dining over the weekends. Increase number of student-run cafés.

2. 24/7 Coffee Shop: Work with new café on the first floor of the Regenstein this fall to make it an all-night study space.

3. Uncommon Fund: Revamp into a yearlong incubator for student ideas and entrepreneurship while tripling funding.

3. Casino: Have the University delegated as an American Indian reservation and construct a large casino nearby.

3. Registration: Have professors post old syllabi in Time Schedules. Include grading information in course evaluations.

3. Issues: Support advocacy groups working on larger University issues, like the creation of a trauma center at the UCMC.

4. SGFC: Streamline and automate the application and review process for the Student Government Finance Committee.

4. Dining: Have ARAMARK CEO eat exclusively at Bartlett every meal of every day if dining contract is renewed.

4. Socially Responsible Investment: Work towards making University investments more transparent and ethical.

4. Greek Life: More support for fraternity and sorority philanthropic causes.

5. Registration: Create single interface with a calendar, course and book listings.

5. Bro-zone: Institute a state school study abroad program and give out lax pinnies.

5. Community: Integrate with the surrounding area and reach out to aldermen.

LIVEChicago

The candidates of LIVEChicago are asking students to think of Student Government (SG) as the launching board for their ideas, both big and small. Led by third-year Youssef Kalad, the slate is proposing new social media initiatives, like streaming SG forums live through Facebook, to reach the student body in addition to increased funding and mentorship to student entrepreneurs. Kalad was joined by first-year Forrest Scofield after serving together on College Council this year. But the pair looked outside SG for the slate’s third member. “Once you’re on Student Government for a year, your view of the University changes,” Scofield said. According to Kalad and Scofield, secondyear Meher Kairon brings a new, RSOcentric focus. Kairon has worked with University of Chicago Model United Nations (ChoMUN), Model United Nations of the University of Chicago (M U N U C), and Global Brigades. “I don’t think we’re shy about complaining at this University,” Kalad said, but added that he has been taken aback by student interest while campaigning, even being approached at Psi Upsilon Fraternity this Saturday night. Building off of the past year, Kairon would

5. Entrepreneurship: Create a formal program that includes a Chicago Careers in Entrepreneurship CAPS team.

Moose Party

head a restaurant crawl, modeled after the SG-sponsored pub crawl as a low-cost event for students of any age at the University. Kalad would expand uBazaar, a SG–run website which sells RSO tickets and products online. According to Scofield, the Uncommon Fund could also expand to over $150,000 next year with additional proposed funding from Administration, student life fees, and a partnership with Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). But as the trio set an agenda, discussions with the current slate prompted them to consider the limitations of SG. LIVEChicago identified an overambitious agenda with intangible goals as one of the problems the current slate faced, listing the stalled SG-sponsored van program as an example. “We want to go for small, practical reforms that yield tangible results in the University,” Kairon said. “Get the low-hanging fruit first.” Just as the slate is hoping students look to SG as a resource for big ideas, the three candidates view SG as the foundation for their own projects. “Student Government isn’t a job,” Scofield said. “We have these passions, and we feel like Student Government can help us realize them.”

After 17 years of disappointing results, the Moose Party is hoping to grab SG by the horns. Th e s l a t e , c o m p o s e d o f f i r s t - y e a r Matthew Luchins, and third-years Robertson Dorsett and Joseph Ebb, crafted their platform during a 30-minute brainstorming session in Bartlett Dining Hall. The three Delta Upsilon (D U) brothers, who share a love for the Red Sox, are running on a platform of turning the University into a more “bro” school. “Our motto is ‘sun’s out, guns out; sun’s down, guns out,’” said Dorsett, the slate’s candidate for vice -president of administration. Dorsett added that if elected, the slate’s primary goal would be to get impeached; something they say is unlikely to be accomplished because it would take too much effort. The three candidates believe they have unique experience that can better SG. “I’m extraordinarily unqualified for my position, but Matt would be great at managing student affairs because he has a girlfriend,” said Ebb, the slate’s candidate for president. Dorsett said that he was qualified to take on the Administration because he had a major in kicking ass and

taking names. All Moose Party members agreed that Ebb was “completely and totally unqualified.” The party’s campaign has been full of highs and lows. During the SG debate, for example, Dorsett said that he and Luchins bonded when he assisted Luchins in removing his boxing gloves so that he could go to the bathroom. Dorsett also said that the most difficult part of the campaign has been vetting Luchins, and keeping the first-year under control. The slate acknowledged the work of their DU brother, fourth-year and outgoing SG president, Greg Nance. “I have a lot of respect for Greg Nance,” Ebb said. “Greg likes liaisons so much that we’re going to create a liaison-to-GregNance position,” he added. While 17 defeats in a row might discourage some, the slate said that they are more confident than ever that they will win. “We’re 102-percent confident that we’re going to win,” Ebb said, adding that the slate was working on a way to allow deceased alumni to vote. “We’re going to get 172 percent of the student body to vote for us.”


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CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | April 19, 2011

Meet the Candidates Running for Undergraduate Liaison to the Board of Trustees "A strong liaison will be knowledgeable about student life issues, active in campus organizations, and appreciative of the Board’s dual role as an executive and advisory body. The Board both makes executive decisions (most notably, hiring and firing the President and approving budgets and architectural plans) and advises administrators in regard to their initiatives and objectives.... As [the Board's decisions] apply to student life, their role is to ensure that the University offers students a fantastic education and a rewarding and enjoyable student experience. The l i a i s o n s ’ job is to guide the trustees as they pursue this objective." —Frank Alarcon, current Undergraduate Liaison

• Katie Burkhart •

• Sean Graf •

• Nakul Singh •

• Xialei Zhang •

As the interim chair of CORSO last quarter, first-year Katie Burkhart became interested in reaching out to student groups. As undergraduate liaison, Burkhart would want to continue seeking out what students find lacking at the University and express it to the Board. Although she was elected as a college council representative for the class of 2014 without knowing what it entailed, she has since learned SG’s role and would continue to attend college council meetings if elected.

If elected undergraduate liaison to the Board of Trustees, first-year Sean Graf would want to raise the position’s profile by making students feel like they have a voice. By actively seeking out engagement, the political science major hopes to better understand what students want and how Trustees make decisions. Graf sees the main part of the job as attending Board meetings, and would want to blog them to make it a more transparent process.

Third-year Nakul Singh is actively involved with creating a University Socially Responsible Investment Committee (SRIC). After talking with current Graduate Liaison Jordan Phillips, Singh realized that undergraduate liaison would be the most appropriate position for advancing the committee. “I’m not taking the position in a conventional way,” said Singh, who was elected as college council representative for the class of 2012. “But I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing.”

Although first-year Xiafei Zhang is just one man, he’s on the ballot twice this election season, running for both undergraduate liaison and college council representative to the class of 2014. He has made it a goal to talk to students with clipboard in hand for the past two weeks, and would continue to seek out student opinion if elected. He believes that the college liaison should work with graduate students and the graduate liaison to adequately represent all students on campus.

Uncommon Fun

Composed entirely of S G outsiders, Uncommon Fun hopes to use their third party status to effect change. The candidates decided to run after becoming frustrated by what they saw as inefficiencies and conflicts-of-interest in the current SG system, said second-year and candidate for vice president of administration Dexter N. O’Connell. “It’s about personal responsibility for decision making. We feel that we bring to the table people who will be 100-percent accountable for our decisions. We’re not doing this as a résumé thing or things of that nature. We want people to know that we’re upfront, that we actually care about the individual issues that come forward,” O’Connell said. Third-year and presidential candidate Adam Hemmings has leadership experience under his belt as the current king of Kemetia, a micronation he founded in 2005 with many of the voting members being U of C affiliates. When Hemmings ran into difficulty when proposing his RSO–Students for the Advancement of Kemetia (SAK)–he felt that SG needed more accountability. While the RSO was eventually approved, the trio decided to make RSO and funding decisions central to their campaign, accord-

ing to third-year and candidate for vice president for student affairs Nicho Kelly. The slate also hopes to make SG more accessible to students. “I feel previous student governments have been very disconnected from the student body. And I think that they don’t take a personal approach to the individual students. …I think that that’s really, really what the job of student government is: championing the issues that students face in their lives, every day of the week,” Hemmings said. According to O’Connell, Uncommon Fun’s stance as current SG outsiders gives the slate a unique position to bring reform to the system. “The tried-and-true is only partially working right now. We need to try something else to try to get more of the changes that we’d like,” O’Connell said. Hemmings agreed, adding that Uncommon Fun would be able to hold the Administration accountable to students. “We’re going to take no more rubbish from the Administration. They’re going to do what we want, when we want it. Obviously within the bounds of the legal framework of the University, but the fact is no more rubbish,” Hemmings said.

UNITED Students Alliance

Whether it’s the coffee students are drinking, the funds RSOs are getting, or the medical care local Hyde Parkers are receiving, the UNITED Students Alliance aims to improve all areas of student and campus life. UNITED, which is composed of third-year presidential candidate David Akinin, second-year College Council Chair Neil Shah, and first-year Class of 2014 Representative Ben Yu, seeks to use already existing resources and avoid clogging up the pipes with what Yu called “new, random things.” “We’re creating opportunities for people in student government to actually work efficiently,” Akinin said. Mostly, that translates to communicating and optimizing, rather than building--United wants to restructure ORCSA’s web content, help RSOs and students navigate different sources of funding, provide stronger support for entrepreneurship and philanthropy, and bring closer together the graduate and college communities through RSO advertising. United has prioritized its technological overhaul of SG and ORCSA resources. “We don’t launch fall quarter without our whole technology revamped,” Akinin said. United hopes to streamline ORCSA’s RSO database and develop a more interactive site that

would encourage browsing. “We need students coming into campus before they’re here for orientation saying, ‘Oh my god, I’m so excited this RSO exists,’ or, ‘Wow, this is what student government is.’” The idea is part of a larger proposed initiative to reorganize the hundreds of RSOs on campus, many of which are either inactive or practically unknown. Akinin, who is chairman of the Committee of Recognized Student Organizations (CORSO), said that many of the RSO applications he denies are turned away because another organization like it already exists. Part of the problem, Shah said, is that ORCSA’s approach is “reactionary,” where it should be more proactive, taking the initiative when engaging with RSOs and making an effort to bridge connections between like-minded organizations. Though UNITED has scores of campaign promises, they don’t envision cutting any of their plans. “We’re running as a structured slate,” Akinin said. “We’re not going to cut something here because we’re too busy there.” Still, Yu admitted that certain projects, like the installation of voice-over IP systems in graduate residencies, depend more on administrative bureaucracy and might be more difficult to implement. “It’s going to be an ongoing dialogue,” Yu said.


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CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | April 19, 2011

Housing staffing change to be fair and respectful, University says

SRIC proposal reflects investment framework of peer institutions

HOUSING continued from front page

SRIC continued from front page

decision to move housekeeping and maintenance functions to Facilities has been finalized, the contract to outsource those functions with a third-party company has not yet been awarded. The University is also still in talks with the union that represents the current housekeepers. In order to explain the transitions in the University community, Kloehn said, he wants to help facilitate “as many face-to-face meetings on this as possible.” “One of the goals of this process is to be fair and respectful to the employees,” Kloehn said. “We

hope the change will be largely invisible to the residents of the houses,” he added. But Grove is adamant that students across campus will be angered by the change. “There’s a definite network of support for these workers,” she said. One node in that network is the new website keephousekeepers.com and its affiliated Facebook page, both of which were created shortly after workers learned of the decision by third-years Paul Dueck and Charles Cary, who both have a close relationship with housekeeping staff.

Entire first-year class completed new AlcoholEdu program ALCOHOL continued from front page of AlcoholEdu during the summer, students are required to complete a follow-up segment during fall quarter that includes a series of surveys to reassess academic- and alcohol- related goals made during the summer. Although students who did not complete AlcoholEdu would have been prevented from registering for classes during Winter Quarter, West said that 100 percent of the class of 2014 completed the program. The University only tracked hospitalizations among first-year students so that administrators could more directly gauge the program’s impact, according to West. She added that oversight of the AlcoholEdu program will be transferred to Alex Lickerman,

the executive medical director of Student Counseling and Resource Services and the Student Care Center. He will also make the decision to continue AlcoholEdu beyond this year. In previous years, the only alcohol education that students received came during Chicago Life Meetings. Now, all orientation aides will also have to complete AlcoholEdu before O-Week 2011. AlcoholEdu was created by Outside the Classroom, a company that produces other health education programs such as Sexual AssaultEdu and MentalHealthEdu. Th e c o m p a n y ’ s w e b s i t e r e p o r t s t h a t AlcoholEdu leads to a proven decrease in student drinking, supported by case studies at Villanova University.

CORRECTIONS » The April 15 article "First Floor Café Set To Replace Ex Libris, Students' Jobs In Doubt" misidentified the author of the article. It was written by Rebecca Guterman. The MAROON is committed to correcting mistakes for the record. If you suspect the MAROON has made an error, please alert the newspaper by e-mailing Editor@

ChicagoMaroon.com.

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these corporate activities of the University may appear so incompatible with paramount social values as to require careful assessment of the consequences.” “I think this committee will be able to go about including all members of the University to formalize what those paramount social values are,” Singh said. Fourth-year and active Students for a Democratic Society member Craig Johnson said that historically the University has not acted responsibly in its investments. The S RIC will “provide an apparatus through which the University can do things that companies normally do when they invest in companies that have illegal or unethical practices,” Johnson said. “When the rest of the academic community was divesting from apartheid South Africa, the University didn’t have any way to do that.” “This committee will create some standards for

how the University invests. The University doesn’t have any way to exercise its capabilities in that way,” Johnson said. “We’re not just talking about not exploiting workers; we’re talking about not violating the law.” “Obviously, the University will not accept—and we don’t want a committee that has mandatory binding power on the University’s investments, which is exactly the way that all of our peer institutions run it,” Johnson said. Though the SRIC could not force the Administration into compliance with the committee’s recommendations, both Johnson and Singh believe that the rising trend of socially responsible investment is enough to compel the University to reconsider prior stances. “It’s not like they’ll be making a bunch of impossible recommendations, but, the idea is that the committee will be a way for the community to express its opinion about University investment,” Johnson said.

TEDx conference aimed to mirror uncommon student and campus life TEDX continued from front page socially responsible entrepreneurship. Gabrielle Lyon, co-founder of the science education nonprofit Project Exploration, moderated and emceed the event. She associated each series of speakers with one of the University application’s essay prompts for this year, including the cryptic “Find x.” Lyon said that the conference tapped into an already extant culture on campus. “It was funny to me when I went through the course catalog, I came across the description of the SOSC course ‘Mind,’” she said. “You could have just taken that paragraph and stuck it in the program today. It speaks to the way that curiosity and liberal arts…are ingrained into the life here.” Sunday marked the first TEDx event in which students competed for a speaker position, according to second-year Richard Pichardo, who directed the contest. From a field of 50 candidates, of which 45 were U of C undergraduate or graduate students, a panel of judges selected

fourth-year psychology major Bruno Cabral. Funding and support came from Student Government, corporate sponsors like Apple, which donated computer equipment, and ticket revenues. The RSO contacted speakers through the University’s Board of Trustees and selected them based on their previous TED experience. Speakers were compensated for lodging and transportation costs only, a requirement for TEDx certification. TED worked closely with the RSO in the planning stages, said Vaca Sittic, laying out guidelines and providing video segments from other TEDx and TED conferences. First-year Bianca Tamez-Beccino was happy she purchased a $55 VIP ticket, which granted her access to a catered reception with the speakers. “I really loved it. I had a really good time, and I’m glad that I came,” she said, citing her interactions with other TEDx patrons as a highlight. “I didn’t care that they fed me, but the people are great.”

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CHICAGO MAROON

| VIEWPOINTS | April 19, 2011

5

VIEWPOINTS

EDITORIAL & OP-ED APRIL 19, 2011

EDITORIAL

Student government endorsements CHICAGO MAROON

The student newspaper of the University of Chicago since 1892

ADAM JANOFSKY, Editor-in-Chief CAMILLE VAN HORNE, Managing Editor AMY MYERS, News Editor CHRISTINA PILLSBURY, News Editor PETER IANAKIEV, Viewpoints Editor ALISON HOWARD, Viewpoints Editor JORDAN LARSON, Voices Editor MAHMOUD BAHRANI, Sports Editor JESSICA SHEFT-ASON, Sports Editor VICTORIA KRAFT, Head Copy Editor MONIKA LAGAARD, Head Copy Editor HOLLY LAWSON, Head Copy Editor DARREN LEOW, Photo Editor LLOYD LEE, Photo Editor IVY PEREZ, Head Designer ABRAHAM NEBEN, Web Editor KEVIN WANG, Web Editor HARUNOBU CORYNE, Assoc. News Editor JONATHAN LAI, Assoc. News Editor SAM LEVINE, Assoc. News Editor SHARAN SHETTY, Assoc. Viewpoints Editor ILIYA GUTIN, Assoc. Voices Editor CHARNA ALBERT, Assoc. Voices Editor VINCENT McGILL, Delivery Coordinator HAYLEY LAMBERSON, Ed. Board Member DOUGLAS EVERSON, Designer ANDREW GREEN, Designer ALYSSA LAWTHER, Designer ALYSSA MARTIN, Designer VINCENT YU, Designer SABINA BREMNER, Artist AMISHI BAJAJ, Copy Editor JANE BARTMAN, Copy Editor ALICE BLACKWOOD, Copy Editor HUNTER BUCKWORTH, Copy Editor MARCELLO DELGADO, Copy Editor DANIELLE GLAZER, Copy Editor DON HO, Copy Editor JANE HUANG, Copy Editor ALISON HUNG, Copy Editor TARA NOOTEBOOM, Copy Editor LANE SMITH, Copy Editor ANNA AKERS-PECHT, Copy Editor ALEX WARBURTON, Copy Editor BELLA WU, Copy Editor LILY YE, Copy Editor MICHELLE LEE, Copy Editor MERU BHANOT, Copy Editor JULIA PEI, Copy Editor The CHICAGO MAROON is published twice weekly during autumn, winter, and spring quarters.

The MAROON endorses LIVEChicago and the creation of a Socially Responsible Investment Committee In recent years, SG elections have been characterized by low voter turnout, with few serious slate candidates. However, this year’s election involves three strong executive slate platforms in addition to the Moose Party’s perennial satirical campaign. While Uncommon Fun, UNITED Students Alliance, and LIVEChicago all plan to introduce interesting ideas to an institution steeped in disinterest, the Maroon feels that only one of these slates has demonstrated the sincerity to bring its projects to fruition while holding on to realistic campaign promises. For this reason, the Maroon earnestly endorses LIVEChicago for slate. LIVEChicago, which is comprised of third-year presidential candidate Youssef Kalad, first-year vice president of administration candidate Forrest Scofield, and second-year vice president of student affairs candidate Meher Kairon, has outlined reasonable and tangible goals that would benefit the student body in the months and years to come. Their larger plans center around improving existing projects in the College that have declined over the years or have failed to reach their potential, namely uBazaar, the Uncommon Fund, and

are not necessarily those of the MAROON.

©2011 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

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ideas, especially those involving transportation, including selling CTA passes on campus and introducing a compromise for the UPass. The Uncommon Fun slate also stood out with their realistic and achievable goals, which were probably fueled by their view of SG as a severely limited body. In a way, Uncommon Fun represents a sober balance between the other three parties. But they are too inexperienced with SG to foster any real change. If students didn’t agree with the Administration or Board of Trustees, said third-year presidential candidate Adam Hemmings, SG could bring publicity to the issue. How this slate, which had problems publicizing its own campaign—alone, for example, in not having a website—would be able to reach out to the student body and bring publicity to concerns is unclear. There are still gaps in LIVEChicago’s platform that should be addressed before the election’s closing on Thursday. A significant portion of LIVEChicago’s campaign promises rely on the Internet to increase accessibility, functionality, and efficiency, but none of the candidates are skilled computer programmers. Literally half of their agenda–from

the renovation of uBazaar to videos of administrators with campus updates– may go down the drain if the slate can’t tap into the right people and resources. LIVEChicago should actively gain the support of the programmers they expect to work with–otherwise much of their platform may prove to be unfeasible. Tomorrow’s ballot will also have a referendum to create a Socially Responsible Investment Committee, which addresses a longstanding student concern that has largely gone unrecognized by the University. The University’s investments are closely tied with students, many of which are bothered by the idea that the U of C could be investing in unethical causes. If the University is investing in questionable activities, students deserve a body that will make recommendations to the Board of Trustees and bring more transparency to the University’s finances. The Editorial Board consists of the Editor-in-Chief, Viewpoints Editors, and an additional editorial board member. Peter Ianakiev recused himself from the slate endorsement process.

COLD SNAP

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Free food nation

LIVEChicago would continue momentum of former slates

By Emily Wang Viewpoints Columnist

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

the class registration system. This can already be seen in Scofield’s work on the Uncommon Fund. As a board member this year, he helped the Fund largely do away with its arbitration and inaccessibility. Partially thanks to his work with JoinStart, the Fund saw almost 150 projects this time around—a dramatic increase compared to previous years. Scofield plans to capitalize on the Fund’s success by appealing for three times more funding and turning it into a yearlong process that fosters student entrepreneurship, if elected. While UNITED also advocates for increased entrepreneurship on campus, their proposals are mostly vague. The slate’s only tangible suggestions are to develop a Chicago Careers in Entrepreneurship program and have the Uncommon Fund, which Akinin worked on as a board member in 2009, support entrepreneurs–an idea that has much less flesh on it than LIVEChicago’s approachable plan of action. UNITED seems to try to make up for its lack of specificity with volume, and their list of campaign promises is unrealistically extensive and ambitious. However, LIVEChicago would benefit from looking at a few of UNITED’s

Saturday night. A friend calls to ask me what I’m going to do for dinner. I reply that my House is taking a trip to Demera, and return the question to him. His response? Game Night at Bartlett. Which RSO? He doesn’t know, mumbles something about Go and Mahjongg, postulates that it’s run by one of the Asian organizations. But, does it really matter? There’s free bubble tea and even the prospect of a free dinner! I hear myself: Wow, jealous! I have to pay for my Saturday night meal. So the conversation continues. He has to go. We hang up. The RSO, as it turns out, was PanAsia. I’d never heard of PanAsia up to this point, and evidently, neither had my friend, before or after the officially named “Game Day.” When asked about his experience at Game Day, he told me that his group had stood in line for the bubble tea and then left, unwilling to play games in the hour-long wait to get the free meal. It’s a common story. My friend here is guilty of this sort of grab-the-free-foodand-run mentality. But so am I. And,

odds are, you are too. Thinking back on two and a half quarters, overstuffed memories of long lines and various buffet-style trays featuring everything from caramel apples to pierogi to Jimmy John’s come wandering back. I’ve been reeled into events, lectures, meetings, with the prospect of free food so many times that they’ve all begun to melt together into one continuous feast in my memory. All free food is not created equal, however. Some events (see: International Food Festival) are more “successful” than others, i.e., I get my hands on a whole plate of free food as opposed to one measly piece of candy. These kinds of memories (and the sheer number of them), as well as the exchange I had with my friend, are a little problematic and pretty embarrassing to me. Is free food really the most powerful motivation for students to attend an event or do, well, anything? Why do we so easily fall victim to the free food trap? I’d venture to say that hardly any of us are actually underfed on campus, especially those on the meal plan. One could counter this with the argument that dining hall food is decidedly lackluster, occasionally downright terrible, so the prospect of putting anything out of the norm into our excitement-deprived stomachs is especially tantalizing. Yet that doesn’t really explain the tendency of crazed students, when given the opportunity, to grab as much free food as possible even when 1) they’re not actually hungry, or 2) the food isn’t very good, and 3) so much time (sometimes more than an hour) is sacrificed just standing in line waiting behind all the

other free food repeat offenders. Why are we willing to do so much for so little, if that “little” means free food? It’s a fascinating phenomenon that’s confined not only to college campuses but America as a whole. Some people are skeptical. They have a point when they ask, “What country isn’t obsessed with food?” But the way we obsess is different. In other nations, the food is vibrant and delicious, but it’s not the main course; that, of course, would be conversation. Food is considered a communal experience, enjoyed slowly and with good company. Here? The obsession takes a form dictated by our instant gratification, nonstop work-and-play lifestyles; we love fast food, thoughtless food, and, of course, free food. The college campus, where events come in swarms and students never have a minute or a quarter to spare, is the perfect microcosm of the American food culture. Wednesday’s $1 shakes are an example of college food culture. So are daily food study breaks during finals (whose idea was it that the best way to de-stress is to eat cookies, pies, and donuts after a long day of being locked up in a room or the library, crouched over and immobile?). Nowhere is this most evident, though, than in the ubiquitous practice of luring students in with free food. Both sides— the enticers and the enticed—participate, and both sides lose. That’s not to say I’m against free food. My friend with the bubble tea thinks I am, and has concluded that I’m against all that is good in humanity. While that may be true, what I’m really critical of is the way free food becomes an end in

FOOD continued on page 6

The MAROON received this unsolicited letter from several current SG members. With elections starting this Tuesday, we would like to endorse LIVEChicago Slate for the 2011 Student Government Election because we believe they are the only credible, experienced, and diverse slate to carry out the vision of Student Government. (Attached is the full list of endorsements.) Our coalition of supporters believes that LIVEChicago provides practical and high-impact solutions to many of the problems facing the student body. David Chen, current vice-president of administration, says, “Because I have worked with members of LIVEChicago, I strongly believe that their experiences in student funding and working with Administration will ensure their success.” Part of the slate’s responsibility consists of not only proposing new ideas, but also in building off the momentum from previous slates. uBazaar, which was started by Chris Williams, vice-president of student affairs 2009-2010, had numerous difficulties before Youssef Kalad took on the challenge. Thanks to Youssef ’s leadership and perseverance, TedxUChicago, SASA, UChicago for Pakistan, Japan Relief, and several other groups were able to sell tickets on this platform to promote student life.

ENDORSEMENT continued on page 6


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CHICAGO MAROON

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VIEWPOINTS | April 19, 2011

The Science Wars

Campus groups should find more innovative methods of self-promotion FOOD continued from page 5

grows. Not only does this promote an unhealthy relationship with food, contributing to weight gain in college, but continues to perpetuate a consumerist mindset that becomes more deepseated with every bite of that free sandwich you just grabbed. So downplay the free food, and make students stop, look, and listen through other means. It will be difficult, but it’s possible.

itself rather than being a means to another end. Generating interest and membership in RSOs or other campus groups, as well as promoting specific initiatives to students, get lost under the weight of all the free food. Students are blindsided by frozen chocolate-covered bananas and consequently sign petitions for causes they don’t necessarily believe in (Green Campus Initiative employed this strategy to great success: No signature? No food). The RSO itself is increasingly the afterthought; our fixation on “free plus food”

Status Reports

Advanced analysis of world affairs and world events. Learn about the various dimensions of existence and their battlefields. Website/BLOG titles include: • • • • • •

North Pole magnetic data field computer war The TIME MACHINE of Computer Earth Galileo the DEFENDER (of Planet Earth) DNA genetics clinical trial – Benjamin Lewin The quantum physics FLAVOR war casualties The Symbolic Origin of the Universe

Keywords can be used on Internet Google/etc: Emily Wang is a first-year in the College.

LIVEChicago offers productive combination of SG and RSO experience ENDORSEMENT continued from page 5

the administrative side to make the RSO experience easier and more enjoyable for students. Additionally, she is keen to work on projects that give students the opportunity to engage with the city more. We believe LIVEChicago will continue the tradition of previous slates, while providing new ideas that will help build the next generation of student government.

In addition to helping maintain continuity with previous slates, Forrest Scofield is working to provide new resources for students to pursue their passions. Despite being a first-year, Forrest has taken initiative in connecting undergraduates to their graduate counterparts. Whether it has been through Student Government Finance Committee (SGFC), the Uncommon Fund, or the Booth Polsky Center, Forrest has worked to bring together graduates and undergraduates over shared ideas and passions. The results have been outstanding: SGFC has funded more graduate events then ever, Uncommon Fund applications have more than tripled, and the Polsky Center has connected more than a dozen Booth mentors with undergraduate entrepreneurs. While Youssef and Forrest share a great deal of Student Government experience, Meher Kairon offers a unique RSO background that is often missing from Student Government slates. Having served as Assistant Chair to MUNUC and been involved with Global Brigades, Student for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and ChoMUN, she has experienced firsthand the realities that students face when trying to put on events for their RSO. Meher aims to use her position on

David Chen, Vice-President of Administration, SGFC Adviser, Uncommon Fund Chair, Annual Allocations Adviser Patrick Ip, Vice-President of Student Affairs, CORSO Adviser, PCC Chair Marie Joh, Student Government Finance Committee Chair, Annual Allocations Chair, Major Activities Board Chair Alison Baulos, Graduate Council Chair Nakul Singh, Third-year Representative Pamela Villa, Third-year Representative, Campus Dining Advisory Board Committee Member Travis Benaiges, Second-year Representative Katie Burkhart, First-year Representative, Interim CORSO Chair Alex Bennett, First-year Representative, InterHouse Council Liaison

• • • • •

Herb Zinser’s Science Wars American Science Wars British Science Wars Math and Physics Science Wars Atomic English Language Science War

Students and professors need to upgrade their symbolic brain… Welcome to the intellectual BRAVE NEW WORLD.

Worship for Holy Week Wednesday, April 20, 6:00 pm Stations of the Cross (Brent House, 5540 S. Woodlawn Ave.) Thursday, April 21, noon

Maundy Thursday Liturgy with footwashing (Bond Chapel—behind Swift Hall)

Friday, April 22, 6:00 pm

Good Friday Liturgy (Brent House)

Sunday, April 24, 5:30 pm

Easter Sunday Eucharist and Festive Supper (Brent House) Bring a dish to share!

All are welcome to join us in the commemoration of our faith’s holiest events.

BRENT The Episcopal Center at the University of Chicago House www.brenthouse.org 5540 South Woodlawn Avenue • Chicago, IL 60637 • 773/947-8744

GERSHWIN GALA University Symphony Orchestra and Motet Choir

The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra with Leila Josefowicz, violin

SUNDAY / MAY 1 / 3 PM Don’t miss the final performance of the SPCO as UChicago ensemble-in-residence Kabalevsky: The Comedians Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, op. 19 Schnittke: Moz-Art à la Haydn Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings in C major, op. 48

Buy your tickets today! 773.702.8068

Mandel Hall, 1131 East 57th St. chicagopresents.uchicago.edu

Saturday, April 23 8 pm

$35 / $5 students with valid ID A limited number of FREE student tickets are available through the Arts Pass program; visit chicagopresents.uchicago.edu for details

Mandel Hall 1131 E. 57th Street

Barbara Schubert, Conductor featuring An American in Paris, Lullaby, and Porgy and Bess: Concert Suite with soloist from Court Theatre’s spring 2011 production Alexis Rogers, Todd M. Kryger, Harriet Nzinga Plumpp, and Sean Blake

Donations requested: $10 general /$5 students

event hotline: 773.702.8069 • music.uchicago.edu Persons with a disability who need assistance should call 773.702.8484.


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CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | April 19, 2011

BASEBALL

Maroons defeat Tartans to take third at UAAs

Offensive explosion helps push win streak to three By Vicente Fernandez Sports Staff Every now and then a team has one of those innings where everything goes right. Where the opposing pitcher feels as if every time he throws the ball across the plate it is going to ricochet off a bat and fly right back over his head. That was the sort of inning, and game, that the University of Chicago baseball team had on Saturday. Leading 7–0 at the top of the sixth, the Maroons rallied and drove in another 14 runs to secure their victory. The University of Chicago (11–6) wound up winning the game against Wabash (14–18) by a score of 21–7 to continue their three-game winning streak. What set the Maroons up for success at the plate, however, was second-year Matt O’Connor’s success on the mound. O’Connor held Wabash without a run for the game’s first five innings, giving the Maroons sufficient time to essentially run away with the victory. O’Connor left the game in the seventh inning after allowing five runs and improving his record to 4–0 on the season. Third-year catcher Stephen Williams said, “Matt O’Connor was fantastic throughout the game. He

set the tone for the day by throwing strikes and shutting down their offense.” If O’Connor set the tone, Williams and the rest of the Maroon lineup definitely kept up the pace. Williams finished the day three-for-five with four RBIs, three of which came off a double and tworun homer in the sixth. Second-year left fielder Jack Cinoman also did his part, driving in five runs before the day was over and going four-for-five in the outing. The rest of the batting order wasn’t far behind either, as all nine Maroons who started contributed at least one run or RBI. Williams added, “Matt’s outstanding pitching performance allowed our offense to get in a rhythm, and we were able to take over the game.” This rhythm that guided the University of Chicago to three victories in the past seven days is the same one that the Maroons hope to keep up against North Central in a double-header at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19. If the Maroons win both games on Tuesday, their winning streak will be extended to the longest it has been all season. “We want to keep this streak alive,” first-year designated hitter Brett Huff said. The Maroons’ game on Sunday against Monmouth was postponed due to forecasted rain.

M. TENNIS continued from back page 8—5. The momentum going into singles was going to go the way of the winner of the third doubles match. Powerful serving by Szabo and accurate volleys by Ravella put the pair up 7—4. However, a break of Ravella’s serve, a held serve by Wash U, and a break of Szabo’s serve, evened the score at 7—7. The Chicago pair quickly regained their composure by breaking Wash U’s serve and only needing one game for the win. However, a break of Ravella’s serve caused the match to go to a tiebreaker. Wash U led the tiebreaker the whole way, besting the Chicago pair with a final score of 9—8 (4). While Chicago was down 2—1, the team did not feel a sense of urgency going into singles action. “[Wash U’s] win at third doubles was definitely a big one,” Ravella said. “Even then, we still liked our chances in singles.” Singles turned out to be just as close as doubles. A Szabo loss at second singles brought urgency to all the other players. A 7—6 (5), 6—2 win by Brinker at third singles and 4—6, 6—3, 6—4 win by Stefanski at fifth singles brought a spark of hope for the Maroons. With only fourth-year Will Zhang, Golovin, and second-year Harrison Abrams on the courts, Chicago would need

to pull off two dramatic victories. Those victories never came. Golovin was edged out 6—3, 4—6, 6—4, and Zhang, fighting through cramping, lost 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Given that the Bears clinched a spot in the final, Abrams’ match went unfinished; Wash U defeated Chicago 5-3. “Even though the loss was very disappointing, we had to forget about it very q u i ck l y , ” S z a b o s a i d . “ L o s i n g a g a i n s t Carnegie was not an option.” S u n d a y ’ s t h i r d - p l a c e m a t ch a g a i n s t Carnegie proved to be just as close as Saturday’s match against Wash U. After dropping two matches in doubles the Maroons were down 2—1 going into singles action. However, this time Chicago’s perseverance showed. 6—1, 6—1 wins by Golovin and Stefanski put Chicago up 3-2. Brinker then won 6—3, 7—5. One win would clinch third place for the Maroons. That win came by Abrams, who cruised past his opponent, winning 6—1, 6—0. The South Siders are content with their finish, and hope their season continues. “Finishing in third place is respectable, but we definitely need to put more practice in the next couple of weeks to get ready for the NCAA tournament, if we do get a bid to the tournament,” Ravella said.

The Rose Ensemble FRIDAY / APRIL 29 / 7:30 PM

CLASSIFIEDS

Ancient Russian sacred music at Rockefeller Chapel “Slavic Wonders: Feasts and Saints in Early Russia, Poland & Bohemia” Classified advertising in the CHICAGO MAROON is $3 for each line. Lines are 45 characters long including spaces and punctuation. Special headings are 20-character lines at $4 per line. Classifieds are not accepted over the phone, and they must be paid in advance. Submit all ads in person, by e-mail, or by mail to the CHICAGO MAROON, Ida Noyes Hall, Lower Level Rm 026, 1212 E. 59th St., Chicago, IL 60637 attn: Classified Ads. Deadlines: Wednesdays and Fridays, 12 P.M., prior to publication. The CHICAGO MAROON accepts Mastercard & Visa. Call (773) 702-9555.

Buy your tickets today! 773.702.8068

Rockefeller Chapel 5850 South Woodlawn Avenue

$35 / $5 students with valid ID

Condo for Rent - 2BR/2BA - 5201 S Cornell. Beautiful lake view! Carpet, cent air/heat, secure bldg, new appls, cable, outdoor pool. $1400/mo. + deposit + bkgrnd chk ($20). 773-955-7649

Studio for rent in University Park Condos. Remodeled. Newer Appl. Wood flr. 24 hr security. Rent $800.00/sec dep. Call 773-401-0474.

A limited number of FREE student tickets are available through the Arts Pass program; visit chicagopresents.uchicago.edu for details

One day you’re in, the next day you’re out. Visit the Chicago Maroon Streetstyle blog this Thursday at chicagomaroon.com/chicago-manual-of-style.


CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | April 19, 2011

11

DeJesus draws motivation from his Mexican and Puerto Rican roots BOXING continued from back page learned all the boxing basics from Bill, like how to walk, punch, work out, and eat. As DeJesus started getting more serious about boxing he found support in his uncle, Francisco Garcia. “When my uncle Francisco found out I was boxing he told me how he was a boxer in his youth who won the Golden Gloves in the ’80s. He told me to go after [the Golden Gloves] and that really motivated me to compete as a boxer.” When DeJesus came to the University he wanted to keep boxing but needed a new gym on the South Side to train. The closest place he could find was the Fuller Park Destroyers, a gym on 47th and Princeton, a few blocks west of the 47th Street Red Line Stop. There he found his current coach Kenneth Sims. “Coach Sims wanted to see how dedicated I was,” DeJesus said, “so on my first day training with him he had me spar for three rounds with his son.” DeJesus didn’t know at the time, but Sims’s son, Kenneth Sims Jr., was an accomplished Junior Olympic boxer. DeJesus recalls telling Sims he wanted to stop after taking a beating for two rounds, thinking he couldn’t last the final round. Sims would not have it. “‘Don’t give me that,’ is what he told me,” DeJesus remembers, not including the expletives. “He said if I stopped now, I would think I could stop in every fight I had in the future. If I wanted to be a real boxer, I had to gut it out another round.” DeJesus lasted the round and ever since has had a great relationship with Sims. “Its so valuable to have a coach that will push you further than you could have gone yourself,” Dejesus said about Sims. “I wouldn’t be anywhere without him.” Over the past three years, DeJesus has had to balance his boxing with his demanding schoolwork. Being a pre-med chemistry major and a competitive boxer has put him on a strict time budget. “I have had to sleep less and be more efficient with my time,” DeJesus admitted. “But it’s been worth it.” DeJesus’ training regiment includes two to three hour sessions at the Fuller Park gym five days a week, in addition to an hour of travel time each trip, plus the fitness he does daily. “If you want to be a good boxer you have to do fitness daily on top of any time you spent at the gym,” DeJesus said. “30 minute–run in the morning, 30 minute–run at night, 200 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, every day.” Despite the demands of boxing, DeJesus has his priorities firmly in order. “School comes first always,” DeJesus affirmed. “That is the attitude I have and my coach knows that. I am a student and then a boxer, but I think I can be pretty good at both.” Boxing and intense academics in the sciences may seem like an unusual combination, but DeJesus swears that the disciplines complement each other. “Boxing is my escape from school. Class work can get stressful, but boxing and training is always fun for me,” DeJesus said. “I am not a great boxer,” he humbly went on. “Most of the guys at my gym can beat my ass. But I know that every time I train I am getting better, [and that] every run and session with Ken [Sims] has made me a better boxer. That is fun and allows me to be relaxed and motivated when I return to my studies.” By the same token DeJesus feels his studiousness helps him greatly in the ring. “I have always been dedicated student,” DeJesus said. “I bring that attitude to boxing. I want to learn every detail that Ken teaches me about how to fight and how to train and the reasoning behind it. That has really helped me understand the sport and develop good technique and tactics.” DeJesus has been competing now for three years, and has lost only one in six fights. His largest accomplishment to date came this past March when he reached the final four for his division in the Golden Gloves Boxing tournament. The tournament was held over three weekends at Gordon Tech High School on the northwest side, where thousands of patrons packed the gymnasium, each of them paying ten bucks to see early round fights and twenty for the championships.

A tattoo of an Aztec warrior stretches across DeJesus’ back. “The tattoo represents my heritage of fierce fighters, so when I go into the ring it’s good to know I have them on my back,” DeJesus said. TERRENCE LEE/MAROON

“Every boxer in Chicago has the goal of winning the Golden Gloves,” DeJesus said of the tournament. DeJesus fought in the 139 pounds weight class of the 20-and-under division this past year. Just getting down to 139 pounds was hard for DeJesus. He weighed in at 165 pounds when he started boxing. “Losing 25 pounds over two years and keeping my weight down has been tough,” DeJesus said, “but at my height if I boxed at any weight above 139 I would not have much of a chance.” DeJesus, who stands only five foot seven, routinely runs into opponents five or more inches taller than him. Though he lacks the long reach of most of his competitors, DeJesus compensates with his quickness, good technique of fending off punches, and excellent stamina. In amateur boxing, the winner is determined by which fighter accumulates the most points in three two minute-rounds, with points being awarded for every punch one lands on his opponent’s head and body. DeJesus stressed that amateur boxing is not about how much pain one inflicts on one’s opponent. A landed punch is worth one point whether it is just a hit to the opponent’s stomach or knocks him to the ground. “It’s not about overpowering your opponent,” DeJesus said. “It’s out about outsmarting them through finesse.” When DeJesus pulled a taller opponent in the first round of the Golden Gloves, he wasn’t fazed. “I knew that if I stayed patient and relaxed, my good technique and hard work on fitness would carry me through,” he said. After being defensive in the first round and fending off a flurry of punches, DeJesus came out swinging in the second round. “I could see that he was gassed after the first round, and I felt really fresh so I got aggressive and landed some big punches on his body and head; and a minute into the second round it got so one-sided that the ref had to call the fight,” DeJesus described with a smile. This win advanced him to the semifinals, where he would fight again the next Friday night. Unfortunately, the fight could not have come at a busier time for DeJesus. It was on the Friday of winter quarter reading period, and he had four finals to prepare for, as well as an interview with a committee from the Chicago Careers in Health Profession Office, who would be writing a letter on behalf of his medical school application. “Those two weeks (10th week and finals week) were crazy. I was jacked up about the fight, but I just did not have enough time to do my normal preparation because of school.” Going into the fight Dejesus was nervous about

not having gotten in the normal sparring time before a fight. He went up against a taller opponent but found himself up on points after the first round. In the second round Dejesus had his opponent up against the ropes, but with one punch his adversary ended his Golden Gloves run. “I just got a little to aggressive,” Dejesus explained. “I was throwing a lot of punches and left myself too exposed. He landed a good punch on my chin and I went down.” Dejesus quickly got back up but walked around wobbly. Despite his pleas that he was fine, the referee called the fight. “It was really frustrating because I knew I could have won, but I made a mistake and he capitalized on it,” Adam said. “I will definitely learn from it.” The only thing Dejesus enjoyed about losing the fight was the fact that he didn’t have to worry about making weight and could enjoy his mother’s home cooking for a few days. He enjoyed his favorite dishes from his Mexican and Puerto Rican culture: ceviche, marinated raw fish, and arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon, peas, and pork). “It was so good,” Dejesus said. “Normally I’m not supposed eat like that but I had to make an exception.” The support of his family is part of what motivates Dejesus as a fighter. Dejesus immediately found support from his uncle Francisco and his three brothers, but admitted that his mom needed a bit of convincing. “She doesn’t like the idea that I could get hurt or that I could hurt someone else, but when she saw how much I loved it she supported me,” he said. “It has meant a lot to have my family behind me.” His Puerto Rican and Mexican Heritage is also one of Dejesus’s strongest motivators. “Mexicans and Puerto Ricans have a history of being great boxers,” Dejesus said. “It’s not like I am getting a lot of glory from my fights, but it is still meaningful to take part in that tradition.” One of Dejesus’s older brothers, Cain, works as a tattoo artist in a parlor a few miles west of the U of C on 55th Street and Western. His brother did Dejesus’s only tattoo. Dejesus wanted something that would tie him to his Mexican roots and encompass his nature as a fighter. His brother gave him just that—the tattoo that covers most of Dejusus’s back features an image of an Aztec warrior holding an Aztec woman with a temple and sky in the background. Dejesus says that having the tattoo gives him confidence going into his fights. “The tattoo represents my heritage of fierce fighters, so when I go into the ring it’s good to know I have them on my back.” The story behind the tattoo offers a glimpse

into DeJesus’s tough, competitive nature. DeJesus explained that his brother keeps track of how long his customers can “take” a tattoo in one sitting. Before DeJesus the record was seven hours. “Going into the tattoo I wanted to break the record,” DeJesus recalled. “I was able to [break the record], but the funny thing was that I actually fell asleep during it,” DeJesus laughed. “My brother says that never happens.” The sitting lasted seven and a half hours, and the tattoo was finished the next day with another five hour–sitting. Having a tattoo of that magnitude done in two days was unheard of. DeJesus viewed it as an accomplishment. “It hurt so much the following week,” he laughed. “It went completely numb. I probably should not have had it done that fast.” DeJesus’s dedication and accomplishments make him an exceptional student and boxer, but it is his humility and sense of humor that make him an exceptional person. DeJesus is focusing on taking the MCAT and getting his medical school application together this spring, so while he is still training diligently, he will not fight until a June 20 bout at his home Fuller Park gym. DeJesus is excited about creating a boxing club for the next academic school year. His friend, Ajeet Singh, approached him with the idea. Singh said he would take care of the managerial side of the club while DeJesus would act as a coach, instructing and training the members. DeJesus hopes he can get his coach, Ken Sims, to help coach once a week. “I think it will be a lot of fun,” DeJesus said. “Boxing will be a great outlet for U of C students.” DeJesus admitted that he thinks fighting competitively could be too difficult during medical school, so he says he will likely hang up his gloves after the summer of 2012. However, he still wants to give the Golden Gloves one more go next March. He plans on fighting in the open division next year, the larger and more competitive division that allows for qualification to the Olympic trials. “I am already excited about the Golden Gloves for next year. I will be training with that as my main goal starting in the summer,” DeJesus said. No matter the results, DeJesus’s next year of boxing will be completed with an ever-present smile drawn across his face and will represent yet another inspiring chapter of an incredible collegiate career. Although he may not box his whole life, in whatever endeavor he takes onwheter conducting his own research, studying for the board exams, or treating patients-Dejesus will continue to put up one hell of a fight.


SPORTS

IN QUOTES “That’s true. You can write that. It is the first book I’ve ever read.”

—Former Connecticut guard Kemba Walker, discussing William C. Rhoden’s Forty Million Dollar Slaves, a book on black athlete exploitation.

MEN’S BOXING

MEN’S TENNIS

DeJesus packs a punch

Chicago takes third at UAAs, falls to Bears

By J.T Sullivan Sports Staff There is a grin on the face of third-year Adam DeJesus as he lies exhausted against the car door on the way back to his Rogers Park home. DeJesus usually has a smile on his face, but tonight especially he has reason to be happy. His mom has an authentic Puerto Rican dinner waiting for him at home. The dinner is well-earned; the night before, DeJesus finished in the final four of the Golden Gloves, Chicago’s largest and most prestigious boxing tournament. DeJesus’s Golden Glove run was a journey three years in the making. DeJesus did not start boxing until the summer going into his first year at the U of C. After not competing in any sports in high school other than fitness competitions as a member of the Junior ROTC, DeJesus was looking for a competitive outlet in college. “Going into college I wanted to try a sport,” DeJesus said. “I always would wrestle for fun with my friend, so I figured I would try wrestling.” DeJesus contacted head wrestling coach Leo Kocher about his desire to join the team. However, because DeJesus had no real wrestling experience, Kocher advised him to try the sport over the summer to prepare for the season and understand what he was getting into. DeJesus contacted the park district in Rogers Park about wrestling

By Alex Sotiropoulos Sports Staff

Third-year Adam DeJesus reached the final four of the vaunted Golden Gloves tournament, the most prestigious boxing tournament in Chicago, in his first attempt. TERRENCE LEE/MAROON

programs but found that they only offered wrestling for pre-high school students. “The only thing they offered was boxing,” DeJesus said. “So I figured that fighting experience through boxing would be better than nothing.” Kocher agreed with that logic, so DeJesus started training with his first coach, who goes only by the name

of Bill, in the basement of the Rogers Park district building. After about a week of training DeJesus was allowed to spar for the first time with an opponent. He recalls the moment that got him hooked on boxing. “[On my third punch] I got him right in the nose,” DeJesus said. “Blood sprayed everywhere. It was

after that that I realized this was for real. People can get hurt out here. But by putting my body on the line I also got an incredible rush from fighting, and after that first fight I realized I could be pretty good at it. I was hooked.” Over that first summer DeJesus

BOXING continued on page 11

SOFTBALL

Schneider slams it home for Maroons By Charles Fang Sports Staff The queens of diamonds won both games on Sunday against Lawrence (10—13) and Elmhurst (10—18) to improve to 18-8 on the current campaign. “I’m happy with how the team played during those games,” second-year Kim Cygan said. “We came out strong both games and scored first, giving us success during the game.” The first game against Lawrence was

not as close as the final result may suggest. It started with a huge burst from the gates by Chicago in the bottom of the first. Third-year Sara Neuhaus capitalized with bases loaded single, bringing in two runs. A triple later by first-year Maddie McManus would bring in two more. The Maroons racked up five runs in total during the half-inning, providing what would become the winning margin. The Maroons would garner contributions from up and down the lineup for the 6—4 victory. Neuhaus, who drove in the first runs,

also pitched a gem marred only by a late grand slam by Lawrence in the seventh. However, she completed the game, striking out seven and walking two over the seven frames. The second game against Elmhurst followed along the same trajectory. “Everyone played great defense and hit well,” Cygan said. “Elmhurst is a better team than their record suggests, so we knew we had to shut them down and jump on their pitching right away to score runs.” The Maroons were up 3—0 when

Third-year Julia Schneider hits against Wheaton during a game earlier this season. Schneider has been the Maroon’s biggest offensive threat this year with a .648 slugging percentage. DARREN LEOW/MAROON

leading hitter Julia Schneider blasted a two-bagger into the gap in left center to put the game out of reach by five runs. Chicago scratched out eight hits over their six half-innings at the plate. “Elmhurst is a great team, and being able to score six runs on them took all of us working as one cohesive unit,” remarked first-year Kaitlyn Carpenter. But this game belonged in the hands of Cygan, who followed Neuhaus’s example in pitching a complete game effort. Cygan gave up eight walks but allowed no runs and recorded three strikeouts in the shutout. “Elmhurst is a power hitting team, and Kim pitched a great game, not allowing any runs,” Carpenter added. “We did well against those teams, but viewing our statistics, we should have beat them by more,” second-year Samantha Hobson offered. “But the wins are great to have.” On a side note, the doubleheader against Lawrence on Saturday was postponed because of rain in the forecast. The Maroons are in the midst of a playoff hunt and may need to end the season with a bang to reach the regional tournament. “I think if we win out, we will definitely get a bid for post season,” Hobson said. “Though I believe that our record and our strength of schedule will allow us to make it there even [if we don’t] win out.” The Maroons continue the quest for the playoffs today against WisconsinOshkosh at 3 p.m. today.

Fighting off soreness and a demoralizing loss, men’s tennis placed third at this past weekend’s UAA Championships. After cruising past NYU (7—6) 8—1 in Friday’s quarterfinal, the Maroons were unable to make a comeback in Saturday afternoon’s thrilling semifinal, losing to Wash U (14—5) 5—3. In Sunday morning’s match for third place, Chicago barely bested Carnegie 5—4. The weekend improves the South Siders’ record to 16—4. Chicago’s fate of receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament is out of their control. Going into Friday’s quarterfinal, the Maroons were prepared to make an impressive showing at the conference tournament. After gaining the second seed by upsetting Wash U just two weeks earlier, head coach Marty Perry decided to keep the doubles teams the same, a tactic he hoped would be successful throughout the weekend. “The doubles tactics worked really well against Wash U,” firstyear Zsolt Szabo said. “All of our doubles teams practiced really well together, and we knew we would bring energy into the weekend.” All three doubles teams triumphed against NYU, losing just six games combined, with firstyears Zsolt Szabo and Krishna Ravella emphatically making their mark, winning at third doubles. Chicago did not ease up despite needing just two wins in singles to clinch a spot in the semifinal, and second-year sixth singles player Harrison Abrams posted the first win 6—4, 6—1. A win by third-year fifth singles player Jan Stefanski then secured a spot for the Maroons to play their archrivals Wash U the next day. The South Siders, however, continued to rattle NYU off the courts, winning three out of their final four singles match. The 8—1 landslide victory in the quarterfinals gave the Maroons much-needed momentum going against a traditionally strong Wash U squad. “Even though we were happy to have beaten Wash U in the regular season, we wanted to step up our singles performances because Wash U virtually swept us in singles a couple weeks ago,” Szabo said. Although all three Chicago doubles teams got out to early leads, Wash U quickly recovered to put up a fight. An 8-4 loss by first-year Alex Golovin and Stefanski put the Maroons on a deficit but, shortly after, third-year Troy Brinker and first-year Neil Karandikar won at second doubles

M. TENNIS continued on page 10


VOICES

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT APRIL 19, 2011

MUSIC

MUSIC

Sounds of Bach fill the Rock

Folk legend Wainwright still has old-school charm and sound By Blair Thornburgh Voices Renaissance Woman

J

ames Kallembach directs the Motet Choir, Rockefeller Chapel Choir, and orchestra during a performance of Bach's St. John Passion on Sunday afternoon. The performance was preceded by a lecture from renowned musicologist Michael Marissen on the controversies surrounding the seldom performed piece. LLOYD LEE/MAROON

THEATER

Arlecchino's Odyssey redefines theater By Ana Klimchynskaya Voices One Man Show Arlecchino’s Odyssey successfully blends minimalism and storytelling into an incredibly unique theater experience. This is characteristic of Filament Theatre, which has a knack for creating innovative stagings and engaging experiences, and this performance is more than up to their usual standards. It follows closely on the heels of their last adaptation, Choose Thine Own Adventure, and has everything that made that play a wonderful experience: humor, audience interaction, and an interesting locale. Most of all, it was a unique performance. The performance took place at the Den Theatre, which isn’t actually a theater. Even in a city like Chicago where some of the best performance

ARLECCHINO'S ODYSSEY The Den Filament Theatre Ensemble

venues are in small, out-of-the-way nooks and crannies, this was a hidden location. It’s really a spacious apartment rented out by the owner to theater groups, and its cozy couches and soft lighting create a welcoming atmosphere. The auditorium itself is a curtained-off section with several rows of chairs, allowing for the intimate experience that is such an essential part of this performance. The play itself is a short, one-man show, though Mary Spearen’s musical accompaniment was nearly a character all its own. The only character is Arlecchino (Omen Sade), a masked figure based on Harlequin, the comic figure of the commedia dell’arte. Harlequin is typically a deceptive, meddlesome servant who manages to mess everything up yet also be sympathetic. This short play captures the essence of his character perfectly: While he’s funny, clumsy, and silly, there’s a very human touch to his character. The brief play tells of his adventures as he travels through Europe, providing commentary on cultural stereotypes, as well as a whole slew of

The Den's stage is transformed with only background music and the rich movements of Arlecchino (Omen Sade). COURTESY OF PETER OYLOE

comedic imitations of philosophers. Sade’s impersonation of Sartre, complete with a French accent, is particularly unforgettable. More importantly, however, Harlequin’s emotions are felt through Sade as he expresses sadness, fear, and curiosity and seeks reassurance from the audience. The performance, is memorable not only for its content but also for its union with form. Historically, commedia dell’arte is known for its physicality. Characters expressed themselves through movements and gestures, and Harlequin in particular is known for agility and movement. Omen Sade perfectly embodies the physicality and physical comedy of this character; he tells the story with his body as much as he does with his words. However, in an interesting departure from commedia tradition, he eschews traditional props and sets and

even makes them seem superfluous as he and Mary Spearen create setting and atmosphere by using sound and mime. Through an innovative use of everyday objects (as well as a guitar) May provides the sound effects to set the scene, while Omen provides the actions that complete it; he is so expressive that his reactions make a complete cast unnecessary. He is a play in himself. As usual, Filament Theatre has managed to create a performance that makes us question the nature of theater. Last time, their play involved the audience yelling at the stage in a bar; this time, they’re questioning what’s necessary for a play to be a play. Perhaps all that’s required is the ability to create an illusion and to evoke the imagination. All you need are words and gestures.

For most college students, the name Loudon Wainwright III probably requires a little context. My Friday night plans to see the acclaimed folk singer–songwriter in concert earned me a lot of blank stares until I added the qualifier: “You know, Rufus’s dad,” referring to his musician son, the guy from the Shrek soundtrack. Or: “He played the obstetrician in Knocked Up.” Or: “He was Steven’s dad on Undeclared.” Oh yeah, that guy. He plays music too? Well, yes. In addition to his eclectic forays into acting (remember him on M.A.S.H.?) and his impressive offspring (he is also the father of singers Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche), Loudon has had a not-too-shabby musical career himself. The songwriter has released over 20 studio albums since 1970 and won the 2010 Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album for his tribute to the legendary folk singer Charlie Poole, High Wide & Handsome. As if his track record weren’t enough, his show at the Old Town School of Folk Music was solid proof of both his musical talent and his tongue-in-cheek wit. The 64-year-old Wainwright, whose first hit in the ’70s was the roadkill ballad “Dead Skunk,” opened the show with “The Morgue,” a song equal parts morbid and cheeky. Between repeated lines of narrating his visit to a lover dead “from a guilty conscience and a broken heart,” Wainwright hammed it up with the audience, winking and sticking out his tongue to punctuate the song’s surprisingly upbeat tone. Death and decay, he said, were the running themes of his songs these days, having matured from the topic of his earlier career: “shitty love.” His age, however, seemed to add a special poignancy to songs like “Motel Blues,” even when he felt it necessary to qualify, with a grin, that the song “used to get me laid all the time.” Whether the lyrics were serious or not, his musicianship was natural and precise as he played his guitar with ease and fluency. Wainwright’s good rapport with the crowd was tangible, thanks in no small part to the intimacy of the Old Town venue. The small stage and close seating made even the furthest listeners feel close enough for a chat. Though this was his second show of the night, Wainwright did his best to respond to requests, good-naturedly trying to remember songs from his immense repertoire and inviting fans to take a picture of him with their cell phones after the show if “you can figure out how to work the fucking thing.” But despite this brief moment of luddite-itude and his cantankerous (yet good-natured) gripes about aging, Wainwright was spry and ebullient, hopping around, tapping his foot, and constantly making faces. He encouraged participation, having the audience sing along to the twangy chorus of “Cash for Clunkers,” one of the songs from his latest album, 10 Songs for the New Depression. Opener Kim Richey played a short but undeniably sweet set of songs that provided a nice counterpoint to Wainwright’s. While Wainwright’s rapid-fire lyrics can border on gimmicky and tend to avoid anything but oblique references to the personal, Richey’s words cut deep with both resolve and tenderness. Her rendition of “I’m All Right,” all the more powerful in its stripped-down acoustic form, let the distinctive clarity of her voice shine through. By the end, it was obvious that Wainwright was a man who does what he loves—playing music for an appreciative crowd. And if more of us young folks could get to know Rufus’s dad a little better, I think we’d be in for a wonderful and timeless discovery.


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CHICAGO MAROON | VOICES | February 2011 CHICAGO MAROON | VOICES | April 19,18, 2011

A new plantaintion sensation sweeps the nation This article is part two in our on-going series on “The Sandwich.” “Call me All-American, but I love ham and cheese sandwiches, and not just any old ham and cheese sandwich. My mother’s is the best. I’ve tried many times to make these sandwiches on my own, but it’s never the same.” —Professional Tennis Athlete Andy Roddick If we were to agree upon something, we would probably agree upon food. Food is a universal entity, one that transcends time as well as space. Food cannot help but heartily laugh at the artificial partitions of Man, just as a baby laughs at a suddenly disappearing and reappearing man. At the same time, food is notably bound to its geography, and furthermore serves as a source of identity for those who commonly eat the same food. E.g., we of Chicago identify with the Chicago-style pizza pie while those of New York identify with New-York-style pizza. Food, then, is a paradox: It is universal and particular; it is content and it is form; it is tied to an identity but it is also tied to all. The apt metaphor is, of course, booty: It’s something that everybody wants, something that everybody has, and yet remains something that not everybody’s getting. So yes, let us conclude that food is confus-

ing, but important. Let us agree to agree. While many of these food-related concerns that we have so lucidly outlined above will be addressed in the coming articles of this series, we wish to focus on just one here: food’s relationship to social identity. The epigram mounting this article has not been randomly chosen as if from some Jester’s Cap (Ice Age, Artifact, Rare). What, after all, is more American than tennis? What is more American than ham or cheese? Most of all, what is more American than the sandwich? All of these things may have been true. They may have been true in the old hypernostalgized version of America to which Mr. Roddick alludes—an America which may or may not have existed. However, these things are not true anymore. No, the age of the American Sandwich—so vividly ideo-typical in Mr. Roddick’s mama’s Ham and Cheese Sandwich—has definitively come to an end. For how long—who can say? The question of the sandwich then necessarily becomes a definitively eschatological set of queries. Who, then, is the Apocalyptic Rider that announces the end of this epoch? Who can we turn to as its Janus-faced executioner and reviver? Finally, should we greet this Figure as a Cyclopean child of evil or an elderly

Cyclopean entity of all consuming goodness and light? Perhaps, one may offer the Panini; that bastard child of the sandwich and the iron face of the oil-laden grill. Not quite, say we, but this was a necessary step on the way to the Rapture.

BORINQUEN RESTAURANT 1720 North California Avenue 773-227-6038

The American identity is changing, and this is important for our discussion. The sandwich is a distinctly European innovation—or at least it has its culinary routes in that old culinary heritage. However, America is becoming less and less European and is coming to embrace the cuisine of other culinary traditions. What we’ve been hinting at all along here, of course, is an innovation from Puerto Rico, that jovial rider known as the Jibarito. He ushers in a new age, a better age, where the qualities of the old “ham n’ cheese” sandwich seamlessly intertwine.

What, exactly, is a Jibarito? For all intents and purposes it is a sandwich. However, there is one vital difference. What was once bread is now plantain. What was once probably plain—or, perhaps, toasted—is now fried and pressed to a crisp flavor-dense perfection. The construction of this plantain encasement offers an intense and flavorful way to eat a sandwich. There is so much heat and flavor energy packed into these bits that everything it touches tastes astoundingly better. Thus, the relatively quiet interiors of the Jibarito—we had steak and chicken (both were nicely flavored and very moist)— come out with a new bravado that the old sandwich cannot help but not produce. So what do we have at this, the End of Days? While the sandwich may be flying from the world like an uncared-for guardian ghost, a new spirit has come to take its place. A spirit more delicious and, perhaps, more able than its antediluvian predecessor. In reality, I am speaking hyperbolically. The sandwich certainly has a place and still has plenty a fighting word left in that old mouth of his, but it now has a new friend which offers many an exciting possibly. Go, get a Jibarito (we got ours from Borinquen Restaurant) and taste the future of America.

MUSIC

Share the Joy reinvigorates the distorted pop sound of Vivian Girls By Wenjia Zhao Voices Dreamweaver Vivian Girls’ sound is best described as “dream like.” The female trio, composed of Cassie Ramone, Katy Goodman and most recently Fiona Campbell, has established a successful reputation as a dream-pop band. Their 2008 single, “Wild Eyes,” was an overnight hit, and past albums Vivian Girls and Everything Goes Wrong have garnered rave reviews.

SHARE THE JOY Vivian Girls Polyvinyl Record Co.

That said, listeners’ tastes and attention spans are fickle, and expiration dates for many bands come quickly. Add to this the fact that the group’s drummer, Ali Koehler, left to join the surf-pop sensation Best Coast. Two years after Vivian Girls’s last album, rumors circulated that the group was past its prime, stoking fears that their latest album Share the Joy would be subpar or, even worse, outdated. Those fears are safely put to rest as the latest album shows us a new, revitalized version of the group that we know and love. What is brilliant about Vivian Girls is that they can effectively capture the musical stylistics of the ’60s girl groups from which they draw inspiration while still staying true to their own unique sound. Share the Joy is no exception: The album

COURTESY OF POLYVINYL RECORD CO.

is sometimes comical, sometimes melancholic, but all done with a tinge of lightheartedness and nostalgia. “Dance (If You Wanna)” has a quick drum beat and background chorus vocals that have the smooth pulsing of surf-rock. “Sixteen Ways” begins

with intense bass that builds up to vocalist Ramone’s entrance and quickly develops into a duple beat. Vivian Girls have kept their vocals minimal. Most of their vocals consist of repeating a standard phrase, usually the title,

over the course of the song with chorus vocalizations as fillers. That’s not to say the music is any less interesting. “Lake House” takes this to the extreme with a long, purely instrumental section. What vocals it has are distorted until they are so fuzzy that the whole piece takes on a psychedelic texture. The lyrics are fittingly surreal: “I’m awake out on the lake/ At 3 a.m. I sleep again.” “Take It As It Comes” is an exception to this generic template, and the Girls make the most of it. Sung as a first-person musical commentary, it has a short bridge of dialogue that is fittingly done with a whiny tone: “‘What if he ends up on a date with another girl?’ ‘Well, let me tell you, to find true love, you gotta first look like yourself.’” It is a comical take on a cliché scenario—a girl giving relationship advice to her friend—imbued with all the elements of a classic Grease song number. This showcases the Girls’ complicated relationship with the girl groups that have dramatically influenced them: they can aspire to the musical mastery of groups like the Shangri-Las and the Ronettes and still put a less-than-sincere spin on their naive and simple lyrics. Yet the best part of Share the Joy is the lyrics. My favorite is “I Heard You Say,” a lover’s sad song with both simple and poignant lyrics: “See the roads/They go for miles/But you will never see the light again in his smile.” The lyrics become complex and enigmatic, and when foregrounded by the fuzzy, surreal instrumentals, you know just how long the road seems.


CHICAGO MAROON | VOICES | April 19,18, 2011 CHICAGO MAROON | VOICES | February 2011

The Fun Corner BY JAMIE MERMELSTEIN

Across 1. Thrust, in fencing 8. Epic journey 13. Ranks 15. A renowned readymade 17. Like some eyes 18. Gulp down 19. Joined April 5, 1994 21. Old school order 22. Some NFL players 23. FBI employees 24. It grows in Brooklyn 25. Tartan pattern 27. Group with a whip 29. “___ the Force, Luke” 30. Club whose members include 19-, 38-, and 51-across 35. Beer brewer’s grain 37. It’s sometimes silver 38. Inaugurated September 18, 1970 42. British bathroom 43. Actor Nielsen 44. Pandora released them 45 Salon service 48 Hosp. chart 49 Org. that monitors OTCs 50 Poet Mandelstam 51 Enlisted July 3, 1969 55 Home of the Senators 57 Poe’s leading lady 58 They go zoom-zoom 59 Reprimand 60 IT setups 61 Sorrowful saga Down 1 Quick kiss 2 An org. that fights for your rights 3 Abridged Solution to 4/15 puzzle

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 16 20 24 25 26 28 30 31 32 33 34 36 39 40 41 44 45 46 47 49 51 52 53 54 56

Sonnet finale Baldwin and others Take care of it What a single gets you One of five, for short Funerary vessel I’m ___ and I like it (Alice Cooper refrain) Billy Idol expression Cup of café Island home to more Jersey Shore cast members than New Jersey Sri Lankan radical gp. ___ Life Strange (Moody Blues song) Dinner time Eng. or Biol. Morales of Film Shakespeare title abbr. Sound of amusement Exes come before them Home of the Wildcats Carbon compound Lobbyist grps. Monet liked to paint them Cub or Met Riskier Acts like a king Phrase of denial With “The”, the best worst movie of the last decade Are in Acapulco Like blondes, according to lore Natural Nordic wonder Tuba's part U.S. Ecol. law Of an age “We’re having a fire___” Angkor ___

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