CHICAGO
M AROON The student newspaper of the University of Chicago since 1892
Going the distance Men's track got top times and second place at the UAA Championship this weekend,
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TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011 • VOLUME 122, ISSUE 42 • CHICAGOMAROON.COM
STUDENT LIFE
PERFORMING ARTS
SRIC delivery goes on Balle Bhangra's got talent without Zimmer’s audience Students behind last week’s widelysupported referendum calling for a Socially Responsible Investment Committee (SRIC) went knocking at President Zimmer’s door Friday to deliver the news. But he didn’t answer. In Zimmer’s absence, the group filed into the lobby outside his office, where organizer and fourth-year Craig Johnson read their statement to his secretary. “We are aware of the long-standing history regarding the controversies surrounding the University’s investment practices,” Johnson read from the statement. “Past campaigns have called for specific divestments and have been political in nature. This delegation is different.” The organizers said their intent was to present Zimmer with the prepared statement on why the administration should heed the non-binding referendum, which passed during last week’s SG elections with 80 percent of the vote. The group asked for a response to newly-elected Undergraduate Liaison to the Board of Trustees and third-year Nakul Singh by May 6. “A significant amount of our money is going to the University,” demonstrator and first-year Alyssa Skar said. “We should be knowing where our money is going, particularly where they’re investing it, and I think it’s good to put it toward socially forward projects.” Fourth-year Rafael Menis, however, had stronger words for the University’s current investments, alleging that a few
of them may even be criminal. “Right now, the University is invested in several companies that are engaged in, to put it simply, socially irresponsible actions, and, to put it less simply, quite possibly illegal actions, as determined by the EPA and the FDA,” Menis said, citing the University’s investment in Arch Coal, whose mountaintop mining practices in West Virginia have come under the scrutiny of the Environmental Protection Agency. Despite the high level of support, the reported voter turnout was just under half the student body, retaining previous years’ levels of election participation. Demonstrators argued that students should have a stronger say in where their tuition fees are going. “We’re hoping to get Zimmer to acknowledge the fact that the University student body voted in recent elections by an overwhelming majority for the creation of a Socially Responsible Investment Committee,” Menis said. “The student body wants this, it’s a legitimate demand, and the administration should consider it.” Although the group was unable to gain an audience with Zimmer, Johnson still counts the demonstration as a victory and is hopeful about the future. “The next step is to continue to gain student support and to inform students about what the functions of this committee would be and exactly why it is necessary,” Johnson said. “I’ve been involved in this campaign for two years. This is beautiful.”
FACILITIES
ALUMNI
Housekeepers concerned by job uncertainties
Gillis’s parents reflect on Libya experience Laptop thefts
By Harunobu Coryne Associate News Editor
B
alle Bhangra garnered the most votes at UChicago's Got Talent, a competition showcasing performing arts organizations. All proceeds for the event went to Pakistan Flood and Japan Earthquake relief.
TERENCE LEE/MAROON
FACULTY
Lipinski to lead Nieman Foundation By Christina Pillsbury News Editor Vice President for Civic Engagement Ann Marie Lipinski will leave the University for a position as Curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University this June. During her three years at the University, Lipinski, a Pulitzer Prize winner and former editor-in-chief of the Chicago Tribune, shaped programs
FACILITIES continued on page 2
Clare Morgana Gillis poses for a photograph while hiking in September 2010. Gillis was captured in Libya on April 5 while reporting about the civil conflict in Libya.
COURTESY OF JANE GILLIS
University leaders thanking her for her service. The announcement of her departure has led to bittersweet reflections from colleagues and students. Lipinski, a 1990 Nieman Fellow, was the managing editor of the Tribune when Associate Vice President for News and Public Affairs Steve Kloehn began working there as a one-year resident reporter in 1996. She placed him
LIPINSKI continued on page 2
CRIME
By Jonathan Lai Associate News Editor
By Hans Glick News Staff In the wake of an announcement that the housekeeping staff will be merged with the facilities department, a coalition of concerned students brought three members of the residence hall staff together to learn what’s at stake. An audience of more than 50 people gathered in Harper last night for the event, hosted by several house and RSO representatives under the banner of the Worker-Student Coalition. Although the facilities department outsources its employees through subcontracting firms, it is not yet confirmed to which company housekeeping jobs will be sent. Their union is in talks with the University to maintain workers’ union rights through the transition.
with Chicago Public Schools, Hyde Park arts programs, and campus security, safety, and transportation. “The University is an extraordinary resource to Chicago and, in turn, benefits greatly from being here. I have no doubt that the work we have in place will continue and flourish,” Lipinski said in an April 19 press release. The University has not named her replacement, though President Robert Zimmer sent an April 19 email to
Freelance journalist Clare Gillis (A.B. ’98) made national headlines last week when she called home from captivity in Libya. With renewed hope, friends and family continue to call for her release. “She said that she was being held captive in Libya, and we said we knew that, and she apologized for causing us worry, she said that has been most on her mind. She said that she is fine,” her mother Jane Gillis told the maroon Saturday. Gillis, who received her degree in English Languages and Literature with honors, called her parents last Thursday. That phone call was her first direct contact with outsiders since being captured on April 5 while reporting on the situation in Libya as a freelance journalist. According to her parents, Gillis confirmed that she had been with two other freelance journalists, U.S. citizen James Foley and Spanish citizen Manuel Brabo, before being moved to
GILLIS continued on page 2
sweep campus By Sam Levine Associate News Editor Students reported four different thefts of unattended items in the Reynolds Club last Friday, the latest in a series of nonviolent crimes that have occurred in nonresidential University buildings this month. Since April 1, eleven unattended laptops have been stolen inside University buildings, four of which were taken from desks in the Regenstein Library. During the same period, two iPhones and one laptop were also reported missing in University dining halls. While the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) will continue routine premise checks inside University buildings, there will be no increased police presence in affected areas, according to UCPD spokesperson Bob Mason. “You can’t just walk away from your property, even if it’s inconve-
LAPTOPS continued on page 2
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CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | April 26, 2011
Lipinski will commute from Chicago next year to stay with family
Housekeepers speak on family-like relationship to U of C
LIPINSKI continued from front page
FACILITIES continued from front page
on the Tribune’s full-time staff, where he worked for the next 12 years. Their careers crossed again when they both came to the U of C in 2008. “Ann has made a big mark on this city over the decade she’s been here, both in her role at the Tribune and here at the University, and a lot of us who have worked with her are going to miss seeing her on a regular basis,� Kloehn said. “But this job [at Harvard] is such a perfect fit for her experience and her passions that I’m very happy for her.� Lipinski intends to split her time between Chicago and Harvard for her first year because her family will remain here. “I really don’t intend to cut my ties here. I have so many dear, dear friends—current colleagues, former colleagues,� she told Time Out Chicago in an April 22 article. “The city’s been a very important part of my life. It’s formed it in many ways. And I’m just so grateful for everything I’ve found here.� This winter, Lipinski taught a popular class
titled Writing About Chicago. CAPS adviser and Director of Chicago Careers in Journalism Kathy Anderson said that several students told her the class was one of their favorites at the U of C. Fourth-year and editor-in-chief emeritus of the Chicago Weekly Harry Backlund said that Lipinski's humble teaching style made him feel as if she were his editor, not his professor. “If you didn’t know coming into the classroom that she was the former editor-in-chief of the Tribune, you wouldn’t know,� Backlund said. “It was just great to work with someone with such great experience. The class was more about practice than her passing down sacred secrets.� Lipinski told Time Out Chicago she was equally impressed with her students in the class. “I was so knocked out by the passion and talent that these kids have,� she said. “You don’t come to the University of Chicago to go to journalism school. And, yet, here they were—kids who really, really want to do this with their lives and are so good at it and are going to be so much better.�
The housekeeping staff members emphasized that their University jobs provide more than a paycheck. “It feels like family here, for me,� South Campus Residence Hall housekeeper Mazurie Wright said. “That’s the most devastating part.� Kimberly Brand, who has been at the University for 14 years, expressed anxiety over the fact that University administrators wouldn’t guarantee her a job. “The same thing they keep saying: ‘They’ll get back with us, they’ll get back with us,� she said. “Housing is not helping us at all.� Tony Hoover, a 13-year member of housekeeping, said that his uncertain employment status was especially troubling in light of the nation’s recent economic instability. “It’s not easy right now for us to just jump into another
Gillis’s classmate says phone call should not abate activism GILLIS continued from front page
Source of laptop thefts still unknown LAPTOPS continued from front page nient,� Mason said, referring to the fact that many of the stolen items were left unattended. Two of the thefts occurred when their owners were asleep; last Friday a laptop was stolen from a student’s backpack in the Reynolds Club, and on April 8, a student’s iPhone was taken. In response, Regenstein administrators posted signs throughout the library notifying students of the thefts and urging them not to leave belongings unattended. Similar notices have not been posted in the Reynolds Club or dining halls. Though police continue to investigate the
thefts, Mason said UCPD will not dispatch a community-wide security alert. Students received four community alerts, usually triggered by violent crimes in designated on-campus areas, during fall and winter quarters this year. Mason said that, while police have noticed the uptick in thefts, he was hesitant to call it a trend. “Something like this could happen at any time,� he said. Despite an eyewitness account of the first laptop theft in the Regenstein library on April 2, Mason said police were unsure whether the same individuals were behind all of the thefts.
CORRECTIONS Âť The April 22 graph “SG Election Resultsâ€? mislabeled the slates represented. Uncommon Fun garnered 268 votes and UNITED Students Aliance received 657. 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.
field,� he said. Students Organizing United with Labor (SOU L) member and third-year Larissa Pittenger echoed the housekeepers’ worries and voiced her concern for the possibility of having unknown housekeepers in the residence halls. “Having the same people in stable, dependable jobs where they’re interacting with the same students on a day-to-day basis just introduces a level of security that’s not there if you have disorganized [subcontracted] labor,� Pittenger said. Pittenger said that while students don’t have a direct say in administrative decisions, their opinions may be worthwhile. “That’s why we’re just trying to keep it pretty simple,� she said. “We just want [administration] to keep the same people with the same quality of a job.�
a women’s prison. Both Foley and Brabo have since made calls home. Gillis, Foley, and Brabo were captured on April 5 by pro-Qaddafi fighters, and her father Robert Gillis said they found out April 7. “We had found out two days later that she and the other journalists had been taken because of the contact that we had with the Human Rights Watch. We knew that they had been sighted in Tripoli, but that was virtually two weeks before we had the phone call from her,� Robert Gillis said. According to Robert Gillis, the phone call was an opportunity to reassure his daughter of her support at home. “She’s hopeful that she’s going to be released, but we could not get a sense of why she thought that. I was concerned that she had no knowledge of what was going on, and we didn’t want her to think that people had turned their backs on her,� Robert Gillis said. “She really had no clue that anybody knew what had happened.� U of C Assistant Professor of Art History Aden Kumler (A.B. ’96) met Gillis while the two studied at Harvard. She said the phone call should not end people’s activism. “This must be some kind of indication that
she’ll be released sometime down the road,� Kumler said, "[but] now is not the time to relax. We need to make sure she does not drop out of public visibility, that people remember she’s not released yet.� Gillis spent the three years after college in Iceland, one of which was on a Fulbright scholarship, before enrolling in Harvard for graduate school. Gillis received her Ph.D. from Harvard last spring and then went into journalism, a move that fit her inquisitive personality, Kumler said. “Clare is so intellectually curious and has such passion that I was not surprised when I found out she was going to Egypt and then later to Libya as a freelance journalist,� Kumler said. While at the U of C, Gillis pursued interests in Germanic languages and medieval studies. She wrote her B.A. thesis under the supervision of English and Medieval Studies Professor Christina von Nolcken. Her thesis received the English department’s Napier Wilt Prize in English and American Literature. “In some ways, Clare represents the best ideal of the University of Chicago. She has an independent drive to ask critical questions, and her serious commitment to traditional academics led her to journalism,� Kumler said.
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CHICAGO MAROON
| VIEWPOINTS |
4
April 26, 2011
VIEWPOINTS
EDITORIAL & OP-ED APRIL 26, 2011
EDITORIAL
Monitoring the money 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 SHARAN SHETTY, 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 ALICE BLACKWOOD, 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 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 RACHEL HWANG, Designer ALYSSA MARTIN, Designer VINCENT YU, Designer SABINA BREMNER, Artist AMISHI BAJAJ, Copy Editor JANE BARTMAN, 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. Circulation: 6,500 The opinions expressed in the Viewpoints section 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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Administration should not ignore student calls for fiscal transparency Last week, the student body voted to approve the creation of a Socially Responsible Investment Committee (SRIC). Even though the referendum is non-binding, meaning the Administration is not obligated to create a committee, it would be prudent of the University to take the vote seriously. For one thing, the resolution passed with over 80 percent of the vote, an overwhelming consensus for a campus as argumentative as ours. Furthermore, concern over the way our university invests its endowment is far from a new concern. Whether they be about apartheid South Africa in the 1980s or Darfur today, University investment decisions have been a contentious issue on our campus for decades. Despite this staggering student support, much is still unknown about how the proposed commit-
tee would function on a day-to-day basis. In the days ahead, it will be important for the architects of the initiative to be as clear as possible about in defining the mission of the SRIC. Given that this is a new idea, and given what a change in University policy it would be for this committee to be created, we recommend a pragmatic set of goals for the SRIC. The Committee should focus on gathering information about University investments, publicizing it, and using the opinions of the student body as a whole to guide the Committee’s relationship with the Board of Trustees. As of now, students concerned about University investment decisions lack even basic information regarding precisely what our endowment is being spent on. Even if the SRIC fails to change anything in the U of C’s actual investment policies, providing
students with more information about a subject that has been shrouded in secrecy for too long would be commendable in itself. Clearly, students care about how this University chooses to invest its $5.5 billion endowment. If the SRIC can help fill the information gap, it will have already achieved significant progress. Although transparency is in itself a good thing, the student body’s overwhelming endorsement of the SRIC resolution is a clear sign that students want more out of the proposed committee. The S RIC, according to the text of the resolution, is intended to “set and ensure the implementation of standards for the investment of the University’s endowment.” While this does not mean that the SRIC would have veto power over University investment decisions, it’s clear that voters want
the committee to be an active representative of the general student body when an investment decision clearly conflicts with the ethical standards to which students hold the U of C. In short, having the capability to bring investment concerns to the Board of Trustees and to advocate for their implementation is a more than reasonable demand on the part of students. Establishing a committee with precise and focused goals is the most practical method of making sure this happens. The University should take the outcome of the most recent election seriously; to do otherwise would be to say that student concerns don’t matter. The Editorial Board consists of the Editor-in-Chief, Viewpoints Editors, and an additional editorial board member.
OP-ED
A morally neutral curriculum A U of C education is a tool with a variety of divergent applications By Chris Stavitsky Viewpoints Columnist I was reading a copy of the free New York Times (toupee tip to Student Government—I don’t wear hats) at breakfast recently when I noticed a 13.25-oz box of multigrain pasta boldly eyeing me from the side of a column. I am more accustomed to being stared at by boxes of the 16-oz. size, and to feel the beady gaze of a lesser linguine upon my face was, frankly, an uncomfortable experience. I managed to tear my eyes away from the pasta—there were so many grains!—and read the article in full. It was old news: Processed-food companies stealthily decrease the amount of food in packages while keeping prices constant. Rushed customers fail to read package labels carefully and so unwittingly buy
fewer products for the same price as before. However, sellers have a hand in making sure consumers buy into the illusion. The companies don’t just lower the amount of food per package; they employ various tricks to make customers believe they are getting the same amount. Hostile air evicts potato chip families from their native bags. Anorexia plagues the water bottle community under the guise of eco-friendliness. And the whole thing is done in the name of consumer deceit. The author of the Times article writes, “Most companies reduce products quietly, hoping consumers are not reading labels too closely.” The word “hoping” is key. People who are “hoping” to swindle us do exist: Gullibility hitmen trying to take us in rather than take us out. Their trade is immorality, and their goal is to fool us
into buying things we don’t need with money we don’t have. Our culture supports entire careers grounded in trickery, even sending students off to special graduate schools where they cultivate the necessary skills to screw people over. Conversely, some careers possess an immanently positive moral code. Take, for instance, the engineer. Though some civil engineers may have entered the field due to a pure love for math or science, nobody can deny that their work helps keep lives safe every day. Their work, far from hurting us as a whole, produces net societal gain. As you are probably well aware, the liberal arts mentality that permeates the U of C ideology and curriculum is predominantly concerned with learning rather than with acquiring a particular job. We, as students, come here
to learn how to think, not to learn what to think. So, ideally, we should not be acquiring the bias that too often goes along with medicine, marketing, and other jobs, right? The University of Chicago is morally neutral when it comes to pushing students toward choosing a career; nevertheless, it also inspires us to think critically when considering professions, politicians, and groceries. The University gives us substantial intellectual power without demanding or even suggesting that we use that power in any specific way. The education we receive is like a sword, a straightforward tool that can be used for the greatest good (guarding marshmallow Peeps from roving tabby-cat bands) or the basest evil. There is no engineering department at the University. There is no marketing
EDUCATION continued on page 4
OP-ED
Off the rails U.S. federal and state governments should invest in high-speed transit By Suchin Gururangan Viewpoints Contributor While riding the Red Line downtown last weekend, I turned on my iPhone and found a few articles on the most recent Celtics-Knicks game, expecting them to help kill the dragging time. After reading five or six articles, I lifted my head and looked out the window. I expected to be at Grand Station already; more than 20 minutes had definitely passed. But I hadn’t even entered the city. Why is it that the most powerful industrialized country in the world
cannot link the South Side of Chicago to downtown in less than 15 minutes? Why is it that in China one can travel from Guangzhou South to Changsha South–a distance of 439 miles–in 2 hours, yet it takes the same amount of time to get from the U of C to Northwestern? Why doesn’t Chicago—and the rest of the US, for that matter— have an integrated highspeed railway system? The the most obvious reason is cost. Grappling with a significant deficit, citizens are not willing to shell out the money required for investments in these proposals. In addition, unlike
Europe and Japan, the United States has, over the last 60 years, invested over $1.4 trillion in an interstate highway system that has made car travel an extremely cheap option. To emphasize the weakness of current American railway plans compared to those abroad, the controversial $787 billion Recovery Act of 2009 set aside $8 billion for the creation of high-speed railway corridors across the United States; China will spend over $300 billion by 2012 on their advanced high-speed rail system. Another reason we don’t have high-speed rail is because it has been
perceived as an idealistic and unattainable proposal in state and federal legislatures. Sure, Mayor Richard Daley recently stated that Chicago must develop high-speed rail, but he also said that it “remains unclear how realistic the plans are, given the high cost of such systems.” It happens again and again. Effective economic solutions in the form of investment in new technologies and creation of novel markets are put on the table, but politicians quickly discard them due to their short-term costs. Politicians and citizens alike must understand we are going to have
INFRASTRUCTURE continued on page 4
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CHICAGO MAROON
VIEWPOINTS | April 26, 2011
It is up to students to balance educational enrichment with finding a job EDUCATION continued from page 3 department. There is a pre-med program, but pre-med students are still required to take the Core and declare an actual major, exposing them to the intellectual rigor that’s a hallmark of the U of C education. Suffice it to say, most students don’t pick the school for career preparation. Unfortunately for the purist world of academia, what I have just described is, in large part, an ideal. We could say that economics majors come to U of C to ready themselves for graduate school, or at least to curiously explore the discipline of economics, but we’d be lying to ourselves. The truth is many econ majors are more concerned with grades and getting big-bank or consulting internships and less concerned with the actual subject material. What I take issue with is not that students want to secure their futures; it is that they are so willing to sacrifice a valuable learning experience in
exchange for a job. The important thing to remember, though, is that this is an example of the freedom students have in using a given set of tools, rather than an imposed agenda by the University. Some students use the tools to become engineers; some turn to marketing; others stay the amoral path the University intends to drop them on upon graduation. The University itself, in keeping with its ideal as a cornerstone of liberal arts education, stays as powerfully stolid as the gray stone buildings on the quad. We can rest assured that the quantity and quality of our education, at least for now, remains untouched. Whether or not we choose to take advantage of it is our own decision.
What: 38th Annual Student Academy Awards Regional Winners
Chris Stavitsky is a second-year in the College majoring in economics and English.
See the winning films in dramatic, documentary, animated, and alternative categories which will compete at the no rest for the weary national finals in Los Angeles in May!
Benefits of high-speed rail significantly outweigh short-term costs INFRASTRUCTURE continued from page 3 to swallow the short-term costs of good ideas to reap their long-term benefits. And the long-term benefits of high-speed rail definitely outweigh the short-term expenses. According to a study conducted by the Federal Railroad Administration in 2009, high-speed rail improves safety and efficiency. In Japan, Tokaido Shinkansen trains have operated without a derailment or collision since the inception of operations in 1964. The study also maintained that “investment in high-speed rail will not only generate high-skilled construction and operating jobs, but can also provide a steady market for revitalized domestic industries producing such essential components as rail, control systems, locomotives, and passenger cars.” Environmental quality and energy efficiency can also be promoted, as the study reported that high-speed rail networks in proposed corridors could reduce carbon dioxide
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emissions by six billion pounds annually. If America expects to keep up with its global competition, the issue of mediocre public transportation must be resolved. In general, the development of high-speed rail systems should begin on a citywide or statewide basis before transitioning into a national service, since this would allow for greater flexibility in testing and for more gradual costs that could be more easily swallowed. It’s embarrassing that our transportation is as it is now: Outdated, decrepit, sluggish. Chicago looks backward with its broken transportation system. The city and country should develop a more advanced infrastructure to foster efficiency and competitiveness. If this is accomplished, then maybe we can keep pace with the rest of the world .
When: Thursday, April 28, 2011 Reception: 5:45 pm Films: 6:30 pm
Where: Gene Siskel Film Center of the school of the Art Institute of Chicago 164 N. State St. LOCATED NEXT TO ALL MAJOR CTA STOPS!
Information: siskelfilmcenter.org/studentacademyawards2011
Suchin Gururangan is a first-year in the College.
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CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | April 26, 2011
Momentum from early rounds doesn’t carry through to finals
Emphasis on teamwork shows in strong UAA performance
W. TENNIS continued from back page
TRACK AND FIELD continued from back page
Trail, 6—1, 6—3, at sixth singles, Krishnan, 6—2, 6—0, at fifth singles, Higgins, 6—1, 6—2, at first singles, and Kung, 6—1, 6—1, at second singles clinched a spot in Sunday’s final against Emory, as expected. While the other two singles matched went unfinished, Li was pleased with her dominating 6—2, 5—2 performance at fourth singles. “My singles match against Carnegie was pretty solid,� she said. In spite of the 5—2 win in the semifinal, the Maroons knew defeating Emory would be much more of a struggle. “The odds were against us, but we believed that if everyone came out confidently and competed to the best of their ability, then we could walk away with another UAA title,� Kung said. Chicago got off on the wrong foot. An early 8—3 loss by Krishnan and Nguyen at third doubles put the Maroons in an unwanted 1—0 deficit. Shortly after, Higgins
and Kung fought off their inexperience playing with each other to rattle their opponents off the court at first doubles, 8—1. However, Vaca Guzman and Li’s experience was not enough to pass their opponents at second doubles, as the pair lost 8—3. At singles, Chicago was unable to mirror the performances of the past two days. Emory clinched the championship just before Kung put another point on the board for the Maroons, when she tightly won 6—7 (3), 6—2, 10—4 at second singles. Chicago fell 5—2. The South Siders feel that there remains much room for improvement. “Up to this point, we know that we still haven’t had a match where every single person played as well as they could, and despite this, we’ve still had a good year. We know that if everyone can bring their best game on the same day in singles and doubles, we can beat any team in the country. Hopefully, we’ll finally make that happen this year at NCAA’s,� Kung said.
“My teammate Andrew [Wells-Qu] is one of the best 800-meter runners in Division III and took the deserved win,� Laws said. “But I was able to sneak into third place, and Toby [Blattler] was able to get fifth, which was really just an awesome result.� The highlight of the meet for the men came in the 3200-meter relay. The team composed of Wells-Qu, Laws, Blattler, and fourth-year Harry Backlund finished in a UAA and school record of 7:43.59, outdistancing the next best team by almost three seconds. The race remained extremely close until 200 meters remained, when Wells-Qu, the team’s anchor, sped away from the chasing Emory and Carnegie runners. In preparation for the meet, the team stressed teamwork and unity. “We each spoke about why the sport was important to each of us, why we prepare and perform throughout the year. We reminded ourselves that it’s not just a coincidence we all have that maroon ‘C’ on our uniforms,� said Crosse. “Along with coach Hall’s emphasis on having the team go around and cheer each event, I think this meet was a little more cohesive than past ones because of the reminder that we are here all together.� “The coaches deserve a lot of credit for the preparation and guidance they provided,� said second-year Brandon Meckelberg, who took second in the discus behind Sabacinski. WashU placed first with 216 points, 54 points ahead of second-place Chicago. C M U w a s t h i r d w i t h 1 07. 5 p o i n t s . Even though the men’s team didn’t take home first place, the Maroons were very pleased with their achievement. “The meet went extremely well, with nearly everyone performing at or above their seeded marks, times, and distances,� Meckelberg said. “Everyone came together and pushed each other to perform.� The high level of competition didn’t get in the way of the Maroons having a good time.
“It’s a lot of fun to be at the conference meet. Since the indoor conference meet was at home this year, this weekend was our first and only opportunity to travel as a team overnight. It’s a great opportunity for our team to come together,� said fourth-year Brian Andreycak, who finished second in the 110-meter hurdles. The women’s team had two individual second-place finishers and two relay teams tagged for All-Association honors. Second-years Kayla McDonald and Elsbeth Grant placed second in the 400-meter dash and the 800meter run, respectively. The second-place 1600-meter relay team consisting of fourth-years Stephanie Omueti and Ashley Eaves, third-year Jaleesa Akuoku, and second-year Kayla McDonald. Eaves, Omueti, fourth-year Dipti Karmarkar, and third-year Madison Allen also competed well, taking third. For Omueti, this year’s conference championship was her last. “Lining up for the 4x4 at the end of the meet as a fourth-year about to run for the last time was an amazing feeling. I ran with my heart for the other three ladies on the 4x4.� Emory rode their home field advantage to victory, finishing with 202.5 points. WashU followed with 183.5, while Case and Chicago took home third and fourth place, respectively. The throwers for the women’s team provided a boost to Chicago’s point total. “They were a big highlight for the team, as [fourth-year] Kristin Constantine won both the hammer and shot put and placed fourth in the discus, accounting for 25 team points,� said coach Zebulon Sion. “[Third-year] Paige Peltzer also performed well with a seasonal best in the women’s javelin, placing her fifth.� “We ran hard, we threw far, and we jumped high and far,� Omueti said. “We didn’t get the points we wanted, but we were a team and a loud and proud one.� Chicago will travel to Lisle, Illinois for the Benedictine University Twilight Invitational on Friday.
The Lumen Christi Institute SUHVHQWV
Twenty Minutes Still Stilling the mind...
Visiting Scholar, Spring 2011
Gilles Emery, OP University of Fribourg
Twenty minutes at ROCKEFELLER each morning, 8 am. Mondays — Meditation with Zen practitioner Annie Markovich Tuesdays — Mindfulness meditation with Ginger Carr Wednesdays — Restorative yoga with Meredith Haggerty, gentle stretches and poses, with optional neck massage following Thursdays — Meditation and chant with Elizabeth Davenport Fridays — Ananda meditation with Christian Williams
Drop in any day. Find out what it’s all about. TQJSJU VDIJDBHP FEV t
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Room and Board Are you a warm, compassionate, and friendly individual who is looking for room and board? A Family in Kenwood is seeking a companion to spend five hours each week with an older lady with memory difficulties. Remuneration for any additional time spent is negotiable. If interested please contact Dr. C. at: 312 415 8278.
Wednesday, April 27, 4:30 pm Swift Hall, Common Room The Dignity of Being a Substance Thomas Aquinas characterized the person as “what is most perfect� and “most worthy� in all of nature. What grounds the dignity of the human being as a person? While in our day a metaphysical approach to the question is undervalued, this lecture attempts to show the value of such an approach in terms of “substance� and “nature.�
Thursday, April 28, 7:00 pm Social Sciences 122 A Carnal Love of Concepts or a Work of Mercy? The Intellectual Life and the Dominican Vocation In the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), study has a central place as it is an integral part of the religious life itself. What is the aim of studying theology and other sciences within a Christian vocation?
For more information, visit w w w. l u m e n c h ri s t i . o r g
IN QUOTES
SPORTS
“Trust me, emotions didn’t have anything to do with it. You can ask the lady who was feeding me Cokes.”
—Maverick’s owner Mark Cuban, explaining that it was a full bladder, not disappointment, that made him leave after the Mavericks dropped game four in their playoff series against the Portland Trailblazers.
BASEBALL
Chicago sweeps triple-header against WashU By Vicente Fernandez Sports Staff
JAIMIE MANLEY/MAROON
The University of Chicago baseball team just doesn’t like WashU. A game in St. Louis against heated rival WashU (25—16) is about as close to a playoff picture as you can get in the regular season for the Maroons (14—7), and they did not get only one shot to face their hated opponents this weekend—they got three. Playing in their first triple-header in 23 years, Chicago captured all three games on Saturday in what is sure to be one of the highlights of the Maroons’ season. The Maroons overwhelmed WashU 17—3 in the opening contest, took the second game by a score of 7-4, and edged out a 5-4 victory in the series finale, a result which is sure to dramatically improve Chicago’s playoff chances. “It was pretty cool to sweep WashU,” first-year center fielder Ricky Troncelliti said. “It was my first experience playing them, but I could tell from the older guys how important it is to beat them. To do it all in one day made it even better.” The Maroons outscored WashU 29—11 on the day, continuing the slugfest that has kept them winning all season.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
TRACK AND FIELD
Second-year Jack Cinoman hits at a game earlier this year. Cinoman had three hits out of eight at-bats against WashU over the weekend.
“Our hitting has been successful this season because of the consistency up and down the lineup. One through nine, everyone can rake,” third-year first baseman J.R. Lopez said. “The WashU game was an example of what we can do to good pitchers when everyone is on.” The sweep on Saturday was the epitome of what the Maroon lineup is capable of producing in the team’s biggest games. The series was kicked off by firstyear third baseman Will Katzka hitting a solo home run in the second inning of game one. Katzka would go on to drive in two more runs in later innings. Lopez also got in on the action, hitting a three-run homer as part of a 12-run inning in the fifth. With the 12-run offensive assault, the Maroons cruised to the day’s first triumph behind the pitching of fourthyear Dan McConologue, who allowed nine hits and three runs on the day with no walks. McConologue improved his record on the year to 2—1. The headliner for game two was Troncelliti, who stepped up in a big way in his first series against Chicago’s biggest rival. The center fielder hit a solo home run to start off the second inning and topped that homer an inning later with another bomb, this time a two-run
shot. Troncelliti’s day wasn’t over, however, as he went on to drive in one more RBI with a triple in the sixth. Third-year pitcher Alex Garcia tallied his third win of the season in the 7-4 win, allowing only six hits in a complete game on the mound. The Maroons won their final game on the mound, and on the field, in the fourth inning. “We had timely hitting from a lot of people,” Troncelliti said. “We just had a great gut-it-out win in the finale.” That timely hitting came in the bottom of the fourth inning when the Maroons scored four runs to push the game to 5-4. Katza continued where he left off in game one, driving in the go-ahead run and crossing home for the game’s final score. Katza went from the plate to the mound at the top of the seventh. Moving from third base, Katza saved the game both on the plate in the fourth and on the mound when it counted most. Stepping in for first-year starter Alex Terry, who improved to 3-0 after allowing only six hits and three runs over five innings, Katza capped the triple-header with three outs and a win. The Maroons look to defeat Elmhurst with the same intensity they used to take down their WashU.
Maroons lose to Eagles South Siders deliver at UAAs Injury-plagued squad bows out in Championship By Alex Sotiropoulos Sports Staff Women’s tennis fell to Emory at the UAA Championships in St. Louis this weekend. An injury rendered fourth-year first doubles player Chrissy Hu unable to play in the tournament, putting the Maroons at a disadvantage. While Chicago (17—3) triumphed against Case (9—8) 9—0 in Friday’s quarterfinal and bested Carnegie (11—8) 5—2 in Saturday’s semifinal, the second-seeded Maroons were unable to overcome the loss of Hu as they were defeated by top-seeded Emory (19—4) 5—2 in Sunday morning’s final. The respectable second-place finish for the Maroons did not diminish their momentum going into the NCAA Division III tournament. With the dynamic duo of Hu and third-year Kendra Higgins unable to make their mark once again in the first doubles position, head coach Marty Perry pursued the lineup change in doubles that he hoped would ensure victory: Third-year Jennifer Kung moved up from third doubles to play with Higgins, third-year Tiffany Nguyen paired with third-year Aswini Krishnan at third doubles, while second-year Linden Li and third-year Carmen Vaca Guzman stayed at second doubles. “We only had a couple of days to practice with our new doubles teams after we found out Chrissy
couldn’t play,” Kung said. “So, that made doubles tougher since the new teams didn’t really have any experience playing together.” This inexperience did not show in Friday’s quarterfinal against Case. All three pairs took victories, with Higgins and Kung winning 8—4, Li and Vaca Guzman triumphing 8—2, and Krishnan and Nguyen crushing their opponents 8—2. The doubles explosion rolled over and made for even more impressive singles performances. No Maroon allowed more than two games in a match, and nine of the 12 sets ended 6—0 in the quarterfinal. The 9—0 obliteration of Case brought a crucial boost for Chicago as they faced third-seeded Carnegie the next day. “Defeating Case 9—0 did give us some momentum for the rest of the weekend, because every single player performed at their peak that day,” Li said. Unfortunately, the Maroons showed early signs of doubles inexperience in the semifinal. Despite a commanding 8—2 victory by veteran duo Li and Vaca Guzman at second doubles, the new pairs were unable to defeat their opponents. Higgins and Kung fell short 8—4, and with one point apiece, Carnegie barely bested Krishnan and Nguyen 9—7. The 2—1 deficit going into singles did not at all worry Chicago. Wins by second-year Shanelle
W. TENNIS continued on page 7
Second-year Henry Ginna (right) competed at the Chicagoland Championships at the Haydon Track last year. Ginna ran a personal best of 3:58.42 to take fifth in the 1500 meter run this weekend at UAAs. DARREN LEOW/MAROON
By Daniel Lewis Sports Staff Chicago track and field competed admirably at the UAA Conference Championships in Atlanta over the weekend. The men’s team finished second, while the women’s team finished fourth. The men’s team featured two conference champions and ten All-Association honorees on their way to a second-place finish overall. “Day one went fantastically in terms of both qualifying runners for finals on
day two and having runners score in the event finals that were contested,” said fourth-year Toby Blattler, who participated in the men’s third-place 1600-meter relay team. “There were some minor stumbles on day two, but there were a number of excellent performances and I think that the team is very happy with the way it competed.” Fourth-years Andrew Wells-Qu and John Sabacinski finished as conference champions in individual events. Wells-Qu won the 800-meter run, while Sabacinski won the dis-
cus. The men’s team also had several second- and third-place finishers. “We scored much more than we were supposed to, and it seemed like everyone stepped up and did the best they could,” said second-year Dee Brizzolara, who placed second in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Second-years Ray Laws and David Crosse also took home honors for their third-place finishes. Laws placed third in the 800-meter run behind Wells-Qu, and Crosse took third in the high jump.
TRACK AND FIELD continued on page 7
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THEATER
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UChicago's got a capella
Happiness examines love and art in academia By Ana Klimchynskaya Voices Gossip Girl
M
en in Drag performs at UChicago's Got Talent, a showcase of performing arts RSOs. Proceeds from the show were donated to victims of the earthquake in Japan and floods in Pakistan.
TERENCE LEE/MAROON
Lem's BBQ is the opposite of what you don't want Mel’s is a vegan restaurant on the North Side of Chicago, in a neighborhood brimming with champion polo players. The ground is clean and free of RC cola and beer cans, and people only put their cigarette butts in ashtrays. Everyone read Petrarch at Oberlin and liked it—a lot. Simply put, the restaurant is huge. Birthday parties have been held there. In fact, more than one at the same time! Some say it’s where all three Estevezes first married and conceived, there, in that place. However, on our visit, no one was there. Only waiters. Dozens of them. Each with fresh Oklahoma faces, ready to serve and sing funny songs about seitan, a really nice “how-do-you-do” sort of attitude. Endless tables and pristine bathrooms can be found in every part of the restaurant. A man with a dry towel will dry your hands even if you don’t ask him to. The tables are all clean, and they never get dirty. The floors are clean, too, and they never get dirty. Its ultra-modern and “sleek” exterior is complimented by LED lights adorning the corners. The waiters are slow, and the service is slow too. Everyone seems to have a “how-do-youdo” sort of approach to their work, which is nice, but not when you’re hungry. It’s sort of like a waiting room in an andrology group, where the receptionist will give you oyster crackers from the storeroom
down the hall if you ask her to. The waiters smile at you and speak slowly. They want to take care of you and let you peruse before you make a decision.
LEM'S BBQ HOUSE 311 East 75 Street 773-994-2428
And when you do, you will be disappointed. The portions are tiny. Tiny like a baby’s toes. The costs are high. High like our self-esteem. The quality is terrible. Terrible like your self-esteem. Atop a few freeze-dried carrot sticks and four nicely prepared baguettes rests a solid tofu pyramid. We also got a single flask of “pitted sphincter of dates,” which was thoroughly normal and easy to chew. All the food is dry and could use sauce, but no sauce ever came. Like, seriously, no moisture at all. And it took for-goddamn-ever to get the food. We must have looked so in-place there. So in-place that it took some serious eye contact and yelling to get them to give us our check. When they did, well, that moment sucked too. The cost of our forgetful un-meal was totally uncalled for. It cost $10,000. And that’s all anyone ever needs to
say about Mel’s. You can get there by taking the purple line to 57th and Strom Thurmond Boulevard (of broken once-had dreams). P S YC H ! W h a t B e n a n d Ev a n w e r e talking about this whole time was Lem’s. L em’s is the exact opposite of Mel’s— which, as it turns out, is not a real restaurant at all, but only a theoretical construct of the thought experiment necessary to accurately ascertain the nature of Lem’s Bar-B-Que House. So go back and read the review and pretend it’s Opposite Day (which is February 18) or something, and then you will know the nature of Lem’s. But just in case that’s annoying, hear this! Lem’s is the best BBQ spot in the city, as far as we’re concerned. The price is right, the portions are also right, the food is righter, and the rib tips are the rightest. (FYI, the sauce is vinegary as all hell, but yeah, that’s good n’ moist.) Despite our “what are you kids doing at the hottest spot on the South Side” type appearance, people were really friendly and made some nice conversation about the strange places they would be taking their rib tips while we ate at a standing bar. So, yeah, go. N OTE: The Brown Sugar bakery is across the street and almost as delicious. Farewell, stay well, and eat well. RATING: -(I, -8)
Sex scandals are abundant on Chicago campuses right now. After the recent controversies with Northwestern’s sex toy demonstration, UChicago Hookups, and Vita Excolatur’s latest issue, Theater Oobleck’s production of There Is a Happiness That Morning Is seems very relevant. Happiness is a story of two professors who, after committing an act of public indecency, must justify their actions through examining poetry and its relevance to daily life. Bernard (Colm O’Reilly) and Ellen (Diana Slickman), the two professors in question, both teach the poetry of William Blake. One evening, as they read Blake’s poetry out loud to a group of students, they become so inspired that they remove their clothing and have sex on the spot. The president of the university, who happens to pass by at the wrong moment, is outraged. The play unfolds as the two professors attempt to apologize and explain their actions in class. Bernard, who has little academic experience and teaches only one class, attempts to justify their act with the poem “Infant Joy” from Blake’s Songs of Innocence, while Ellen, a seasoned Ph.D., justifies the public nature of the act with a poem from Blake’s later cycle Songs of Experience. As they wrangle with the decision to either apologize for their actions or attempt to justify them, they embody both the conflict of innocence and experience and the conflict between free love and its consequences. Blake is not the only poet central to the piece. The playwright Mickle Maher, who currently teaches on the University’s Committee on Creative Writing, actually managed to write the entire play in rhyming iambic pentameter. Iambic pentameter is a meter that comes naturally to English, which perhaps explains why the text sounds so logical despite its unusual form. However, this natural feel doesn’t extend to the plot. The play, which at times feels slightly absurd, is filled with surprising and bizarre twists. Bernard, it turns out, is unqualified to teach; Ellen is dying from a tumor; and the dean of the university is a voyeur. Despite the strangeness of the subplots, the play’s bizarre nature does allow for bountiful humor. Theater Oobleck rendered this play successfully, despite the formidable challenges it posed. Though they lacked a director, the three actors pulled off their large roles in stellar fashion, all while maintaining rhyming pentameter. With a bare-bones set consisting of a blackboard, two podiums, and almost no props, the play gives the audience the impression of being set at a real college, giving the audience the rol eof students listening to a lecture. This is where the play’s message lies: Whether you’re a current student or an adult with your college years behind you, this play takes you back to a time when you spent your days attending classroom lectures and struggling with questions of meaning and relevance in literature. In our quest for knowledge and the life of the mind here at the University of Chicago, it is important to realize that the answers to the most important questions are not clear-cut, and don’t necessarily even exist. The most important classes and the most profound literary works are the ones that ask questions instead of giving answers. This play, in its simulation of both a classroom and a poem, has done just that.