TUESDAY • NOVEMBER 4, 2014
CHICAGOMAROON.COM
ISSUE 10 • VOLUME 126
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892
After the petition: SG’s next steps for image, purpose Cairo Lewis News Staff
Dia de los Muertos Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (M.E.Ch.A.) hosted a Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration at Hutchinson Commons on Sunday evening with food and performances. KEELY ZHANG | THE CHICAGO MAROON
Since the student criticism and submission of the petition for a referendum on Student Government (SG) stipends came to light last month, SG members have been on the defensive, insisting that they are mainly an administrative body that funds student activities and events. SG currently maintains $2.1 million in funding per year with an “incredibly low overhead.” In addition, there is very little money left for the next year, according to SG President Tyler Kissinger. Approximately $16,000 was left from last year’s budget of around $2 million. Some students believe that SG could clarify its role in RSO funding to students. “There is a lot at the core of SG
that is vital for many RSOs, and it is a good thing that students are given responsibility to decide such matters,” said fourth-year Apratim Gautam. “How central a role SG takes in deciding matters that pertain to the student body, and how well it is able to elucidate this role, make up pretty important factors in terms of how its reputation changes.” Other students believe that SG has done little to represent them and the organizations with which they are affiliated. “For the sake of being totally transparent, I think Student Government should not exist, in any form. I think it’s inevitably a useless body whereby [a] few students get to toss favors to their friends on one hand, and harass the administration about their particular agenda on the SG continued on page 3
University profs like teaching MOOCs, Uncommon Interview: Max Grinnell (A.B. ’98), “Urbanologist” though few pupils actually finish Ashley Soong Maroon Contributor One year after the University debuted its first massive open online courses (MOOCs), professors and students have varying thoughts on how they compare to traditional classes. MOOCs at the University are programmed through Coursera, an education platform that offers free courses worldwide. Current UChicago courses include Under-
standing the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life, Asset Pricing, and Global Warming: The Science and Modeling of Climate Change, taught by professors Peggy Mason, John H. Cochrane, and David Archer, respectively. The professors all see benefits in teaching MOOCs. Cochrane wrote a post highlighting his experience teaching the course last fall on his personal blog. “MOOCs represent one
of the few places in which people are actually studying pedagogy, and trying to improve it,” he wrote. “The data collection and analysis that MOOCs provide may change that.” Mason became very enthusiastic about the idea of teaching an online course last year because of the different kinds of people that her online course could reach. “I really wanted [my lectures] to be available to anybody who MOOCS continued on page 2
UChicago Press sued for copyright infringement in book Adam Thorp Maroon Contributor A recent lawsuit accuses a University of Chicago Press book of violating copyright. Elizabeth Rhodes, a professor at Duke University, and Margaret Greer, a professor at Boston College, produced an English-language edition of María de Zayas y Sotomayor’s Exemplary Tales of Love and Tales of Disillusion that was published by the University of
Chicago Press in 2009. In their introduction, they noted that they used a Spanish-language edition of Exemplary Tales of Love, edited by Julian Olivares, as the basis for the portion of their translation based on that book. In the acknowledgements portion of the University of Chicago Press edition, Olivares, a professor at the University of Houston, is listed as one of several people who provided “assistance and support.”
Olivares’s suit calls this a misrepresentation. He denies that the authors were in communication with him, and said that he never gave them permission to use his edition, according to his lawyer, William Ramey. Olivares alleges that their translation violated his copyright on that edition. Olivares’s book was published with a copyright notice, which asserts copyright over a work but does not guarantee that protection COPY continued on page 3
Natalie Friedberg Associate News Editor After graduating from the University with bachelor’s degrees in history and geography in 1998, Max Grinnell embarked on a career studying urban development policy and all aspects of the urban condition, dividing his time between Chicago and Boston. He has written a book entitled Hyde Park, Illinois, a photographic history of the neighborhood. Today, he has a popular Twitter account, @theurbanologist, where he tweets about urban policy and planning. A former Maroon Viewpoints columnist, Grinnell talked with The Chicago Maroon about the establishment of Hyde Park, changing racial demographics in the neighborhood, and its tumultuous relationship with the University of Chicago.
scale agriculture. The real game changer for Hyde Park was the Central Railroad, which came through around 1856. It gave easy access to the center city, which was 18 miles away.
CM: Why was Hyde Park chosen for the World’s Columbian Exposition, and how did that affect the neighborhood? MAX continued on page 3
Chicago Maroon: What was Hyde Park like when it was first founded in 1853? Max Grinnell: It was essentially like a lot of the Chicagoland area: low-lying prairies, kind of marshy. There was some truck farming, small-
Max Grinnell (A.B. ‘98) who studies urban development, published a book entitled Hyde Park, Illinois, in which he explores the growth of the neighborhood and the relationship between the University and the community. COURTESY OF MAX GRINNELL
IN VIEWPOINTS
IN ARTS
IN SPORTS
Those who fall in the middle » Page 4
Taylor Swift 1989 review » Page 6
Letter: Maroon misrepresents prolifers » Page 4
The Sketch » Page 6
Volleyball: Chicago sweeps weekend as big tourney looms » Back page
Chatter’s Box: DJ Weis » Page 7
THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | November 4, 2014
2
“The textbook reaches some people, while [MOOCs] reach an entirely different community” MOOCS continued from front
was smart and could do the work…regardless of whether or not they had the background knowledge of a college or med student.” Like Mason, Archer emphasized the ability of MOOCs to reach a larger audience than traditional classes. “I recently wrote a textbook that covers the same exact stuff [I taught in the MOOC course],” he said. “The textbook reaches some people, while online courses reach an entirely different community.” About 15,000 people had registered for Archer’s first Global Warming online class through Coursera, 55,000 for Mason’s, and 4,000 for Cochrane’s. However, only around 300 people actually finished each course. The Coursera format requires students enrolled in the MOOC to participate in all required elements of the course in order to finish it. Students take quizzes at the end of each lecture to foster understanding of the material. However, these quizzes are not scored and are not part of a student’s grade. For larger projects or papers, there is a peer assessment system that allows students to proofread
or grade other students’ papers. Unlike the normal University system where teacher assistants grade papers, students in the online course are able to teach each other simple concepts and discuss bigger ideas. This format requires shorter lecture and lab times than a traditional class. Archer sees this as an advantage as it saves time. “[My] normal in-class lectures have many, many more minutes by a factor of three,” he said. With a shorter format, there is less repetition of information and more time spent on explaining concepts. Second-year Gabriel Levine, who took Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life, said that he likes MOOCs because the time commitment is lower in traditional classes. Levine was persuaded to take the noncredit course so that he could delve into the particular subject matter, instead of waiting for his third year to actually sit in on a neuroscience class in the College. Biology majors can specialize in neuroscience, but the department suggests waiting until third year to take the courses. “Each week had a series of short (five- to 12-min-
ute) video lectures…[which] could be watched any time during the week, in any setting…. This meant I actually had time to take four classes and still keep up with Mason’s course but was motivated not to fall behind,” Levine said in an e-mail. Archer said the experience of designing a MOOC is completely different from making lesson plans for a traditional class. “The actual interaction among students and between students and the professor happens later. Making an online class is like building a playground or writing a book,” he said. “A real sense of community forms among students that derives from interesting conversations on online discussion forums.” Second-year Blaine Crawford said that he liked the format of the MOOC as compared to a traditional class. “[I] wish all lecture classes operated more like MOOCs do,” he said. “I remember reading some of the forums for the Global Warming class I took and they were extremely helpful with the problem sets and when it came time to understanding concepts for the tests.”
ůŝŶŝĐĂů džĐĞůůĞŶĐĞ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ 'ƌĂĚƵĂƚĞ ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ
Wednesday, November 5, 2014 7:00 - 9:00 pm Four Points by Sheraton 10249 West Irving Park Road Schiller Park, IL 60176 :ŽŝŶ ƵƐ ĨŽƌ ĂŶ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ ƚŽ ůĞĂƌŶ ĂďŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ ŽĨ ^ƚ͘ ƵŐƵƐƟŶĞ͛Ɛ ĞŶƚƌLJͲůĞǀĞů͕ ƉŽƐƚͲƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů͕ ĂŶĚ ƚƌĂŶƐŝƟŽŶĂů ĚĞŐƌĞĞ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŶƟŶƵŝŶŐ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐ͘ ŽĐƚŽƌ ŽĨ WŚLJƐŝĐĂů dŚĞƌĂƉLJ ; WdͿ DĂƐƚĞƌ ŽĨ KĐĐƵƉĂƟŽŶĂů dŚĞƌĂƉLJ ;DKdͿ WĂƌƚͲƟŵĞ͕ &ůĞdžŝďůĞ ŽĐƚŽƌ ŽĨ WŚLJƐŝĐĂů dŚĞƌĂƉLJ WƌŽŐƌĂŵ ; WdͿ WĂƌƚͲƟŵĞ͕ &ůĞdžŝďůĞ DĂƐƚĞƌ ŽĨ KĐĐƵƉĂƟŽŶĂů dŚĞƌĂƉLJ ;DKdͿ ƵĂů ĞŐƌĞĞ KƉƟŽŶ ;DKdͬ WdͿ dƌĂŶƐŝƟŽŶĂů ŽĐƚŽƌ ŽĨ WŚLJƐŝĐĂů dŚĞƌĂƉLJ ; WdͿ dƌĂŶƐŝƟŽŶĂů ŽĐƚŽƌ ŽĨ KĐĐƵƉĂƟŽŶĂů dŚĞƌĂƉLJ ;Kd Ϳ ŽĐƚŽƌ ŽĨ ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ ; Ě Ϳ ŽĐƚŽƌ ŽĨ ,ĞĂůƚŚ ^ĐŝĞŶĐĞ ; ,^ĐͿ ůŝŶŝĐĂů KƌƚŚŽƉĂĞĚŝĐ ZĞƐŝĚĞŶĐLJ ĨŽƌ WdƐ 'ĞƌŝĂƚƌŝĐ ZĞƐŝĚĞŶĐLJ ĨŽƌ WdƐ KƌƚŚŽƉĂĞĚŝĐ DĂŶƵĂů WŚLJƐŝĐĂů dŚĞƌĂƉLJ &ĞůůŽǁƐŚŝƉ
dŽ ƌĞŐŝƐƚĞƌ ƚŽ ĂƩĞŶĚ͕ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ǀŝƐŝƚ www.usa.edu and click on “events” or call (800) 241-1027.
Founder of SparkNotes, OkCupid talks entrepreneurship at CIE Isaac Stein Associate News Editor Match.com CEO Sam Yagan shared his experiences as a web entrepreneur at the Chicago Innovation Exchange on Monday evening. In his talk Yagan addressed his philosophy of entrepreneurship, beliefs on the finer points of online dating, and methods of dealing with difficult people. Before his current work with Match, Yagan co-founded a series of online enterprises, including the dating website OkCupid, file-sharing network eDonkey, Inc., and SparkNotes, which produces literature summaries.
Yagan was the acting CEO of SparkNotes in 1999, when he was a 22-year-old college senior at Harvard. He said that the principles behind SparkNotes were, in part, a response to his experience working in college as a T.A. for a computer science class. “When I worked as a T.A., I learned that the real question as an entrepreneur is not, ‘Are you the smartest?’ but whether you can relate what you know to different types of people. The same applies to teaching literature,” Yagan said. He added that SparkNotes found a niche in the study guide market by being more
accessible to students than its competitors. “One of my friends had a stack of CliffsNotes in his room. We hired some friends to write 10 summaries of the same books. They took themselves so seriously; we weren’t going to do that. Our brand was your friend—your fraternity brother,” Yagan said. Yagan also said that the same principle of accessibility was a feature of OkCupid, which he co-founded four years later. “We were cheaper, better, and more social than [eHarmony]. They had a Dr. Phil– style matchmaking model, YAGAN continued on page 3
Sam Yagan, co-founder of SparkNotes and OkCupid, held a talk on Monday at the Chicago Innovation Exchange, located at East 53rd Street and South Harper Avenue. Yagan talked about how he started the two companies and gave students insight into creating start-ups. SIMON COHEN | THE CHICAGO MAROON
NEWS IN BRIEF Woman running on lakefront path sexually assaulted Friday A woman was sexually assaulted in the Hyde Park neighborhood Friday morning while jogging by the lakefront. The woman, 58, was jogging near the corner of East 57th Street and South Lake Shore Drive at about 11:10 a.m., when a man approached her from behind and pulled her to the ground. He assaulted the woman while physically restraining her before escaping. This incident was reported to the Chicago Police Department (CPD) rather than the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD), which maintains a jurisdiction extending from East 37th Street to 64th Street and South Cottage Grove Avenue to Lake Shore Drive. The UCPD has not been involved in this investigation.
A community alert issued by the CPD described the attacker as a medium-complexion, black man between 23 and 25 years old. He has brown eyes and black hair worn in short twists or braids. He is 5 foot 11 to 6 foot 1, and he weighs 150 to 160 pounds. The man was last seen in a black and white camouflage full-zip hoodie, gray jeans, and a dark-colored knit hat with long tie strings on either side. A spokesperson from the CPD described this as an “ongoing investigation.” The police have asked anyone with information on the crime to call the Area Central Detectives at (312) 747-8380. —Eero Arum
Div School café temporarily closed A refrigeration malfunction had some students crying over spilled milk at Grounds of Being, the Divinity School’s café, on Monday morning. According to Greg Chatterley, fourth-year Div School
Ph.D. student and manager of the café, a compressor in the main milk refrigerator broke down over the weekend. “The malfunction essentially transformed the fridge from a cooling unit to a heating unit, and the milk quickly spoiled,” Chatterley said in an e-mail. Several milk gallons exploded as a result of the spoilage, which forced the Grounds of Being staff to clear the fridge of most of its contents and to sanitize the area. Although the main fridge is still out of order until a replacement compressor can be obtained, the café has a “small backup fridge that we will be able to use to provide full service until the permanent fix is in,” Chatterley said. On Monday morning, there was a sign posted outside the café which said that it was closed until further notice. Later that afternoon, Grounds of Being was able to provide customers with all items on the menu except those requiring milk. The café hopes to resume its full services within a few days. —Christine Schmidt
THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | November 4 2014
3
‘Urbanologist’ discusses history of Hyde Park, University’s urban renewal MAX continued from front
MG: That’s the other real big transformer of the 19th century for Hyde Park: available land. There wasn’t any industry there, there weren’t any sizeable residences, permanent inhabitants at that moment. People said: “Wow…we can modify the landscape, create these lagoons and…these specialized state pavilions.” Green panels that are immediately south of 56th Street, all those panels were state pavilions, all the way down to 65th Street or so. Vast… amount of available land to make over. CM: Can you talk a bit about changing racial demographics in Hyde Park? Originally, it was mostly a white neighborhood until the middle of the 20th century. MG: [It was] predominately white, which was achieved through restrictive racial covenants, which were deeds attached to homes and property. “No person of Negro race shall live here or inhabit this space.” That fell apart with a Supreme Court decision after World War II. If you were an African American [before this decision], you were basically
pinned up in the Black Belt for decades…you were looking for greener pastures, and Hyde Park had a lot of green pastures. There was concern on the part of the University about all these black people coming over here. I’m not saying that the University was racist, but there was certainly concern over lower income people who were both black and white who were coming into Hyde Park. Eventually the situation sort of stabilized, but there was a lot of hand-wringing over what should be done to deal with this issue. CM: The mass migrations of African Americans was followed by a period of economic decline. How did this affect Hyde Park, and why has the neighborhood escaped the poverty that plagues so much of the South Side? MG: If you think about… the dominant institutions in Hyde Park, the University of Chicago [is] obviously top of the list. University of Chicago was definitely a stabilizing factor: the tremendous investments in the physical plan, police force…. [At the same
time] there was talk of the University going to leave, there was talk of partnering up with Northwestern, going to California, stuff about the board of trustees, “what can we preserve?” [The neighborhood of ] Woodlawn was too transitional and moved very quickly into a [low rent housing system]. [They thought,] “Well, we can’t save Woodlawn, so we’re going to work on everything north of the Midway—obviously, with certain exceptions: Burton-Judson, Taft House. We can work on these but we’re not going to do anything south of 61st Street. We can’t, we’ll just write it off.” So I think the [difference] between Hyde Park and areas like Woodlawn is large dominant institutions that had a strong financial interest in staying put. Woodlawn has the Woodlawn Organization, but that didn’t exist in the ’40s. It was [established] later as pushback against the U of C’s interest in demolishing parts of Woodlawn. CM: Why did UChicago want to demolish parts of Woodlawn? Was it for expansionary purposes? MG: There was always interest in
seeing where the available land is and now, I’m sure you know, the U of C owns property by the Green Line, and they want to do all this incubator stuff. In the ’50s and ’60s they were just thinking “what’s north and south of us?”[The thought was that] Woodlawn is disorganized, and we can probably just move in and bulldoze what’s down there. Now of course, it’s a different story, but at the time, people like Bishop Brazier from the Woodlawn Organization who has since passed away said, “This is ridiculous, how can we have this dominant, wealthy, white institution destroy all the stuff in our neighborhood.” And that was the seed for the Woodlawn Organization…. So U of C was basically thwarted in its attempts to go any further than 61st Street. CM: In your opinion, is the relationship between the University of Chicago and its surrounding neighborhood still so combative, or have things calmed down? MG: Things have gotten better. I’m not going to say that things are better for the average person in
Woodlawn, and the average person is probably African American, low- to middle- income, despite increasingly the presence of students. I graduated in ’98 and I didn’t know any students who lived south of B-J for crime reasons, and I think that there’s a kinder, gentler place in terms of its relationship with the community, and I think of the heat as off. I don’t think that means the U of C has been necessarily a great neighbor. I used to live on 57th and Drexel, which is now a parking lot. Southwest Hyde Park is a good example of an institution gobbling up land. Drexel used to have houses, Ingleside used to have houses, all these blocks [west] from Crerar used to have houses, but the U of C has steadily gobbled up, gobbled up, gobbled up property. The hospital is a great public use; people benefit from it, they treat kids for rare diseases, they have better emergency care, but it means less available housing stock for everybody, whether you’re a student at the College, or an older couple, or so on and so forth. I think the U of C has done better by its neighbors, but there’s still probably work to be done.
Students sound off on impact, role of Student Government in wake of stipend controversy SG continued from front
other. There is clearly no constituency to which they are responsive,” Isaac Breslow, a second-year, said. Second-year Maheema Haque disagrees with the claim that SG does not serve the student body, but does believe it should be more transparent. “I would like SG to act as a liaison between the student body and the University’s administration, although I’m not sure to what extent they act in this capacity already. I would want them to be known for organizing events for students, and being a bigger presence on campus than they are now. They should be taken more seriously,” she said.
College Council (CC) members, like fourth-year representative Scott Loring, are well aware of the criticism they are receiving. “I think that the student body perceives SG as providing little value to the campus as a whole. There is widespread sentiment that the members of SG are involved for themselves, that members do it for résumé credit, to feel important, et cetera,” Loring said. “SG is criticized alternately for a), doing things poorly or not in accordance with student wishes and b), doing nothing. Many of the most strident critics have no desire to interact with SG at all. There are people who
would abolish SG at great cost to the student body.” In response to student criticisms, SG members say that there are policies that could be revised in order to improve its current reputation. “SG is not equivalent to an RSO. SG is more equivalent to the University administration. This problem, along with the perception of controversy, is not a reason to take a course of action. The problem is the language of the Executive Order,” said fourth-year CC representative Ione Barrows at SG’s first meeting about the stipend petition last month. Other SG initiatives have been
geared toward more student involvement in University affairs, such as events that allow students to speak to University officials and advisory boards to address student concerns. After the dining hall health code violations in 2012, SG created a Campus Dining Advisory Board, where students were able to discuss possible changes with Richard Mason, the executive director of campus dining. SG President Tyler Kissinger said he is currently working with the newly elected SG communications director Alita Carbone to increase connectivity between students and SG members.
“We are working to put more information that is relevant to the whole student body so folks understand the work we do and how it can be of benefit to them,” he said. “Our Director of Communications is going to be managing a regular newsletter so that students who want more frequent updates can hear from us more often. On the social media front, we’ve also been working to put out more information that is relevant to students, and so far have seen a great deal of success.” SG expects to announce its next steps regarding the submission of the petition shortly.
“The real question as an entrepreneur is not, ‘Are you the smartest?’ but [if] you can relate what you know” YAGAN continued from page 2
while we wanted to make matches based on data. This was 2003, and the online dating industry was ripe for change,” he said. Yagan views Match.com as a successful entrepreneurial venture because it was able to change public opinion of online dating. “Before [Match], dating people that you
met online was not something that people talked about. The Match.com blog changed that—it turned into a situation in which if you didn’t know what was happening on the blog, then you didn’t know what was going on [in dating],” he said. He recalled how the founding of OkCupid was also born along with some less than capital ideas.
“One of my friends—a business partner—called me one day, when he was drunk. He said that he wanted to launch a dating website that was just a ‘blind date button,’ in which you click it and it just tells you where to go to find your date. I told him that we would need to build up a site with a very large base of people before a blind date button could
work,” he said. At the end of the event, Yagan fielded a question from an audience member who asked how he “deals with assholes.” He said that his response to difficult people is highly situational. “In dealing with assholes, it really depends on who they are, and what role that they play in my life. If I’m
Translator Olivares, University of Houston prof, claims he never gave U of C Press author rights COPY continued from front
will be extended. Olivares’s work was registered with the U.S. copyright office a little more than a week before his case was filed. The lawsuit was filed in the Federal District Court of the Eastern District of Texas on October 17. Both translators, the University of Chicago, and the University of Chicago Press were named as defendants in the lawsuit. The registration of copy-
right with the Copyright Office for the University of Chicago Press translation listed the “original 17th century Spanish language text” as the book’s “pre-existing material” and did not mention Olivares’s edition. The University of Chicago is listed as the copyright claimant. U.S. copyright code gives the copyright owner exclusive rights to prepare derivative works, like translations, of copyrighted works.
A book written in the 17th century would be past copyright protection. Olivares’s lawsuit claims that his edition was a “new and different version” that contained “a large amount of material wholly original with the plaintiff ” and so therefore eligible for protection. William Ramey, Olivares’s lawyer, said Olivares’s edition was a result of years spent trying to reconcile different publications of Exemplary Tales of Love in order to reflect
the original as accurately as he could. Ramey said that Olivares became aware of the translation of his edition when he was congratulated for it at a professional conference. He then examined Greer and Rhodes’s translation and decided portions of it had come from his edition. The University of Chicago Press and the University of Chicago declined to comment on the subject.
a CEO of a company and an asshole is asking me for something, I’d deal with that one way. But, for example, there was this one time when someone tweeted something really nasty at me, but then I noticed that he had zero followers. I wasn’t sure how to feel, because he had zero followers. It was some tree-in-the-woods kinda shit.”
CORRECTION
An October 31 article, “Homecoming Banner Competition Raises Issue Of House Censorship,” misstated who made the decision to disqualify the banner. It was the College and Alumni Relations and Development, not the Student Alumni Committee. Additionally, the article misstated that the SAC notified Chamberlin it had 24 hours to change the banner. Chamberlin was given less than an hour.
VIEWPOINTS
Editorial & Op-Ed NOVEMBER 4, 2014
Those who fall in the middle As mental health issues become more serious, the University’s motivations don’t align with students’ best interests
Sarah Zimmerman
After School Snack In March 2014, feeling alone and stressed, a first-year student who will remain nameless decided to visit Student Counseling Services, simply to “vent [her] feelings.” As she told me last night, she’s “never regretted a decision more.” The appointment seemed to run smoothly until she mentioned that she had the urge to cut and had suicidal thoughts. She made sure to explicitly state that these were urges and had no plans to harm herself in the future. Nonetheless, the professional deemed her mentally unfit to remain on campus and told her that she would have to be hospitalized. The psychiatrist prevented her from calling her parents, pressuring her to sign the medical release forms, saying “it would be easier” if she went voluntarily. Completely overwhelmed, she signed the form without truly processing what it meant. A few minutes later, medics arrived, strapped her down to a stretcher, and took her to a hospital miles away from campus. “I’ve never felt more violated,” she said. “I was treated like a criminally insane person, when all I wanted was somebody to talk to.” At the hospital, she was forced to relinquish all electronics and wasn’t allowed to contact anybody. She was completely isolated from the support of family and friends: “It was like jail. They took away my school work, my clothes, my phone and computer. They wouldn’t even let me have a stuffed
animal.” Although she was eventually discharged, she wasn’t allowed back on campus—not even to retrieve personal belongings from her dorm. Once she was deemed fit to return, she was weeks behind on school work, making her stress increase tenfold. She describes the experience as “traumatic” and vows never to return to the counseling center. She’s not alone. During her brief hospitalization at Lakeshore Hospital, she met three other UChicago students undergoing the same traumatic experience who expressed similar resentment towards Student Counseling. One of these students, Karyn, writes in a blog post documenting her experience that although she thought “the hospital was too much,” she signed the release forms because doctors assured her the move was “precautionary.” She remembers “how ashamed [she] felt when the ambulance pulled up in front of Student Counseling,” and “accepted [her] defeat” after she was unnecessarily restrained on a stretcher. Sindhu Gnanasambandan’s article “Sign Here” in Grey City Magazine recounts even more students who “were not fully willing but rather pushed to exit the University.” Each of their stories follow a similar trend: after being pressured to sign a release form, the student in some way or another recovers in facilities off campus, and then has to prove their “mental stability” to a very reluctant Susan
The student newspaper of the University of Chicago since 1892 Emma Broder, Editor-in-Chief Joy Crane, Editor-in-Chief Jonah Rabb, Managing Editor The Maroon Editorial Board consists of Eleanor Hyun, Harini Jaganathan, Kristin Lin, Kiran Misra, and Jake Walerius. Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Grey City Editor Kristin Lin, Grey City Editor Ankit Jain, News Editor Sarah Manhardt, News Editor Christine Schmidt, News Editor Eleanor Hyun, Viewpoints Editor Will Dart, Arts Editor James Mackenzie, Arts Editor Tatiana Fields, Sports Editor Sam Zacher, Sports Editor Marina Fang, Senior News Editor Liam Leddy, Senior Viewpoints Editor Kristin Lin, Senior Viewpoints Editor Sarah Langs, Senior Sports Editor Jake Walerius, Senior Sports Editor Natalie Friedberg, Associate News Editor Alec Goodwin, Associate News Editor William Rhee, Associate News Editor Isaac Stein, Associate News Editor Kiran Misra, Associate Viewpoints Editor Andrew McVea, Associate Arts Editor Evangeline Reid, Associate Arts Editor Ellen Rodnianski, Associate Arts Editor Helen Petersen, Associate Sports Editor Zachary Themer, Associate Sports Editor Peter Tang, Photo Editor Sydney Combs, Senior Photo Editor Frank Yan, Senior Photo Editor Frank Wang, Associate Photo Editor Nicholas Rouse, Head Designer Sophie Downes, Head Copy Editor Alan Hassler, Head Copy Editor Sherry He, Head Copy Editor Katarina Mentzelopoulos, Head Copy Editor Mara McCollom, Social Media and Multimedia Editor
Megan Daknis, Copy Editor Katie Day, Copy Editor Jacqueline Feng, Copy Editor Hannia Frias, Copy Editor Erin Horning, Copy Editor Kyra Martin, Copy Editor Rebecca Naimon, Copy Editor Julia Oran, Copy Editor Morganne Ramsey, Copy Editor Hannah Rausch, Copy Editor Erica Sun, Copy Editor Katherine Vega, Copy Editor Amy Wang, Copy Editor Michelle Zhao, Copy Editor Annie Cantara, Designer Emily Harwell, Designer Wei Yi Ow, Designer Molly Sevcik, Designer Adam Thorp, Designer Lenise Lee, Business Manager Nathan Peereboom, Chief Financial Officer Kay Li, Director of Data Analysis Harry Backlund, Distributor
Editor-in-Chief E-mail: editor@ChicagoMaroon.com Newsroom Phone: 773.702.1403 Business Phone: 773.702.9555 Fax: 773.702.3032 Public Editor: PublicEditor@ChicagoMaroon.com For advertising inquiries, please contact Ads@ChicagoMaroon.com The Chicago Maroon is published twice weekly during autumn, winter, and spring quarters. Circulation: 6,800. © 2014 The Chicago Maroon, Ida Noyes Hall, 1212 East 59th Street Chicago, IL 60637
Art, the Dean of Students. In one case, Art was unwilling to allow a student to return to campus “even after her private doctors approved the move.” In a Newsweek article published this past February, “dozens of current or recent students at colleges and universities across the country” said that they were “punished for seeking help: kicked out of campus housing with nowhere else to go, abruptly forced to withdraw from school, and even involuntarily committed to psychiatric wards.” Universities are completely paranoid about the idea of an on-campus death—especially a suicide. As established by the Supreme Court case Shin v. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a university is liable for any preventable student death, including suicides. Not only that, but a school’s image is of utmost importance, especially when trying to attract new students. A suicide could tarnish a school’s reputation, and could hurt the number of future applicants. Schools thus try to avoid on-campus suicides by physically removing students with mental health issues from campus and preventing them from returning until they are deemed “mentally fit.” As Art herself said to Grey City: “We do coerce some students into taking a leave and signing the form” as that is “the best medical advice we have.” The University of Chicago’s student manual claims that its “first concern is always the health and well-being of each student,” but these efforts to avoid the repercussions of a suicide completely miss the point—and in some cases may not be entirely legal. In 2012, the
Bazelon Health Center for Mental Health Law filed a discrimination complaint against Princeton University after an unnamed student was coerced to sign a release form and was prevented from returning to campus for one year even though “he was fully capable, [...] of meeting the essential eligibility requirements for being a Princeton student.” This student was evicted from his dorm without the option of alternative housing. Despite his efforts, he was not allowed a single semester of leave or a part time course load, because these accommodations, according to the university, detracted from the “Princeton Experience.” His lawyers made the case that the student’s experience violated Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which “forbids organizations and employers from excluding or denying individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to receive program benefits and services.” Although the student returned to Princeton almost a year later, his case remains in appeal with no sign of being resolved in the near future. The Bazelon Center is currently in talks with the United States Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights to “try and form consistent policies, so that universities have standard procedures for cases like this.” If universities like the University of Chicago truly cared about the students’ well-being and mental health, they would encourage them to seek further professional treatment, while remaining on campus where they have a stable routine and support system. By punishing students with mental
health problems, the University implicitly discourages students from seeking help. This also isolates students from their support systems. In order to get better, students need compassion and the promise of stability—two things the University is obviously not providing. Instead, it seems to be employing a strategic plan to remove any students who show the signs of possibly becoming a liability. This approach negatively impacts the student body as a whole. I’m not saying that the Student Counseling Center is a terrible resource that shouldn’t ever be used. For less pressing problems with schoolwork or a relationship, etc., I’m sure SCS is more than accommodating, and there are a number of trained professionals who are willing to lend an ear. Likewise, if you have a serious mental issue and the urge to hurt yourself or others, completely intending to act on those thoughts, I urge you to visit SCS so they can put you in touch with the correct facilities to help you get better. However, those who fall in the middle of these two extremes need to take a great deal of caution when making use of SCS. There seems to be an incredibly low threshold for what is considered “mentally unfit,” and a serious proclivity for overreaction on the part of the school. The University’s knowledge of whether or not hospitalization or other disciplinary actions is in the best interest of the student is extremely questionable and has, in several cases, caused more harm than good. Sarah Zimmerman is a third-year in the College majoring in English.
Letter: Maroon misrepresents pro-lifers When Americans talk politics, a bloodbath usually ensues. We have been trained to take up one of two polarized camps, even though our beliefs are much more nuanced and moderate than those of our politicians. For some reason, we don’t seem to understand that our hateful battles helps politicians, especially around election time, and only hurt us year in and year out. One of the causes that has been most politicized, and the most wronged in the political ecosystem, is abortion. UChicago Students for Life is showing that we’re not what politicians tell you, and we’re not who you think we are. To help foster a loving and productive conversation, we brought a compassionate, feminist speaker to campus. Her name is Serrin Foster, and she talked about all of the ways UChicago could be a supportive community, for pregnant students, giving them more resources and liberating them from the coerced choice of picking pregnancy or their futures. This speaking event, with 80 attendees, could have been a beautiful opportunity for The Maroon to break the media’s cycle of dismissing
a really important issue. This wonderful speech encouraged pro-choice and pro-life students to support their pregnant classmates, asked for clear policies online, and looked for pointpeople who pregnant students could use as resources. Rather than seizing this opportunity to support scared students who don’t know where to go or how to handle their unplanned pregnancies, The Maroon decided to title the story as “Talk attendees question president of Feminists for Life” [10/31/14], and further marginalized the people who were trying to help. Do you believe that women who are being abused by their partners for being pregnant should receive protection and be relocated to a safe environment? Do you believe that poor women with little children should have resources that help them finish school and take care of their kids? Do you think there should be adoption reform to help childless couples and mothers of unplanned pregnancies have happy endings? Believe it or not, you could be pro-life or pro-choice and believe in any of these things. Most of
what pro-choice and pro-life people believe in is the same, yet we as Americans are so politicized by a system that feeds off the counterproductive debate over what we don’t agree on that we do not look around and make the country better for these women. Rather than actually doing things that matter, we react the way the media has taught us to react, and we fuel a system whose sole purpose is to keep us divided for its own gain. Here on campus, we have an incredible opportunity to enact great change. We could start changing the conversation from “Which box did you check off at the polls” and “I think you’re an idiot for having a different opinion” to “What do we have in common?” and “What can we do to help?” The media would like you to believe that all prolifers care about is that the fetuses are born. They don’t care about the mothers. They don’t care about how terrible their situations are. They want to repress women. We’re here to tell you that’s not true. Students for Life is trying to reLIFE continued from page 3
THE CHICAGO MAROON | VIEWPOINTS | November 4, 2014
5
People before positions Effecting change begins with listening
Grace Koh
No Airs and Graces They’re usually stationed where there’s a lot of foot traffic, maybe right by Hull Gate or even Hutch Courtyard, often wearing matching brightly colored shirts, maybe holding a clipboard or a brochure. I can feel their eyes on me, and I try my best to look away because I know that if I accidentally make eye contact with them I’ll—stupid social reflexes—smile. I try to retract it by looking away, but too late, I’m caught in the canvasser’s web. Fast forward a couple months and I’m standing at the back door of Reynolds Club, desperately trying to catch the eye of busy passersby and awkwardly trying to initiate conversation. How did I find myself on the other side? I feel pathetic every time someone gives me an almost pitying glance and, even when they do stop
to talk, I feel uncomfortable as soon as I mention I’m from a Christian fellowship. I wonder if they feel as uncomfortable talking to me as they would passing people on subway platforms proclaiming that the rapture is coming next week or watching televangelists spitting that the world is damned. After acknowledging how uncomfortable it can be to be on the other side of these kinds of conversations, though, I admire the enormous personal stakes people put into something they believe in, and respect when someone is so invested in a cause that they are devoted to being an advocate even in the smallest personal interactions. So I still decide to table for my Christian group because I think faith is important and can be a beneficial aspect of student life.
But as I catch myself in the middle of reciting a spiel on my beliefs about God, it dawns on me—why the hell would they care about what I, a stranger, have to say about these matters, much less be convinced by me to change something about themselves? Of course this cause, this belief, is important to me. And of course I believe that it has far-reaching consequences that would benefit this person that I’m talking to—but only theoretically. I don’t know what this person has experienced, or what kind of questions they’ve asked, or what their religious or nonreligious background may be. Regardless of topic, there’s a connection to be drawn between actually caring for people and the possibility of changing their worldview. But often this connection breaks down, and a person’s elementary understanding of a topic can be used as a springboard, not for a personal conversation, but for the speaker to articulate their position instead. In
these cases, the issue seems to become more important than the person they’re talking to. Imagine talking to someone who makes an offhandedly bigoted comment. If I were to chastise them for their ignorance, I may be justified— both in my anger and in hopefully addressing nuanced and insidious systems present in language and elsewhere which contribute to wider problems of oppression. But I’d imagine what would most likely happen would be that they would be a little more careful with their language around me next time. But if I were to try to take time to understand how the culture they grew up in rendered them unaware to certain perspectives, then maybe I’d be able to have a more extensive conversation about misconceptions that they themselves may even be unaware about. In this scenario, the chances of this person adopting a new perspective or gaining a greater self-awareness are higher.
I have many sets of beliefs spanning both religion and social justice, and I think that these beliefs are important to discuss. But I’m also convinced that my words mean little to nothing unless my listener is interested, and that it is near impossible to make someone care about something unless they’re convinced you are trying to understand their perspective first. Even if widespread social progress and tangible societal change are your goals, I would argue that a greater effort to first listen and understand is the most productive method of instigating catalyzing change. Change happens with people who care, and people are more open to care if they feel they are cared for first. Maybe you may see things differently. Why don’t we talk about it? Grace Koh is a third-year in the College majoring in political science.
Pro-lifers are not repressors of women
> pls get us up to date > > > >
LIFE continued from page 3 duce stigma around unplanned pregnancies, help students finish their degrees so they aren’t doomed to poverty, provide resources that help studentparents in both the graduate schools and college, and alleviate other factors that make women feel like they have to have an abortion or drop out
of school. We want pro-choice students who care about how we—as a society and a college—ostracize women who become pregnant to take up this banner with us. For some women, going through with their pregnancy, while staying in school, is the right choice, and we should support them. Pro-lifers and pro-choicers are
not so different in this regard, so don’t let the media, or The Maroon, blind you from actually helping women. Unlike politicians, we can actually change our micro-environment, so why don’t we? —Lucia Bower, Class of 2015 Founder of Students for Life
> The Chicago Maroon is seeking qualified applicants to join our tech team > positions are paid! > come fiddle with our website and servers ;) > for info on applying visit chicagomaroon.com/techteam > email apply@chicagomaroon. com with questions! > applications are due Friday, November 7th!
Photo: Drea Howenstein
EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATION OF ARTISTS MASTER OF ARTS IN TEACHING
MASTER OF ARTS IN ART EDUCATION
saic.edu/mat
saic.edu/maae
APPLY BY JANUARY 15 saic.edu/gradapp GRADUATE ADMISSIONS 800.232.7242 | 312.629.6100 gradmiss@saic.edu
ARTS
Heartlandia NOVEMBER 4, 2014
Not black and white: Justin Simien asks the right questions
Pictured: Dear White People director Justin Simien. Probably. COURTESY OF KIRSTEN MICCOLI
Konje Machini Arts Contributor Dear White People, The film’s title itself is a call to arms for the enlightened, red-green deficient masses in this post-racial America. A letter addressing Mr. The Man, signed “Sincerely, the oppressed peoples of the world.” Our own 95 theses nailed to the doors of literally every institution ever. This was to be my movie. I was to sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor, unhatched chick-
ens and all. But I was not the only one to imbue the movie with such suchness, and we have had plenty of time to build the hype. The movie has been in the works for years. The director, Justin Simien, started working on it back in 2005, four years B.O. (Before Obama). In 2012, I vaguely recall watching a concept trailer and throwing it a few snaps of approval, but cast it aside as something that (in my taxonomy of potential movies) Could be Great, but Probably Would Not Happen, or Not Be Very Good
at All. Fast forward to 2014: new trailer, new actors, in a shiny, new America. For some, this movie was to be the cure-all for micro-aggressions and structural atrocities. For others, the smoking gun for the existence of real life reverse racism. I went into the movie with my expectation baby in its last trimester (I will end that metaphor right there). A movie about being black at an elite university? Come on! It was a letter addressed to everyone, with me as the sender. For what is being marketed as a comedy, the movie is filled with quite a bit of tension. But maybe that’s what laughter is for, a kind of socially informed violent release of nervous energy. I was certainly in a “safe space” watching the movie, courtesy of OMSA, with an audience mostly made up of students on its listhost—probably the safest of safe spaces. However, I still felt a bit uncomfortable. I couldn’t place it. There was tension in every scene, every conversation, and every relation. The dean, played by Dennis Haysbert (rightfully the first black president of the fabricated but oh-so-relatable Winchester University), uses an extended metaphor about jazz in order to describe finding one’s place. While the metaphor is wonderfully confused, to hilarious effect, something
does manage to surface. He says, “Jazz is tension.” With that in mind, this movie plays it loose and fast. It breaks into the improvisational, experimental razor’s edge that makes you want to step back and go running to the easily digestible bondage of the Dave Koz of race movies from 12 years past. But if you hang on for just long enough, you reach the bittersweet conclusion. Not with some happy harmony, but with the unresolved dissonance of real life. This is what the movie did for me, a black face in a white place. The movie forced me to take a good long look in the proverbial mirror. I couldn’t drop my stare, and was forced to see all my zitty imperfections, but not without seeing some beauty, too. I think this is always the fear with movies with a message about race: that someone can leave and, instead of learning something, just stroke their ego with, “Oh, at least I’m not that bad.” This movie anticipates such an argument and expertly circumvents it by saying a whole lot more than “racism is bad." The movie, while certainly stronger in some points than others, is put together very thoughtfully. The cast of mostly new faces succeeds in the not-so-easy task assigned to them, and the cinematography does a great job creating and relieving tension. Simien’s directorial debut was a
huge undertaking. At a talk hosted by our very own Doc Films, Simien discussed his hopes for the film. He spoke about reviving the genre of “black art house” and showing a bit of himself in film. That’s right. Himself. His own experience. The film, while nuanced, does not, and cannot, be representative of all black culture, let alone all non-white people’s culture. The logic behind such critiques is exactly what this movie seeks to debunk. There is a scene in the movie in which the main character, Sam, a film major, is presenting a movie she made to her class. The short film entitled, “Rebirth of a Nation,” is a satire about Obama’s rise to presidency, inspiring from her classmates a fair share of shifting glances and the collective need to cough. It is described as “an ideological piano” being dropped on their heads—a piano that is seen coming and is easily avoided. This is exactly what Dear White People does not do. Instead, it forces a mirror in everyone’s face and does not ‘solve’ the issue of race, but forces the question: What have you got to do with it and what are you going to do about it? Sincerely, The Oppressed Peoples of the World
theSketch Arts, Briefly.
WHPK and the InterAriel Schrag Lunch national House Global This Friday, renowned Voices Program present: graphic novelist and televiPictures and Sounds As part of the Pictures and Sounds concert series, WHPK and Global Voices are hosting a show at the International House this Tuesday. Berlin-based Rashad Becker, New Yorker Eli Keszler, and Chicago-based Josh Abrams’s Natural Information Society will perform tomorrow, accompanied by an “interactive video work from St. Louis artists Kevin Harris and Jeremy Kannapell.” The artists’ past shows include presentations of Keszler’s visual work at the Victoria & Albert Museum, South London Gallery, Tectonics Festival (Harpa Hall) Reykjavik, Centraal Museum in Utrecht and Boston Center for the Arts among several others. Abrams has also collaborated with Hamid Drake, Tortoise, Tony Conrad, Craig Taborn, and Bill Dixon, to name a few. A dynamic musical and visual art concert–going experience on a Tuesday night: definitely something worth checking out. International House, 1414 East 59th St., Tuesday, November 6, 8 p.m, free admission. —Ellen Rodnianski
sion writer Ariel Schrag will host a lunch at the Centers for Gender/Race Studies to discuss her life and work. Schrag rose to fame at a young age after writing and illustrating comics about her high school life while still in high school. These comics were published in four volumes shortly after her graduation, earning Schrag a nomination for the Kimberly Yale Award for new women comic book writers. Her graphic novels deal with issues such as her own sexuality, family, experimentation with drugs, and other relevant topics. In her adult life, Schrag has written for television shows such as The L Word on Showtime and How to Make It in America on HBO. November 7, Centers for Gender/Race Studies, Room 105, 12 p.m., free admission. —James Mackenzie
The Chicago Eight (aka Seven) Conspiracy Trial on Film, 1970–71 In the summer of 1968, the city of Chicago was sent into turmoil as the 1968 Democratic Convention took place in Lincoln Park. Protesters,
angry with the government’s handling of the Vietnam War, Lyndon Johnson’s domestic policies, and the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., clashed with police officers and eight people were afterwards charged with attempting to incite a riot. The Chicago Eight (also known as the Chicago Seven) are the focus of two films that the Logan Center will be showing on Sunday. The first film, The Great Chicago Conspiracy Circus, takes the proceedings of the Chicago Eight trial and mixes them with the story of Alice in Wonderland, highlighting the insanity of the real-life trial. Meanwhile in The Conspiracy and the Dybbuk, a group of Jewish radicals perform an exorcism on the presiding judge in the trial to rid him of an evil spirit. Both incorporate actual dialogue from the trial intermixed with elements of fantasy, and it should be a surreal and thought-provoking evening of film. November 9, Logan Arts Center, Room 201, 6 p.m., free admission. —Andrew McVea
Wire Walking This past Sunday, seventhgeneration tightrope walker Nik Wallenda completed his
much anticipated Chicago Skywalk: a death-defying journey between the Marina Tower and Leo Burnett building, 700 feet above the Chicago River. For his efforts, Wallenda was showered with praise; Mayor Emanuel even declared Monday to be Nik Wallenda Day in Chicago. When did tightropes get so popular, anyway? The answer: a while ago. According to acrobat and noted hippy diva Hermine Demoriane in her book on the subject, the ancient Greeks had already gotten the art of the tightrope down to a multifaceted science, until “they simplified it down to one word: ‘funambulism.’” The term is now primarily used in France (that Mecca of acrobatic buffoonery), and is derived from “tunis” meaning rope, and “amble” referring to a leisurely morning stroll to the bakery for espresso and a croissant. Three thousand years later, the Wikipedia article on the subject lists no less than 13 modern and pre-modern sub disciplines of fundambularism, including high wire (performed at height), slack lining (performed with a slack line) and freestyle “rodeo” slack lining (unclear). For an activity that involves mostly walking back and forth on a rope, the tightrope is a nuanced art indeed. The art reached its zenith over the boiling waters of Ni-
agara Falls in the mid-1800s. There, two of the early greats— Charles Blondin and William Leonoard Hunt (aka the Great Farini)—took the tightrope out from under the big top and into the open air. The two rivals competed for audiences’ affection with ever more daring feats—among them, making an omelet and doing a load of laundry, all while balancing hundreds of feet in the air. From there tightrope walkers went ever higher, some-
times with mixed results. High-wire pioneer and Flying Wallenda patriarch Karl Wallenda (Nik’s great-grandfather) fell to his death in 1978; his sister-in-law Rietta met a similar fate in 1963 (or, as Roger Sterling put it, “They got her off the sidewalk with a hose.”). It can’t be easy to walk the high wire with that kind of weight on one’s shoulders, but Nik certainly made it look that way. He did it blindfolded, too. —Will Dart
Legendary tightrope walker Charles Blondin carries his manager across the Falls. It was a different time.
THE CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | November 4, 2014
In The Chatter’s Box
NYU, Brandeis wins set up ultimate conference showdown
with Sarah Langs
Women’s Soccer Zachary Themer Associate Sports Editor Over the past month, the No. 16 Maroons (13–3–1, 4–1–1 UAA) have fought tooth and nail to make a bid for not only an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, but also the UAA Championship. In order to bolster their chances, the Maroons—looking like the Tigers from Kicking and Screaming—doubled down on their juice boxes this past weekend and set their sights on conference rivals NYU and Brandeis. “In terms of how we approach a game, there is no difference in intensity between conference games and non-conference games,” said second-year defender Brenna Budd. “As the season progresses and we get into the conference games, however, we have built a lot of momentum.” The first of Chicago’s games this past weekend was on Friday against NYU (11–5–1, 3–2–1) at Stagg Field. While the Violets came to the Midwest with hopes of starting a second Great Chicago Fire, their efforts were futile, as the Maroons eventually took the match with a score of 2–0 on the backs of a smothering defense and an explosive offense. “In our first game against NYU, the weather was less than ideal. It was cold, windy, and there was a mixture of hail and snow coming down,” Budd said. In violent elements of rain, snow, hail, and sleet, the Maroons were unfazed, as they used the wind behind their backs to fire 12 shots on NYU in the first half alone. Two of the shots found the goal, as third-year midfielder Nicole Mullen headed a ball into the net in the 25th minute and first-year forward Caroline Olivero doubled the advantage with a goal of her own in the 41st minute. In the second half of the flooded, freezing affair, the Maroons were shooting into the wind and were only able to get one shot off in the half. However, the South Siders wouldn’t need
any extra goals, as their stellar defense, backed by fourth-year goalies Mallory Morse and Jacinda Reid, held the Violets to zero goals. Chicago cruised to its third conference win of the year, improving to a 3–1–1 conference record. After dispatching the NYU Violets like an unruly child on a tour of a chocolate factory, the Maroons set their sights on Brandeis (12– 4–1, 2–3–1) in a Sunday showdown. Sunday was also Senior Day for the Maroons, so the match held high priority outside its conference and national tournament implications. With extra motivation in hand, the Maroons wanted to rest their case early on against the Judges, and they did just that with a ferocious interrogation of the Brandeis’ defense, resulting in an 18th-minute goal courtesy of first-year midfielder Kelsey Moore. One goal apparently wasn’t enough to satisfy Moore, as she powered another one past Brandeis’s keeper to make the score 2–0 right before the end of the first half. Riding a two-goal advantage into the second half, the Maroons had little reason to press the Judges any further. Instead, the South Siders fell back to their defense, which has been spectacular all season, allowing just .63 goals per game. When the game finally adjourned after 90 minutes of play, the Maroons had secured themselves a 2–0 victory, an all-important conference victory to improve to 4–1–1 in the UAA, and a parting gift for the team’s six seniors: forward Meghan Derken, midfielder Katharine Hedlund, midfielder Sara Kwan, defender Katie Shivanandan, Morse, and Reid. “Coming off of our victories this weekend, we have the potential to end up [in] first place in our section,” Budd said. After their successful weekend, the Maroons will spend this week preparing for a face-off on Saturday at No. 5 Wash U. With a win for Chicago on Saturday, and a loss for conference leader Carnegie Mellon, the Maroons will secure the conference championship.
Dingman: “We have a great ability to make in-game adjustments, and we played hard [at Benedictine]” VOLLEYBALL continued from back
straight points to turn an 9–8 deficit into a 16–9 lead. Chicago jumped out to a 6–1 lead in the final set before the Stars took control to earn a double match point at 14–12. But a kill by Loe, initiatied by an assist from Graves, and an error by Dominican brought the Maroons back to 14–14, and Kim clinched the set 18– 16 with an ace. “We continue to improve,” Dingman said. “We have a great ability to make in-game adjustments, and we played hard.” The Maroons stuffed the stat sheet against Dominican as Loe broke her two-week-old school record of 29 kills, this time finishing with 30; Graves dished out 52 assists for her third 50-assist game of the season; and Kim managed 27 digs in her return to action. Chicago finished its undefeated weekend with another routine win, beating No. 16 Elmhurst 25–18, 25–19, 25–19. In the first set,
the Maroons tallied 14 kills against one error on their way to a .315 attack percentage (43 kills, eight errors, 111 attempts), their third highest of the season. After pulling away at the end of the second set, the Maroons jumped out to a 5–0 lead in the third set behind three aces by Graves and never looked back, winning the clinching set wire-to-wire. Despite their success at the Eagle Classic, Dingman wants to keep the Maroons from becoming complacent ahead of the UAAs. “For us to accomplish our goals, we need to prepare consistently, approach every day knowing we can improve, take care of ourselves physically and mentally, and be mature,” Dingman said. The Maroons’ next match will be this Friday, when they will compete in the UAA Championship against seven other schools in Pittsburgh.
7
COURTESY OF UCHICAGO ATHLETICS
DJ Weis is a second-year defender on the men’s soccer team from Los Alamitos, CA. We chatted with him to get some inside info on the life of a Maroon athlete. Chicago Maroon: When did you start playing soccer? DJ Weis: I actually started playing competitive soccer when I was 11 years old, so, not that early. CM: What did you do before that? Any other sports? DW: I was mostly a baseball player. CM: Why did you end up going the soccer route? DW: I randomly got called to a club team in our area that was forming, and I just found the game much more dynamic. Constant motion, constant activity, it was just a lot more enjoyable for me than sitting half of my time on the bench. CM: What was your experience like playing in high school? When did you figure out you wanted to play in college? DW: I think right away. I think before I went to high school I was already glancing at where I’d want to go to school, what my dream schools were, and just as time went on, I think, it just narrows the focus of where you want to go. But I always dreamed of playing college athletics. CM: What’s it like being a student athlete on this campus? It seems pretty unique, even in the DIII world. DW: Yeah, I absolutely love it. I think getting up every day, having a team to be a part of, having a regimented schedule for practice and always kind of having that in the back of your mind, having that as a break, or having that as something fun to do is a great thing to be a part of. And it takes my mind off of classes sometimes, it helps me through the day, and it gives me a group of guys that I can be really close with for a base. And it’s something I look forward to every day when I wake up. CM: What’s on your mind when you’re playing, then? DW: The game. There are games where I’ll have family members in the stands who say, “Did you see me?” or, “did you hear me?” and I’ll have no recollection of it. It’s entirely 100-percent focus on what’s going on in the game. And it has to be. I think the best piece of advice I’ve ever gotten from another player was to be the best you can
be; you have to be focused from the time the whistle blows to the time the game ends—there are no breaks. It works very well for me. CM: Have you always had that focus? Or is that something you’ve developed? DW: Developed, for sure. It’s hard to be focused for 90 minutes of a game. You get tired, you get breaks, if you’re not playing well you doubt things, you make mistakes, and it can take your mind off the game. That’s definitely something that develops with time and experience and definitely something that’s not easy to find or maintain. CM: What’s your favorite aspect of the game? DW: I mean, being a defender, I personally love defending. I love the challenge of having a guy going at you and just kind of one-on-one defending, really. When it’s just you and the forward and he’s got a lot of space and he’s trying to duke you out and beat you, and it’s just you and him trying to find out who’s going to be stronger in that one situation. I think that’s probably one of my favorite parts. CM: Do you see it as an individual sport, broken into parts, then? DW: No. I think that’s just a unique aspect that I enjoy, that rare occasion when it happens. I definitely see it more as a team sport and I never consider myself an individual on the field, I definitely feel part of a team. CM: Do you follow pro soccer? What do you follow ? DW: Manchester United is my favorite team, struggling right now. In America, in the MLS, I also follow the L.A. Galaxy, my hometown team. It’s playoff time; we need to beat RSL [Real Salt Lake] this weekend. But other than that, those are pretty much my two favorite teams. CM: How do you feel about how soccer is viewed in this country? Sometimes it gets thrown aside, except in World Cup years, and then there’s a whole narrative of the country only caring in those years. How do you feel about that, as a player? DW: It can be frustrating, but it’s getting a lot better. When I talk to random people who know about European teams or Manchester United or are watching global soccer or watching the MLS, it’s gotten a lot bigger since I started seriously playing, since I started high school. And that’s a very encouraging trend. And from what I can tell, it’s only going to continue. So I’m very excited about the potential that soccer has, and hopeful that I can maybe help in some way later on. CM: In what way do you want to help that? DW: I’m not sure, but I’d be open to almost anything. I think a coaching role sometime later in my life, if I can find the time, would definitely be something I’d enjoy. Especially at the youth level. But whatever role, opportunity, or occasion I can be a part of to help grow the sport, I would definitely take in a heartbeat. CM: Do you think your fanaticism is linked to your playing, then? In the way you view the game? DW: It was just something I wasn’t very aware of. And my first coach introduced me to it. And liking the sport as much as I did, it just caught right on.
Want to get paid to go on Facebook? The Maroon is looking for social media editors to shape our online presence. Positions are paid. For more information on how to apply, contact emma@chicagomaroon.com
SPORTS
IN QUOTES “I’d love to help Jay Cutler with his footwork.” –Professional tightrope walker Nik Wallenda jokingly bashes the Chicago Bears’ quarterback’s footwork
With two home victories, Maroons take first place in UAA Men’s Soccer Ahmad Allaw Maroon Contributor Victory is always sweeter after defeat. Following a tough stretch of away games during the past few weeks, including a loss last Saturday, the Maroons hoped to come away with two wins in their final two home games. This past Friday, the South Siders downed the NYU Violets; two days later, they impressively handed No. 3 Brandeis its second loss of the year and leaped into first place in the UAA. However, it was a tale of two matches. Against the Violets (11– 5–0, 2–4–0 UAA), Chicago (10– 5–2, 4–0–2) battled against the elements as much as it did against the opponents. Runs were affected by hail, crosses by wind. NYU scored early in the second half to bring the score to 1–0, which was the first goal that Chicago had allowed in five games. With less than 10 minutes remaining, the Maroons looked likely to fall to the Violets. But, as if in their natural domain, the South Siders netted two goals in the final eight minutes of play, courtesy of fourth-year forward Kyle Kurfirst and first-year midfielder Andre Abedian, to claim a 2–1 victory. Two days later, the Maroons adjusted from Friday’s unforgiving conditions to Sunday’s nervous excitement. It was Senior Day and the final regular season home appearance for the Maroons’ Class of 2015. Prior to the match, 10 Chicago
fourth-years trotted across the field, flowers in hand, and embraced their parents. The mood was tinged by sadness, as the end of four years of effort and camaraderie drew near. But a palpable sense of triumph existed as well. The fourth-year class has had incredible successes, and its members hoped to add a few more notches to their already crowded belts in the few remaining matches. However, this torrent of emotion translated to somewhat of a sluggish start. It was the clearly favored No. 3 Brandeis Judges (16–2–0, 4–2–0), who seemed in control of the match, dominating possession and creating opportunities in the final third. But they could never add polish to their attacks, and very few possessions ended with legitimate shots on goal. The start of the second half brought much of the same, and it seemed like the Judges’ constant attack was about to net success when the ball floated across the face of Chicago’s goal. As the ball sailed on its path undeterred and remained out of the Maroon net, the South Siders were able to relax once more. But it took little time for Brandeis to again threaten Chicago, as minutes later they had another strike narrowly miss the goal. Brandeis ended the match with 13 shots. However, none translated into goals. Meanwhile, the Chicago offense began to click in the second half. In the 76th minute, third-year midfielder Jorge Bilbao found fourthyear midfielder Nic Lopez, who delivered the ball to an in-stride
Fourth-year defender Kevin Matheny prepares to kick the ball in a match against Benedictine earlier this season. COURTESY OF UCHICAGO ATHLETICS
second-year forward Brenton Desai. With composure, he placed the ball in the bottom left corner, giving Chicago a decisive goal. Ultimately, the match ended in a 1–0 Maroon win. The result, however, was far more than an average victory. It was a celebration of those who made the year special for so many others. “This game was all for the seniors,” Desai said. “We have 10 seniors, and every single one of them adds a tremendous amount of value to this team, to the program, and to
UChicago as a whole. Each of them is so different in so many aspects, and yet they are a cohesive unit of leadership and confidence. I genuinely feel lucky to have played with them for these two seasons and to be able to score the winning goal in their last home game.” Desai’s emotion exemplifies the Maroons’ bond and chemistry, a bond that cannot be understated. “They deserved this win, and they deserve to go to an NCAA tournament and make a statement. We, the underclassmen, will play our hearts
out every time we step on the field to extend the season for the seniors as long as possible. They’ve taught us all what it means to put on a UChicago soccer jersey and represent this school,” Desai said. With this victory, the South Siders overtook Brandeis for first place in the conference. Next Saturday, Chicago will take on Wash U in the final game of the regular season. If the Maroons win or tie, they’ll win the conference and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Women race to 2nd, men to 3rd at Chicago sweeps weekend conference championship as big tourney looms Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Bronagh Daly Sports Staff Chicago had a successful meet this past Saturday at the UAA Championship in St. Louis. Although the Maroons did not match last year’s accomplishments, the team was still able to meet its expectations and perform well. “I think that the main difference this year from last year was that our team was not the favorite to win the meet,” third-year Catherine Young said. “Last year, our team went into UAAs with the mindset that we would win and second would be a disappointment. This year, that wasn’t the case. Wash U was definitely the favorite to win this year, and our goal was to give them as much competition as possible.” This goal was successfully met by team leaders Young and third-year Brianna Hickey for the women— who took second overall—as well as third-year Michael Frasco and second-year Gareth Jones for the men, who placed third as a team. Both Young and Frasco brought home second-place finishes with
times of 21:53.59 and 25:07.21, respectively. Jones also raced to a fifthplace finish with a time of 25:24.04, and Hickey took 11th place with a time of 22:19.56. Young was frank about her opinions with the weekend’s results. “I think the team had a mixed bag of performances this Saturday. Some girls really rose to the challenge and competed well while other girls didn’t have their best day,” Young said. She was still very positive about the final few races to come. “I believe our team should remain confident about our ability level and look to regionals and nationals to really reach our peak potential,” Young said. First-year Peter Kreuch finished 50th with a time of 26:43.37, one of seven male Maroons to place in the top 50. “It would have been great to crack the top two, but I am happy that this race showed us where we need to improve in the coming weeks,” Kreuch said. “I was proud of the team’s performance this weekend, but I am confident that we have
Volleyball more in the tank.” Utilizing this confidence, the squad is preparing harder than ever this week. Those that are competing in the North Central College Cardinal Open this Thursday are hoping to best last year’s finishes when the men took third place out of three teams and the women took fifth out of five. However, many runners will rest this coming Thursday in preparation for the NCAA Midwest Regional meet on November 15. “The athletes who are competing at regionals will not be competing at the North Central College Cardinal Open,” Kreuch said. “However, those athletes who are preparing to race are ready to end their seasons on strong notes. They have been mentally and physically preparing for the coming race through several time trials in the past few weeks.” Chicago expects that this intensive preparation will soon pay off, as the Open quickly approaches. The North Central College Cardinal Open starts on November 6 at 4:30 p.m. in Warrenville, IL.
Derek Tsang Senior Sports Staff The Maroons returned to action following a two-week hiatus with an undefeated weekend at Benedictine University’s Eagle Classic. In four matches against North Central (19–14), Bluffton (21–11), Dominican (22–11), and No. 16 Elmhurst (29–7), the South Siders only dropped two sets, both to Dominican, to improve their record to 24–11 (4–3 UAA). Of the eight teams at the Eagle Classic, only No. 17 Carthage (31– 3) also finished 4–0. The Eagle Classic marked the end of the South Siders’ regular season, which saw them finish fourth in the UAA. The Maroons seem to be surging at the right time. This Friday they face Case Western (16–11, 4–3 UAA) to kick off the conference tournament. “We are getting close to having all our players healthy,” head coach Sharon Dingman said. “[Fourth-year libero] Eirene Kim’s return gave us another player with the experience a team needs to succeed against the
level of competition we played.” The Maroons began their Eagle Classic slate on Friday with a 25–19, 25–16, 25–15 sweep of North Central behind the strength of their defense; the Cardinals managed only a .026 hitting percentage (25 kills, 22 errors, 114 attempts). Third-year outside hitter Maren Loe led Chicago with 11 kills, and third-year setter Ragine Graves tallied 31 assists and 13 digs of her own. After sweeping the Cardinals, the South Siders beat Bluffton behind a .271 attack percentage (43 kills, 14 errors, 107 attempts) and five aces contributed by first-year outside hitter Makenzie Elder. Loe led Chicago again with 16 kills, and Graves contributed 36 assists. On their first Saturday game, the Maroons again started strong, taking the first two sets 25–20 and 25–19 against Dominican. The Stars, though, won the next two sets 25–20, 25–14. Midway through the fourth set, Dominican scored eight VOLLEYBALL continued on page 7