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TUESDAY • MAY 12, 2015

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ISSUE 46 • VOLUME 126

UCMC nurses finalize new fouryear labor contract Sonia Schlesinger News Staff

Judgement Day Students gather in Ida Noyes while waiting for the release of the Scav results last Sunday. Snell-Hitchcock received first place, followed by Breckinridge and BroStoMP FM who tied for second.

RAYMOND FANG | THE CHICAGO MAROON

Professor wins Gordon J. Laing award for book on Mexico City Katherine Vega News Staff Professor of History Mauricio Tenorio-Trillo was awarded the 2015 Gordon J. Laing Prize for his book, I Speak of the City: Mexico City at the Turn of the Twentieth Century. The prize is awarded by the University of Chicago Press for the “faculty author, editor, or translator of a book published in the previous three years that brings the Press the greatest distinction,” according to the University of Chicago Press website.

I Speak of the City: Mexico City at the Turn of the Twentieth Century chronicles the arts, culture, and society of Mexico City from roughly 1880 to 1940. The book was published in 2013 and was also the recipient of the Spiro Kostof Book Award by the Society of Architectural Historians and the honorary mention for the Bolton-Johnson Prize of the American Historical Asso-

ciation. According to the University of Chicago Press website, I Speak of the City “investigate[s] the city in a variety of contexts: as a living history textbook, as an expression of the state, as a modernist capital, as a laboratory, and as language.”

Tenorio-Trillo was surprised to learn that he had been awarded the prize. “At first, I did not understand what was going on...I was very surprised. I have published several books, both in Spanish and English, but early in my career I realized that—though my work had received as much recognition as to make me Professor of History at the University of Chicago—I was sure I was not, and will never be, so I thought, a winner of prizes,” he wrote in an email to The Maroon.

Tenorio-Trillo claims that his work, while technically historical, transcends genre. “I am fully aware of the idiosyncratic nature—and it is not a compliment, just a description—of

my work,” he wrote. “It is peculiar—it has no school, no chapel, almost no discipline.”

According to a press release by the University, Tenorio-Trillo did not believe that the book would ever be published until his colleague recommended the University of Chicago Press.

“The more I think about it, the more I realize how much my book…has a very strong University of Chicago mark. With or without prizes, it’s been a privilege to work here and to collaborate with the University of Chicago Press. The Laing Prize… recognizes more the work of the incredible editor of the University of Chicago Press than mine.”

“I do not know if my work has finally reached the maturity to deserve such a prestigious prize or if I have luckily arrived to the intellectual milieu where what I believed to be mere odd institutions are considered true intellectual contributions,” Tenorio-Trillo said.

UChicago Moneythink features high school students’ business acumen Cairo Lewis News Staff The University of Chicago’s Moneythink Team showcased high school students’ financial expertise at its first ever Money Tank Youth Conference at Ariel Investments last Thursday.

Teams presented various projects, including a fruit slicer, an online market for selling games, a carpooling service for children and parents, and a rental service for unused musical instruments, to a panel of judges.

The competition was similar to the *Shark Tank* tele-

vision show in which budding businesses pitch their own proposals.

Moneythink is a nonprofit organization composed of University of Chicago students. Students Ted Gonder, Greg Nance, Shashin Chokshi, and DaMONEY continued on page 2

Nurses at the University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC) ratified a new four-year labor contract on May 5. The nurses, represented in contract negotiations by National Nurses United (NNU), have been working without a contract since October. The new contract will raise wages by 9.5 percent over the next four years, with three to four percent annual increases, depending on a nurse’s amount of experience, according to the Chicago Tribune.

NNU and the UCMC de-

bated the terms of the contract for over eight months, and eventually reached a deal for a new contract at the end of April. The nurses had been planning to strike on April 30, but cancelled the strike when the deal was reached. Kenneth Polonsky, UCMC vice president for medical affairs, called the new agreement “good for the nurses, the Medical, Center, and for our patients,” in the e-mail he sent out to the University after the contract’s conditions were finalized.

In addition to the wage increase, the contract will provide new support nurses to care for patients on

the other nurses’ breaks.

It also eliminates rotating shifts, which force day-shift nurses to work night shifts and vice versa. According to the Tribune, the nurses will have permanent day or night shifts by November.

NNU helped the nurses to obtain most of what they had hoped for in the negotiations, and a significant portion of the nurses voted to ratify the contract, an NNU press release reported. As Debi Albert, chief nursing officer at the UCMC, told the Tribune, the new contract is “truly a positive step for all of us, as we continue to advance the profession of nursing.”

Hyde Park resident’s backyard buzzes with bees Tamar Honig News Staff Local resident Greg Lane’s backyard is buzzing, and one need not look far to discover why in this Hyde Park hive of activity. Founder and leader of the Chicago Honeybee Rescue, Lane removes unwanted bee colonies from people’s homes and relocates them to various locations, including his own yard and community gardens around Chicago. The colonies are rehabilitated in beehives Lane makes himself from reclaimed Chicago lumber.

“What first got me into bees was a customer of mine—I’m a woodworker— who asked me to build a hive,” Lane explained. “That prompted me to do some research into what aspects of hive design are important for honeybees, and that led to a lot of contradictory or incomplete information, and finally realizing that the vast majority of hives used in the United States today are of a design that is very bad for honeybees.”

Upon discovering the negative consequences bee colonies suffer due to poor hive design, Lane began building hives “of a much more sym-

pathetic design.” His design is based on the “People’s Hive” design developed by French monk Abbé Émile Warré in the early 20th century for sustainable and productive beekeeping. It features a size and shape that make the hive easier for honeybees to heat, which is important for honeybee survival because they are cold-blooded.

Although Lane has two colonies at his home and several dozen more at other locations, with each colony averaging 60,000 bees, he does not identify as a “beekeeper.”

“I don’t consider myself a beekeeper; I consider myself a bee host,” he said. “The reason I say that is because I believe commercial beekeeping management practices are bad for bees.”

“If you have backyard chickens, you would not ask Frank Perdue how to house and manage them, because Frank Perdue’s interest is the exploitation of the chickens for money,” Lane continued.

“It’s the same with honeybees.

The beekeeping management techniques that are practiced by 98 percent of beekeepers are commercial, factory-farming techniques, and they’re bad for bees. They may be good for making money but

they’re bad for bees.”

In his work, Lane encounters many misconceptions and unfounded fears regarding bees. One major misconception is that bees are disappearing due to Colony Collapse Disorder, an affliction of unknown causes.

“No bees are disappearing nor have bees ever disappeared, and the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder has been known definitively, scientifically, since at least 2008,” Lane said. “The obfuscation of these issues is the work of the public relations arms of large chemical pharmaceutical companies that produce the pesticides that cause Colony Collapse Disorder.”

“Bees have died, but dying is not disappearing,” Lane clarified. “It’s a very important distinction because if you say bees are disappearing it shrouds the issue in mystery and makes understanding inaccessible. But if you say instead that honeybees are dying it leads to a very clear step-by-step analysis of why, which leads to a cause, which leads to a cure.”

Another issue to address is nervous neighbors who may be uncomfortable with the BEES continued on page 2

IN VIEWPOINTS

IN ARTS

IN SPORTS

It’s not just desserts » Page 3

Photo essay: Scav inspires student creativity and matrimony » Page 5

Men’s Tennis makes history, clinches NCAA berth » Backpage

Down in the dumps » Page 4

FOTA Springfest is in the air » Page 5

Track & Field: Ayoola and Dobbs place first at Dr. Keeler Invite » Page 7

THE CHICAGO MAROON | NEWS | May 12, 2015

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High school students compete in a Shark Tank-style competition MONEY continued from front

vid Chen founded Moneythink during the 2008 financial crisis. Moneythink has since expanded into a national nonprofit organization of 30 chapters throughout urban areas in 10 states. Occasionally, the UChicago group collaborates with Moneythink Northwestern and Moneythink Loyola, the other two Chicago-based chapters.

At the Money Tank conference, students from Urban Prep Englewood, Gary Comer College Prep, and the University of Chicago Charter School Woodlawn Campus advertised their own business models to bank directors, associate consultants, and nonprofit managers. The Moneythink team sponsored the event with partners from banks, including The Parthenon Group, Burling Bank, Shark Tank alumni, Future Founders Foundation, and nonprofit board members.

The team invited Ariel Investments to host the event after the company visited the University earlier this year.

Urban Prep Englewood won the competition and received a grand prize of iPads, which were donated

by Moneythink mentor and student Jason Li’s UPros-

pie and iReTron businesses.

Gary Comer College Prep, the runner-up, received $100 gift cards.

Urban Prep Englewood came in first after proposing their project, Game Head, an online marketplace where people could buy and sell used video games. The judges ultimately preferred the team’s pricing structure, branding and marketing plans, and predictions about competition.

Li said the event was a part of Moneythink’s initiative to expose students to the financial world.

“We want to teach business and entrepreneurship… and it’s always been a goal of mine to enhance business literacy to high school students, so I’m very lucky to be working with this team.

We usually try to have a fun event every spring quarter, but this year we wanted to try something more entrepreneurial,” he said.

Moneythink President Dalton Schmit wrote in an e-mail that the organization was created to build the financial health of America.

“Financial institutions must work to better serve everyone, but we must also work to make sure that everyone is informed of how they can become a part of the traditional financial world…. We

know that one of the best ways to break through the barriers of poverty is to have a strong education, and we want to help facilitate that,” he said.

Mentors teach high school students the basics of business, including saving, budgeting, goal-setting, teamwork, and credit and debt concepts. They help high school students create businesses in areas of investment from sports to retail and connect them to local business owners and professional investors.

Moneythink mentor and second-year student Shubham Chandra said that help from mentors in other academic areas ensures a strong educational foundation for the students.

“Moneythink was founded on the fundamental principle that financial literacy is a valuable skill to empower and enable students to live better lives. It seeks to complement any high school education with skills that let them show what they know to the best of their abilities. While students may or may not apply their biology, or math knowledge, financial literacy is a topic that touches everyone at every point in their lives,” Chandra wrote in an e-mail.

“I don’t consider myself a beekeeper; I consider myself a bee host” BEES continued from front

Students from Gary Comer College Prep present a project in front of a panel of judges.

PAUL LOU | THE CHICAGO MAROON

The mentors currently teach at five high schools on the South Side of Chicago, where they teach at least one finance class per day at each school. The mentors also help students edit college essays and manage their time between school and extracurricular activities.

Schmit and Li said that the team hopes to have at least one event like the Shark Tank Conference every spring quarter, along with other events and workshops every quarter. Last quarter, Moneythink invited two speakers and took an on-site visit to software company kCura. This quarter, the group is bringing in

three speakers and has visited the Center for Financial Services Innovation.

Schmit also said that he’s gained invaluable experience by working with high school students.

“This quarter, I teach at Urban Prep Englewood three days a week, and I’ve been able to meet so many students and build so many connections while mentoring them on important financial lessons. I really feel like a part of their community and their school and I’ve loved getting to know the young men. I wouldn’t give up my time in the classroom with these students for the world,” he said.

nearby presence of so many bees. According to Lane, education is key to raising awareness of the docile, non-predatory nature of honeybees.

“Honeybees simply won’t bother people unless there’s some kind of aggression toward or attack on them,” Lane said. “They fly in and out of their nest, they’re around us all the time, pollinating flowers and foraging for nectar, and the vast majority of us rarely get stung. There’s no corresponding increase in the number of stings due to proximity to a honeybee hive.

There’s no correlation there.”

Lane emphasized the advantages of raising bees in urban areas, and specifically in Chicago.

“Illinois is a vast wasteland of industrial farming, primarily seed corn and seed soy—genetically modified, heavily pesticided, acre upon acre upon acre. This is an extraordinarily hostile environment for any living creature.

So Chicago is arguably the best environment in the entire state for honeybees.”

VIEWPOINTS

Editorial & Op-Ed MAY 12, 2015

It’s not just desserts After finishing a meal, take a moment—or sixty—to sit, digest, and discuss

ALICE XIAO

Maya Handa

Too much in the sun The Spanish concept of sobremesa can’t quite be translated into English. It’s the part of dinner that begins after you’ve finished eating—when you’re all sitting around the table, talking and thinking and drinking and laughing and digesting. It’s the spirit that causes you to dawdle at your house table for hours after you’ve finished lunch, eating plate after plate of dining hall French fries and talking about religion.

Sobremesa was one of my favorite parts of the housing system, and many people I know fondly remember those dining hall hours. After my fourth hour at South, and my 13th piece of pound cake, I felt an inevitable sense of belonging and peace. The things we said in the dining hall couldn’t have been communicated outside its doors, during a party or in class. We talked freely, with no stress or the need to impress each

The student newspaper of the University of Chicago since 1892.

Eleanor Hyun, Editor-in-Chief Sarah Manhardt, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Stephen Moreland, Managing Editor The Maroon Editorial Board consists of Alan Hassler, Eleanor Hyun, and Lear Jiang.

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Multimedia Forrest Sill, editor Photo Marta Bakula, editor Yeo Bi Choi, associate editor Liana Sonenclar, associate editor Video Amber Love, editor Social Media Emily Harwell, editor Online Ryan McDowell, web developer Business Nicolas Lukac, chief financial officer Ananya Pillutla, vice chief financial officer Andrew Ahn, co-director of marketing Eitan Rude, co-director of marketing Ben Veres, director of operations Patrick Quinn, director of strategy Lenise Lee, business manager Harry Backlund, distributor Kay Li, director of data analysis This issue: Copy: Megan Daknis, Kyra Martin Design: Stephanie Liu, Elle Rathbun, Kaitlyn Shen Editor-in-Chief E-mail: Editor@ChicagoMaroon.com Newsroom Phone: (773) 702-1403 Business Phone: (773) 702-9555 Fax: (773) 702-3032 For advertising inquiries, please contact Ads@ChicagoMaroon.com or (773) 702-9555 Circulation: 6,800. © 2015 The Chicago Maroon Ida Noyes Hall, 1212 East 59th Street, Chicago, IL 60637

other. Sobremesa removed inhibitions but added respect, like a weird anti-alcohol, or incumbency in public office.

But how can we maintain that spirit after we move off campus and into the real world? Dinner at American restaurants and dinner parties tends to feel rushed due to profit-maximizing restaurant policies, as well as a need for politeness. Is sobremesa simply untranslatable to American culture?

It exists elsewhere in the world— why not here? My family lives in Italy, where, thanks to sobremesa, waiters will never bring you the check, not on pain of death, not even if you ask for it, not even if the restaurant is on fire and the check is actually a fire extinguisher. If you make a reservation

in Italy, the table is yours for the whole night. But in America, the check is sometimes brought to you with your food, in case you’ve forgotten that the best pairing for quiche isn’t good conversation but quick payment.

The same thing happens at American dinner parties. As soon as everyone is finished eating, there’s a race to helpfully stack plates and wash dishes. But what’s the rush? As a college kid, if there’s somewhere I regularly have to be at 9:30 p.m. on a Saturday night that’s doesn’t involve sitting around drinking cider and talking to friends over dirty dishes, then I should be getting paid for it.

The point I’m trying to make is that there shouldn’t be a rush. You experience sobremesa only in the

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THE CHICAGO MAROON

brief aimless hours before plans and parties, but it’s a worthwhile feeling. Don’t ask for the check.

Linger. Reflect. Stare at each other blankly across the table.

Talk about the future. Hum under your breath. Laugh. Stall. Play tictac-toe on the tablecloth. Drink.

Digest. Breathe. Smile at babies.

Fold and re-fold the napkins. Be comfortable, but don’t force it.

Enjoy life and the people around you. You’ll find that you’ll become much closer to others by just sitting and soaking in each other’s presence. Besides, you’ll have nothing to talk about if things are always happening.

Maya Handa is a thirdyear in the College majoring in public policy

Letter: Peregrine falcon predation is actually beneficial to Hyde Park A recent article entitled “The missing birds of Hyde Park” by Karen Bradley inaccurately portrays peregrine falcons as strong negative influences on the birds of Hyde Park.

As a biology and environmental studies major with a strong interest in conservation biology, I applaud any efforts to protect native fauna.

However, there are serious issues with Bradley’s characterization of peregrine falcons.

Bradley stated that mourning doves, pigeons, starlings, monk parakeets, blue jays, nighthawks, grackles, and American kestrels “have nearly or entirely disappeared from Hyde Park” due to peregrine falcons. Of this list, pigeons, starlings, and monk parakeets are all non-native species introduced by humans. Non-native species can wreak havoc on native species, outcompeting them for re-

sources such as food and nesting space. Peregrine predation on these species is actually a very good thing.

Peregrine falcons are native to the Midwest, but almost went extinct in the 1970s due to DDT exposure. Biologists reintroduced this species to the region and, as top predators, peregrine falcons help keep populations of smaller prey species in check.

We, the Hyde Park community, are lucky to play host to this native bird.

While Bradley stated that peregrines destroyed “balance” in our community, protecting native species actually keeps our ecosystem in balance and maintains biodiversity. Furthermore, the presence of a few peregrine falcons would not cause the complete decimation of bird populations as the author suggests.

What is to blame for the supposed “missing birds of Hyde Park,” then?

Of all direct human-caused mortality for U.S. birds, feral and freeranging pet cats are the leading cause of mortality, and bird-building collisions are the second largest cause of mortality. If we were looking to protect birds, our best bet would be to first encourage the University to stop constructing buildings composed mainly of glass surfaces. Birds, especially migratory species, cannot distinguish glass from free flying space and are killed when they strike buildings such as GCIS and the William Eckhardt Research Center. Second, residents must stop letting their pet cats outside and supporting the continued presence of feral cat colonies. Feral and outdoor pet cats kill between 1.4 and 3.7 billion birds in the U.S. annually.

-Jennifer Uehling, class of 2015

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THE CHICAGO MAROON | VIEWPOINTS | May 12, 2015

Down in the dumps Solving the puzzle of sadness

WEI YI OW

Eleanor Hyun Maroon Editor-in-Chief Sadness has been on my mind lately. I’ve been in the slumps, and it seems that many of my classmates are right there with me. I’ve come to appreciate my friends that are in the slumps. Not because slump-dom is something inherently valuable, but because I feel that they understand.

Having a conversation about sadness with a happy person usually doesn’t go so well. It starts with a “How are you?”, raised eyebrows, and welcoming smiles.

But when I try to honestly explain what has been on my mind lately, it can get uncomfortable.

Sharing happiness is easy; we do it all the time with our friends or through social media. Even sharing anger or annoyance can be easy. Sadness, though, is the awkward emotion.

One of our first impulses when we’re not sure how to empathize is to offer advice. To the happy, my

sadness is a problem to which they think they have the solution. And so they tell me what they’ve done to get where they are—that they learned to stop prioritizing their grades so much, that they learned that they didn’t want to be premed anymore, that they reconnected with their faith. And all I can tell them is that I’m glad for them, because what they’re saying really has very little to do with me.

The prevalent narrative is that as we progress through life—as we grow and become more fully realized people—we should also become happier. The ideal postcollege professional, the person we aspire to grow into, is most importantly happy: with their career, with their relationships, with their life. Within this pattern, there is no room for unhappiness; sadness means that something is very wrong.

So I’ve searched for the thing that is wrong, the source of my unhappiness: I’ve talked to many friends about unhappiness, read

many columns about it. The campus dialogue has, in many ways, been valuable: Expression of misery and commiseration both have merit, and these kinds of discussions also play a valuable role in raising awareness for mental health. But sometimes I feel that our dialogue is running in circles.

“I’m unhappy! I’m unhappy!” we say again and again, feeling we shouldn’t be this way but unsure of what to do about it.

We think that if we could just figure out why we’re unhappy, we would no longer be so. Fingers have been pointed at everything from Student Counseling Services to UChicago student culture. But after countless probing conversations, I don’t feel happier. Instead, I feel claustrophobic. I feel I’ve been running up (or down?) an Escher staircase and I’m not getting anywhere; instead there’s a growing straining in my head and a yearning in my chest to take these stairs and shatter them.

Why are we so focused on solving our sadness puzzles?

It was Wednesday, March 6, 2015. That date probably means nothing to you, but I remember it because it was the first day in months that temperatures hit 80 degrees and the sun came out.

Winter isn’t confined to winter quarter; the “spring” had been unnaturally cold. I’d never really bought into the idea that I could be affected by something so circumstantial and superficial as the weather. But that day I walked outside, smiled at the sky, and decided then and there that it would be a good day. And it occurred to me that if something so arbitrary could affect my happiness, perhaps happiness isn’t a function of progress or personal growth—perhaps it’s just something that happens, or doesn’t.

And if that’s the case, then maybe I don’t have to worry about it so much anymore. Maybe the sadness puzzle isn’t one that I have to solve. Maybe it’s just something

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MAROON

that’s there.

I’ve sat in four-hour physics labs, miserably gazing at the clock, asking why I felt that way and having no answer. Regardless of the number of times I tried to understand and accept the situation, my misery refused to dispel. But maybe my misery was just another part of the situation: something to be accepted for what it was, and really nothing more.

It seems to me that sadness isn’t a problem we spend our lives trying to solve. Rather, sadness is something that’s an intrinsic part of life. And, for me, just as sadness tends to set in now and then, it also tends to correct itself—adding anxiety and pressure to hurry the sadness away does nothing.

Sometimes there isn’t a reason for sadness and, likewise, there isn’t a clear way out. You just have to ride it out.

Eleanor Hyun is a thirdyear in the College majoring in English

ARTS

What is art?

MAY 12, 2015

Scav inspires student creativity and matrimony

This past weekend was the annual UChicago Scav Hunt—a tradition that began in 1987. This year's list included the real life wedding of two judges, Christian Kammerer and Emily Pelka (bottom left). Each Scav team completed a number of items related to the wedding, such as creating custom lapel pins for the groom and baking a Eurovision cake to be judged by the couple. Other notable items from this year included a trailer for the movie Shark NATO (top left), photos of the team captains using a Game Boy camera and printer (bottom middle), a life-size Polly Pocket house, giant Christmas pyramids (Maclean house had to put theirs out with a fire extinguisher), Goya paintings recreated with Goya products, a choreographed Scavzumba routine and a Scavenfeast featuring such delicacies as cilantro ice cream. This year's list release was filled with eager, chanting scavvies verging on political rally (top middle and top right) and, in the end, Snitchcock won the hunt with over 3,000 points.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: COURTESY OF HALEY BUDIGAN, TOM TIAN, GRACE HAUCK, ANDERS WOODS, TOM TIAN

FOTA Springfest is in the air Alice Xiao Arts Contributor The Festival of the Arts (FOTA) hosted SpringFest this past week on campus, where student artwork was displayed all over campus.

Over 60 artists were featured, including performance groups such as PhiNix, Fire Escape Films, and UChicago Maya. Artwork was installed in locations like the Reg, Reynolds Club, student Cafes, the Logan Center, and Harper Memorial Library. Works included drawings, photographs, sculptures, and performance pieces.

FOTA is an arts RSO that funds student artists and their project ideas. It organizes and displays artwork during the week of SpringFest, which it has coordinated since 1963.

Second-year Jordan Appel, a member of FOTA’s marketing board, explained that the goal of SpringFest is to bring the diversity of campus together to make something special through art. “One thing we always try to focus on is getting new artists each year to join in and showcase their talents and creativity,” she said.

Many people were involved in pulling off this event, including student artists, models, and members of the FOTA board.

The opening launch party at Reynolds last Friday featured a variety of events including a fashion show,

live art exhibitions, and a live band. Participants got a chance to express themselves and explore their artistic side. Anya Marchenko, a second-year in the College, modeled for two photo projects and walked for the fashion show. “I feel like normally I don’t get enough exposure to art on campus, and it’s interesting to go from the perpetual intellectual state of mind I’m always into an artistic state of mind [during SpringFest],” Marchenko said.

In order to gain approval to display during SpringFest, students must submit a project proposal to the FOTA board in the late winter. Students who are selected are eligible to receive up to $500 in funding.

Cooper Rabbitt, a painter featured in SpringFest and third-year in the College, explains how his project idea stemmed from a desire to combine features of UChicago student life with aspects of material and color. “I personally find a lot of beauty in small things, and I like taking apart objects and looking at the different components—like taking a white wall and breaking it down into subtle hue shifts that aren’t immediately obvious,” he said, “Consequently, in UChicago study spaces we sometimes alienate ourselves with our own work. I wanted to combine those two concepts in the

painting.” Rabbitt’s work is currently exhibited on the second floor landing in Harper Memorial Library.

In addition to art installations and performance nights, FOTA’s SpringFest designed activities to bring the campus together. For example, a mural picnic table was set up on the quad in order to encourage students to contribute a drawing to its surface.

“Community activities like this conceptualize FOTA’s goals of getting as much of the community as possible to engage in art,” Appel explained .

“Many students hope to see more on artist involvement throughout the week not only for the performing artists but for the painters and the photographers.

For example, more artists can be displayed live in libraries or student cafes, so that people who miss the launch party can still get a chance to experience the art,” Marchenko said.

Rabbitt expressed a similar sentiment, saying, “I think it would be nice to have students give artist talks in order to give the visual artists more chance to explain their artwork in a non-formal setting.”

The week of SpringFest ended with a fancy finale party at the Promontory, complete with hors d’oeuvres and performances from CJEP, the Board, and DJ Nu Lucas. Over 150 people attended.

CSO fest is the crème de la crème Hannah Edgar Associate Arts Editor In some ways, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) has been preparing for this month’s French festival all year.

There was music by Maurice Ravel played by the Rotterdam Philharmonic and Hélène Grimaud in February, morsels

by Vincent d’Indy and César Franck (plus more Ravel) under Charles Dutoit in March, and tastes of Jean-Philippe Rameau and Francis Poulenc with Harry Bicket little more than a week ago—and that’s just naming the concerts reviewed in this newspaper.

But all have been merely hors d’oeuvres. At last, the CSO’s Reveries & Passions Festival is officially here, and it’s here with a vengeance—and by “vengeance,” I mean a generous helping of Gallic music.

Sunday afternoon’s piano recital was no different, as Parisborn pianist Alexandre Tharaud left concert-goers with more than just a memorable performance: He left them totally spellbound.

The first half of the concert featured pieces by eighteenthcentury composers François Couperin and Jean-Philippe Rameau that had originally been written for harpsichord. Their translation to the piano (which has more resonance and can sustain notes longer than its predecessor) yielded surprising insights, namely that even French Baroque music can sound rather impressionistic—a harbinger of the dominant style to emerge in the same region two centuries later.

As for the svelte, smartlydressed Tharaud, his wellsprings of musicality were apparent the moment he laid his fingers on the keyboard. From the very first chord of Couperin’s “La logivière,” Orchestra Hall—all 2,522 seats of it—seemed to contract. Each of the seven selections to follow had a distinct personality, but Tharaud’s exceptional voicing and sensitive phrasing were constant throughout the entire performance. (A breathtaking bonus was the piano itself, a wonderfully receptive Steinway concert grand endowed with a pure, glassy sound.)

Next were selections from Rameau’s Suite in A Minor, including the same “Gavotte et Doubles” movement played by harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani as an encore during the CSO’s recent Baroque program. Again, the suite took on a completely different flavor when played on the piano; instead of deferring to Baroque performance restrictions and playing the selections as though on a harpsichord, Tharaud milked the piano for all it was worth, just as he had the Couperin selections.

Tharaud’s elucidating interpretations of French Baroque music have led some to dub him “the French Glenn Gould,” after the Canadian pianist who was famous for his renditions of the keyboard classics of Bach—another Baroque master—and infamous for his eccentricities behind the keyboard. But Tharaud is no eccentric. Sure, he has his quirks—he’s told interviewers that he often argues with the piano during recording sessions and refuses to keep a piano at home

for fear that his practice sessions would become unfocused—but he’d sooner idolize an eccentric than be one. Case in point: Tharaud has had a long-standing fascination with Erik Satie, the ever-popular, ever-iconoclastic composer who wore velvet suits so often that he became known in Paris as “the Velvet Gentleman.”

Satie’s music is as singular as his personality: He was a Dr. Seuss of sounds, a producer of short solo piano works of charming unpretentiousness and wry genius. One needs to look no further than his cleverly-named Avant-dernières pensées (Nextto-Last Thoughts) as proof: Each of the three pieces—none of which exceeds a minute—is built upon a repeating ostinato (or short, continuous figure) in one hand and a straightforward, meandering melody in the other.

It’s a basic formula, to be sure, but such is the elegant simplicity of Satie.

The Pensées are full of touches that are quintessentially Satie.

For example, the sheet music lacks bar lines, making it seem as though the music flows practically unstoppered until the final chord, and the score is full of waggish little asides. (Tempo marking: “Moderately, I beg you.” On the left-hand ostinato in the Idyll: “Basso legato, don’t you think?”)

Tharaud performed Satie’s works with attentive clarity, pausing appropriately between each episode and segueing directly from the Pensées into the three Gnoissiennes. Tharaud’s obvious admiration for the composer was apparent in more than THARAUD continued on page 6

THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | May 12, 2015

6

Renaissance Society invites participants' interaction Andrew McVea Arts Editor Museum visits are often individual endeavors. While you may go with some friends and comment on a piece that particularly struck you or take part in a museum tour, at the end of the day it is just you and your reaction to the work of art.

However, The Renaissance Society’s new exhibition featuring Colombian artist Gabriel Sierra is not one of those museum trips. Visitors are encouraged to attend with a group and every piece, regardless of size or placement, has some sort of interactive element.

The exhibit, Sierra’s first solo show in the U.S., has a different title depending on the time of the day, ranging from Monday Impressions at 10 a.m. to Did You Know Who Built Your House at 5 p.m. Each is supposed to represent a different way of viewing the space and interacting with the art. I personally visited on a drizzly Sunday afternoon when the title was Few Will Leave Their Place to Come Here for Some Minutes.

Upon entering, I received some “Assembly Instructions,” put together by the artist, for how to interact with the room. At the entrance were two parallel white bars where visitors are

encouraged to “Walk between the lines as slowly as possible while smiling softly. Stop smiling outside the lines.” Admittedly it felt a little bit awkward, especially since I went by myself, but, even as contrived as the situation was, I couldn’t help but feel a bit melancholy after leaving the lines.

I’m always surprised by the size of the Ren Society’s space, and this exhibit in particular used it well. It felt cavernous—wide-open and spread out—and yet every object was within just a few steps from the other. While there is not one single way to move through the exhibit (although there is a recommended path) all of the pieces flow together very naturally, and each subsequent structure welcomes the participant as they progress through the gallery. I was immediately drawn to the back left corner, which was occupied by two stalls filled with straw and old newspapers (including a couple of old copies of the chicago maroon). The scent of the slightly damp straw gave the room a warm, earthy smell that reminded me of the animal pens at the Nebraska State Fair—a place I had visited when I was younger.

Other installations included a space where visitors were en-

couraged to “stare into each other’s eyes without blinking for 15 minutes” and a tall platform filled with coarse, gray gravel. Except for the straw and the gravel, the entire room is a uniform white, and even the slight deviation in the color of these objects is striking. However, my favorite installation was a small space that allowed people to check their watches every five minutes for 20 minutes (21-year olds had to stand with their hands in their pockets). I myself had my hands in my pockets at the time, and the social commentary, while not exactly biting, was spot on. I had to laugh.

Whether you follow the artist’s instructions or not, Sierra’s new exhibition is worth visiting with a few friends. His self-described exploration of “inhabiting different moments of space and timae” is best experienced when you can participate in the activities as a group and truly see the exhibition come to life through the people interacting with the art.

There is a gallery walkthrough today at 6 p.m. with Zöe Ryan, one of the curators at the Art Institute of Chicago. The exhibition runs through June 28 on the third floor of Cobb Hall.

Free.

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"Satie’s music is as singular as his personality..."

THARAUD continued from page 5

just his playing: As something of a homage, he donned a black velvet blazer for the program.

Rounding off the concert was Ravel’s evocative but teethgnashingly tricky Miroirs, but to the surprise of no one in attendance, Tharaud executed the piece masterfully and without any visible signs of strain. The sound he was able to coax from

the piano was so nuanced, so utterly vocal that it seemed as though he and the piano were one. From the distant, melancholic calls of the secondmovement, Oiseaux tristes, to the frothy swells of Une barque sur l’océan, to the driven Iberian rhythms of Alborada del gracioso, Monsieur Tharaud brought it all to life.

In other words, Sunday’s re-

cital confirmed what patrons already knew: The CSO’s French Festival is cause for celebration.

And at only a week in, it’s clearly off to quite the start.

The Reveries & Passions Festival continues with a variety of French-themed programs from now through May 24. Check student pricing availability online at cso.org.

808s and Heartbreak: Kanye flees Logan in FourFiveSeconds Andrew McVea, Grace Hauck Arts Editor, Associate Arts Editor

The rumors are true.

Kanye came, Kanye rapped, Kanye conquered.

Rapper, Grammy-winner, and recent doctoral recipient Kanye West, along with fellow Chicago rapper Vic Mensa, made a guest appearance at Logan Center for the Arts’ Open Mike Night hosted by Chance the Rapper last night. This event, only open to high school students, lasted two hours, but West did not reveal him-

self until the last half hour when he and Mensa performed the songs “All Day” and “U Mad.” The rest of the event featured comedy, poetry, singing, rapping, dancing, and any other type of art local high school students wished to perform— all they needed was a high school ID. Nurye Carter of Kenwood Academy attended with some of her friends.

“We thought that it was a joke, and then they pulled back his hood...and there was Kanye!” she said afterwards.

Although most people in the audience were surprised to see West perform, it was not a perfectly kept secret.

“We heard Kanye was going to be here from the lady at the front desk,” said firstyear Adam Siegel who was one of the few UChicago students to make it into the event (though students rushed to Logan afterwards with the hopes of catching a glimpse of West). Although host Chance the Rapper never performed, he certainly made waves with his choice of guest stars.

THE CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | May 12, 2015

7

Maroons swept in last regular season weekend Baseball Michael Cheiken & Bobby Butler

Maroon Staff The Maroons concluded their season over the weekend with three games against Wash U at J. Kyle Anderson Field, with one taking place on Friday and the other two on Saturday. Coming into the series 18–17, the home squad hoped to win the series and complete its season above .500, but, unfortunately, it was not meant to be. The South Siders lost all three games, although none with a particularly poor performance.

On Friday, the opponents only managed to squeeze in five innings before the rain became too much, and the game was called. Nevertheless, the result was official, giving a 3–1 victory to the Bears. Wash U scored a quick three runs in the top of the first, seemingly sensing the impending gametruncating rain. However, Chicago starter third-year Lucas Friss recovered quickly, giving up just two hits and no runs over the next four innings. On the offensive side, fourth-year Kyle Engel extended his hit streak to 26 games in the fourth and was quickly brought home by a double from fourth-year second-baseman William Katzka. Down by two runs, rainfall came soon after and washed away any chance of a comeback for the South Siders.

Saturday was Senior Day for the Maroons, an oppor-

tunity to honor Chicago’s seven seniors: outfielder Edward Akers, pitcher Anthony DeRenzo, infielder Kyle Engel, infielder William Katzka, pitcher Simon Swanson, pitcher and infielder Andrew VanWazer and infielder Nathan Wagner.

The Maroons flipped the script on the visitors in the first couple innings on Saturday, scoring the first three runs of the game. In the first, Engel hit a fly ball to center that was deep enough to bring second-year outfielder Nicholas Toomey home. In the second, fourth-year Andrew VanWazer and firstyear Max Larsen both scored unearned runs on a fielding error and a wild pitch, respectively.

On the other side, Wash U, after being shutout in the first two innings, finally got to second-year starter Thomas Prescott in the top of the third, though the inning’s lone run was scored before the team recorded a hit. The Bears went on to score a run on two hits in the fourth and two runs on three hits in the fifth. The Maroons were able to tie the game at four runs apiece in the bottom of the fifth, with first-year catcher Matt Slodzinski singling home Engel. Things had looked good up to this point, with the momentum back in Chicago’s favor. However, the Maroons couldn’t put together anything else, and the Bears scored the dagger run in the top of the seventh to seal their 5–4 victory.

Fourth-year Anthony DeRenzo slides into second base at a game against Beloit College last spring.

COURTESY OF UCHICAGO ATHLETICS

The final game of the season was immediately wild. In an unfortunate turn of events, Wash U was able to put 14 consecutive runners on base in the top of the first before a single out was recorded, resulting in 12 runs in that inning alone. In a testament to the Maroons’ resolve, there was essentially no more damage done in the rest of the game. Impressively, a combi-

nation effort by six bullpen pitchers yielded only one run on three hits after that first inning. But the bats weren’t working well, and Chicago finished the season on a 13–1 loss, dropping to 18–20 on the year.

The seven seniors conclude their time on the field having compiled a four-year record of 75–71. Remarking on the senior class, third-

year pitcher Nick Watson said, “This group of seniors brought a great attitude to practice every day and really set the tone for the year. They’re not the most outspoken group when you compare them to some of the previous senior classes, but they let their dedication to the game do the talking.”

Looking forward to the future of Maroon baseball,

he added, “I’m very excited for next year. Although the senior class is a big loss, we’ve got a lot of returners, and I think we have what it takes to win a lot of games. Also, I can’t say enough about how confident I am in the future of the program under Coach Fitz. He quickly gained the respect of every player on the team which can be hard to do as a first year coach.”

Ayoola, Dobbs place first at Dr. Keeler Invite Track and Field Russell Mendelson Maroon Staff This past weekend, the Maroons competed in the first of two back-to-back meets at North Central.

The Dr. Keeler Invite kicked off a busy nine-day span in which Chicago will go to Naperville twice in what is, for some, the final opportunity to qualify for the Outdoor National DIII Championships in Canton, NY. The National Championships will take place in two weeks, and the Maroons will be giving everything they have to advance to the “The Empire State.”

Second-year Michelle Dobbs may have cemented a bid to the championships in the season’s culminating meet. After taking first in an 800-meter race, Dobbs made a case as one of the top performers in the country.

“Emily Warner [Wash U runner] had pulled away by about two meters with 200

to go, so I had to catch her at the line for the victory,” Dobbs said, reflecting on the tight finish.

“It’s always fun to race her, as we see each other at conference, last chance, and often nationals races. We compete against each other very well and typically seem to post great times when we compete head-to-head.”

This time was no different. The head-to-head rivalry once again paid off for both competitors. Dobbs’s and Warner’s times currently slotted fifth and sixth in the country respectively, making a trip to New York very likely for both middle distance runners.

For some, this meet and next week’s meet serve as a final opportunity to qualify for nationals in their collegiate careers. Fourth-year Pam Yu placed second in the long jump with a season best of 5.28m.

“My goal is first to improve upon my mark last meet. I’ve made nationals

before, and I really hope that my last meet in college will be at nationals,” Yu noted on her performance and her goals for this week’s last chance meet back in Naperville.

“However, I don’t have many expectations going into the meet, but I do hope that I will be jumping where I jumped last year indoor season. Fingers crossed.”

With Yu and her fellow fourth-years’ imminent departure comes a rising class of first-years who hope to pick up where they left off.

First-year Ade Ayoola made a strong case to be one of these quick-risers as she caught the most air in the high jump, finishing with a height of 1.64m.

“My goals heading into this meet were the same as my goals heading into any other meet: jump as well as I can, perhaps hit a personal record and have fun doing it,” explained Ayoola who attempted a jump at her personal best, but fell

slightly short of successfully completing it.

“I go into every meet wanting to jump as well as I can and if I can stop thinking about it too much, I know I can jump higher than last week. If that happens this weekend, that

would be fantastic.”

Like Yu and the other upperclassmen who will be leaving the team soon, Ayoola and her fellow underclassmen exhibit the drive and determination needed to perform at the highest level possible. The

final number of Maroons who end up going to nationals will be based on how good their best can be. The North Central Last Chance Meet will kick off this Thursday at noon, with individual event times to be posted at a later date.

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SPORTS

IN QUOTES “*ding* said the NFL’s random punishment generator after a long weekend of making whirring and sputtering noises” – L.A. Dodgers P Brandon McCarthy comments on the recently announced suspension of N.E. Patriots QB Tom Brady

Chicago makes history, clinches NCAA berth

Standing at 18–5 on the season, the No. 8 ranked Maroons defeated Gustavus Adolphus College 5–2 on Sunday to advance to the NCAA DIII National Championship quarterfinals for the first time in program history.

At the beginning of the day on Sunday, the prospects looked bleak for Chicago.

The rainy atmosphere was met by two losses at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles for Chicago.

A pair of fourth-years, Deepak Sabada and Ankur Bhargava, narrowly fell to Gustavus Adolphus by a score of 8–6 at No. 1 doubles. First-year Luke Tsai and second-year Max Hawkins also narrowly fell to their opponent, this time 9–7.

However, the Maroons would not allow themselves to go down so easily on the doubles end, as the No. 3 pair of first-years Nicolas Chua and David Liu were able to topple their Gustie foes by a score of 8–6, coming back from a 3–6 deficit.

With the victory by Chua and Liu, the Maroons were able to enter singles play with only a one-match deficit at 2–1. Chicago singles play took control from there, sweeping all six of their opponents. Chua and second-year Sven Kranz won both of their matches in a decisive manner, gaining their revenge against the Lions after falling to them individually earlier in the season. Sabada and Liu did not have to finish their matches as Chicago had already earned enough wins to be dubbed the winner. However, both competitors were ahead when play ceased.

The Maroons were coming into the third round of the NCAA Regional Tournament riding a well-deserved wave of momentum.

They entered the Regionals ranked first, earning them a bye into the second round.

On Saturday they had defeated Coe College 5–1. In this matchup, Chicago swept the singles category with decisive wins

from Kranz and a pair of rookies in Peter Leung and Liu. Leung defeated third-year Ryan Hickman to clinch the victory for the South Siders. Chua, Tsai, and Sabada were all ahead in their matches when competition ceased as the Maroons had earned enough victories to ensure a win.

The South Siders had met both Gustavus Adolphus and Coe before. They defeated the Kohawks handily 9–0 and the Gusties 5–4. Given the youth of Chicago, it would have been easy for the squad to fall victim to playing down to their opponent. However, the team overcame the mental hurdle of playing a team twice and proved that, despite their youth, they are not a team to be doubted.

“At the beginning of the season we knew we had a good team, but we had a couple of close losses which were disappointing,” Chua said. “Right now we’re right where we want to be, and hopefully we can keep up the momentum and go even farther in the tournament.”

Chua’s performance earned him UAA Athlete of the Week honors for the sixth time this season. He also garnered ITA Central Rookie of the Year honors. Additionally, he has earned a singles bid for the NCAA DIII National Championship with a singles record of 26–8 on the season.

On his success, Chua said, “I’m honored and grateful to have won the award so many times. But at the end of the day, I’m here playing for the team. Individual accolades are great but I’m just trying to do my best and get the wins we need to keep moving forward.”

Chicago will head to Ohio Northern on Monday to compete against No. 2 Amherst in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships for its first appearance at Nationals. Amherst is 21–5 on the season and will surely prove to be a fierce competitor for the Maroons. Amherst and Chicago both fell to Pomona-Pitzer earlier in the season, 6–3 and 5–4, respectively.

Commenting on this upcoming week of practice before heading to Ohio, Chua added, “I don’t think we’re preparing any differently. Throughout the year we’ve trained to be the best, and I don’t think that now that we’re in the elite eight anything needs to change. We know our games and we know our strengths and now it’s just time to execute.”

The match between Chicago and Amherst will take place on Monday, May 18.

Fourth-year Ankur Bhargava returns a serve at practice this season.

COURTESY OF UCHICAGO ATHLETICS

Maroons fall just short of Elite Eight bid Women’s Tennis

David Kerr Maroon Staff The Maroons capped off their season with a hard fought match at home on Saturday, a high-stakes match that would deliver the victor to the Elite Eight of the Outdoor NCAA Division III Championships. The Maroons battled injuries and rainy conditions to make their seventh straight regional final after beating Augustana College (IL) in the first round, but they came up short in the regional final against No. 5 Carnegie Mellon Tartans.

The Maroons entered the Augustana match as the favorite, but with injuries and sickness decimating the Maroon roster, the South Siders needed to lock in to move on to the next round. Second-year Tiffany Chen believed that the home field advantage really helped rally their squad against Augustana “For Augustana, we knew we were the favorite to win, but knowing that we were down two starters, we still had to really focus and fight for each point. The conditions were rough, but playing at home was special, especially for the fourth-years.”

The home field advantage proved to be the catalyst in the first match as the Maroons

The Chicago Special with Sarah Langs

Men’s Tennis Katie Anderson Associate Sports Editor

This Week in Sports:

swept the Vikings in doubles. Fourth-year Megan Tang and Chen showed up big as they both won their matches to give the Maroons their fourth and fifth points of the day.

Tang believed that the Maroons’ positive attitude against Augustana was key in overcoming their untimely injuries.

“We were all very excited and focused on bringing a ton of positive energy, which always leads to great results.”

The Maroons ended up beating the Vikings 5–0, and they advanced to the regional final for a showdown against Carnegie Mellon.

Unfortunately for the Maroons, their match against the Tartans would not go as well.

Both teams came into the final as the bestseeded teams, and it would prove to be the best match of the day.

The doubles matches went back and forth.

The Tartans struck first winning 8–1, but the Maroons responded by winning the No. 2-seeded doubles match 8–4. The Maroons pushed the No. 3-seeded match to 7–7, but the Tartans ended up winning 9–7. Tang indicated the third match was indicative of how deep the Maroons were.

“Even though on paper it may look like Carnegie is a much stronger team, we were

able to prove that we were right there with them. Losing at No. 3 doubles 9–7 was a clear indicator that our doubles lineup was solid throughout every spot.”

The Tartans would go on to beat the Maroons 5–1, but the final score was not indicative of how closely the Maroons played the Tartans.

Chen noted, “With half of our regular starting players out due to sickness and injuries, it was such a pleasure to watch every teammate step up and still bring the energy, positivity, and fight to the match, even if they haven’t had as much match experience throughout the season. Every single match we played against Carnegie was very close, and it showed how deep our team is in skill set and how dedicated everyone is to the team’s results.”

The Maroons have plenty to be proud about after their match against Carnegie Mellon. Even though the final score was not what they wanted, the seniors were sent off by a great effort from the entire team.

The Maroons’ senior class of Maggie Schumann, Kelsey McGillis, and Megan Tang finished their careers with a 66–34 record, and ended this season with a 13–12 record.

CUBS The Cubs dropped their weekend series to the Brewers in Milwaukee and entered Monday with a .500 record. The Cubs won the Friday game 7–6 behind four home runs; Dexter Fowler, Anthony Rizzo, Jorge Soler, and Starlin Castro each went yard.

Chicago dropped Saturday’s matchup 12–4, but there was a bright spot for the club. Rookie Kris Bryant hit his first major league home run—a third-inning, threerun blast off of Brewers starter Kyle Lohse.

Sunday’s game featured a pitchers’ duel between former Cub and current Brewer, Matt Garza and Cub, Kyle Hendricks.

The Brewers won 3–2 in the bottom of the 11th, even though Cubs manager Joe Maddon played a five-man infield with the bases loaded. The Cubs host the New York Mets for four games this week, then the Pittsburgh Pirates for three over the weekend. The Cubs left field bleachers opened Monday night, but construction continues at Wrigley Field on the right field bleachers, which are expected to be completed by the middle of June.

WHITE SOX The White Sox won their second series in a row this weekend against the Cincinnati Reds. After a Friday night rainout, the Sox split a Saturday doubleheader with the Reds. Rookie Carlos Rodon made his debut as a starter in the nightcap, yielding two earned runs over six innings, while racking up eight strikeouts. The Sox won on a walk-off Sunday in the rubber match, beating the hard-throwing Aroldis Chapman. Sox closer David Robertson had his first blown save of the season, failing to protect a 3–1 ninth inning lead. The game headed to the bottom of the ninth tied 3–3. Avi Garcia started the rally with a two-out single and Alexei Ramirez followed with a single of his own. The runners moved up to second and third on a wild pitch during Gordon Beckham’s atbat, and Beckham’s subsequent single gave the Sox a 4–3 victory over Chapman and the Reds. The Sox will follow in the Cubs’ footsteps this week, heading to Milwaukee for a three-game set. After that, they’ll spend their weekend in Oakland for a three game series.

BLACKHAWKS The Blackhawks sealed a series sweep over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.

They’ve been idle since, but await the Anaheim Ducks in the next round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The exact times and dates of games will not be posted until the Eastern Conference semifinals conclude tomorrow night.

BULLS The Bulls won one and lost one this weekend in their Eastern Conference semifinals series with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Bulls won Friday’s game at the United Center on a Derrick Rose buzzer-beater.

On Sunday, the Cavs followed suit with a buzzer-beater from a star of their own: LeBron James. With the Cavs missing Kevin Love, and with Kyrie Irving injured, the Cavs will have to rely on LeBron James more than ever this series. The series shifts backs to Cleveland for tonight’s Game 5, with the series tied 2–2. Game 6 will be in Chicago on Thursday, and, if necessary, Game 7 will take place on Sunday in Cleveland.