Chicagomaroon012318

JANUARY 23, 2018

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892

VOL. 129, ISSUE 23

Students Join Women’s March

BY QUINN KANE NEWS REPORTER

An estimated 300,000 people gathered in Grant Park on Saturday for the second annual Women’s March Chicago, topping the 2017 Chicago march’s total of 250,000.

The crowd in Chicago grew so large last year that organizers canceled the official march due to safety concerns. Scores of marchers nevertheless proceeded through the streets of downtown Chicago, chanting and holding signs.

For both the 2017 and 2018 marches, huge crowds also gathered in New York City, Los AngeContinued on page 2

Photo of the Issue: Marchers chant “no hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here” while beating on drums and waving flags. Alexandra Nisenoff. Find more photos and a video from the protest online.

NLRB Denies University Motion on Library Worker Unionization

BY SPENCER DEMBNER NEWS REPORTER

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) reaffirmed Thursday that the Student Library Employee Union’s (SLEU) right to unionize would not be at issue in an ongoing NLRB case over UChicago student library workers’ vote to unionize last year.

The decision rejected a Uni-

versity request to review the issue, finding no “extraordinary circumstance” warranting a reversal. The NLRB ruling now leaves only a charge of electioneering between SLEU and official union recognition.

The Board ruled in December that a hearing should be conducted about SLEU’s conduct during the vote; if sufficient misconduct is found, it could warrant a new

election.

The decision—by N L RB members Marvin Kaplan, Mark Pearce, and William Emanuel—also rejected the University’s request for a stay in the proceedings. In the stay request, the University argued that the Board should first rule on graduate assistants’ unionization cases at Chicago and other universities.

Although SLEU’s standing

is settled in UChicago’s case, the Board may still review undergraduate unionization. Former Board Chairman Miscimarra, who concurred in rejecting the University’s earlier motion, has indicated openness to hearing further challenges in a different case.

Thus, if another school saw undergraduate organizing, the NLRB could still use that case to

reverse itself.

Grinnell College’s undergraduate dining workers signed a contract in 2016, but Grinnell never challenged the result, meaning the NLRB did not render a decision on the union’s status.

This is the fi rst NLRB case explicitly about the status of an undergraduate worker unions, though past decisions on graduate workers have discussed the issue.

Olmsted’s Vision Meets Obama’s Legacy

BY EMMA DYER NEWS REPORTER

Some University of Chicago faculty members have presented objections to the Obama Presidential Center (OPC), contending that the Obama Foundation’s plans violate Frederick Law Olmsted’s intent for the park’s design even with one of the Foundation’s guiding principles being to “honor the vision of Frederick Law Olmsted.”

One-hundred-and-eighty-two University of Chicago faculty members have signed an open letter

concerning the future of Jackson Park, expressing their desire for the “Obama Foundation to explore alternative sites” for the OPC. In contrast to the faculty letter’s concerns, a University spokesperson said, “The Obama Presidential Center has the potential to be a powerful catalyst for economic development, civic engagement, and cultural opportunities across the Chicago region, especially in the South Side neighborhoods. As with all issues, University of Chicago faculty members are free to express their individual views and

engage in discussions in any format they wish.”

The letter first highlights faculty members’ frustration with a planned above-ground parking garage which they believe takes away green space and parkland, a decision they conclude Olmsted would have fought against. Frustration over the parking garage location led the Obama Foundation to reconsider plans. On January 8, the Foundation conceded to public outcry and announced they would move the parking lot to an underContinued on page 2

Pete Grieve

President Zimmer and a panel of UChicago students appeared on CBS this weekend, for an episode about free speech issues on college campuses.

CBS host Rita Braver featured UChicago at the end of the segment, framing the University’s letter on trigger warnings and safes spaces as a sign of pushback against increasing student opposition to controversial speakers nationwide.

Three Photographs Reflect on Migration, Refuge

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The recently released film trips over issues of race, but is worth seeing, our reviewer rights.

Spielberg’s The Post Page 5

Reflecting on Aziz Ansari Page 4

Our reviewer finds the Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks vehicle a timely reminder of the power of an independant press.

Excerpts from articles and comments published in T he Chicago Maroon may be duplicated and redistributed in other media and non-commercial publications without the prior consent of The Chicago Maroon so long as the redistributed article is not altered from the original without the consent of the Editorial Team. Commercial republication of material in The Chicago Maroon is prohibited without the consent of the Editorial Team or, in the case of reader comments, the author.

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THE CHICAGO MAROON - JANUARY 23, 2018

Events 1/23–25 Today William Josephson on the Electoral College International House, 5:30–7:30 p.m.

Josephson, a lawyer, alum (A.B.’52), and decades-long spectator of American politics, discusses the future of the electoral college.

Laura Englestein: Russia in Flames Seminary Co-Op Bookstore, 6–7:30 p.m.

A Stanford history professor uses the seven-year period before and after 1917 to frame a reflection on the centenary of the Russian Revolution in her new book.

Wednesday Running for Congress as a Minister and a Democrat Swift Hall, 12–1:15 p.m.

Tabitha Isner, a candidate for an Alabama Congressional seat, will talk about her uphill climb to office. The event is part of the Divinity School’s Wednesday Lunch speaker series, and a vegetarian meal will be provided. Email divinitylunch@gmail.com if you plan to attend. $5.

Energy Development in the Trump Administration Saieh Hall, Room 146, 5:30–7 p.m.

What are the implications of the Trump administration’s energy policies? Join EPIC for a conversation with Tommy Beaudreau, former chief of staff at the Department of Interior and director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

Thursday Opening Reception for “Polluted Wildlife: Reconstructing the Anthropocene” Cochrane-Woods Art Center, 5 p.m.

Carl Fuldner and Shane DuBay will discuss their collaborative project, a presentation of photographs alongside time-series analysis which shows the findings from their investigation of bird specimens.

Support Our Advertisers Page 6: 57th Street Beauty Salon at 1444 E. 57th Street.

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Defne Anlas

Promontory Point has been added to the National Park Service’s Register of Historic Places after it was nomintated for historic landmark status by the Community Task Force on Promontory Point. The designation was reported by the Hyde Park Herald.

300,000 People March in Chicago, Topping Last Year’s Turnout Continued from front

les, and Washington D.C., as well as in major cities around the world.

Titled “March to the Polls,” this year’s organizers called the event an opportunity “to celebrate the spirit of the resistance efforts over the past year and unite to focus on the 2018 elections and beyond.” At a rally before the march, a series of speakers, including Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, encouraged marchers to make their voices heard in the 2018 midterm elections.

Crowds surged in part due to increased attention on sexual assault. In late 2017, a wave of revelations about sexual assault swept through the media and Hollywood.

Many took to Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #MeToo to share their experiences with sexual assault and harassment.

Just before this year’s Golden Globe Awards, over 300 actresses and other women in the entertainment industry announced the Time’s Up campaign, which “will be seeding a legal fund to help survivors of sexual assault and harassment across all industries challenge those responsible for the harm against them.”

Second-year Amara Balan, who attended

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Saturday’s marches drew a response from the President, who tweeted: “[A] perfect day for all Women to March. Get out there now to celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months.”

Trump’s tweet surprised marchers, many of whom protested because of the president’s own sexual assault and harassment accusations.

“While we have the spotlight, we need to get everything in,” said Corinne DiFrancesco, a third-year who attended the march. “We need to talk about women of color, we need to talk about rape culture, we need to talk about poverty, we need to talk about all sorts of women’s issues.”

Second-year Comparative Human Development major Rebecca Koppel echoed this idea, saying, “Feminism isn’t only about women, it’s intersectional.”

Similar messages of inclusivity resounded through several of the speeches, chants, and signs at Saturday’s march. Emcee Fawzia Mirza, a Pakistani-Canadian comedian, producer, writer, and actress, said, “This year is about channeling all that beautiful power and putting the power in the polls.”

Faculty Members Object to Obama Presidential Center Design Continued from front

Page 8 and online: Master of Science in Financial Engineering at University of Illinois—apply for Fall 2018 at msfe.illinois.edu.

the march on Saturday, was moved by the revelations. “With the stuff that’s been going on in Hollywood with the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, it’s really important that we have women and everyone standing together in the hope that one day there will be equality for everyone,” she said.

Frustrations with Congress and President Donald Trump further fueled protesters, as thousands of federal government employees were furloughed at midnight on Friday when lawmakers failed to reach a deal to continue funding the government.

“There’s no collaboration in Washington,” Nicole Robinson, a South Side resident, told THE MAROON. “How odd is it that on the day that we’re out here marching there’s no government because lawmakers can’t work together?”

Two Illinois Congressional Representatives scheduled to speak, Bill Foster and Raja Krishnamoorthi, did not make it to the rally because of the government shutdown.

Frustration with the government was a frequent theme at the march, as speakers called for Congress to end the shutdown.

Many protesters turned their sights directly on Trump, chanting “Donald Trump has got to go” as they marched.

ground location within Jackson Park.

Jonathan Lear, John U. Nef distinguished service professor and an organizer of the faculty letter, credited the announcement as a victory for the community but remained skeptical of the OPC as a whole.

“The underground parking garage does address one of our concerns about the misuse of a historic public park,” Lear said, “but the other serious issues raised in the letter—the relative lack of opportunities for economic development, the huge burden to taxpayers, and the unprecedented size of historic public parkland to be given to a private entity—remain to be addressed.”

Nearly every faculty member who discussed the concerns raised in the faculty letter with The Maroon mentioned that the Center’s plans disregard the original intent of Frederick Law Olmsted.

The Obama Foundation maintains that Olmsted’s vision acted as a guide in the development of the park and believes that Olmsted would have approved of its changes in his design as part of an evolving landscape.

“Jackson Park of 2018 is far different than Jackson Park of 1870,” a spokesperson from the Obama Foundation said. “The story of the park tells an interesting evolution in response to changing circumstances more than

it represents the pure intentions of Olmsted and [collaborator Calvert] Vaux.”

In the Obama Foundation’s perspective, the intentions of the museum align with Olmsted’s values. “Olmsted was an influential advocate for social causes in his day. It is fitting that a cultural attraction that celebrates the significant accomplishments of African Americans, which will become a global destination for civic activism, would be located in one of his parks,” the Obama Foundation said.

Many community members see Olmsted’s vision having little room for the evolutionary decisions the OPC would make in redesigning the park. “The plan will destroy Olmsted’s design by the use of the park for buildings,” Lucia Rothman-Denes, A.J. Carlson Professor of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, said. “They are killing Olmsted’s vision, but what they are actually killing is a place that supports wildlife.”

The Obama Foundation refutes the idea their plans destroy space for wildlife. “The OPC buildings occupy less than three acres out of Jackson Park’s current 500 acres, in part because of the decision to build a vertical tower rather than a horizontal museum experience so that we could preserve parkland and minimize our footprint,” the Obama Foundation said.

The faculty letter’s focus on the OPC’s disregard for Olmsted’s design was a factor which precluded Martha Nussbaum, Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics, from signing the letter.

“Olmsted should not be fetishized,” Nussbaum told The Maroon of her arguments with letter organizers. “Some parts of his plan were silly, such as turning the Midway into a canal and having gondolas going up and down.”

Director of the Language Program in German and Director of the Chicago Language Center Catherine Baumann, who signed the faculty letter, also admitted the over-commitment to Olmsted’s design in the faculty letter. She suggested the OPC plans may actually recreate parts of Olmsted’s design, such as the OPC’s civic spaces within the forum and large public green spaces to promote, as Olmsted characterized it, the “harmonizing and refining influence” of parks.

Further acknowledging Baumann’s claim, the Obama Foundation frames their design as “consistent with the best and most revered historical visions for Jackson Park— even more than in its current fragmented configuration.”

Visiting the original park plans from Continued on page 3

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THE CHICAGO MAROON - JANUARY 23, 2018

Obama Foundation Says Olmstead Would Have Approved of Plans for Jackson Park Continued from page 2

1871, revised plans for the 1892 World’s Columbian Exposition, and the final 1895 Revised Plans of Jackson Park—finished

by Olmsted’s son—provides a comparison between Olmsted’s objective plans and those proposed for the OPC. An initial comparison between these plans and the current OPC plans reveal definite links between the designs. The OPC plans include a plaza which surrounds the museum, forum and library building and according to the Obama Foundation “will host performances of all types, including celebrations, events, or markets and fairs.”

Olmsted historian Victoria Post Ranney credits Olmsted’s original version of Jackson Park, then called South Park, as containing similar features. “Olmsted planned a pavilion: a large refectory building, where meals would be served, and in front of it a large area covered by trellises and surrounded

by galleries or roofed promenades,” Ranney said. She also describes Olmsted’s intent for concerts to take place in the pavilion while guests could enjoy refreshments.

Upon sharing original maps with the faculty letter’s organizers, W.J.T. Mitchell, the letter’s Olmsted historical advisor and professor of English, art history, and visual arts also described the faults of corollary conclusions formed by the maps and the necessity to consider the park’s elaborate history.

Originally designed in 1871, the park’s official first plans never came to fruition after the Great Chicago Fire destroyed all of the park’s contractual documents and plans— although the actual parkland remained unscathed. Due to financial concerns, planners abandoned Olmsted’s grandiose vision for waterways and canals in South Park, and the plans were restructured.

South Park went through major transformations again for the World’s Columbian

Exposition in 1893. After the Exposition, the park burned down in 1894 and was rebuilt with a final revised plan designed by Olmsted’s son in 1895.

Jackson Park’s tumultuous past complicates which iteration of plans one should refer to when considering the park’s “original plans,” making it difficult to follow community members’ claims about Olmsted’s vision.

Additional historical context provided by descriptions of Olmsted’s intentions for South Park do not display the kind of dedication to pure, natural spaces in the park, which the faculty letter and many community members assume.

In her book Olmsted in Chicago, Ranney writes: “Olmsted predicted that South Park would soon be the center of a populous and wealthy district…. To be well adapted to such habitual use, he decided it would need a much greater variety of features and accommodations.”

The faculty letter’s final charge against the OPC plans argues that closing Cornell Avenue will cause major traffic problems and changes Olmsted’s design, which includes the street. Visiting the original maps confirms the presence of a roadway inside the park that today constitutes Cornell.

The roadway originally allowed carriages to travel through the park for guests to enjoy, far from the commuter highway that it has evolved into today.

The Obama Foundation notes Cornell’s functional change stating, “The addition of Cornell Drive through the park has resulted in a fragmented park that is disconnected from some of its greatest assets—the lagoon and Lake Michigan.”

“We see our project as a continuum of the park’s history,” the Obama Foundation said. As OPC plans become final, the Obama Foundation remains confident in its potentially positive outcomes for the community.

VIEWPOINTS Don’t Relocate, Advocate A Recent Faculty Letter Opposing the Obama Center Plans Comes Too Late and Misses the Mark THE MAROON has long supported a community benefits agreement (CBA) for the Obama Center, and more advocacy is always welcome. Nearly 200 University professors have signed a letter enumerating their concerns about the location and public cost of the Obama Center. While THE MAROON supports any attempt to hold the Obama Foundation accountable to the needs of the surrounding South Side community, this letter fails to advocate for the issues that matter most to the neighborhood at large.

The letter focuses on a few main concerns, including that the Center will be unable to draw new businesses to the area due to a lack of nearby retail space and that it will eliminate historic public park land. The document concludes by urging the Obama Foundation to consider other sites on the South Side which may have a more sizable impact on local economies and communities.

When the Foundation initially selected Jackson Park over Washington Park in the summer of 2015, a conversation about

changing the Center’s location may have been more meaningful, but at this late stage of the planning process, such a suggestion feels impractical.

There are solutions to the problems presented by the letter that can be achieved in and around Jackson Park. Retail space may be scarce in the park itself and near the University, but the East 63rd Street corridor, which used to be a bustling street of shops, could be revitalized. The bulk of the Center will be built south of the Midway, from East 60th Street to East 62nd Street, which would make East 63rd Street a natural choice for retail development efforts.

The letter also expresses concerns that the Center will obstruct the role of Jackson Park as a “democratic urban park.” However, the published plans include a number of designated outdoor spaces meant for public enjoyment. Not only is there a large lawn area, there will also be a children’s play area, a community garden, walking paths, and a sledding hill. The introduction of public ame-

nities won’t corrupt the sanctity of Jackson Park as a place where people can come together; it will enhance the overall experience.

The Community Benefits Agreement Coalition, with which the faculty letter is ostensibly aligned, has incorporated these hesitations and dozens of others in its Development Principles, in which they demand that the Obama Foundation reserve jobs for local residents, preserve low-income housing as property values rise, support minority-owned businesses, and partner with schools in the area. They suggest that the Foundation sponsor a black business corridor, which would also alleviate concerns about a lack of new businesses in the area.

To ensure these needs are taken into account, the Coalition hopes that the Foundation will sign a CBA, which would legally bind the Center to the promises it makes to the neighborhood. The faculty letter acknowledges the “widespread support” of a CBA but neglects to actively advocate for it as a solution.

It is imperative for interest groups across the South Side to speak up for their needs.

University professors wield great influence and thus have a responsibility to use their power in meaningful, productive ways. This letter, which voices support of smaller community organizations and potential pitfalls within the current plans, is an important step toward a collaborative relationship between the Foundation, the University, and surrounding neighborhoods.

However, by focusing on relocating the Center, which is unlikely to happen at this late stage of the process, and neglecting to discuss the necessity of a CBA, the faculty letter falls short of its potential. The Obama Center will be built in Jackson Park—our responsibility now is to ensure that it is a positive influence on the South Side as a whole.

—The MAROON Editorial Board News editor Pete Grieve recused himself from this editorial due to previous Obama Center coverage.

University of Chicago: The Second Assailant Institutional Misconduct and the Re-traumatization of Survivors

BY VANESSA CAMACHO AND OLAMIDE OGUNBAMBO ON BEHALF OF THE PHOENIX SURVIVORS ALLIANCE

Content warning for sexual assault and suicide attempts.

All student names have been changed ,and multiple stories have been referenced and condensed into one in order to protect survivors’ confidentiality and safety.

Briana’s friends introduced John to her during her first year. That same night, the third-year student kissed her without her consent, and, though he apologized, he repeated his offense soon after, this time putting not only his lips but his hands in places she did not want them. Once again, he apologized and claimed he would not do it again, but not long after, he followed her to a party, forcibly kissed her, and then followed her back to her dorm. Briana spent hours trying to get him to leave, but he raped her.

Briana obtained a no-contact directive against John and filed a report with the University’s Title IX coordinator. A year later, her anger with the assault’s deep, lingering

impact drove Briana to begin disciplinary proceedings. The first step of this process entailed meeting with Jeremy Inabinet, the associate dean of students in the University for disciplinary affairs, who was responsible for overseeing and setting the course for her hearing. Though she went in expecting the experience to be difficult, she realized quickly that it would be much more harrowing than she had initially feared when Inabinet referred to the rape as “sex” in their first meeting.

Briana was right—Inabinet routinely disadvantaged her throughout the investigation. Inabinet discouraged her from seeking legal counsel, claiming that having a lawyer would look suspicious to her hearing committee. Mere days before her hearing, however, she found out that John had not only obtained a lawyer but would also be accompanied by him during the hearing process. By then, it was too late for any lawyer to be of help to Briana. Throughout the process, Inabinet consistently failed to respond to e-mails in a timely fashion and when he did respond, failed to answer her questions. He granted John extensions on necessary meetings, respondent documents, and witness name

submissions. Meanwhile, he denied Briana similar extensions, even though John’s extensions cut into her time. Grappling with the task of writing over 50 pages about her traumatic experience while taking a full course load would have been stressful enough without Inabinet’s repeated failings.

The process whittled Briana away.

During the report and investigation, Briana’s time and experiences were disrespected, and during the hearing, her privacy and integrity were disregarded. Although Briana objected, and University policy outlines confidentiality quite clearly—a rarity within this sea of ambiguity—Inabinet allowed John to submit “evidence” that violated this policy.

Inabinet claimed the illegitimately obtained statement would not be taken seriously but still allowed the University-wide disciplinary committee to see and consider the disparaging document. Biased statements given by “character witnesses” of John’s were also admitted in the case file, despite Inabinet having previously claimed that he would not accept such statements. Inabinet even allowed witnesses to alter their statements retroactively, weeks after they were to be finalized. University policy does not clearly

detail appropriate witness statements or the consequences of influencing them. Without such crucial procedural guidelines, Briana was unable to fight these questionable decisions.

Aside from the committee’s glaring lack of a basic understanding of consent, the committee was not trauma-informed. Being further removed from the immediate trauma of the assault, Briana was able to remember more details than she had given in her initial statement, but her recollections were met with suspicion. Inabinet had failed to properly explain what an initial statement should look like. He did not mention that this statement is what eventually forms the basis of the respondent’s credibility in a hearing.

Briana was even asked during the hearing why it took her so long to report and seek disciplinary action. Committee members should have been aware that disciplinary hearings require a survivor to relive traumas, that traumatic experiences are often accompanied by intense shame, or even that both government and educational systems have been known to favor offenders—to say the least. One committee member went as far Continued on page 4

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THE CHICAGO MAROON - JANUARY 23, 2018

“...vague wording and slippery procedural outlines...allow for survivors like Briana to be silenced” Continued from page 3 as to interrupt Briana mid-sentence to argue that John’s repeated harassment and coercion constituted asking for consent. Briana found herself forced to explain the concept of consent mid-hearing to someone tasked with deciding whether or not she had been raped.

On top of the uninformed, victim-blaming comments from the committee, Briana had to endure John’s testimony. He admitted to repeatedly harassing her, coercing her, and using excessive force though she explicitly told him to stop. Despite his immediate lawyering up, attempted character assassination, and full admission of guilt, for all intents and purposes, he was unanimously found not responsible. Briana was devastated by the decision and made multiple suicide attempts. Despite this, she sought institutional redress one last time.

The investigation and disciplinary hearing had demonstrated such insensitivity, bias, and ignorance of the impact of trauma that Briana hoped she could secure a formal review of the decision. Unfortunately, the University makes the review process as difficult as the investigation and hearing process for survivors. In one of only three potential grounds for reviewing a decision, survivors

must establish procedural error. However, neither procedure nor the grounds for finding procedural error are sufficiently detailed in University policy. This lack of clarity discourages and confuses survivors, and allows Inabinet to conduct hearings with impunity and astounding carelessness. Inabinet is only a single part of a deeply flawed disciplinary system that shields abusers and assailants through vague policies and uninformed administrators.

Because the University does not publish specific information on the type or amount of trauma-informed training required of its committee members, Briana could hold neither the members nor the University accountable for negligent conduct. Additionally, the University does not allow transcripts or recordings of disciplinary hearings, so Briana could not point to committee members’ inappropriate comments and questions as grounds for a review. She was even forced to relinquish her personal notes from the hearing upon exiting the room. The University also refused to grant her request that the committee member who demonstrated a willful misunderstanding of consent be reviewed before sitting on future committees.

Throughout the entire process, the vague

wording and slippery procedural outlines in the formal disciplinary policies allow for survivors like Briana to be silenced while seeking recourse.

When she looks back on the report, investigation, and hearing, Briana recalls those months as nightmarish. The University’s limited policies and negligent practices were not merely stressful. “They confirmed,” she admits, “every vile, nagging, self-loathing fear of mine that John had the right to f*ck me.” Briana’s narrative of institutional neglect and re-traumatization represents just one of many on campus. Between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2016 alone, there were 150 reports of “harassment, discrimination, and sexual misconduct,” yet the University-wide Student Disciplinary Committee only found 16 people responsible. Survivors like Briana should not be subjected to harmful practices and disadvantages when seeking justice.

This truth is what drives Phoenix Survivors Alliance’s current campaign. We are taking a stand to ensure every survivor’s right to safety—not only from their assailants, but also from re-victimization at the hands of the University—by calling for administrative reform of University disciplinary policies around sexual violence on

campus. Please learn more and sign our petition, which can be found online.

Editor’s Note: The University has issued the following statement in response: The University is committed to addressing and preventing unlawful harassment, discrimination, and sexual misconduct and continues to take substantial steps to enhance efforts to prevent such incidents and to respond in a prompt, equitable and thorough manner whenever they occur. We regularly seek feedback from students and organizations, including the Phoenix Survivors Alliance, to ensure a fair and equitable system for all parties involved. While we cannot comment on specific cases, both the complainant and respondent in every case have an equal opportunity to provide evidence and suggest witnesses; to bring an adviser of their choice to any meeting; and to request review of the University-wide Disciplinary Committee’s decision. The University will continue to work with students and organizations to improve sexual misconduct prevention, education and systems.

Vanessa Camacho and Olamide Ogunbambo are third-years in the College.

Rape Culture and the #MeToo Movement In Order to Challenge Structures that Facilitate Sexual Misconduct, We Need to Expand Our Understanding of Consent

Zahra Nasser When I first watched Master of None on Netflix about a year ago, I was immediately hooked and pleasantly surprised; here was a Muslim, a person of color, the child of first-generation immigrants, who made me both laugh and cry and repeatedly say “same.” He was Aziz Ansari. Master of None struck a chord in me—not because of its comedic genius, but because it was relatable, political but still lighthearted, and decidedly funny. It was refreshing that someone who resembles me garnered international laud in the entertainment industry.

When I heard that Ansari has been added to the long list of celebrities—consisting primarily of straight men in entertainment—accused of sexual misconduct over the past few months, it was hard to digest. And it wasn’t because of his fame. It was because he so vocally called himself a feminist and

was known, to some extent, as a champion for women’s rights in Hollywood. He didn’t shy away from commenting on the plight of the modern woman in episodes about dating or the glaring sexism and hidden instances of abuse in the workplace and specifically, in the industry he is immersed in. The hypocrisy of his story was, for me, what separated it from all those that came before it.

Since the anonymous victim “Grace” told her account of her night with Ansari to a reporter from Babe.net, she has received immense attention and criticism for what many have deemed a journalistic failure. Admittedly, even my first reading of the article left me questioning several details. Many events were murky, making the account easily dismissible as a he-said-she-said situation. I found myself thinking, after reading much of the criticism of her story, that maybe I didn’t

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have to hate Ansari after all, that I could continue to enjoy one of my favorite Netflix shows. Based on what was known from the allegations, he couldn’t be called a rapist, and maybe not even a sexual assailant. This was a case, it seemed, of gross miscommunication and misunderstanding of motives, re-told in one confusing narrative.

Upon further reflection, however, I realized just how easy and dangerous it was to slip into this line of thinking. To simply dismiss Grace’s story because of its poor storytelling (chock-full of irrelevant details, not to mention the bizarre hodgepodge of personal account and narration), or because it isn’t a blatant instance of rape or assault, is to commit an egregious disservice to the growing and ever-complex discussion about consent and rape culture. To only criticize the Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein and Larry Nassar cases is to set disgustingly low standards for the ways in which people should expect to be treated in a sexual relationship. Though it is fair to differentiate what Ansari or Louis C.K. did from the legal definition of rape, it is also critical to denounce and critique these instances of what enthusiastic consent (the only type of consent that should be expected and practiced) does not look like.

Many people—even several women— have criticized Grace for not verbalizing her feelings to Ansari and for relying mostly on non-verbal cues. Though it is true, according to her account, that she did not literally say “no” or “stop,” I don’t believe humans are so emotionally imperceptive that they need to hear their partner say these words in order to realize they are uncomfortable. The root of the problem is the culture that surrounds sex—one that facilitates and normalizes the expectation that women’s needs and pleasure will always be subordinate to that of men and that treats women with mistrust when they speak out about their experiences.

Grace’s story can and should set a new precedent for the kind of dialogue that many feminists are trying to spur regarding sex.

Consent isn’t merely about hearing the “yes” or the “no”—it’s about the mutual understanding, pleasure, and balance of power that is so often sacrificed for the enjoyment of one (usually the male) partner in the circumstance.

Yes, consent gets complicated. Yes, some instances of sexual misconduct are more severe than others. But this doesn’t mean a diverse array of them aren’t worthy of discussion.

Zahra Nasser is a first-year in the College.

5

THE CHICAGO MAROON - JANUARY 23, 2018

ARTS MoCP Exhibit Presents Three Takes on Cultural Identity

BY ZOE BEAN ASSOCIATE ARTS EDITOR

Traversing the Past, an exhibition featuring photography by Adam Golfer, Diana Matar, and Hrvoje Slovenc, opened this Thursday at the Museum of Contemporary Photography. The three artists share family histories of political turmoil and migration, examining their countries of origin with a critical eye. The opening reception for the exhibit featured a conversation between Columbia College professor Erin McCarthy and artists Golfer and Slovenc; Matar will lecture at the college later this month.

“There isn’t some sort of past that is fixed,” Golfer remarked during his conversation with Slovenc and McCarthy. The Jewish-Lithuanian artist’s work presents a look at modern-day Israel and Germany interwoven with his father’s narrative living on an Israeli kibbutz (collective agricultural community) in the ’70s and his grandfather’s experiences in World War II concentration camps. Golfer’s work is notable for its use of a variety of mediums that add additional layers of narrative to the work. His portion of the exhibit occupies multiple levels of the museum and features film, text projected with slide projectors, vintage photographs, letters from his father, and smaller printed photos nestled behind larger photographs which viewers can pick up and examine. Additionally, booklets of Golfer’s poetry and prose are available to read in the context of his other work. His writing feels separate from the rest of his work but ties in thematically as Slovenc’s collection also features his writing.

Golfer has impressively synthesized familiar iconography of Jewish identity, such as Anne Frank and Paul Newman, with imagery from his personal travels, to evoke the multiplex relationship between his own identity and the historical narrative. Screen grabs of Paul Newman and an image of Facebook recommending Anne Frank as a friend (“one mutual friend” it notes) contrast photographs of verdant hills in the German countryside and police barriers in Israel. However, knowing that those verdant hills hide residue from WWII battles and those barriers represent Israel’s complicated history with its Middle Eastern neighbors, the collection is more cohesively interpreted as a mixed-media expression of the identity crisis that many young Jews experience.

Golfer described having to fight the instinct to photograph “like a journalist”

when visiting Israel, and as a result threw out lots of material that seemed too much like cliché newspaper documentation, such as photographing a weary protester holding a sign and thus forcing the weight of an entire conflict onto the image of a single person. Golfer’s collection, entitled A House Without a Roof, presents subjects of deep personal importance with an objective eye, drawing comparisons between personal history and present events, which is no small feat.

Matar’s work is concerned with the effects of state-sponsored violence in Libya.

Her father-in-law, Jaballa Matar, a Libyan opposition leader, was kidnapped from his home in Cairo in 1990. The family heard from him only once, when they received a letter in his handwriting explaining he had escaped a maximum-security prison in Tripoli. He was never seen again.

The work displayed by Matar spans a variety of her projects, with photographs taken in Italy capturing the places where violence took place and imagery that represents both sides of Libya’s past. These are displayed in a more minimalist and traditional fashion than her colleagues work. Poetic inscriptions are hung side by side with some photos, adding intrigue and a touch of melancholy to the photographs. The photographs deliberately vary in size, prompting the viewer to move closer to observe some portraits, such as “Leave to Remain”, and back away to observe other larger, more abstract photos at a distance. Matar’s photography is dark, both visually and in subject matter, evoking the weariness of a people who have endured a violent civil war and the mystery of a tragic event in her own family. It was a shame that Matar did not participate in the conversation with her fellow artists, as her work and perspective would have provided for interesting conversation in context with those of Golfer and Slovenc.

“What does it mean to come home?” asked Slovenc, who is a Croatian immigrant. His part of the exhibit, a collection titled Croatian Rhapsody: Borderlands, attempts to address this question with a veritable rhapsody dedicated to Croatia. The photography is nothing touristic; the photographs represent symbols of cultural difference and display the duality of Slovenc’s personal connection and sense of disconnect with his home country.

A “rhapsody” can be a miscellaneous collection, an emotional outburst, or effusively rapturous or extravagant discourse.

Slovenc’s work is all of these. The collection,

Courtesy of the MoCP

“Church Choir #3” by Hrvoje Slovenc from Croatian Rhapsody: Borderlands.

which, like Golfer’s, implements multiple media to enhance the photography, is indeed a miscellaneous collection: a sensual image in inverted black and white, a triptych of abstract prints, a 15-photo series of black-and-white photographs of the backs of several men’s heads. One might describe it as “installation photography” featuring sculptural elements, a large rug representing the Croatian border, and booklets of short stories by the artist. The different elements don’t initially appear linked, in style or subject matter, but when viewed as a cohesive body of work, they provide a view of Croatia that does not want for depth or breadth.

“The more I stayed here, the more critical I was of what was happening, the more clearly I read the past,” Slovenc said.

Slovenc cleverly combines the familiarity of a native Croatian with the perspective of someone many years removed from his birthplace. The advantage of having an outsider as opposed to an insider perspective was a major topic of conversation that night, as Slovenc and Golfer both ruminated on how taking on the role of an outsider in places to which they both claim strong ties informed their photography. Golfer mirrored the sentiments of Slovenc when he remarked, “Both of us are sort of looking backwards and forwards simultaneously.”

Courtesy of the MoCP

“Air-o-gram (Dad to Poppop)” by Adam Golfer from A House Without a Roof.

“Photography doesn’t represent reality” Slovenc argued, but Traversing the Past is an exhibit that showcases masterpieces of perspective—works that are linked by the simultaneous affection and criticism each artist had for their subject matter—which present a truth worth consuming.

Traversing the Past will be on display at the MoCP until April 1.

To Publish or Not to Publish: Is That Even a Question?

BY JAD DAHSHAN ARTS STAFF

Steven Spielberg’s The Post acts as both a Nixonian narrative and a Trumpian tale: cautionary, revelatory, and empowering.

The Post is an adaptation by fi rsttime screenwriter Liz Hannah of Katharine Graham’s Pulitzer Prize–winning memoir Personal History. Graham, a University of Chicago alum (A.B.’38) who died in 2001, was the owner and publisher of The Washington Post for over two decades, guiding the paper through scandals such as the Pentagon Papers and Watergate. Directed by Spielberg, the fi lm details Graham’s decision to publish leaked documents from the Pentagon despite a court injunction against The New York Times for doing just that and pressure from investors with the paper’s IPO on the line. Beyond presenting a triumph of the freedom of press in checking government, The Post chronicles Graham’s personal triumph of coming into her own as a woman in power in an almost exclusively male industry.

The relevance of The Post cannot be lost on anyone who even distantly follows today’s rapid news cycle—it is also one of the reasons Spielberg interrupted his work on his upcoming Ready Player One to swiftly direct The Post in just nine months. In an interview with Jonathan Freedland for The Guardian, Spielberg stated that “the level of urgency to make the movie was because of the current climate of this administration, bombarding the press and labelling the truth as fake if it suited them,” something which Meryl Streep, the fi lm’s lead, has addressed in her recent Golden Globes speech.

As Hannah was writing the screenplay, the possibility of a female president still loomed over the horizon, but when

the election results came out, the “movie took on a different urgency,” as producer Amy Pascal explained in an interview.

Just as the current president attacks news outlets for promoting “fake news,” Nixon attempted to thwart the press after The Times fi rst published a classified study, leaked to them by military analyst what Daniel Ellsberg, on American failures in Vietnam.

Co-star Tom Hanks, during the same interview, added: “That’s what tyrants do, they say: ‘Don’t believe them, only believe me.’” Hanks plays Ben Bradlee in the film, the quick-witted, sharp-tongued executive editor of The Post, a role previously portrayed by Jason Robards in the 1976 Watergate thriller All the President’s Men. With a low growl and biting sarcasm, Hanks brilliantly portrays Bradlee as the quintessentially obstinate yet deeply principled editor ruling his newsroom like a fiefdom. Even before the Pentagon Papers are exposed, while discussing a less groundbreaking story, he stubbornly tells Graham that they “can’t just let the administration dictate [their] coverage just because they don’t like what [they] were saying about them.”

Graham is portrayed masterfully by Streep, who seems to become Graham in all her mannerisms and quirks. Graham moves in Washington’s upper echelons of society, hosting dinner parties with the Secretary of Defense, wearing glamorous caftans, and displaying photos of with her husband along with important politicians on the mantel. Yet, this image of elegance stands in contrast with Graham as the only woman in a sea of suits, nervously fiddling with her notecards before a speech in front of investors after her husband’s suicide leaves her in charge of The Post.

As the struggle between whether to Continued on page 6

6

THE CHICAGO MAROON - JANUARY 23, 2018

“The relevance of The Post cannot be lost on anyone who even distantly follows today’s rapid news cycle” Continued from page 5

publish, (thus jeopardizing the company’s IPO and future), or not to publish (denying the public the truth about the government’s deception) escalates, Bradlee pushes for the riskier option, arguing that “If we don’t hold them accountable, then who will?” Graham’s fi nal decision to risk publishing comes as a crescendo moment reasserting her spine of steel.

As a dinner party (with the disgraced Secretary Robert McNamara in atten-

dance) continues in the garden of her elegant D.C. home, Graham paces as her advisers, accountants, and editors push for different courses of action. Her metamorphosis from elegant hostess to formidable power player is complete. Instead of the woman no one believed could turn a profit at a regional newspaper, belittled by her bankers, she has become the leader of what Post reporter Ben Bagdikian, played by Bob Odenkirk, describes as a “small rebellion.” After choosing to

publish, 17 other news outlets follow the Post’s lead in exposing the government’s corruption, and eventually win their case in front of the Supreme Court. By the time she emerges, beaming, from the courthouse, it has become clear that her triumph against sexism doesn’t entail overturning male authorities as much as it does fi nding self-validation in a society that was telling her she wasn’t good enough.

Sweeping six Golden Globe nomina-

tions, The Post is more than just the story of the triumphant reassertion of the First Amendment or how Katharine Graham became “one of the most formidable women of the 20th Century,” as described by Streep. It’s more than a thriller about investigative journalism or a historical drama. It’s an urgent reminder of the principle behind one of the fi nal lines in the fi lm, “the press was to serve the governed, not the governors.”

Who Run the World? Girls!

Cast of She the People from left to right: Maria Randazzo, Alex Bellisle, and Alexis J. Roston.

BY JULIA PAZ ARTS STAFF

It’s 2018, and there still hasn’t been a female president, and women are still being “mansplained” to on the daily.

The Second City brought She the People: Girlfriends’ Guide to Sisters Doing It for Themselves at just the right

time. A sketch comedy show created, designed, and performed by the women of the The Second City, it roasts the patriarchy and tries to make sense of the world we live in through a female lens.

Directed by Carly Heffernan, the show spanned a spectrum of topics, from clothing, and turning into your mom, to weightier subjects like abor-

Courtesy of Todd Rosenberg

tion. It starts with a scene depicting the messy breakup of female friendships, followed by a satirical remake of razor and shampoo commercials, depicting unrealistic feminine ideals.

The first half of the show continues with sketches on issues like the pain of dieting, mimosas at brunch, catcalling, privilege, women in the workplace, and

the pressures of pregnancy and motherhood. The second half of the show include sketches about the first woman president, taking pride in being smart, the toxic idea of wanting to be “like other girls,” being a grandmother with a daughter-in-law, and debunking the idea that girls are princesses who need princes to be happy.

Audience members were also able to participate in some of the sketches.

The most interactive sketch is a game show called “ You Oughta K now ” (a reference to the iconic song by Alanis Morissette). Company member Maria Randazzo plays game show host, asking questions whose answers the participants (one of whom is an audience member) ought to know. The point is to highlight that people pay attention to meaningless celebrity culture and gossip like the Kardashians but ignore other more important things like current events. The show also has some musical sketches; ensemble member Carisa Barreca, in the style of a Disney musical number, sings about how girls often risk their safety when trying to look for their “princes.”

The sketch comedy show does not rely on one-liners: It builds upon its jokes and seems relevant to a wide group of people. The show will run until April 1 of this year, so don’t miss out on this hilarious show created entirely by the fearless women of The Second City.

EXHIBIT [A]rts [1/24] WEDNESDAY 5–9 p.m. See the Shedd Aquarium in a new light at this “after hours” event, part of Chicago Museum Week. Experts from the aquarium, the Adler Planetarium, and The Field Museum will speak about their work while visitors enjoy hot chocolate, cocktails, and food. Shedd Aquarium, $25, free for Illinois residents.

7 p.m. The Washington Park Arts Incubator will be opening its new exhibit, Eclipsing: The Politics of Night, the Politics of Light, a collaborative project that uses the eclipse as a metaphor.

If you aren’t able to make the opening reception, the exhibit will be open to the public through March 16. Arts Incubator, Washington Park, free.

[1/26] F RIDAY 6 p.m. Attend the opening reception of artist Mike Cloud’s new exhibit, The Myth of Education, at the Logan Center. Using collage and quilting, among other media, Cloud’s fi rst solo Chicago exhibit is bound to be exciting. Logan Center, free.

6–9 p.m. UChicago Arts Pass and UCIJAM invite students and faculty to the Museum of Contemporary Art for College Night, an evening of tours, snacks, and the unique opportunity to participate in Rashayla Marie Brown’s new interactive project. Transportation will be provided. Museum of Contemporary Art, free.

[1/27] SATURDAY 7 p.m. Be sure to catch UBallet’s fulllength production of Cinderella, accompanied by Prokofiev’s score and an array of beautiful costumes. Another show will be on Sunday at 2 p.m. Logan Center for the Arts, $5 students and children/$10 general, $7/$12 at door.

7–8:30 p.m. The Major Activities Board brings the best of Chicago’s comedy scene to campus. See comedians Calvin Evans, The Second City’s Alex Kumin, and Jillian Ebanks, among others.

Theater West, Logan Center, $5.

8–9:30 p.m. Enjoy a night of Spanish-inspired music by French composers.

The French Connection will be UChi-

cago Symphony Orchestra’s fi rst performance of the year, and include Debussy’s Iberia and Fauré’s Le Pas Espagnol, among other great pieces. Mandel Hall, suggested donation of $10 general admission, $5 for students and children.

9 p.m. If you’re looking for some Saturday night theater, TAPS will be performing their pop-up, professionally directed play, Exquisite Pressure: The Misanthrope, written by Molière. Performance Penthouse 901, Logan Center, free.

7

THE CHICAGO MAROON - JANUARY 23, 2018

Split Weekend for South Siders MEN’S BASKETBALL

BY AUDREY MASON SPORTS STAFF

This weekend, the UChicago men’s basketball team played against Carnegie Mellon University and Case Western Reserve University. Both games were close, with the Maroons coming out on top against Carnegie Mellon with a score of 66–64, but losing to Case Western 78–73. UChicago now has a record of 7–9, with a 3–2 record in the UAA conference.

The beginning of the Carnegie game had no clear leader, but third-year Ryan Jacobsen began the Maroons’ forward surge with an and-one layup. This was followed by two three-pointers from third-year Noah Karras and another layup by Jacobsen, giving UChicago a 22–13 lead. Jacobsen and Karras were unstoppable throughout the first half, with

Jacobsen scoring 15 points and grabbing six rebounds, and Karras adding eight points of his own to give UChicago a strong 33–26 advantage going into halftime.

Carnegie started the second half strong, eventually tying the score at 55–55. A dunk and a free throw by fourth-year Jake Fenlon put UChicago back on track, helping create a lead of 64–57. Carnegie began another comeback, and the score was 64–61 when fourthyear Collin Barthel grabbed a rebound, and Fenlon made two free throws, raising the score to 66–61. In the last few seconds of the game, the opponents were in possession of the ball and were down by just two points. Second-year Jordan Baum stole the ball while the clock ran out, leaving the final score at 66–64. Jacobsen recorded a total of 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, both career bests,

while Karras scored 11 points.

The game against Case Western began with the opponents pulling ahead, with UChicago losing 35–27 nearing the end of the first half. However, in the next four minutes before halftime, the Maroons made a huge comeback, scoring 14 more points while Case Western scored none. Fenlon helped immensely with back-to-back three-pointers, giving UChicago a six-point lead going into the second half.

Fenlon began the second half with another triple, but Case Western came back with a 13–3 run to even the playing field. After Karras made a three-pointer, the game was tied at 57–57, but double three-pointers by the opponents left UChicago in the dust for the remainder of the game. In the last minute of the game, Jacobsen’s layup brought the game to a close 76–73, but the opponents pulled far-

ther ahead with a free throw to end the game at 78–73.

The men’s basketball team will play against Emory and Rochester next weekend.

“Our team has improved a lot so far this year on the defensive end with both on ball defense and keeping teams off the offensive boards,” Baum said. “Emory and Rochester are both really good teams, and if we want to give ourselves a chance to win we are going to have to come out with the same energy we had against Wash U a couple weeks ago and be able to maintain it for 40 minutes. We have a tough stretch of games coming up and I think as a team we know that, in order to win these next couple of games, we are going to have to avoid mental mistakes by taking care of the ball and getting the best shot we can every possession.”

Maroons Dominate Opponents at Home WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BY DIESTEFANO LOMA SPORTS STAFF

The University of Chicago women’s basketball team blew past the competition this weekend, remaining perfect in conference play (13–2, 5–0 UAA) with an 82–62 victory at Carnegie Mellon (CMU) and a 91–46 victory at Case Western.

UChicago went off in both games during the second half, maintaining their winning streak at 12 games.

In their match against CMU, the first quarter remained close with the Maroons leading 12–11. The second quarter continued with UChicago eventually extending the lead to a 32–16 margin. In a quarter where the Maroons scored 24 points, half of the points scored came from second-year Taylor Lake and thirdyear Olariche Obi. CMU tried to lower the deficit and scored six points to make

the score 36–22 at the half.

Although the Maroons opened the third quarter strong, going on a 9 –3 run to extend the lead to 17, the Tartans made a comeback, going on a 28–11 run that tied the game at 56 –56 with 9:10 remaining in the fourth quarter.

UChicago’s path to victory started with a layup from second-year Mia Farrell. First-year Marissa Igunbor also played a pivotal role, making shots in the paint that helped secure a victory for the Maroons. She totaled 15 points in just 17 minutes, securing baskets on the 26–8 run UChicago had. Obi was a force to be reckoned with, totaling 20 points, five assists, 10 rebounds, six steals, and three blocks. The Maroons outscored their opponents in the paint 52–18 and had a strong showing from the bench, who outscored the Tartans by a 28–17 margin.

The Maroons’ matchup against Case

Western proved to be one of the most dominant performances they’ve had all season. This was the eighth time the Maroons have beaten an opponent by 20 points or more.

It was a game where the Maroons outscored the Spartans throughout each quarter. Seven minutes into the second half, the Maroons had a 69–29 advantage. The Maroons were efficient from the field, shooting 50.7 percent (37 out of 73 field goals), as opposed to their opponents, who shot 35.3 percent (18 out of 51 field goals). Farrell was a perfect example of the efficiency of the team, scoring 24 points by making 10 out of 13 field goals, and among those four three-pointers.

Obi tallied her fourth-straight double-double, with 12 points and 10 rebounds. In just 13 minutes played, second-year Miranda Burt scored 14 points.

The Maroons took advantage of the 28

turnovers the Spartans had and scored 31 points from turnovers.

When asked about the signifi cance of these blowout victories and if there is room for improvement, Burt said, “We really try to play our best game, regardless of our opponent. Even when we have blowout wins on the scoreboard, we still come into practice the next day with much to work and improve on. It does help our confidence, winning this well and going on this win streak. We know if we hit a rough patch, we can defi nitely play better and quickly get out of it. It’s a huge confidence booster as well, going in to playing two top teams in the UAA the next two weekends.”

The Maroons will face off against Emory University on January 26 at 6 p.m.

EST.

Maroons Fall in Closely Contested Meet WRESTLING

BY KEVIN JOHNSTON SPORTS STAFF

Despite the best efforts of a hard-working Maroons wrestling squad, the team ended up second-best to a very talented North Central team. The meeting between UChicago and North Central was billed as a highly contested encounter, with both sides nationally ranked. No. 14 North Central came in as slight favorites, while the Maroons were ranked 23rd. Although the Maroons put up a valiant effort, being able to only win three matchups doomed the Maroons to a 27–12 defeat.

Injuries played a critical role in affecting the performance of the Maroons—both wrestlers in the 125-pound weight class were injured for the Maroons, meaning

that North Central began the dual meet with a forfeit victory. After North Central then took a victory by decision in the next weight class, the Maroons quickly found themselves at a deficit, a position that they would be in for the rest of the night.

The first victory for UChicago came when first-year Chaise Hauck managed to scrape by with a victory in a closely contested bout that had to go to overtime in order for a winner to be crowned. Second-year Kahlan Lee-Lermer and third-year Jason Lynch were also able to secure victories for the UChicago side, winning by pin and decision respectively.

Although the Maroons managed to keep many of their matches close, an inability to close out and come out victorious in their individual matchups made it difficult to

truly challenge North Central’s lead. The Maroons only lost one matchup by fall, with every other loss coming by decision.

The highest margin of victory for North Central was six points, suggesting that the Maroons were fiercely contesting each fight.

This could also be seen by the lack of losses by major decision.

The team’s emphasis on youth continued, as head coach Leo Kocher gave a statement to the Athletics Department saying that he was greatly impressed with how his first-years fared in such a difficult matchup. In particular, Kocher noted firstyear Gage Bayless’s performance; Bayless fought admirably in one weight class higher up than he was used to, giving his opponent, a two-time NCAA qualifier, a real run for his money. The fighting spirit exhibited by

the Maroons, while not necessarily paying off in terms of a victory, suggests that the team will be able to bounce back quickly and use their experience later in the future.

Third-year John Jayne felt that the meet was a lot closer than the score indicated.

“It wasn’t to be. There were a lot of close matches that were lost on small mistakes,” Jayne reflected.

Even in defeat, there was yet some consolation for Jayne as he described his emotions surrounding the match. “I’m still proud of the lads. All of them showed the spirit of the wolf.”

The Maroons look to bounce back from defeat this Friday and Saturday, where they will compete at the Pete Willson-Wheaton Invitational.

Strong Showing for Maroons on the Road TRACK & FIELD

BY ANNA ROSE SPORTS STAFF

This past weekend, the women’s and men’s track and field teams traveled to Illinois Wesleyan and competed in the I-55 Triangular meet, placing fi rst and second respectively. The Maroons captured a total of 10 event titles, which placed the women’s squad at No. 7 in the nation.

The Maroons’ women’s event winners

included Alisha Harris in the 60-meter and 200-meter, Nicole VacaGuzman in the 400-meter, Robin Peter in the 60-meter hurdles, Alexandra Thompson in the high jump, and Cassidy McPherson in the 1,200-meter. On the men’s side, event winners included Owen Melia in the 800-meter, Ryan Cutter in the 3,000-meter, Patrick LeFevre in the 60-meter hurdles, and Kiyan Tavangar in the 1,200-meter. Conference rival Wash U, unfortunately, beat

out the men’s squad by just 10 points.

Second-year sprinter and hurdler Robin Peter commented on her excitement about this past weekend. “The meet was particularly exciting because we rarely get to run with other schools in our conference this early in the season, particularly Wash U,” Peter said. “We had strong performances from all parts of the team, both on the track and in the field events.”

Third-year sprinter Emma Koether

echoed her teammate’s sentiments and commented on the women’s success this past weekend. “It was great to see our women’s team take home the win,” Koether said. “We have a lot of depth on the team this year. Strengths aren’t just concentrated on one event group, but span across the entire field.”

The team is excited for the rest of the indoor season and, with several athletes Continued on page 8

8

THE CHICAGO MAROON - JANUARY 23, 2018

SPORTS Strong Showing for Maroons on the Road Continued from page 7

injured, are looking to get restored while testing the team’s depth.

“We still have a lot of athletes coming off of injuries, so we are hoping to keep everyone healthy and have people back on the track as the season progresses,” Peter added.

This past weekend was just the beginning for the Maroons. Moving forward, the team is looking to take the next step in all aspects of competition.

“Going forward our main focus will be on upping the intensity,” Koether continued. “We’ve passed the introduction period of the season at the season at this point,

and are now ready to start competing aggressively.”

This upcoming Saturday, January 27, the men’s and women’s track teams will compete in the Grand Valley State Invite at 1 p.m.

“I’m excited for next weekend when we get to race on a 300m track,” Koether

said, reflecting the attitude of the team. “I think everyone will get really pumped up to race on such a fast track, and the times will show for it.”

Tune in Saturday as the men’s track and field team looks to redeem itself and the women’s squad strives for its third straight win.

Positive Senior Day for South Siders SWIMMING & DIVING

BY THOMAS GORDON SPORTS STAFF

This past weekend, the UChicago swimming and diving team celebrated “senior day” at their meet against UW–Milwaukee on Saturday. The Maroons honored their 10 fourth-years (Melissa Bischoff, Dean Boures, Natalie DeMuro, Monica Kieff, Alex Lin, Emma Madden, Nicholas Reuter, Jack Rodman, Luke Trafton, and Florina Yang) before the events started. In what was an emotional day for the seniors, the Maroons performed admirably against their Division I opponent.

The UChicago men’s team had a historic meet. They clinched their first ever dual win versus a DI opponent with a winning score of

152–134. Altogether, the Maroons picked up 11 wins on the mild winter day. It was a very successful day, particularly for second-years Reona Yamaguchi and Taye Baldinazzo, who were both three-time winners. Yamaguchi took first place in the 200-yard medley relay, 100-yard breaststroke, and the 100-yard IM, where he set a new pool record with a blistering time of 52.55 seconds. Baldinazzo took the spoils in the 400-yard freestyle relay, 200yard freestyle, and 500-yard freestyle. Overall, this was a highly successful meet for the men’s team, considering that it was only able to split last weekend’s meet. This should give the team confidence going into the upcoming UAA Championships in mid-February.

The women’s team did not have the same

UPCOMING GAMES SPORT

DAY

Opponent

Women’s Basketball Men’s Basketball Wrestling

Friday Friday Friday

Emory Emory Wheaton

results but performed very well considering their competition. A member of the women’s team set a new school record in the 100-yard IM, which seemed to be the event of the day given the record also set in the men’s race.

First-year Nadia Redza finished with a school record time of 1:00.52 seconds, coming in second. Overall, she was thrilled with how both teams performed.

“Last weekend’s meet was a really good one, especially for the men’s team. They beat a DI school for the first time, even with many out with injuries. The girls’ team had a strong performance after a hard week of training.

A lot of us felt pretty beat down, but we still swam fast times and raced well against Milwaukee,” Redza said.

It makes it even more impressive that these results came with injuries occurring throughout the squad and the lack of tapering for this event. In addition to Redza’s record-breaking performance in the 100 IM, she also won the 200-yard freestyle event.

The women’s team also won the one-meter dive with Natalie Demuro’s performance, the 200-yard breaststroke by first-year Margaret Wolfson and the 100-yard Butterfly by second-year Nicole Garcia. Hopefully both teams are able to take this momentum into the upcoming UAA Championships in Atlanta, which will be a warm reward for all of their hard work through the fall and winter seasons.

M AROON

TIME 6 p.m 8 p.m.

11 a.m.

SPORT Wrestling Men’s Basketball Women’s Basketball

SCORE BOARD W/L Opponent L W W

North-Central CMU Case Western

Score 27–12 66–64 91–46

JOIN THE MLK INITIATIVE! COMING UP SOON—

On Thursday, January 25th, from 12:15 pm to 1:45 pm at the Center for Identity and Inclusion, 5710 S. Woodlawn: “What Dr. King Means to Me”—an inspiring and provocative discussion with one of Chicago’s most remarkable and effective social activists, Rev. Michael L. Pfleger, Pastor of the Faith Community of Saint Sabina. Father Pfleger is the founder of the Employment Resource Center, the Ark Youth Center, Saint Sabina Social Service Center, Thea Bowman Spiritual Advance Center, Samaritan House for the homeless, Saint Sabina 80-unit Elders Village and the Beloved Community, Inc. At the request of Mrs. Coretta Scott King, he was the keynote speaker for the national Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Service held on January 20, 2003, at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, and he was one of the speakers to eulogize Mrs. King on February 8, 2006.

On Saturday, January 27th, from noon to 2 pm at the RainbowPUSH Coalition, 930 E. 50th St.: Dr. Tim Barnett (Northeastern Illinois University), Sarah Ross (School of the Art Institute of Chicago), Kai Parker (University of Chicago), and Dr. Beth Richie (University of Illinois, Chicago) will talk about prisons and education, and their work teaching art and humanities, and offering a new degree program, with the Prison and Neighborhood Art Project at the Stateville Correctional Facility in Joliet.

All events are free and open to the public—first come, first served.

For more information, please contact Bart Schultz, the Director of the Civic Knowledge Project, at rschultz@uchicago.edu or see the MLK Initiative webpage http://civicknowledge.uchicago.edu/ mlk-initiative.shtml