MAY 6, 2016
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892
College Council Avoids Up or Down Vote on China, TBC Divestment BY CHRISTINE SCHMIDT SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
At a well-attended meeting Tuesday, College Council (CC) representatives voted to avoid up-ordown votes on resolutions calling for University divestment from China and for Blue Chips’ divestment from companies associated with Israel in the name of human rights. CC approved motions to postpone indefinitely consideration of the two resolutions, which effectively kills the resolutions for the time being. The resolutions may be brought up again in the future. The room was filled with Asian and Asian-American students, many of whom attended to show
their disapproval of the China divestment resolution and suspicion of its intentions. The resolution was proposed last week by second-years Matt Foldi and Tamar Gordis and first-year Paul Soltys—all nonAsian students—at last week’s meeting. Foldi and Gordis are members of the UChicago Coalition for Peace, a student group that opposes divestment from Israel (the coalition itself is not associated with either of the divestment resolutions considered Tuesday). This issue was raised by a resolution presented by student group U of C Divest calling on the University to change the investments it makes with its endowment.
Who Turned Out To Vote
DIV. SCHOOL
DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR
On Tuesday night, the Student Government (SG) Election and Rules (E&R) Committee ruled that SG president-elect Eric Holmberg’s recording of an April 12 College Council (CC) meeting did not violate SG election code. At the April 12 meeting, current CC Chair Holmberg announced that recording was banned due to the sensitive nature of par t of the meeting agenda, which included a discussion and vote on a resolution calling on the University to divest from companies that pro-divestment g roups see as compl icit i n huma n rights abuses against Palestinians. It later became clear that Holmberg recorded part of the meeting after the secretary, who was responsible for the meeting minutes, left the meeting. He explained to the audience that he would destroy the recording after the meeting. The complaint, filed to E&R by CC member Mike Viola, alleged that Holmberg’s recording violated Illinois eavesdropping law and gave his slate an
THIRD YEARS BOOTH SECOND YEARS
FIRST YEARS
Section With UP Plurality
~25 Graduate Votes
OC Plurality
BY ISAAC STEIN
Moose Plurality Adam Thorp
United Progress Wins Student Government Executive Slate Election BY EMILY FEIGENBAUM SENIOR NEWS REPORTER
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Current and prospective Student Government (SG) members gathered in Reynolds Club at 6 p.m. yesterday awaiting the announcement of election results for the upcoming school year. Polls opened on Monday at 10 a.m. and closed yesterday at election advantage. “ This violation of custom 4:30 p.m. The Election and Rules leaves open the question of (E&R) Committee began to tabuwhat happened to the record- late the votes from each division ing in between the time the of the University at 5 p.m. in recording was taken and de- Reynolds 016. Turnout was 3,969 livered to the secretary,” Vi- voters, up from 3,127 last year. E&R Chair Max Freedman ola explained at the hearing. “ This allows them to tailor the announced the winners, beginminutes in a way that harms ning with United Progress (UP) opponents or to tailor the de- as the new Executive Slate: secscription of the amendments ond-year Eric Holmberg as President, first-year Salma Elkhaoudi [to the resolution].” Viola specifically cited the as Vice President for Administrafact that second-year Unite & Support candidate Sara Zubi’s initials were not included in the meeting minutes, as he said was “custom,” and she was instead referred to on ly as a “ Palestinian second-year.” E&R ruled, however, that Holmberg’s recording BY PETE GRIEVE or his use of the recording in DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR recreating the minutes did not give him an advantage in camKaren Warren Coleman anpaigning for SG president over nounced today that she will step Zubi’s slate. down from her position as Vice “ T he Committee acknowl- President for Campus Life and edges that such a recording Student Services at the end of could be used to advantage a this academic year. Dean of Stucampaign,” read the minutes dents in the University Michele from Tuesday’s hearing. “ Ul- Rasmussen will assume leadertimately, we find that no such ship of the Campus and Student advantage was conferred.” Life (CSL) office. C ody Jones, the Un it ed “This was a very difficult decision, and I regret the prospect Continued on page 4
SENIOR NEWS REPORTER
tion, and graduate student Cody Jones as Vice President for Student Affairs. UP won with 1,403 votes. Our Campus came in second with 1,108, followed by Moose Party with 750, and Unite & Support with 300. 105 voters marked “Prefer Not to Vote.” According to Freedman, voter turnout in the graduate divisions substantially increased in comparison to last year. The Moose Party won the first year vote, Our Campus won among second and third years, and UP won among fourth years. Freedman later confirmed that Our Campus won the overall College vote. UP won all but two graduate divisions; Our Campus won Booth, and Moose won the law school. “I’m really thrilled we won and people thought we were the right
On Monday evening, over 50 student activists representing a variety of RSOs crowded into Reynolds Club to articulate their goals for administrative policy changes, including increased transparency and attention to undergraduate needs. The event was initially pitched as a town hall meeting with administrators, but no administrators showed. In the week before the meeting was scheduled to take place, the students invited Provost Eric D. Isaacs, incoming Provost Daniel Diermeier, Vice President and Secretary of the University Darren Reisberg, and Dean of Students in the College John “Jay” Ellison to attend. None of the administrators attended. At stake was a fundamental disagreement between the students present and the invited administrators on the terms under which they would meet. Fourth-year and current Student Government (SG) President Tyler
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Head Admin for Campus Life to Leave University
“I think it’s impossible for opera to die...”
T he Un iversit y ’s lack of transparency with the endowment leads to misguided students.
At Admin Town Hall Without Administrators, Demands for Tranparency
DIVISIONS
~25 Undergraduate Votes
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HARRIS
LAW SCHOOL
Panel Navigates the Economic Viability of Opera
What’s in the Portfolio?
SSA
FOURTH YEARS
Recording Complaint Stemming from Divestment Debate Dismissed BY SONIA SCHLESINGER
OTHER
VOL. 127, ISSUE 45
of leaving all of the colleagues whom I have come to admire and respect so much,” reads Coleman’s announcement on the CSL website. “At the same time I am excited about the future and the opportunity to pursue new professional challenges.” Rasmussen will keep her current title when she takes over at the CSL office on June 1. Coleman, who cited the changing national “field of student life” in her announcement as the Continued on page 4
Squad Sweeps on Senior Day
Contributing to THE MA ROON
Page 12
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Despite dropping a game against Illinois-Wesleyan, the Maroons managed two wins.
WHPK: Spinning With the Pride of the South Side Page 9 “My estimate is that we have somewhere around 30,000 records—and that’s just vinyl.”
Photo courtesy of the Office of the President
Departing Vice President Karen Warren Coleman
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