Chicagomaroon101317

OCTOBER 13, 2017

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892

VOL. 129, ISSUE 6

University Announces 8.7 Percent Acceptance Rate , Largest Class Size in “Modern History” for Class of 2021 PETE GRIEVE NEWS EDITOR

The acceptance rate for the Class of 2021 was 8.7 percent, the University announced today, a slight increase from the 7.9 percent acceptance rate for the Class of 2020.

The acceptance rate was released in the third paragraph of a UChicago News article, “Diverse Class of 2021 Already Making an Impact.”

The article notes that there are 1,735 students in the Class of 2021, “the largest incoming class in [the College’s] modern history.” There were 1,591

Yield: 72 percent Enrollment: 1,735 students who enrolled in the Class of 2020. The University unexpectedly expanded undergraduate housing options this summer, accommodating

additional students in a new, pr ivately- ow ned apa r tment building north of campus.

The College received 27,694 applications, the article said, which marks a decline from the 31,411 applicants for the Class of 2020.

The yield rate for the Class of 2021 was 72 percent, up from 66 percent for the Class of 2020.

This was the first year that the University accepted binding early decision applications.

ACCEPTANCE RATES

ACCEPTANCE RATES

SINCE 1997

IN US NEWS TOP FIVE

CLASS OF ‘21

8.7%

1. PRINCETON

6.4%

CLASS OF ‘20

7.9%

2. HARVARD

5.2%

CLASS OF ‘16

13%

3. YALE

6.9%

CLASS OF ‘11

35%

5. COLUMBIA

5.8%

CLASS OF ‘06

42%

5. M.I.T.

7.2%

CLASS OF ‘01

58%

5. STANFORD

4.6%

*UChicago is tied at #3.

INCOMING FIRST YEARS, 1999-2017

Numbers taken from Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System reports from 1999, as made public by the University registrar. In 2012, The Maroon reported that an unexpectedly large yield prompted adjustments at the University. — Adam Thorp

First-Year CC Candidates Share Platforms SPENCER DEMBNER

VOTING

NEWS REPORTER

First-years running for College Council participated in a debate hosted by the Chicago Debate Society (CDS) on Tuesday, sharing their ideas on issues including sexual assault, controversial speakers, and support for undocumented students.

Ten of the 18 candidates

CONTINUES TODAY TILL 4:30 P.M.

running to represent the Class of 2021 were present at the debate. The election began on Wednesday and will continue until Friday at 4:30 p.m.

A na nd Sha h , Cheyen ne Wakeland-Hart, and Emilio Balderas are running on the “JACE” slate. They met during the Chicago Bound pre-orientation program, and their platContinued on page 3

City to Begin Water Main Repair Work on 53rd Street FENG YE ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

The Department of Water Management ( DW M ) began preparing for the installation of water mains totaling 2,550 feet in length this Tuesday.

The three sections of water mains will cover East 53rd

Blade Runner: 2045

Ready to Bounce Back

Page 6

Page 8 An 11–0 run for men’s soccer ended Sunday in a match against Emory.

This sequel to a cinema classic is all that could have been hoped for, our reviewer writes.

Street from South Dorchester Avenue to South Hyde Park Avenue, and South Dorchester Avenue from East 53rd Street to East 55th Street.

DWM is collaborating with Benchmark Construction Company on the project. The company has worked mostly in the Continued on page 3

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Try-Me’s Café Opens Page 4

The café in the School of Social Service Administration is affiliated with a non-profit that works with troubled youth.

Crossword: The Dream Page 7

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.

All rights reserved. © The Chicago Maroon 2017

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THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 13, 2017

Events 10/13–10/17 Today

GOP Chair Ronna McDaniel Speaks at IOP

BY KATIA KUKUCKA NEWS REPORTER

Logan Center Bluesfest Logan Center for the Arts, 9 a.m.

The Logan Center Bluesfest kicks off on Friday and will continue through Sunday with performances from the Elvin Bishop Big FUn Trio and Mike Ledbetter Trio, as well as various music workshops and panel discussions. Free workshops, performances are $25 for 21+, $5 for under 21.

Doc Films Poster Sale Ida Noyes Hall, Noon Posters from over 200 movies will be sold for $10 and under.

Graham Allison Book Talk Quadrangle Club (Library), Noon Harvard professor Graham Allison, who was Assistant Secretary of Defense to former president Clinton, will speak about his new book, “Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides’s Trap?”

Tomorrow Obama Presidential Center Panel DuSable Museum, 740 East 56th Place, 2 p.m.

Find out more about the Obama Presidential Center at a panel discussion with the museum’s director and interdisciplinary members of the exhibition design team.

Free.

The Institute of Politics (IOP) hosted Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel at International House on Tuesday for a discussion moderated by Washington Post political correspondent and IOP fellow Karen Tumulty.

“We are in the strongest position we’ve ever been in,” McDaniel said, noting the GOP’s control of both houses of Congress and the presidency. McDaniel thanked what she described as a massively data-driven campaign for the party’s success.

McDaniel said a big part of her job as chairwoman is fundraising and preparing for elections. She is no stranger to this work, having served as chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party prior to assuming her current position.

Mc Da n iel a rg ued that B a rack Obama’s presidential campaigns weakened the Democratic National Committee (DNC), contributing to Republican victories. She said that the creation of Organizing for Action (OFA), which grew out of Obama’s campaign, has created problems for Democrats because there is

an outside group working parallel to the DNC. While the GOP also had outside groups, she said none were as influential as OFA. She said the DNC was rendered largely useless, helping the Republican Party in the 2016 elections.

Tumulty said that despite the party’s overwhelming control of government, the GOP has been unable to push key parts of its agenda. She said the lack of Republican progress, especially the party’s three failed attempts to repeal and replace Obamacare, has not been helped by Donald Trump taking Twitter “potshots” at his own party members.

McDaniel expressed hope for future unity within the Republican Party, saying, “We have to let our policy and purpose unite us…. At the end of the day, we ran on the same things.”

When asked about the President’s tweets, McDaniel said, “He is a businessman who likes things to get done, so this is him saying, ‘Get it done.’”

McDaniel referenced her calls for Hillary Clinton to speak out against Harvey Weinstein. “She’s so critical of the President; why shut your voice down when he’s your friend?” she said. Clinton did ultimately put out a statement, which McDaniel acknowledged.

Tumulty pushed McDaniel to explain her position given that Donald Trump has called Bill O’Reilly “a good person” and Roger Ailes “a very good person.”

McDaniel continued to speak out against Clinton and Weinstein, saying, “I’m never going to be on the side of someone who’s a sexual predator or who’s admitted to sexual assault.” No mention was made during the event to Trump’s infamous recordings in conversation with Billy Bush.

Addressing the GOP’s current plans, McDaniel said that senators, who often face tough interim elections, are calling for a move on tax reform and business deregulation after the health care failure.

She argued that overregulation actually helps big corporations by killing off their smaller competitors, saying, “If you’re a young person coming out of college, and you have an idea, and it’s stifled because of regulations, it’s a real issue.”

As for the future of politics, McDaniel said that the way forward rests in Americans’ ability to communicate with each other, regardless of personal opinion.

“We have to have a dialogue…because there’s a lot more in common than we think,” she said.

CRs and UC Dems Debate Social Security and Medicare

Monday Human Rights Talk with David Miliband Ida Noyes Hall, Noon David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), will discuss the Trump Administration’s travel ban, the EU’s refugee resettlement efforts, and the East African famine crisis.

GSU Rally Main Quad, Noon There will be a rally on the Main Quad with Graduate Students United (GSU) members and supporters the day before the election, scheduled for Oct. 17–18.

Resisting Hate on Campus Franke Institute for the Humanities, Regenstein Library, 5 p.m.

English and art history professor W. J. T. Mitchell will host a conversation with Dima Khalidi, director of Palestine Legal, along with UCLA professor of English and comparative literature Saree Makdisi on responses to the David Horowitz Freedom Center’s recent poster campaign on the UChicago campus.

See more at chicagomaroon.com/events.

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College Republicans and UC Dems join a debate on Medicare and Social Security hosted by the UChicago Political Union (UCPU).

BY KATIA KUKUCKA NEWS REPORTER

The UChicago Political Union (UCPU) hosted the College Republicans and UC Dems on Wednesday for a debate on whether the United States should cut Social Security and Medicare.

The Dems framed their argument around a call to amend and improve Social Security and Medicare, but not outright abandon the programs. The Republicans were quick to agree, saying, “We don’t want to see people left despondent.” The question on the table then became how to fund the programs, or how to change them enough to make funding practical.

The Republicans’ primary suggestion was to raise the minimum retirement age, thus lowering entitlement spending and increasing tax returns as people remain in the workforce longer. They argued that raising taxes on the rich has not been working, as the one percent makes much of its money outside of paychecks.

Third-year and UC Dems president Anaïs Rosenblatt argued that we need to

drive down exorbitant health care costs rather than restrict coverage t --- o meet cost constraints. “It’s one thing to say you don’t want to cut people off, but put your policy where your mouth is,” she said.

She and her debate partner, fourthyear and UC Dems treasurer Daniel Jellins, added that in more labor-intensive lines of work, it’s not always feasible to stay in the workforce until old age. They said that raising the retirement age, as the United States has 20 times in the past eight years, is not a solution.

Third-year and UCPU president Adam Chan said the debate topic was chosen because it holds no bias toward either side and because both clubs agreed it would facilitate an interesting discussion.

“At UChicago, where we tend to lean left, you’re not going to get someone who will just say ‘eliminate, eliminate!’ You’ll instead get more into the details of the plans,” he said. A preliminary poll of the audience at the debate indicated a vast Democrat majority.

Fourth-year Matthew Foldi, president of College Republicans, remarked, “If they

Avinash Rao

say people over 65, in essence, can’t work, the question I wanted to ask them [UC Dems] was, ‘Can Bernie Sanders be president?’” Another member interjected that this would also rule out Donald Trump.

“In essence, whether a Democrat or a Republican, you want to help people that are over the age of 65 or at some retirement age,” said second-year Eugene Miravete, who argued for the College Republicans along with fourth-year James Miller. “The problem is, if…the math doesn’t work out, they’re not going to get the money.”

“Though we disagree, we were incredibly happy to have the debate,” Foldi said, adding that he looks forward to future debates. “It was good to have some cross-partisan dialogue.”

UCPU describes itself on its Facebook page as focused on providing a space for political discourse among people with diverse views. The group hosts regular debates and has monthly meetings at the Institute of Politics.

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THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 13, 2017

Prospective Class of 2021 SG Reps Participate in CDS-Hosted Debate Continued from front

focused on providing University-subsidized housing for cultural groups on campus, such as Movimiento Estudiantial Chicanx de Aztlán (MEChA).

Josue Sican, who did not attend the debate, is the fourth member of that slate.

Zeeshan Khan, Myles Hudson, Raven Rainey, and Tony Ma are running together as the “ZMRT” slate, which says its priorities are diversity, community engagement, and student life.

David Morales, Malay Trivedi, and Kyle Shishkin also participated as individuals, and Jesse Davila-Pahl gave written answers in advance.

Candidates universally expressed support for undocumented students as well as for initiatives to expand access to menstrual products. College Council was active on both of these issues last year.

The candidates generally disagreed with College Council’s past support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, expressed in an April 2016 resolution in favor of divesting from companies tied to Israel. Candidates rejected the measure, seeing it as outside College Council’s mandate.

“College Council’s job is not to be advocating for specific international political issues,” Morales said. “If we advocate for BDS, it ultimately means that we’re drawing away time from other important issues, [and] we are in over our heads when

Candidates also discussed the University’s policy of permitting controversial speakers on campus. They expressed support for free expression and protests, provided they remain nonviolent.

When asked whether candidates’ goals are achievable in College Council, most expressed cautious optimism.

“There’s a very limited budAvinash Rao

A candidate speaks at the debate. we talk about this issue.”

Others expressed concern that divestment would cause unnecessary economic pain.

“BDS cripples the regional economy, hurting Jews and Palestinians alike,” Ma said. “It leads more people into unemployment, which leads to extremism, which leads to more lasting conflicts in that region.”

T urning to campus life, candidates clashed over the University’s relationship with fraternities. Most were explicit about the need to reform Greek life, with Trivedi arguing that sexual assault “surrounds fraternities.”

“I don’t personally believe that there’s anything wrong with having a party,” Balderas said. “It’s just remaining in constant dialogue with RSOs, so that when there are parties, they aren’t damaging to certain groups on campus, and that it is open and inclusive for all students.”

Morales pushed back, arguing that the focus on fraternities

is misguided.

“I think it’s important not to conflate fraternities automatically with sexual assault or racism,” Morales said. “I think the right question is how do we react when something goes wrong in a fraternity, and how do we prevent it from happening?”

At one point, candidates were asked whether UChicago should become a smoke-free campus.

Most candidates thought the proposal went too far, but were sympathetic to limiting areas on campus that allowed smoking.

Trivedi was more in favor of the smoke-free proposal, but also supported designated smoking areas rather than a total ban.

“Smokers on campus who are of age have the legal right to smoke—I don’t think that’s something that the University has the right to limit,” Hudson said. “But also, I think that for people on campus who have respiratory issues like myself, it’s only fair that the University push for people to smoke in designated areas.”

New Water Mains To Be Installed Tuesday Continued from front

commercial, health care, senior living, higher education, and specialty sectors, according to their website.

The new water mains will be constructed as a part of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s “Building a New Chicago” program, which was initially designed to be a $7 billion investment stretching over three years. With the support of the program, DWM launched a 10-year capital program in 2011 with the goal of replacing 880 miles of water mains across the city, among other water management efforts.

DWM plans to replace more than 90 miles of water mains across Chicago in 2017.

Hyde Pa rk ’s old wat er mains date back to 1890. In a written statement last Thursday, Randy Conner, commissioner of the Department of Water Management, said that the construction is expected to be completed by the end of this year. In mid-April next year, the water mains will go

through restoration.

Traffic may be limited while the crew works on the street.

During work hours, generally from 7 a.m.–4 p.m., “No Parking” signs will be posted.

Residents can register at BuildingANewChicago.org for the WaterAlert program in order to receive emails about the progress of the construction work. The project identification number is 1701163.

Conner reminds residents

get, but we are failing to take into account where our true power comes from,” Balderas said. “We’re a representative of the Class of 2021. That means we’re elected by 1,500 students, and that means what we say matters.”

that, once the old water mains are replaced by the new mains, they should f lush for around five minutes to rid any sediment, r ust, or metals. “ I f your water line has been idle or stag nant for more than 6-hours, it is advised that you flush for at least 5 minutes to maintain water quality. This may include f lushing the toilet, taking a shower and doing laundry,” Conner wrote.

Jordan Larsdon

Workshop Addresses Teaching Race in Core

BY XIAOYU GAO NEWS REPORTER

The Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture hosted a workshop Monday on “Teaching Race in the Core.”

By the end of the session, participants had proposed strategies for promoting conversation to examine racial biases. These included communal ground rules for discussion, syllabi containing explicit statements about accessibility and inclusion, and assignments that spoke exclusively to students’ identities.

The workshop was led by the Race and Pedagogy Working Group, a group of academics across a variety of disciplines that aims to explore the intersection of racial justice and pedagogy. About 20 participants, mostly teaching assistants and former and current instructors in the Humanities and Social Science Core, reflected on how to handle issues of race within the Core curriculum.

Anthropology Ph.D. candidate and Power, Identity, and Resistance instructor Mary Robertson and music history Ph.D. candidate and Introduction to Western Art Music instructor Woo Chan Lee moderated the event.

The workshop began with the question, “When and how does race come up as an explicit topic of conversation in the classroom?”

The group shared opinions about how to approach explicit racial components of certain course materials, which might require balancing traditional analyses and distinct perspectives on historical racial politics.

The next question, “When does race not come up?” inspired discussion on the absence of race in the classroom and the reasons behind it.

“There is a certain kind of established narrative that…in the 18th century, England is where the rise of the novels took place,” said English literature Ph.D. candidate Allison Turner, who has worked as a writing intern in Core courses.

“I tried to teach this narrative, and that became the place where it would seem convenient to avoid talking about race, because people don’t know how to incorporate that into a discussion about this important development.”

By raising this example, Turner explained how teaching historical objects within a non-racialized

context occurred in the classroom.

Media Aesthetics instructor Kalisha Cornett attributed this to the predominantly European intellectual models which dominate Core courses, producing a lack of alternative perspectives for students.

The third question brought up what kind of race conversations teachers want students to have in the classroom. The group generally agreed that consciousness of the structural aspects of race is crucial. “[We could] recognize that there is a system in place permitting people to perform the racism that the students see,” Cornett said. “We could talk about the ways in which all of the external things are acting on us to make the choices that we made.”

Later, Demetra Kasimis, a political science assistant professor and Classics of Social and Political Thought instructor, brought up the fine line between thinking about racial issues through a more unified approach as recurrent problems throughout history, and thinking about them more separately, each contingent on specific sociohistorical conditions.

She explained that she asks students in class to raise present-day analogies to the societal hierarchy in Plato’s Republic, which metaphorically uses the values given to different metals to parallel the values assigned to different kinds of human nature. Students found this uncomfortable, she said, and felt reluctant to see that such analogies exist. “There are analogies or allegorical ways to look at these [differences]… even if they don’t correspond totally,” Kasimis said.

Paul Cato, a Ph.D. candidate in social thought, brought up two possible strategies to better address race that were inspired by a summer course where he worked as a teaching assistant. He suggested that one could set optional readings which situate canonical texts in relation to relevant issues of gender and race, or that one could change the order of readings so students encounter and discuss texts that deal with race, or are written by authors of color, at the beginning of the course rather than at the end.

A related panel titled “Antiracist Pedagogy, Here and Now” will be held on November 7 and will feature three speakers from the University.

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THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 13, 2017

New SSA Café Holds Grand Opening

BBQ Joint Comes to Hyde Park

BY ALEX WARD ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

Try-Me’s café is located in the School of Social Service Administration, south of the Midway. Photo of the issue by Anant Matai.

BY ANANT MATAI NEWS REPORTER

Try-Me’s café at the School of Social Service Administration (SSA) celebrated its grand opening on Tuesday, October 10. The café is run by Lawrence Hall, a youth and family services organization.

A “tasting party” took place in the SSA lobby, offering a selection of the café’s menu options, including salads, wraps, bagels,

and coffee from Metropolis, the high-end coffee roaster that the café sources from.

The café’s soft opening was in April. The youth crew members employed by the café underwent training throughout the summer in preparation for Tuesday’s grand opening. According to Sean McGinnis, vice president of the youth community development programs at Lawrence Hall, the event was a success, with around 100 people attending. There were no opening remarks, but repre-

sentatives from Lawrence Hall attended to share more about the program and their initiatives.

The café is an expansion of Lawrence Hall’s culinary arts program, aimed at mentoring and training youths with real work experience. “What happens is, they work with me for six to nine months. At about month six, we start working on job skills— finding them better jobs,” said Damond Hayes, the manager of the café and instructor of the four youth crew members at Try-Me’s.

“Training goes from in the café to more of getting prepared for career development.”

It takes Parvion McDonald, a 20-year-old employee living in Calumet City, almost two hours of commute to get to Try-Me’s. “[The commute is] worth it because I like doing it. It’s fun. People come in, I give ‘em a smile, thank you, have a nice day,” Parvion said.

Try-Me’s is open from 8 a.m.– 7 p.m. on weekdays, with shorter hours on the weekends.

BBQ Supply Co. will open in Yusho’s former location on 53rd Street today, expanding Hyde Park’s barbecue options.

T he Un iversit y- ow ned st oref ront has been empty since July of this year, when all Yusho locations nationwide closed.

The first BBQ Supply Co. location opened in 2 010 in Rogers Park as Rubs Country Smokehouse. The owner, Chicago native Jared L eonard, changed the franchise name earlier this year.

The new location features a steel smoker, seating for more than 60 people, and 24-karat gold window signage. The restaurant will also feature a selection of whiskey and bourbon.

The Rogers Park location of fers br isket , w i ngs, sausage, and a Wagyu beef brisket burger, among other barbecue classics.

BBQ Supply Co. w ill be open 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. f r om Tuesday to Thursday and 11 a.m.–10 p.m. from Friday to Sunday.

Core Values Embracing the Philosophy of the Core Is a Solution to Our Especially Amoral Political Moment

BY HENRY SAROYAN MAROON COLUMNIST

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At this point, many of my friends are sick of my admiration for the great Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek. Whenever they come over, instead of blaring the Chainsmokers, I play viral inter-

“something something critique of ideology,” mind-boggling references to Kant and Marx, and frantic tangents that culminate in an anecdote about physicist Niels Bohr.

Unlike the popular Chainsmokers, whose song lyrics tell us to “get drunk on the good life,”

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ordinary of human beings.” views of Zizek, often showcasing my carefully studied impression of him.

I am always shocked when my gestures are met with not awe but annoyance. Perhaps Zizek’s idiosyncrasies—his thought, lifestyle, and gesticulations— are not for everyone. Redundant sometimes is the almost systematic nature of his presentation:

underlying Zizek’s inimitable style is a serious thesis: that ideology is not dead and is the stuff that meaning is made from. That our culture and moral compass are defined by privileging some ideas over others. The Chainsmokers represent our modern political culture where hedonism is king, while Zizek triumphs philosophy for its ability to judge

social arrangements and conceive of higher political possibilities.

Zizek’s defense of philosophy should appear familiar to UChicago students. Indeed, within Zizek and the Core alike we see a reliance on contemplation’s power to help us live a good life. For the principle of the Core is that there are a set of basic predicaments, questions, and experiences essential to the human condition, carefully developed and preserved by the Western canon.

From its founding, our university deemed such texts too important not to be inscribed in its curriculum. That, as undergraduates, we ought to prioritize two years of contemplation cogitating on anything from the Iliad to Hegel’s theory of consciousness, over fields of a more professional nature (post-graduate financial outcomes be damned!).

And though the University might formally refrain from social commentary (true to the dictums of the Kalven Report!), it cannot abandon its boldest political principle: that thinking about the great treasures of the canon provide guidance essenContinued on page 5

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THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 13, 2017

VIEWPOINTS “In the era of Trump, prejudices have exploded the excesses of our social order...”

Continued from page 4

tial to both the most austere of scholars and the most ordinary of human beings.

The commitment to theories old and new is not some performative triumph of rarified traditions floating within history. Nor is it an aesthetic statement: We don’t have a library upon whose façade are displayed the names of Plato, Hobbes, and Foucault. (For a similar sight, visit a certain school in New York.) Instead, our principles have been reified by members of our own community:

life in tension with one another?

Do humans have political ends aside from those proclaimed by society? These puzzles constitute the lifeblood of our university.

They are mystifying challenges.

But for Strauss, these questions are inescapable if we hope to ever resist nihilism and admit the existence of right and wrong.

Strauss also thought that modernity imperiled political philosophy. By treating value systems as fictions and mere contingencies, social science and historicism obliterate the possibility of

“What makes for good political rule?

How are the philosophic life and political life in tension with one another? These puzzles constitute the lifeblood of our university.”

people like preeminent political theorist Leo Strauss.

My article cannot faithfully describe Strauss’ two decades at Chicago. But to put it briefly, Strauss believed that examining the canon reveals a horizon of problems that humanity has forever grappled with. What makes for good political rule? How are the philosophic life and political

objective truth. Modernity has made our world “unintelligible” to us, aborted reason’s sovereignty, and rendered the pursuit of wisdom, philosophy itself, impossible. So with little recourse to a contemplative life, modern politics makes its appeals not to our reason but to our biologically ordained self-interest (like material prosperity).

But if we were to take off our Chicago hats for just a moment and realize that Donald Trump is president, these considerations would appear foreign, ethereal, and pompous. Today we face a crisis caused by the perils of political polarization, erosion of democratic consensus, and the daily absurdities of a mindless president incontinent enough to sacrifice love of country for his own ego. These are serious, dangerous, and existential. So perhaps even arguing that we ought to spend more time bloviating over philosophers of centuries-past is an objectionably privileged stance, too divorced from the tangible horrors of today’s politics. Strangely enough, such an argument is common even on our notoriously theory-loving campus. Yet I insist that the more longstanding, if not subtler, tragedy is the endless violence done to our status as reasoning creatures and the failure to support unshakeable moral tenets over pure hedonism.

In the era of Trump, economic anxieties and prejudices have exploded the excesses of our social order and have been used against the liberal democratic principles (from the rule of law to property rights) no longer capable of quietly sustaining our grand system of selfishness. Even the few calls for decency we see today are radically incapable of escaping the flawed logic of a society whose supreme political principles are

“Rebuking the potential power of ideology is not just deeply unimaginative; it’s dangerous.

Thoughtful rumination over our society’s values are what should ground our conception of good policymaking.” those of productivity, economic efficiency, and self-interest.

As a result of our increasingly immoral political moment, otherwise well-intentioned liberals and concerned citizens tailor their defense of Dreamers with the basest of bad appeals—that rescinding DACA will harm the U.S. economy and deprive thousands of their God-given mandate to grow the American GDP. Woe unto the gullible hap who cares about the inherent equality of all human beings over dignity predicated merely upon one’s productivity! Or take Barack Obama’s recent recommendation of “setting ideology aside” to fix the American health care system.

In spite of my reverence for him, whose presidency is now becoming but a cruel fantasy trapped within the West Wing, Barack Obama is categorically wrong.

Ideology informs us and progressives like the 44th president that health care is a right in the first place. A more shortsighted,

pragmatic assessment of today’s politics would suggest otherwise, and to the detriment of millions of Americans. Rebuking the potential power of ideology is not just deeply unimaginative; it’s dangerous. Thoughtful rumination over our society’s values are what should ground our conception of good policymaking—not the ugly valorization of “subjective choice preferences,” utility maximization, and technocratic zealotry.

If we are ever to recover political legitimacy, we must champion the Core and its defense of the “life of the mind.” Anything short from the University of Chicago only harms us and emboldens flawed social arrangements and thereby the hilarious, dumb, and evil despotism that has been unleashed upon America.

Henry Saroyan is a second-year in the College majoring in political science.

Sons of the Gun Mass Shooters Are Creations of Our Toxic Society, Not “Terrorists” Distinct From Us

Ashton Hashemipour There is a phenomenon that happens so often in this country that it’s as American as baseball, apple pie, and states’ rights— shooters (generally white males) massacring scores of innocent people. After each of these shootings, we, on- and off-campus, reignite the debate over the defi-

nition of terrorism. Noteworthy publications, like Rolling Stone, will label the shooter a “domestic terrorist,” while others will claim that he is a “lone wolf.” So, should we use the word “terrorism” to describe events like the Las Vegas shooting?

The short answer: no. There

“We give these shooters a label and separate them from the rest of us.

American’s don’t have to reckon with themselves if it’s merely terrorists committing these atrocities.”

are certainly examples of American mass shootings that feel more like terrorism because the shooters had more expressly radical goals. Think the Planned Parenthood shooter, who was steadfastly convinced of the immorality of abortion, or Dylann Roof, who was motivated by racial animus. Because they vocalized their beliefs before or after their crimes, they were able to develop and identify with fringe communities not usually associated with sensible Americans.

But we cannot paint all violence with a single brush: The majority of mass shooters do not act in the name of a cause and are not parts of ideological networks. Random shooting-at-will is axiomatically not the same as organized, targeted attacks on specific demographics of people.

Using the word “terrorism,” because it’s so strongly associated with obvious and communal radicalization, can de-emphasize how many of these shooters are actually woven into the fabric of American society. We call them

“terrorists” as a way to other-ize them. Many use the word with good intentions, because it offers a strong condemnation of white shooters, who previously were sanitized as “lone wolves” unlike their Muslim counterparts. However, it also shows how our society finds it so repulsive that seemingly innocuous people—people who walk among us—could perpetrate such acts of violence, that we attempt to categorize them with those who were distinctly on the fringes of society. In the same way that many of us liberals on campus were stunned after the 2016 presidential election upon finding out that swaths of silent Americans held such objectionable views, our fellow Americans who are willing to commit these acts are inconspicuous in their radicalism, unlike typical terrorists.

Instead of evaluating how, especially among the white population, fanaticized gun culture is a fundamental part of American society, we give these shooters a label and separate them from

the rest of us. Americans don’t have to reckon with themselves if it’s merely terrorists committing these atrocities. In the case of mass shootings, there is generally little reason to suspect that people are capable of and willing to commit such acts—that’s why the families and friends of those who commit these shootings are often shocked when they learn of the actions of their loved ones.

The people capable of committing these shootings are not political extremists; they are not people who are somehow separated from us. Our society’s fetishization of guns, and the accessibility of such weapons, allow ordinary people to do horrible things. And nothing short of a fundamental change in American society will stop these acts of horrific violence from continually plaguing us.

Ashton Hashemipour is a second-year in the College majoring in political science.

6

THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 13, 2017

ARTS

Blade Runner Sequel Poses Cutting Questions

BY MICHAEL SHERMAN MAROON CONTRIBUTOR

After an abysmal summer for Hollywood in terms of its return on investment, and for moviegoers in terms of quality films, it seemed that Blade Runner 2049 might be the blockbuster hit to reverse the course of the year’s cinema. Despite huge financial expectations from Hollywood, the movie, at least preliminarily, has not delivered. 2049 most certainly reached the expectations that critics had in the context of the original Blade Runner. Unfortunately, the best and worst cinematic tropes from the original remain in the sequel.

The decision to have Denis Villeneuve direct the film might not be a draw for the general film audience, but for cult fans and film nerds, Villeneuve was key. With Sicario and Arrival, Villeneuve firmly established himself among the likes of Christopher Nolan as a director who is able to deliver substantial ambitions, philosophical and otherwise, to the masses. I had faith that a film world I loved would not be defiled with inappropriate creative decisions. By having not just critical but also commercial success, Villeneuve’s triumph could signal to studios that audiences are not satisfied with the unthinking garbage produced in Michael Bay’s testosterone-fueled dreams. In effect, studios would produce more intelligent and thought-provoking works of art.

Philosophically, 2049 is an anomaly among high-budget Hollywood action behemoths. In the vein of its predecessor, 2049 addresses the central and crucial philosophical questions of modern life.

From start to finish, the movie incessantly returns to dialogue about each character’s relationship to living an authentic life. As holograms look for love, as replicants search for meaningful lives, as humans trapped in bubbles create memories, viewers are given constant visual cues that remind them of this central theme.

Such heavy questions could drive an en-

Warner Bros. and Sony

From left to right: Jared Leto, Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, and Ana de Armas star in Blade Runner 2049. tire movie, yet the movie uses its full run ning time (2 hours 43 minutes) to also ask the viewer even more questions about the nature of souls, bodies, and free will. Additionally, 2049 returns to address similar themes about social and economic hierarchies that are present in the original.

Disappointingly, the way these themes are addressed is comically problematic.

For instance, in one scene where the protagonist, K (Ryan Gosling), is in a serious conversation with his boss, Lieutenant Joshi (Robin Wright), she bluntly tells him that he lacks a soul. A moment like this could resonate with any member of the audience who has ever had to experience racism, sexism, transphobia, or other such prejudices from a superior. This scene could have been much more meaningful

had any person of color (POC) been given a major role that was not equivalent to a sexual object. The only POC with more than one scene is Ryan Gosling’s digital girlfriend, Joi. Furthermore, the sexual relationship that develops between Joi and K is a reminder of the fact that Rick Deckard is depicted as sexually assaulting his love interest in the original.

If the audience is able to look past some of the film’s highly questionable thematic decisions, 2049 has wonderful visuals.

Keeping a consistent aesthetic with its predecessor, 2049 expands the presence and understanding of the universe with great beauty. In addition to the rain-filled, bleak vision of a future Los Angeles, there are beautifully composed shots of the nuclear fallout in Las Vegas and the serenity

of a quiet farm. These shots consistently flow out of the world that audiences can remember from the original film in 1982.

Ultimately, any given frame from this film could be screenshot and turned into a desktop wallpaper background.

The stunning visuals, the intense philosophy, and the consistency with the already established universe of Blade Runner are all that could have been hoped for with this sequel. Perhaps because so much exists in this movie that I love, the glaring flaws flash more brightly than they do in other films. Even so, if you only see one movie in theaters this autumn, you cannot do any better than Blade Runner 2049.

Improv Comedy Plans for Revolution at The Revival

BY CLAIRE POTTER CONTRIBUTOR

Last Saturday night, The Revolution Will Not Be Improvised! premiered at The Revival. Directed by Molly Todd Madison, the show comically juxtaposed first-world problems of modern life and contemporary social justice issues to deliver poignant social criticism.

“White silence is white consent!” chanted the performers, beginning the show with familiar protest cries. Then, the tone shifted suddenly from the contentious to the more commonplace as performers began complaining about the everyday: one whined about how she was “starving” for a snack, another about how she was exhausted, and a third about how his flat feet made his back hurt. A fourth told a South Side resident that he was lucky to

find parking while she, meanwhile, had to pay off $500 parking tickets. In the context of the social injustices raised by the show’s opening protests, their lack of activism seemed petty in comparison.

Pressing social issues continue to be ignored by characters in the next sketch, where two Whole Foods employees instead invented issues to fret about, warning customers about the potential risks of their products (“It’s a conspiracy!” was the refrain of the sketch). One customer tried to buy toothpaste, but was deterred by warnings that the government is using fluoride-infused water to poison its citizens.

The next was about to buy greens until she learned that a Brazilian vegetable farm experienced a salmonella outbreak.

“Who still eats?” quipped the employee after the last customer left.

A later skit focused on a teenage girl

who is excited to be recruited by the allwhite Carleton High School cheer team until her teammates tell her that if she can’t twerk or make their dance more “ghetto,” they don’t see a place for her on their team. Although spoken in a comedic setting, such comments magnified everyday demonstrations of discrimination, adding to the show’s social critique.

In a later skit, a father and his adult daughter reminisced about his efforts to make her proud of her heritage: At times, he adopted extreme methods, such as making her wear traditional African dresses while listening to James Brown’s “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud!” every day for Black History Month, or having her wear green for St. Patrick’s Day to give different cultures recognition. However, the skit ended with the daughter understanding her father’s greater purpose of

fostering pride in her heritage, and feeling appreciative of his efforts.

The show ended with a continuation of the first sketch, but with the previously callous and oblivious characters gaining a new perspective: The character who complained about being exhausted decided to volunteer more in her community; the one who whined about needing a snack realized that she is in a position to help people who are in need of food to survive.

The show’s ending echoed the opening, connecting themes that united the various skits to make a strong claim: Revolution doesn’t just happen. As amusing as improvised sketch comedy is, The Revival’s message with this show is clear—social change happens when people plan.

7

THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 13, 2017

Chicago Bulls Season Opener CHICAGO BULLS

BY CAVELL MEANS SPORTS EDITOR

Last year, there was some buzz coming out of the United Center’s hardwood.

The Bulls, six years removed from Derrick Rose’s MVP season and an Eastern Conference Finals berth, had a reloaded core of Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, and Rajon Rondo. Shooting was a major concern, but that solid three-man lineup surrounded by young players was bound to do something, right? Depending on what your definition of “something” was, the Bulls achieved, making the playoffs as the eighth seed, and scaring the first seed Boston Celtics with a quick 2–0 series lead before losing in six.

No one was getting younger, but the Bulls could roll that lineup back out for another year, couldn’t they?

Wade was bought out, and paired up with King James in Cleveland. Rondo had the tall task of assisting the new “Twin Towers”—Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins—in New Orleans. Perhaps most surprisingly, Butler was reunited with Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota, in a deal that brought Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, and Lauri Markkanen to Chicago. Thus, the next few years will serve to rebuild the Bulls, after this past half-decade of peaks and valleys.

Fortunately, losing is looking to be very beneficial for the Bulls this season, although only time will tell how low they can reach.

Currently, LaVine is the Bulls’ best player and prospect, while simultaneously nursing an ACL injury suffered in February. The two-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion and his new franchise are down-

playing any concerns about his long-term health going forward, with general manager Gar Forman saying, “until he comes in, and he’ll come in early next week and take his physical, I don’t think we’ll have any kind of timeline on it.” Fans have reason to be concerned, as they’ve seen an uber-athletic Rose tear his ACL and never fully seem to recover. LaVine is scheduled to come back around mid-November and be the focal point of the offense, but with this team, he may rest many games, just to be safe.

So far, five games into the preseason, the Bulls are a solid 3–2, with wins over New Orleans, Cleveland, and Milwaukee.

These games don’t count toward much, as teams tend to kick it into another gear once the games matter, but it will be important to cherish all the wins Chicago gets this year. Furthermore, in LaVine’s absence, other players are showing out, like guard Justin Holiday. Holiday leads the team in scoring and steals, and had 28 points to go with 11 rebounds against Wade, LeBron, and the Cavaliers in their last game. Even more promising, rookie Markkanen had an impressive 18 points with five rebounds against Cleveland. Shooting 4–7 from threepoint range, Markkanen hopes to measure up to other shooting bigs like Dirk Nowitzki and Kristaps Porzingis throughout his career.

It might not be a fun season for Bulls fans. All negatives have upsides though, as it is a great year to watch college basketball instead. Who knows, maybe one of those young NCAA athletes will don the red and black for the 2018–19 season!

Across 1. Root, as a fan 6. Cold weather coat 11. Doubting noises 14. Enough to spare 15. It’s worn above 6A 16. “Don’t delay!”

17. “Ta-da!”

18. “They say that...”

19. Capt.’s prediction 20. Big strings 22. Destiny 24. Apt name for a cook?

26. Many, many years 27. Long-short-short’s, to a poet 28. Famous Mother of Calcutta 30. ß’s 31. Sweat it up 32. Wyoming’s Grand ___ National Park 33. Bus. execs 36. Students’ goals 39. Yahoo! competitor 40. Have faith in 41. Jollity 42. Lead on

This crossword originally appeared in the M aroon on Friday, October 6. It was successfully completed by Lisette González-Flores, Márcó Anáyá, Sebastián Villegas Mejía, and Brian Morales (group solved), Justin Glen, and Annie Nazzaro.

THE DREAM

BY CHRISTOPHER JONES 43. Burning need 44. Patio relative 47. College student lack, often 48. Feel sick 49. Some, but not a lot 50. Cease and ___ 52. Pig haven 53. Bright-eyed 55. “The city of a thousand minarets” 58. Everyday college activity (Abbr.)

59. Female relative 60. Loud, as a crowd 61. “Just the Way You ___” (Bruno Mars song) 62. Epic journeys 63. Kids, in Colombia Down 1. Warrior’s foe 2. Medical insurance grp.

3. Foodie 4. Competitor of Vogue

5. Bathroom shower?

6. Particle named for a letter 7. Cries heard in Hamburg 8. Singer Carly ___ Jepsen 9. Source of the loudest sound heard by human ears 10. Like Beyoncé and Michael Jordan 11. Them 12. Valet’s place 13. Smacks, as a bug 21. Hawaii’s Mauna ___ 23. Randolph and Division: Abbr.

24. Boiled water 25. Lone Star state 27. Coup ___ 29. Historical period 30. Savage 32. Grayish brown 33. Flux 34. Father: Prefix 35. Region south of the Sahara

37. It’s made for lolling 38. Watson and AlphaGo, e.g.

42. “___ dat” 43. Prosecutors, for short 44. Company led by Elon Musk 45. Key also known as “return” 46. Rolls’ partner, re. 47A 47. Goddess of agriculture 50. Clobber 51. Delhi dress 54. “You don’t say!”

56. 1990s Indian P.M. 57. Surgery locales, for short The solution to this week’s puzzle will be published next week, alongside the names of the first three solvers to email a picture of the completed puzzle to editor@ chicagomaroon.com.

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8

THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 13, 2017

SPORTS Maroons Ready to Bounce Back MEN’S SOCCER

BY ALYSSA RUDIN SPORTS STAFF

This weekend, the men’s soccer team looks to continue their fantastic season with two matches at home against UAA opponents, No. 20 Carnegie Mellon and Case Western. UChicago is currently 11–1 and ranked fourth in the country, with their only loss coming last weekend.

The Maroons absorbed a heartbreaking 3–0 loss against Emory last Saturday, their first regular season loss in 29 games. While they outshot Emory 13–7 and had more corner kicks 5–1, they simply could not put the ball past the Eagles’ goalkeeper. For the first time since November 5, 2016, the Maroons were held scoreless.

Fourth-year captain Stacey Reimann believes, however, that this loss was the catalyst the team needed to rekindle their fire and focus. “As a senior, the loss definitely hit home for me.

Knowing that I will never have the chance to rematch Emory is a hard feeling, and one I don’t want to feel again with any other team, especially our conference rivals. Now, a few days removed

from the game, Saturday’s loss was definitely a positive for our team,” Reimann said.

“When you go undefeated for as long as we did, it is easy to look the other way at minor issues like bad training habits or areas of poor focus,” Reimann continued. “This past week, however, the team and coaches have come together to discuss these issues and proactively work on improving them in practices and film sessions. ” Outside of that singular tough loss, Chicago has been a force to be reckoned with on the pitch. They were a perfect 11–0 and ranked first in the country beforehand. In their only other two matches against ranked opponents (No. 22 Carthage College and No. 19 Loras College), the Maroons beat both teams handily: 3–1 and 3–0, respectively.

Chicago’s success has been boosted by some fantastic individual performances throughout the season. Third-year Max Lopez leads the team in goals at 13, seven of those being game-winning, and is tied for assists with second-year Dayo Adeosun at

Alexandra Davis

Third-year Matthew Koh throws in the ball.

seven. Lopez has also been selected as a UAA Athlete of the Week an impressive three times this season. Third-year Matthew Koh also received the award due to his performance against the University of Rochester, in which he scored two goals and one assist all in the first 18 minutes.

Looking ahead to this weekend, Reimann plans on using his senior leadership to inspire the team. “This sense of urgency and

finality definitely starts to creep in during your senior season.

My identity my whole life has revolved around me being a soccer player, and I feel very motivated to embrace that in its fullest this season. That starts with being a leader, and hoping to have the younger guys on the team play with a similar mindset. The more guys we can get on the pitch bought into playing their absolute hardest every game,

the closer we will be to being a national championship team. I really feel like a new season has started this week and am eager to see how we respond this weekend,” Reimann said.

The Maroons take on Carnegie Mellon at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, October 13, and Case Western at 11 a.m. on Sunday, October 15.

The Unstoppable Unit

Tennis Takes on ITA Oracle Cup

WOMEN’S SOCCER

TENNIS

BY THOMAS GORDON MAROON CONTRIBUTOR

The UChicago women’s soccer team has two big matches this weekend after a successful past week. The team recorded victories in its two home matches against Kalamazoo and Emory, which was ranked No. 19 prior to the match.

It was a dominant display by the Maroons, who controlled the game from the first whistle, thus increasing their record to 12–0–0. It would be an understatement to say that they are in good form.

The No. 1 Maroons face a home test on Friday against No. 10 Carnegie Mellon. The match is at 3 p.m. and is expected to be played on Stagg Field. Carnegie Mellon comes into the match with an electrifying attacking prowess, averaging three goals and nearly 20 shots a game. However, they have not faced a team as dominant as the Maroons, who have only allowed four goals for the entire season.

Carnegie Mellon has had a successful start to the season with a record of 8–1–2. They are unbeaten so far this year through 90 minutes, with their only loss occurring in overtime. Carnegie Mellon is in the midst of an extremely difficult road trip against three ranked teams. They started the road trip with a draw that elicited mixed reactions against No. 22 Brandeis due to the dominance of their performance, but also the fact that they scored an equalizer at

the death to force overtime. Starting first-year fullback Charlotte Waechter expects an even match.

“Carnegie [is] usually a really strong team that plays a similar style to us, so it’ll be a really good match,” Waechter said.

After their match against the Maroons, the Tartans will face Wash U, which is ranked second in the division. So far this season, Carnegie Mellon has not faced any common opponents with UChicago.

Last year Carnegie Mellon beat the Maroons 1–0 in Pittsburgh, and are unbeaten in the last six years against the Maroons.

The second match of the weekend for the Maroons is another conference match against Case Western Reserve. The match is at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Case Western has gotten off to a slow start this year with a 5–5–2 record.

However, they are unbeaten in their past two matches with a narrow 1–0 loss to Brandeis at home.

Prior to the match against UChicago, the Spartans have a difficult match at Wash U on Friday. Case Western has struggled in away games this year, having only won one of their four away matches.

Case Western has already improved from last year by winning a conference match. The Spartans have not beaten UChicago since the 2011 season. Case Western is likely going to make it difficult for the Maroons to pass it around by packing in the box.

BY AUDREY MASON MAROON CONTRIBUTOR

The UChicago men’s and women’s tennis teams continued to dominate the court at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Central Region finals, sweeping both spots in the men’s and women’s singles finals. Champions of both finals will advance to the ITA Oracle Cup in Rome, GA. Monday at the Stagg Tennis Courts saw first-year Claire Handa play against second-year Marjorie Antohi. Leading up to the finals, Handa had already defeated opponents from Hope College, John Carroll University, Oberlin College, and Wash U, while Antohi had overcome players from Allegheny College, Kenyon College, and Case Western, as well as two Wash U players.

Playing very evenly, Handa and

Antohi ended the first set with a 7–5 win for Handa. She fell behind in the second set, trailing 6–5 to Antohi, but managed to come back and win the set 7–6. She claimed her first ITA Central Region trophy and became an All-American for her skills on the court.

On the men’s side, first-year Jeremy Yuan and second-year Erik Kerrigan faced off for the title at the Stagg Courts on a windy Tuesday. The match, which lasted almost three hours, began with Yuan immediately snatching the first set with a score of 6–1. Kerrigan struck back in the second set to win 6–3, creating a tie, with the regional title depending on the third set.

The third set began with a 3–0 lead from Yuan, but Kerrigan battled his way to a score of 5–3, needing one more win to take it all. Not giving up, Yuan managed

to score four points in a row, finishing the set 7–5 and claiming the ITA Central Region title. “At this meet, I thought I kept my emotions in check very well,” Yuan said. “It was very windy, and it seemed like it was about to storm. Both of us were having trouble getting good rhythm with our shots, but I thought I focused on myself and made him play very well.”

Handa and Yuan will both advance to the ITA Oracle Cup in Rome, GA, where they will play in the singles tournament from October 12–15. They will also be joined by second-year Tyler Raclin, who will partner with Yuan in the doubles tournament. “The team is working on attacking more and trying to get to the net more,” Yuan said. “We are working on playing aggressively and taking the game to our opponents.”

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