OCTOBER 21, 2016
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892
WHPK CALLS THE CLI EVERY 15 MINUTES DEMANDING 24/7 BROADCASTING
University Removed Posters Link Divestment Activists to “Hamas Terrorists” BY JAMIE EHRLICH SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
Posters were hung in campus buildings on Thursday morning listing students and faculty affiliated with Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), the Muslim Students Association (MSA), Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), and U of C Divest associating them with terrorism and anti-Semitism. The leading campus organizations on both sides of the divestBY ALEX WARD ment debate last spring and the SENIOR STAFF WRITER administration have condemned the posters. The Westboro Baptist Church, A University spokesperson said an anti-LGBTQ religious group, the posters are being removed as has obtained a permit from the they are discovered. city of Chicago to protest at var“While the University of Chica- ious locations on the University go encourages the free exchange of Chicago campus this Friday. A of diverse ideas and perspectives counter-protest has been organized concerning a wide range of issues, on Facebook, but some students are these flyers are defamatory and urging people to ignore Westboro inconsistent with our values and altogether. policies,” University spokesperson In the morning, the group will Marielle Sainvilus said. protest at Weiss Memorial Hospital The David Horowitz Freedom in North Chicago over its stance on Center has claimed responsibility gender reassignment surgery for for hanging the posters, and sent transgender men. The protesters out a press release Thursday morn- will then move to the northern ing. edge of the UChicago campus, at “Our goal in placing these the intersection of East 55th Street posters on prominent campuses across America is to expose the true motivations and allegiances of these groups who have chosen to join forces with terrorists,” David BY GREG ROSS Horowitz, the founder of the group, NEWS STAFF said, “to challenge their lies and to expose the financial and organizaOn Thursday evening in the Extional supports which allow them perimental Station, City Bureau, a to pursue their genocidal agenda.” civic journalism organization, partDavid Horowitz, named an “ex- nered with South Side Weekly to tremist” by Southern Poverty Law open the Public Newsroom, a public Center, founded the Center for the hub for community reporting. Study of Popular Culture in 1988, While City Bureau was founded with the goal of establishing a last October, Thursday marked the “conservative voice in Hollywood.” launch of its Public Newsroom, a The name of the organization was weekly gathering in the Experimenchanged in 2006. In 2007, the or- tal Station that invites the public to ganization created a campaign to participate in and produce commufound a national “Islamo-Fascism nity-centric journalism. Awareness Week.” Their latest City Bureau has been drumposter campaign has targeted 10 ming up support for its cause schools that are on the “Top Ten over the past year. A Kickstarter Schools Supporting Terrorists” list campaign this August raised over by a website called stopthejewha- $13,000 to support the Public Newstredoncampus.org. The University room. Continued on page 6 “What we really wanted to do
BY KATIE AKIN DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR
on community-centric reporting on the South and West sides and hopes to provide experience to budding journalists. Professional journalists work with reporters with a
A community phone campaign has been started in hopes of reversing the administration’s decision to restrict the broadcasting hours of campus radio station WHPK. The campaign asks supporters of WHPK to sign up for time slots to call Sarah Cunningham, the senior director of the Center for Leadership and Involvement, and Michael Hayes, the assistant vice president of Student Life, and request that the station have 24-hour broadcasting reinstated. Over 130 individuals signed up to call. The campaign will conclude at 5 p.m. today. The phone calls, which began Monday at 10 a.m., were scheduled to take place every 15 minutes throughout the day. Since mid-September, WHPK, which functions out of a studio in Reynolds Club, has been restricted to broadcasting only during operating hours for the building. Reynolds Club is open between 7 a.m. and midnight on weekdays, and between 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. and midnight on weekends. “This change has cut out a third of our programming and ends a tradition of 24/7 broadcasting that the station has maintained since the 1980s,” reads a statement posted onthe WHPK Facebook page. The University proposed a remote broadcasting strategy, in which DJs could broadcast from their home computers while the studio was closed. However, because many DJs don’t have access to suitable technology, and because broadcasting quality would suffer, the station has decided against it. Instead, they have been researching potential secondary studios from which they could do late-night programming. The station also wants to instate an advisory board with both student and non-student DJs to negotiate policy changes with the administration before they take effect.
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At Art Institute, Moholy-Nagy Finds Unity in Future Present
South Siders Head Farther South to Hendrix
Contributing to the Maroon
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Viewers can appreciate the themes that hold together his output as an exploration of present reality, future possibilities, abstraction, and industrial production.
The squad is looking to avenge last year’s Homecoming loss to SAA opponent Hendrix in Arkansas this weekend.
If you want to get involved in T HE M AROON in any way, please email apply@chicagomaroon.com or visit chicagomaroon.com/ apply.
Camille van Horne
Over 100 students counter-protested six Westboro Baptist Church members
Students Torn Over How to Respond to Westboro and South University Avenue. After picketing there from 11:30 a.m. to noon, the group plans to move south to Woodlawn Avenue, across from the University of Chicago Law School, where it will stay until 12:35 p.m. Members of the University community are organizing several events in response to the protest. A Facebook page started by several students from of the class of 2020 was organizing a counter protest as a demonstration of solidarity with transgender members of the University. The original event page has been taken down, but another counter-protest Facebook event has been created. “We’ll be standing between
them and public view and turning our backs to them and their message. Come out and show your support by creating a barricade to keep their hatefulness from being seen or heard,” the description reads. “Many people don’t see the point of counter protesting because of the thought that is feeds into WBC’s wants. But this isn’t about them. This is about showing support for the trans people they came to shit on.” The counter protesters will assemble near Campus North at 11:20 a.m. and follow the Church as it moves around campus. Brent House, the University’s Episcopal Campus Ministry, will Continued on page 5
Public Newsroom for Community Journalism Launches
A Swede Deal Page 7
Giovanna DeCastro
Members of the community mingle and work on a Chicago trivia contest at the Public Newsroom launch party.
was to show that people will support the media that’s in their best interest,” said Darryl Holliday, editorial Director and co-founder of City Bureau. The news organization focuses
Lesbian Brokeback: Park’s The Handmaiden Gets Hands-On Page 10
Nobel prize decisions are highly political and disproportionately benefit white men.
VOL. 128, ISSUE 7
The mystery of love fuels a lustful desire for sex, and the mystery of sex feeds an unshakeable yearning for love.
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THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 21, 2016
Motions for Delay Filed in Anti-Male Bias Title IX Lawsuit BY ADAM THORP
One of those investigations, into a sexual assault that allegedly occurred the fall of 2013, NEWS EDITOR is ongoing. The other complaint filed was deThe University of Chicago and a stu- cided in his favor in 2014. “John Doe” is also suing the student whose dent suing it for anti-male discrimination in its pursuit of sexual assault investigations complaint prompted that investigation (“Jane against him have jointly filed a motion to Doe”). His lawsuit says that she defamed him delay the case until that investigation has in social media posts that indicated that he had raped her. reached its conclusion. The motion filed by the University and The student, referred to as “John Doe” in court documents, sued the University in Au- “John Doe” would move the date by which gust, alleging that the University discriminat- the University has to reply to his complaint ed against him as a male in its investigation from October 24 to January 10. The motion Continued on page 5 of two sexual assault allegations against him.
University Sells 13 Buildings BY FENG YE NEWS STAFF
Last week, the sale of 13 properties in Hyde Park from the University to Pioneer Acquisitions, a New York investment firm, was closed. “[Current residents] won’t be affected in any way,” Jessica Simmons, Marketing Manager of Pioneer Acquisitions said. A UChicago News article from April announced that all leases made or renewed before the sale would contain the same rental rates and terms. “While no specific budget plans have been disclosed, as noted in the announcement when the properties were put on the market in April, the University intends to reinvest
proceeds from the sale into teaching and research,” Calmetta Coleman, director of communications for Civic Engagement said. The sale included mostly residential buildings, two retail properties, and one parcel of vacant land. James Hennessy, associate vice president for Commercial Real Estate, told UChicago News last April that these buildings were purchased initially to ensure that students, faculty, and staff near campus could find stable, quality housing. The buildings were put on the market in late spring this year, around May, according to Nick Hollenkamp, an associate of Pioneer Acquisitions. Last October, the University sold a 19-building, 676-unit portfolio to the same Continued on page 5
New Group Promotes Progressive At Co-Op, Scholar Says Christian Fundamentalism More Dangerous than Islamic Terrorism Approach to Catholicism BY SOFIA GARCIA MAROON CONTRIBUTOR
UofC Progressive Catholic Outreach (ProCath) is a newly created organization for Catholic students that hopes to provide a center for discussion surrounding progressive religious and political issues on campus. Chinye Ijeli, a third-year, and Dominic Surya, a fourth-year, co-founded the group, which will potentially seek RSO status in the future. When Ijeli came to the University of Chicago three years ago, she was expecting a space like the congregation she had back home, which she describes as a big, ethnically diverse group with a lot of newcomers and an energetic community. However, she found that Calvert House, the most well-established Catholic community at the University, was not a place where she could have the sorts of discussions she was looking for. “You would expect a religious house on campus to be a place where discourse comes up and ideas are challenged simply because, you know, we’re college students, and these are things that we think about,” Ijeli said.
“We’re trying to create a space where people can have discussions from a religious standpoint, specifically Catholic. And eventually we’re trying to introduce that sort of environment to Calvert House,” Ijeli said. Surya and Ijeli both said that themes such as immigration reform, gay marriage, and police violence are rarely, if ever, mentioned during mass. According to both Ijeli and Surya, the Catholic community does want to talk about these issues. Surya mentioned a retreat hosted by Calvert House last year dealing with immigration reform as evidence that Calvert House is out of touch with the actual Catholic student community. “That retreat was informative for us about who Calvert was reaching, and who it could reach, because for that particular retreat, very few students from the Calvert House base— the regulars—went, but we had a majority of students who had never been to Calvert before, who were Catholic, and who were drawn to the Church in action,” Surya said. The co-founder’s concerns echo the contents of a letter signed by a dozen alumni that was sent to Calvert House last year. The letter Continued on page 5
Young Mayors Discuss What Motivates Their Public Service BY DEEPTI SAILAPPAN MAROON CONTRIBUTOR
Three young mayors spoke about the challenges city governments face as part of a panel hosted by the Institute of Politics at International House on Thursday. The panel was moderated by Annise Parker, the former Democratic mayor of Houston. It included Pete Buttigieg, 34, of South Bend; Andrew Gillum, 37, of Tallahassee; and Blair Milo, age 33, of La Porte, IN. Buttigieg and Gillum are Democrats; Milo is a Republican.
The panelists first discussed the distinction between tasks clearly within their domain and issues they care about but influence only indirectly. They cited education, public health, and economic development as causes that deeply motivate them, but as Parker noted, “Mayors are the public face of their cities. If I asked them what the most important thing any city in the world provides, they’d know the answer, and that’s fresh water. Second most important thing is they take it away [for drainage]. Third most important thing is we pick up the trash. And Continued on page 6
Human Rights Center Launches Archive of 10,000+ CPD Torture Documents BY ANJALI DHILLON ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
On Tuesday, the University’s Pozen Family Center for Human Rights launched an online archive of nearly 10,000 documents related to acts of torture committed by police in Chicago between 1972 and 1991. Susan Gzesh, Executive Director of the Pozen Family Center, moderated a panel discussion that included attorney Flint Taylor
with the People’s Law Office, torture victim Darrell Cannon, and Alice Kim of the Chicago Torture Justice Memorials to mark the launch. Under the direction of Chicago Police Department Commander Jon Burge, Chicago police officers and detectives tortured more than 100 black men to force confessions. For decades, torture victims and their families, lawyers, and journalists rallied in activism Continued on page 6
BY MAX FENNELL-CHAMETZKY MAROON CONTRIBUTOR
A leading humanist scholar stressed symbolic Bible reading and warned of the radical right at a talk on Tuesday at the Seminary Co-Op. For Catherine M. Wallace, faculty member at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine and author of the recently concluded book series Christian Humanism and the Moral Imagination, the Christian fundamentalist movement in the United States is more dangerous than Islamic terrorism. Wallace, a Christian herself, believes fundamentalist access to United States armaments is the number one threat to state security. “If [anything Islamic] wanted to attack an American city, they had to hijack an airliner. If they want to blow up a concert, they need to put bombs on their own children and send young men in to kill themselves...that
kind of radicalism [Christian fundamentalism] in control of nuclear codes was a much, much greater threat,” Wallace said. As a historian and Christian humanist, Wallace wanted to examine fundamentalism’s strongest arguments and find its weaknesses. She looked at how fundamentalist Christianity first sprung up in the Southern United States. “The religious right in its most contemporary form has an origin in Southern opposition to desegregation and to the Civil Rights Movement...a transparently racist appeal,” Wallace said. In Wallace’s view, this radicalism stems from a literal reading of the Bible. “Nobody in the ancient world would have read the Bible literally,” Wallace said. The idea of a literal reading is a thoroughly modern phenomenon, according to Wallace—church fathers of the past would discourage anyone from taking the Bible literally. Continued from page 3
Ambassador Talks US-Argentina Relationship BY HAICHAO WU MAROON CONTRIBUTOR
Martín Lousteau, the Argentinian Ambassador to the U.S. since January 2016, addressed a crowd at International House Assembly Hall on Tuesday. “I am only given twenty minutes to explain what Argentina is,” Lousteau joked. “It’s very difficult, but I will try my best,” Lousteau said. It has been a challenging decade for the country and its people. Argentina, the second largest country in Latin America, was in a depression from 1998 to 2012. The country had been a financial pariah, cut off from the international capital market due to its massive defaulted debts. The unemployment rate averaged 9.55 percent from 2002 until 2016, inflation kept rising, and the economy remained stagnant. Moreover, massive corruption and ineffective bureaucracy made the government lose the trust of its people. Then the election came last December, and new president Mauricio Macri came to power. “The election provided some room [for changes] before the crisis really hit us,” Lousteau said. “Whenever you experience a crisis, the willingness of the population to support and sustain reforms is bigger.” Lousteau explained that the key longterm agenda of the reform was to increase the productivity of the public sector. Lousteau said the public sector in Argentina accounts for 40 percent of its annual GDP, and when productivity is low, it becomes impossible to grow the economy.
“When the productivity is declining, [the] only way to compensate for it is to have a higher exchange rate, but workers are worse off,” Lousteau said. Lousteau said the push for reform faced twin challenges: on one side the government needs to keep its distance from the population’s populist instincts to implement longterm reform while also actively engaging the public in order to create a better future. Speaking of the public anger towards the government, Lousteau said the country should trust the leadership of the government in directing the direction of the reform, and refocus on what really matters. “We should first discuss what we need the state to do, and the only way to do that is through in-depth political discussions,” Lousteau said. During the Q&A session following his talk, Lousteau touched on the recent political reforms that aim to increase the transparency of the state bureaucracy and the pragmatic value of adopting data-driven solutions in public sector. He also talked about how his goal as an ambassador was to deliver a less simplistic image of Argentina to people in the United States: “We are beyond an agricultural country. Like the U.S., we are also a country shaped by immigrations and a society with institutions that have a long industrial tradition.” “[Lousteau] is obviously an eloquent speaker…I liked his point that we should not only invest in public sector but also invest smartly,” first-year Gabriel Goodspeed said.
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THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 21, 2016
GSU Hosts Pro-Unionization Speakers BY GARRETT WILLIAMS NEWS STAFF
Journalist and political theorist Corey Robin visited the University on Monday afternoon to advocate for graduate student unionization. This event was coordinated by the University of Chicago’s American Association of University Professors (AAUP) advocacy chapter, in collaboration with Graduate Students United (GSU). Robin was joined by Adom Getachew, an assistant professor in the political science department, and Denis Hirschfeldt, a professor in the math department. The panel of speak-
ers was presented by Anton Ford, an assistant professor in the philosophy department and officer in the AAUP advocacy forum. The discussion was moderated by Agatha Slupek, a graduate student in the political science department and a representative from GSU. The forum was convened to allow graduate students a chance to talk with faculty about graduate student unionization. The discussion commenced with a commentary by Getachew on her experience as a graduate student at Yale; the conversation centered on the ways in which a graduate student union would be able to promote diversity and equity.
Author Discusses Americans After Faith BY VIVIAN HE MAROON CONTRIBUTOR
Katherine Ozment, an award-winning journalist and author of newly published book Grace Without God: The Search for Meaning, Purpose, and Belonging in a Secular Age, sat down for a conversation on Wednesday at 57th Street Books on how nonreligious Americans fill the void of religious rituals and teachings when they leave an organized religion. She spoke with Bill Ayers, a Hyde Park– based teacher and political activist. Ozment began the night by recounting an exchange that inspired this book. “What are we?” “We are nothing.” This conversation took place between Ozment and her son on the morning of Good Friday, when her son witnessed Greek Orthodox ritual processions outside a nearby church. Ozment’s son wondered why they never participate in similar rituals, to which Ozment replied it was because they were not Greek Orthodox. Her young son followed up with the question above, and Ozment’s spontaneous reply prompted her to the inquiries that pervade Grace Without God. Ozment, as a secular mother of three children, grapples with questions such as how do people fill their secular lives with spiritual depth and substantial purpose, without the church or God? How do people approach questions about their place of being in the cosmic order? And how should people explain to their
children concepts of love, virtue, and destiny? Twenty percent of Americans were religiously unaffiliated in 2012, and by now, it has risen to 25, Ozment said. That number guaranteed a rich group of subjects for her to study, and Ozment shared with the audience both thought-provoking and touching episodes in her observance of nonreligious communities and families across the country. In one instance, Ozment attended a welcoming ceremony for her friend’s newborn child. The mother of the child was raised Catholic and the father Muslim, but both have left their faiths. The ceremony did not adhere to any religious traditions, but included both the Muslim grandmother and the Catholic grandmothers giving prayers and blessings in their respective religions. “That was more meaningful than any baptism I’ve ever attended,” the Catholic grandfather said afterwards. For Ozment, that ceremony is an epitome of a way of life for which she has been searching: secularity and spirituality in innovative dialogues. An audience member asked about the possibility of an atheist president for America down the line. Ozment smiled and acknowledged the relatively small role religion has played in this election thus far. Ayers asked Ozment whether there is a trend towards secularization and if the trend is in fact accelerating. “Well, I will say that millennials are something else,” Ozment replied.
Filmmaker Says Straight People Can Identify as Queer BY CAMILLE KIRSCH MAROON CONTRIBUTOR
At a talk on Tuesday, a filmmaker and activist argued that straight people can identify as queer. Jamal T. Lewis’s talk was sponsored by the Center for Identity and Inclusion as well as the Office of LGBTQ Student Life, and promoted Lewis’s debut documentary film No Fats, No Femmes. Lewis structured their talk around the question of what it means to identify as queer. They began by reading selections from articles about whether heterosexual people can identify as queer. Among the articles Lewis highlighted was Dora Mortimer’s Vice article “Can Straight People be Queer?” In that piece, Mortimer wrote, “A straight person identifying as queer can feel like choosing to appropriate the good bits…of gay culture, without the laugh riot of gay-bashing, teen shame, adult shame, shame-shame, and the internalized homophobia of lived gay experience.” Lewis said that, although they understood the perspectives of those who believe queerness is inherently tied to sexuality ultimately,
they believe that the queer identity transcends categories of gender and sexuality. “Queer means lots of different things for lots of people. Its definition defies any meaning that is pinned to it,” Lewis said. Lewis argued that any person or act that directly challenges the normative culture can be queer. They cited their black, gender-nonconforming, and fat identities as an integral part of their queer identity. As an example of heterosexual queerness, Lewis shared a still from their upcoming film that showed a black man embracing his son. “I think this is queer in a way, because we are told that black men are not affectionate with their children,” Lewis said. Conversely, Lewis argued that not all homosexual and bisexual people are queer. They cited gay white men who refuse to date “fats, femmes, or Asians” as an example. Lewis concluded by saying, “If queerness means that we are working out what ourselves are [sic], then I think…there will be abundant queer futures.” Lewis’s work has been covered in publications including the LA Times, Buzzfeed, Tribeca Film. Their debut documentary film will be released soon.
In her discussion, Getachew reflected on a question she faced during her time as a graduate student: “Why should I spend my political time organizing graduate students at Yale, who are predominantly white and wealthy, in a city that was largely black and poor?” In answering this question, Getachew emphasized that she was able to advocate for her particular beliefs by means of the unionization effort. “I realized that the union was a way for me to fight for the things I cared about—a way to fight for racial and gender equity. A union…is legally understood as a community of interests, and what I came to realize was
that the content of that community, and the nature of that interest, is not determined in advance, but is made and remade through difficult conversations with colleagues and comrades,” Getachew said. Hirschfeldt focused his time on addressing the public image of unions, especially when considered historically through the lens of the labor movement. He asked that people keep in mind the positive benefits garnered by the labor movement that are enjoyed by all—many of which were “bitterly resisted” by those in management positions. The full version of this article can be found online at chicagomaroon.com.
“Christian fundamentalism is a malignant form of Christianity.” Continued from page 2
Therefore, according to Wallace, the fundamentalists have it all wrong. “Christian fundamentalism is a malignant form of Christianity,” Wallace said. In her opinion, their literalist reading creates misconceptions of what the Bible means, fostering a climate of hate and leading to increased and unnecessary conflict between Christians and the rest of the world. Near the end of the talk, Wallace turned to her personal take on the Bible. “It’s the great anthology of Jewish storytelling. It’s brilliant, but these are very ancient stories.” She argues that by reading the Bible this way, Christianity can far better coexist with the worlds of science and politics. Equally important, the religion can lose its reputation of going against facts and progressive social trends. Wallace sees her books as an attempt
to bridge this gap between Christianity and an increasingly secular society. “I wanted something that would be absolutely welcoming and accessible to anybody whether they have any religious background or interest. We’re gonna meet on open, shared, common historical grounds.” The topics of her books range from gay marriage and judgmentalism to science and religious violence. When asked a fi nal question on how she thought Jesus would respond to the modern political climate, Wallace answered on a positive note. “Jesus was first a Jewish prophet reciting the Jewish rant in its standard edition, which is social justice, socio-economic justice. Care for widows and orphans, which is to say the unemployable. People who can’t earn their own living. And the just sharing of the world’s resources.”
Zoe Kaiser
On October 18 author Catherine M. Wallace discusses her series Confronting Fundamentalism, in which she argues that Christianity has been hijacked by fundamentalists and presents an alternative.
Physics Department Looks at Its Storied History BY SARAH LEWIS MAROON CONTRIBUTOR
A group of current and former members of the physics department met Thursday to discuss the department’s history and contributions to the state of physics and superconductivity. Those present included Hellmut Fritzsche, retired professor and former chairman of the physics department at the University, along with physicists Gene Parker, Kathy Levin, Peter Freund, and Steve Meyer. The colloquium on Thursday at the Kersten Physics Teaching Center began with a brief segment from Fritzsche, who began his work at the University of Chicago in 1957. During his tenure, he served as director of the Materials Research Laboratory from 1973 to 1977, and as its chairman from 1977 to 1986. As chairman, he spearheaded the founding of the
Kersten Physics Teaching Center. Throughout his career, Fritzsche worked with 35 Ph.D. students. These students’ achievements include the creation of semiconductors—amorphous materials with electrical traits—that work at very low temperatures, the study of semiconductors used in solar panels, and the exploration of transmutation doping as examined in semiconductors. “It was a different time at the University of Chicago. We did not have your technology and resources as you all do now to conduct physics. Now enjoy it as much as you can. History is now in your hands, and I wish you luck,” Fritzsche said. After Fritzsche spoke, four other physicists affiliated with the University continued the discussion of the “heritage of the physics department,” including some of its unique features and the problems the field Continued on page 5
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THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 21, 2016
Friday, 10/21 “Toward a Flourishing City” with Reverend Dr. Allan Boesak McCormick Theological Seminary, 8 a.m.–3 p.m., $85, RSVP online The McCormick Theological Seminary will host a series of talks, screenings, discussions, and other events Friday. The events will take place at the Seminary, located on 55th Street and South University Avenue from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Those interested can register online for $85, meals included. Alumni of the Seminary receive a discount.
On & Around Campus “Actualités de Patrick Modiano” with Maxime Decout Wieboldt 207, 12–1:30 p.m. French author Maxime Decout will be discussing his books on literature. Decout has studied Jewish literature in France in several of his books. He is slated to discuss Patrick Modiano, the winner of the 2014 Nobel Prize for Literature. His talk is co-sponsored by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. Lunch will be provided. A Conversation with Phil Klay 3rd floor lecture hall, Swift, 3:30–5 p.m., RSVP online Author and veteran Phil Klay will be discussing the depiction of faith, violence, fear, and morality within literature. Klay’s short story collection Redeployment, which centers around his experiences in the Marine Corps, won the National Book Award Prize. He will be joined by DePaul theology professor Scott Moringiello. The Lindgren Manifesto, Part 5: Archival Cinema and the Post-Digital Marketplace Logan Arts Center, 4:30 p.m. Co-founder and director of the L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation Paolo Cherchi Usai will discuss the use of old fi lm footage in new productions. The lecture is hosted by the Film Studies Center at UChicago. Eliot Weinberger–”The Ghosts of Birds” and “19 Ways of Looking at Wang Wei” Seminary Co-op, 6–7:30 p.m. Author Eliot Weinberger will discuss The Ghosts of Birds, a collection of 35 essays, and 19 Ways of Looking at Wang Wei, a collection of 19 translations of one poem. Jeff Deutsch, director of the Seminary Co-op, will moderate. Saturday 10/22 Symposium to Honor John W. Boyer Penthouse 901, Logan Arts Center, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. The alumni are organizing a symposium to honor Dean John W. Boyer’s 70th birthday, entitled “Politics, Culture, and Religion in Modern Europe.” The symposium will include four paper presentations and end with a roundtable about Boyer’s role as a historian of Vienna. Boyer will deliver a keynote speech; at 5 p.m., a roundtable will convene to discuss Boyer as a historian of Vienna. Wooded Island Reopening in Jackson Park Jackson Park, 10 a.m. The renovated Wooded Island in Jackson Park has been cleared of debris and invasive plant species and will reopen to the public on Saturday. A brandnew statue by Yoko Ono will also be unveiled. The Economy and its Boundaries Conference Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society, 5701 S. Woodlawn Avenue, 2:45–6:15 p.m. Beginning on Friday, the two-day conference will bring together scholars from across humanities disciplines to investigate themes of capitalism and inequality. The conference is a part of the Neubauer Collegium faculty research initiative on The Economy and its Boundaries. Proximity Matters Discussion: “ Undoing Mass Incarceration and the Critical Role of People Most Affected” School of Social Service Administration lobby, 5–7 p.m., RSVP online The School of Social Service is hosting the discussion “Proximity Matters: Undoing Mass Incarceration and the Critical Role of People Most Affected,” which will explore how people closest to the mass incarceration epidemic are essential to developing sustainable and just solutions. Panelists include: president and founder of JustLeadershipUSA Glenn Martin, Cabrini Green Legal Aid’s Visible Voices program coordinator Colette Payne, and author of Locked Down, Locked Out Maya Schenwar. An Evening of Horror & Suspense in the Old Time Radio Tradition
Augustana Lutheran Church, 5500 S. Woodlawn Avenue, 8 p.m., $10 advance tickets The Hyde Park Community Players will host the Seventh Annual Halloween Season Special. Now a Halloween tradition, the event will include an old time radio studio recreation and dramatic readings of adapted works of Oscar Wilde and Agatha Christie. Chris Skyles of HPCP Radio will return as the evening’s announcer. Sunday, 10/23 Police Accountability Forum University Church sanctuary, 5655 South University Avenue, 12:30–2:30 p.m. Panelists, including Alderman Leslie Hairston and journalist Jamie Kalven, wwill discuss how police can be held accountable for abuses against Chicago residents. Kalven recently published a blockbuster exposé on systematic cover-ups of police abuses. They will be joined by activists representing the Black Lives Matter movement. Timothy Morton: Things Just Got Weird Kent Hall 107, 2 p.m. Timothy Morton will present a lecture on the bizarre state of ecological awareness, where you realize that you are the perpetrator of the very ecological trends you hope to reverse. Morton just published his latest book, Dark Ecology: For a Logic of Future Coexistence, which discusses his theory of ecology as a psychological Möbius strip. Hyde Park’s Historic Professor Rowhouses Northwest corner of East 56th Street and South Kimbark Avenue, 2 p.m., $35, email Rita.McCarthy@cbexchange.com This guided tour will examine three styles of rowhouses from the early 20th century. The architecture of the outside will be examined, as well as the interiors of each style of house. This tour will be led by architect Terry Tatum. Monday, 10/24 Transatlantic Forum 2016 Edward H. Levi Hall, 8 a.m., on-site registration Entitled “Big Challenge–Human Solutions,” Norway’s Transatlantic Forum is a two-day conference aiming to encourage cooperation between American, Canadian, and Norwegian research, education and innovation. The forum will center humanities and social science collaborations and solutions to tackle global challenges. Online registration is now closed, but on-site registration will be available. Decoding 2016 with David Axelrod Saieh Hall 146, 12:15–1:15 p.m., students only In a speaker series hosted by the Institute of Politics, students will get to join David Axelrod for lunch to discuss the state of 2016 and beyond. Axelrod is the Director of the Institute of Politics and former White House advisor. Registration is required. Workshop on the Editorial Process Regenstein Library, Room 207, 12:30 –2 p.m., registration required The Regenstein Library is hosting a workshop to navigate the basics of defi ning authors’ rights to create a quality journal, and how to organize an accessible peer review procedure. Incubators, Co -Working Spaces, and New Economies of Creativity Second Floor Polsky Exchange Theater, Polsky Innovation Exchange, , 5:30–8:30 p.m. Julia Kaganskiy, director of NEW INC, and Charles Adler, co-founder of Kickstarter and founder of Lost Arts on Goose Island, will discuss the intersection of culture and commerce and the unique and emerging role of technology in creative entrepreneurship. This event is a part of a joint series, hosted by the Logan Center for the Arts and the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation . “Algren: A Life” 57th Street Books, 1301 E 57th Street, 6 p.m.–7:30 p.m. Mary Wisniewski will discuss her book, Algren: A Life, a biography of Nelson Algren, in a conversation moderated by Warren Leming. The biography includes interviews with Algren’s inner circle, photographs, and unpublished writing and letters. Wisniewski is a Chicago-based journalist and former crime and politics investigative journalist with Reuters.
will discuss the American symbolic anthropologist Clifford Geertz. Geertz was best known as a proponent of symbolic anthropology, an idea he developed while teaching at the University of Chicago. The Original Political Society by Marshall Sahlins Swift Hall, 5–6:30 p.m. Marshall Sahlins, a renowned anthropologist at the University of Chicago, notes in the abstract for this lecture that even societies that are called egalitarian imagine a universe that is structured on strict hierarchies. At this lecture he will suggest that this calls for a “Copernican revolution in anthropological perspective.”
Voices from Hiroshima: Atomic Bomb Survivor Testimony and Atomic Bomb Memoirs Reading Coulter Lounge, I-House, 4:30 –7:30 p.m., free Takashi Teramoto survived the Hiroshima Atom Bomb when he was 10 years old. Now at age 81, he works with the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. He will speak about his experience when the bomb fell and answer audience questions. Then, poetry from other survivors will be read, with a reception to follow.
Director of the CIA John Brennan at the IOP International House Assembly Hall, 5:15–6:15 p.m. RSVP online Political Science professor Robert Pape will moderate a discussion with Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, John Brennan. After General Petraeus stepped down, President Obama nominated Brennan in 2013 and his appointment was confi rmed later that year.
How Bitcoin Enables a Machine Playable Web 2nd floor, Polsky Center, 1452 E. 53rd Street, 5-8 p.m., free CEO and co-founder of 21 Balaji S. Srinivasan will discuss a new method of making bitcoin transactions over the web. He will discuss a software called 21 which enables these quick transactions. The Polsky Center will host a hackathon following Srinivasan’s speech.
The Victor Obenhaus Lecture Chicago Theological Seminary, 5:15 –6:30 p.m., RSVP online Brandon Grafius of the Chicago Theological Seminary will be discussing the role of horror throughout the Hebrew Bible.
Climate Change: A North American Perspective and Local Action Forum I-House Assembly Hall, 5:30 –9 p.m. The International House will host a panel discussion, with representatives from Mexico, the United States and Canada, about the 2015 Paris United Nations Climate Change Conference and how the North American powers can collaborate to reduce the impact of climate change.
Portfolio Society Seminary Co-op, 6–7:30 p.m. Author Ivan Ascher of the University of Wisconsin will be discussing his book, Portfolio Society, which examines the work and philosophy of Marx through the lens of 21st-century capitalism. “One Child: The Story of China’s Most Radical Experiment” 57th Street Books, 6–7:30 p.m. China’s one-child policy might well be the greatest intentional change to a nation’s demography in world history, and recent easing of the policy will not protect China from the long-term consequences of a policy that left its population skewing old and male. In her most recent book, author Mei Fong examines the impact of the policy on every element of Chinese life. Monthly 5th Ward Meeting Hyde Park Academy High School, 6220 South Stony Island Avenue, 6–8 p.m., free Fifth Ward Alderman Leslie A. Hairston will be holding a forum for community members to discuss issues facing the ward. This event is welcome to all. Then Come Back: The Lost Neruda Poems Poetry Foundation, 61 West Superior Street, 7–8:30 p.m., free Poet Forrest Gander and Professor Rocío Ferreira will present a bilingual exhibition of Pablo Neruda poems that, until recently, were lost. Full-color reproductions of the original poems, many of which were written on napkins or scrap papers, will be shown at the event. Wednesday, 10/26 Secretary of State John Kerry at the IOP Mandel Hall, 12–1:15 p.m., registration full Kerry will give a talk at the Institute of Politics on his tenure as Secretary of State and his career in public service. Kerry campaigned for President in 2004, securing the Democratic nomination but losing to George Bush in his re-election campaign. The event description does not indicate that there will be a moderator at the talk. Fall Convocation II: Rabbi Dr. Rachel Mikva Chicago Theological Seminary, 1407 E. 60th Street, 12-1 p.m., $5 suggested donation for lunch for non-students Join Rabbi Rachel Mikva for her convocation address at the Chicago Theological Seminary. Mikva will discuss challenges facing interfaith activities. Lunch will be provided. Info Session: Human Rights Minor Social Sciences Building, Room 122, 12–1 p.m., free College students are invited to an information session to learn about the human rights minor and familiarize themselves with program requirements. Susan Gzesh, executive director of the Pozen Center for Human Rights, and Gabe Velez, human rights preceptor will host the session and answer questions. Lunch will be provided.
Tuesday, 10/25 International Conference on Strategies and Confl icts of Authority and Power in Golden Age Theater Franke Institute for the Humanities, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. 20 scholars will examine early Spanish theater as it was presented in Spain and Spain’s colonies. They will discuss not only the content of these early plays, but also how they shaped theater in the years since then. The Jumble: Local Knowledge and Universal History in the Thought of Clifford Geertz Social Sciences Research Building 302, 4:30 p.m. Joel Isaac, a lecturer in the History of Modern Political Thought at the University of Cambridge,
common interest of humanity. He will elaborate on this theme in his lecture, which will be followed by a reception.
An Afternoon with PWR BTTM The Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality, 4–6 p.m., free Queer punk band PWR BTTM will be discussing sexuality, music, and coming of age in a casual social at the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality. Good Neighbors or Fellow Seekers? Dealing with the Plurality of Religions in the Twenty-First Century Common Room, Swift Hall, 4:30–5:30 p.m. Paul Knitter, an emeritus professor of theology at Union Theological Seminary and Xavier University, has spent much of his career considering how different religious traditions can cooperate in the
“The Minotaur Takes His Own Sweet Time” 57th Street Books, 6–7:30 p.m. In his debut, novelist Steven Sherrill moved the minotaur of Greek mythology into the American South. His new novel, The Minotaur Takes His Own Sweet Time, moves the minotaur from Dixie to the Rust Belt but continues to consider themes of isolation. Thursday, 10/27 Campaign 2.0: How Technology is Changing Elections 2nd Floor North Theater, Polsky Exchange, 1452 E. 53rd Street, 11:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m., free online registration Listen to a panel of pioneers in civic technology at in the Polsky Center as a part of the 92nd Street Y ’s Unconvention Series. The panel will discuss how technology has been used by the candidates of the 2016 election and what this might mean for future elections. The event will also serve lunch. The Spaces of Enslavement: Rethinking the Architecture of the Castle/Dungeon Conference Room, Franke Institute of Humanity, 5:30 p.m. Simon Gikandi, an English professor at Princeton University, will consider the castles Europeans built on the edges of Africa as slave-trading entrepôts. He will suggest that the relation between the ugliness of the business conducted in these buildings and the beauty of the facades poses an interpretive problem, and suggest a solution. “Arctic Defenders” Film Screening featuring Aaju Peter I-House Assembly Hall, 5:30–8 p.m. Inuit activist Aaju Peter will be showing and discussing Arctic Defenders, a documentary that focuses on Inuit activists fi ghting climate change to protect their home. After the fi lm, she will talk about her childhood in Greenland, and her work to ensure that Inuit people are included in world discussions about the Arctic waters. “A Cage in Search of a Bird” Seminary Co-op, 6–7:30 p.m. The French novelist Florence Noiville appears to discuss her most recent book, A Cage in Search of a Bird. In the novel, the happy and successful life of a Parisian journalist is destabilized by a co-worker’s dangerous obsession with her. Lecture: Dr. Rick Kittles AMES auditorium, DuSable Museum, 6:30–8 p.m., $10 for non-members, $8 for members Co-founder and scientifi c director of African Ancestry, Inc. Dr. Rick Kittles will discuss the genetic history of African Americans. Dr. Kittles’ work has published on the topic in multiple journals and he has been featured in multiple TV news channels. Under the Gun Screening and Panel Discussion Harper Theater, 6:30 p.m., tickets $20 for adults, $10 for students The screening of this documentary on gun violence will be the last until a defamation suit against it is resolved. The documentary explores the gun violence debate as well as state and local politicians’ responses to the increasing incidence of mass shootings. Party at the Smart: Masquerade Smart Museum of Art, 8–10 p.m. Get ready for Halloween at the Smart Museum. Pick up a mask, dance, or get your photograph taken. Food will be provided, and attendees are encouraged to dress up.
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THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 21, 2016
“There’s nothing on the newsstands with anything like this.” Continued from front page
wide range of experience to generate story ideas and report on local issues. Outlets such as the Chicago Reader and DNAinfo have co-published past City Bureau stories. Every Thursday, the Public Newsroom will provide a space for the public to contribute and collaborate. Every other week, guest presenters—academics, activists, and journalists—will lead workshops. Michael Reed, a senior at Kenwood Academy High School, attended Thursday’s newsroom launch after participating in a City Bureau orientation meeting last week. While Reed writes for his school paper, he was also drawn to City Bureau. “It’s a chance to receive
more training and get my work published,” Reed said. Holliday emphasized the function of “civic journalism,” which “aims to engage with communities and find new and innovative ways to engage with communities.” Using online platforms like GroundSource—which encourages people to text news outlets with information and story ideas—City Bureau promotes a direct line of communication between ordinary citizens and journalists. “We are constantly finding ways to have a reporter be out in the field informing people and being informed by people,” Holliday said. City Bureau also operates a “documenters
Calvert House and CSA Weigh In Continued from page 2
contains personal testimonies from Catholic students detailing what is described as a conservative political atmosphere and a lack of open dialogue at Calvert House and the Catholic Student Association (CSA). THE MAROON reached out to the CSA and Calvert House for comment. “Through the sacramental, social, and service events that the CSA and Calvert House provide, the Catholic community of UChicago grows in friendship as we learn from and engage with the faith. We are deeply pained by the thought of disunity among Catholics on campus, and in a spirit of humility, we trust in what unites all Christians to one another: the love of God,” said Ellie Porath, head of the CSA. Father Patrick Lagges, the chaplain at Calvert House, says Calvert House is willing to explore contentious topics but that there
sometimes has not been enough demand from students for those sorts of discussions. “When I held a session several years ago to discuss clerical sexual abuse, it was poorly attended. I would welcome students wanting to discuss various issues, but unless there is something that comes from the students, I’m reluctant to have discussions that people aren’t calling for,” he wrote to THE MAROON. Lagges was open to changes in Calvert House, but stressed the importance of student-run groups and activities in this regard. “When students come to me and say they’d like to start a new program, I encourage them to explore the possibilities,” he said. ProCath will hold potlucks during the 1st, 5th, and 9th weeks of every quarter and go to mass at local parishes, including Old St. Patrick’s Church and Broadway United Methodist Church, during the 3rd and 7th weeks.
Sale Continues Retreat From Hyde Park Real Estate Market Continued from page 2
company, Crain’s Chicago Business reported. According to Hollenkamp, Pioneer Acquisitions has been aware that the University has been selling off some of the graduate student housing buildings. “We knew from the time of the purchase last year that this newest portfolio would become available in spring…from spring of 2015, we’ve been aware and interested,” Hollenkamp said. “The University still owns 13 residential buildings and maintains a significant presidence in Hyde Park,” Coleman said. Hollenkamp thinks it is unlikely that the University will put more of its buildings in Hyde Park on sale. “It’s [what has been sold] the majority of the resi-
dential property that they have already put on the market…they have just been focusing on other properties that they have, [including] more retail properties,” he said. Addresses of the buildings: 1401 East Hyde Park Boulevard (Carlson) 5107 South Blackstone Avenue (Piccadilly) 5110 South Kenwood Avenue (Shelbyrne) 5345 South Harper Avenue (Harper Crest) 5330 South Blackstone Avenue 5455 South Blackstone Avenue 5706-10 South Blackstone Avenue 1321 East 57th Street 1323 East 57th Street 1327-33 East 57th Street (retail) 1413-15 East 57th Street 1027-29 East 48th Street (vacant)
“Jane Doe’s” Lawyer Filed a Similar Motion Continued from page 2
argues that the result of the University’s investigation, expected in November or December, might prompt changes to John Doe’s complaint. The complaint argues that the investigation is being conducted unfairly and “could result in John Doe’s permanent expulsion from [the University of Chicago] given the anti-male gender bias at UC.” “Jane Doe’s” lawyer filed a similar motion shortly after “John Doe” and the University’s joint motion was filed. If granted, it would move the date she has to respond to “John Doe’s” complaint to January 10 as well. Lawyers in the case will present their motion Monday morning, the day the Uni-
versity had originally been instructed to reply to the complaint. Editor’s Note: Based on information available in now-public court documents, it is possible to identify the parties in this lawsuit. THE M AROON chose not to identify them because “John Doe” is a plaintiff in a defamation lawsuit, and reporting his name might further this alleged defamation, and because “Jane Doe” alleges that she is a victim of sexual assault, and THE M AROON, like many media organizations, does not report the names of alleged victims of sexual assault without the victim’s permission in cases when the victim’s name is not widely known.
program” that pays community members to gather information at community functions such as town halls and police board meetings. Despite having no experience in journalism, Maurice Todd, 21, of the Austin neighborhood, made the trip to Experimental Station on Thursday. “I was curious about the whole public newsroom concept,” said Todd. “There’s nothing on the newsstands with anything like this.” Fourth-year and Editor-in-Chief of South Side Weekly Jake Bittle, said City Bureau and the Weekly have a “mutually-beneficial relationship” that will only strengthen as City Bureau further establishes itself in the Experimental Station. “[The space] facilitates an interaction between the two organizations that I don’t think would be possible otherwise, and since both organizations are in a sense teaching organizations, it’s really helpful to be able to talk with like-minded people who are doing similar work,” Bittle said. “Certainly on the editorial side, we’re going
to continue to work with City Bureau on bigger and more ambitious reporting projects,” he said, mentioning that the two organizations will likely work together on local community reporting. The Experimental Station, a multipurpose community center on East 61st Street and South Blackstone Avenue, will host City Bureau’s Public Newsroom. The *Weekly* moved into Experimental Station in the summer of 2015. It will also be home to a soon-toopen café. On Thursday evening, the building was bustling. “Tonight is a huge step in the direction of [City Bureau’s] mission,” said Andrea Hart, education director of City Bureau. “This [space] is the crowning jewel. It can really be an innovative place where the community can come in to create. It is very much a communal space, and it feels like it’s a real community.” The first Public Newsroom is next Thursday from 3–8 p.m. Poet and sociologist Eve Ewing will lead a workshop on November 3. All events are open to the public.
“The best response to WBC is to ignore them” – Safe Space Organizer Continued from front page
host a safe space at its building on Woodlawn avenue, near the location where the Church will begin its protest. According to the event’s Facebook page, “years of experience with this group across the country has shown that the best response to WBC is to ignore them.” Moises Rodriguez, one of the original counter protest’s organizers, specified that the event was not intended to directly engage the Church through heckling or other opposition, but to send a message that the University supports transgender individuals and does not tolerate the Church’s prejudicial views. The Westboro Baptist Church, based in Topeka, KS, is a religious organization known for its anti-LGBTQ stance and protests at events such as the funerals of American soldiers and celebrities. The Church has
directed attacks at religions including Islam, Hinduism, and other forms of Christianity, and has focused its protests on adultery, homosexuality, and gender reassignment, among other perceived sins. The Church is considered a hate group by several entities that monitor such organizations, including the Anti Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center. The Church’s visit to UChicago is part of a series of protests nationwide at institutions its members perceive as supportive of transgender individuals. In its statement about the protest at the University, the Church cites what it considers to be transgender-friendly policies, such as gender neutral housing and bathrooms, as well as efforts by members of the Law School to promote LGBTQ-inclusive legal campaigns.
Five Physicists Presented On the History of the Department Continued from page 3
faced before the digital revolution. Parker, a solar astrophysicist, has been involved with the University’s efforts in physics since 1955. He is a prominent expert in the fields of solar wind and magnetic fields. Levin, a professor in the department, discussed her involvement in solid state physics and superconductivity. She also touched upon her early involvement as one of few women in the department, and how she began as part of a “young, sparkly group of people in 1975, when so many changes and reorganizations were happening.” Freund, a theoretical physics professor, spoke of his work and contributions to particle physics and string theory. “Part of the reason I love this department is that there is a specific scientific
atmosphere created here which we enjoy and which leads us to do good work. I ask myself: What are the conditions for this atmosphere to exist? And there are two conditions. On the one hand, there is the organization, and the other, there is the democracy of the group,” Freund said. Concluding the panel was Meyer, whose work extends to the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, which focuses on investigating cosmological observables of the universe in its earliest state. “The thing I think this department strives on enormously is the interaction between its members and the support we give each other for the science we are doing, as well as the interest that everyone takes in each other’s research,” Meyer said.
CORRECTIONS An article titled “Sem Co-Op Looks Back, Forward With New Book” included several errors. The name of the book, its price, the full scope covered by the essay in the book, the names of its authors and the year they began their collaboration were all misreported. The Maroon regrets the errors. Due to an editing error, an article titled “State Senator Lays Out Path From Prof to Politico” indicated that Daniel Biss had run and served as a Congressman. He ran and served in the Illinois House.
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THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 21, 2016
The Archive Includes Nearly 10,000 Docs Continued from front page
and in legal action to bring justice to their cases. In 2015, the City of Chicago passed the historic and unprecedented Reparations Ordinance, which gave out millions in monetary compensation for torture victims and required the Chicago Public Schools to teach students about the torture cases and their legacy. The People’s Law Office collected almost 10,000 files related to the interrogations, criminal and civil rights lawsuits, journalism, and activism that arose from the Chicago police torture cases. The documents will be hosted in an accessible and free archive created by the Pozen Center. Gzesh opened the evening’s remarks and spoke about the center’s role in the creation of the archive. Before she introduced the three panelists, Gzesh expressed her hope that the archive will enable future generations of students, activists, and researchers to learn about the historical arc of torture and terror visited on black suspects. “We hope this evening’s program can initiate a dialogue between the earlier wave of activists who brought us to this point in the Chicago police torture cases and new activists who have taken up the torch with the struggle for justice surrounding racism and police brutality primarily visited by the African-American community here in Chicago and across the country,” Gzesh said. Gzesh then introduced Flint Taylor, an attorney who represented many high-profile police brutality and torture victims. Taylor is also well known for changing the narrative surrounding the murder of Black Panther activist Fred Hampton from a local shootout to an assassination orchestrated by the FBI. In 2013, Taylor and the People’s Law Office collected and delivered the 10,000 documents to Gzesh at the Pozen Center. “I did that because we at the office are and have been very self-conscious of people’s history—helping to fight for and to change the narrative around important struggles having to do with police violence,” Taylor said. Taylor spent 30 years advancing disregarded stories from the victims of police brutality, to the point at which reparations and admissions from the City of Chicago was possible. “I trust that we will continue to right people’s history and to change and continue to change the narrative so it conforms with the truth,” Taylor said. Next, Gzesh introduced Darrell Cannon, a torture victim who spent thirty years in prison for a crime he did not commit. In his talk, Cannon detailed the torture he had endured at the hands of Burge and described his personal stake in the activism directed at the torture cases. “For those of you who have a blurred image of what torture is about, let me give you a crash course,” Cannon said. “I get mad when I talk about it. Even though it’s been a lot of years, I still get
mad. Never hurt—I’m just mad. I stay mad because at the hands of some sadistic individual operating under the cover of law, they did despicable things to me.” Cannon was taken to an isolated location where police officers, under Burge’s command, forced a shotgun in Cannon’s mouth and pulled the trigger. They carried out three mock executions, a torture tactic used to solicit a confession for a crime. “They chipped my two teeth. They split my lip. And they didn’t do it with their fists or clubs, they did it with a shotgun. They took me to an isolated area, and before that day was over with I was willing to say my mother committed the crime even though my mother never even had a parking ticket. That’s how sadistic these individuals were.” When Cannon did not confess to his alleged crime, the police officers hanged him by his handcuffs. Unsuccessful again, the officers then escorted Cannon to the backseat of a detective car where they used electric cattle prods to repeatedly shock Cannon’s genitalia. “I’m standing here today because I was able to survive what they did to me, and I’m able to survive because God had bigger plans for me. And the plan was to be in a position that I am today, as a part of a movement that some said was impossible to achieve to get the city council to recognize that black men had been tortured at the hands of white detectives in the city of Chicago,” Cannon said. Cannon believes his work is not finished. Often asked whether he is now content with the reparations and recognition, Cannon said he is restless because there are still people serving time in prison who have not been granted due process. Finally, Gzesh presented the last speaker, Alice Kim, an activist and founding member of the Chicago Torture Justice Memorials project, an organization that uses art to document the history of Chicago police torture and seek justice for torture victims. Kim played a significant role in fighting for reparations. “Chicago was transformed from a city that had covered systematic torture of African Americans by white officers into one taking unprecedented measures of redress from Burge torture survivors,” Kim said. Kim discussed the history of the activism that made the 2015 Reparations Ordinance possible and imparted three lessons she learned from the experience. First, reparations didn’t come easily. According to Kim, it took decades to hold Chicago accountable for its law enforcement’s crimes. Second, Kim commended the centrality of the victims in the movement: people such as Anthony Holmes and Cannon who stood up to the status quo and took control over their own struggle for justice. Finally, Kim shared the importance of documenting this history in informing and inspiring the next generations of activism and change.
“The serious people are in the cities.” Continued from page 2
it’s not sexy. But it’s necessary.” Asked what spurred her to seek office, Milo described the budget crisis facing La Porte. Gillum, meanwhile, pointed to local crime. “Particularly coming after the Ferguson incidents, we had different sides of our town that experienced my city differently.... We had a survey done, and 90 percent of the people said that they feel safe in our city,” he said, before describing two teenage boys he met who said their mother did not allow them to sleep in beds for fear of them being shot straight through the window. Gillum’s efforts to combat this “disparate experience,” he said, have centered on conversations between residents of different neighborhoods. The mayors agreed that facilitating pro-
ductive city council meetings, managing their hourly schedules, and navigating heavy press attention counted among their most surprising difficulties upon entering office. They also stressed that local government is complex, rewarding work—“harder and better” than he had imagined—Buttigieg said, emphasizing mayors’ immediate, constant responsibility to their constituents. His perception of the role, he said, has transformed dramatically since running for office. “To the extent that I cared about politics [before running for office], I thought it was all about the national picture. That was the big league, where the serious people went.” Parker responded, “Now you know the serious people are in the cities.”
WHPK Was Taken Off-Air in August After a Bedbug Sighting in the Studio Continued from front
According to the WHPK statement, the initial decision to cut hours “was made behind doors, with little consideration of DJ input.” This August, WHPK was taken off-air while the University investigated a bedbug sighting within the studio. According to a statement posted by WHPK, only one bed-
bug was ever sighted within the studio, and exterminators concluded that the insect had probably been brought in from an outside source. The University required DJs to have their homes checked for bedbugs before the station reopened in mid-September with reduced hours.
Horowitz Wouldn’t Reveal the Identity of the Posters Continued from front
of Chicago is ranked sixth. One poster listed 20 students and faculty involved with SJP, JVP, MSA, or U of C Divest and claimed they were affiliated with anti-Semitism and terrorism. All four groups supported a resolution that came before College Council last spring that called on the University to divest from 10 companies. Proponents of the resolution said these companies provided support for the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. One poster design included a caricature of a student at the University above the text “#jewhatred”. The names were taken from the canarymission.org website, which creates public profiles detailing students’ support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Though the group has claimed responsibility for the posters, it is unclear who physically posted them. When THE MAROON spoke with David Horowitz, he declined to name any individuals. “I’m not going to tell you that,” Horowitz said, “These college administrations are coddling these terrorists. [The posters have] probably been torn down by campus administrators already. It’s a free speech issue.
There is no law about campus posters. It’s a disgrace to the University. I take full responsibility for posting them.” The University’s student manual allows the administration to restrict defamatory content that targets specific individuals. Since the posters were discovered by students on Thursday morning, several groups have released statements condemning them. SJP, MSA, JVP, and U of C Divest put out a joint statement on Facebook saying that they were “disappointed and alarmed.” “We recognize that this is just one incident in a series of organized campaigns to repress pro-Palestine activity and education in the United States using scare tactics, threats and defamation, manifesting itself on campuses across the country,” the statement read. J-Street and Coalition for Peace, which were both opposed to divestment in the spring, also released condemnations. When asked his thoughts on organizations condemning his posters that were anti-BDS during the debate in the spring, Horowitz didn’t sound surprised. “They’re scared. They’re intimidated and scared. This is why six million Jews were exterminated. Because they were scared.”
Using fossils, embryos and genes, Neil Shubin reveals how our bodies are the legacy of ancient fish, reptiles and primates — the ancestors you never knew were in your family tree.
Come watch the acclaimed 3 part NOVA Series on the big screen!
Free Pizza
Part 1: October 27 – BSLC 115 – 5:30 PM* Part 2: November 10 – BSLC 109 – 5:30 PM* Part 3: December 1 – BSLC 109 – 5:30 PM
*Neil Shubin will be there in person to answer questions after the movie https://BSCD.uchicago.edu
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THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 21, 2016
VIEWPOINTS
A Swede Deal Nobel Prize Decisions Are Highly Political and Disproportionately Benefit White Men
Felipe Bomeny A tour of UChicago’s campus is incomplete without a humblebrag about our Nobel silverware. A total of 89 medals firmly places the University among Nobel nobi l ity. Compared with peer institutions, we’re bested only by Cambr idge, C olumbia , a nd Ha r va rd. Ou r col lection of prizes from an array of fields— Chemistry, Literature, Peace, Physics, Physiology, and, of course, Economics—is understandably a point of pride for the University. But this year’s selections have u nderl i ned some of the recurring issues behind the Swedish Academy’s selections. Is the Nobel Prize really that big of an achievement? Before Bob Dylan clinched a surprise Literature prize, Juan Manuel Santos’s unlikely recognition for the Peace Prize dominated this Nobel cycle’s coverage. The Colombian president’s peace treaty with longtime guerilla faction Revolutionary A rmed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was shot down in a referendum, undermining his attempt to end the 52-year-old conf lict. The Nobel Committee hoped that the prize would help revitalize the peace talks, but it was certainly a premature gesture: it remains to be seen if the pressure from the nomination will lead to stronger treaty renegotiations.
This is not the first time in recent history in which a poorly timed Peace Prize was awarded. In 2009 (in an obvious swipe at George W. Bush), UChicago affiliate President Obama was awarded the Peace Prize, despite having just accepted office. Even Obama was surprised, joking on a recent episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “ To be honest, I still don’t know [what my Peace Prize was for].” Another such year was 2012, as the Nobel Peace Prize went to the European Union—a project that, since then, has buckled under the collective weight of the Eurozone fiasco, austerity squabbles, increasing far-right nationalism, the Syrian refugee crisis, Brexit, the quasi-authoritarian strongman regimes of Putin, Orbán, and Erdogan, Russian incursions into Baltic airspace, and the rapid influx of Muslim immigrants. These choices only highlight the Nobel Committee’s glaring politics and Eurocentric preferences over the years, a claim most evident in the Literature selection process. Only four Africans have won the Literature prize, and half of them (Nadine Gordimer and former UChicago professor J.M. Coetzee) were white. Inf luential Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges was repeatedly denied the prize due to his penchant for supporting fascist dictators.
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more surprising, it seems, is if a woman won a Nobel in any field this year. Since the Nobel Prize was launched in 1895, only 48 out of 833 award winners were women. And only four of those 48 women were black women. So it seems that the Academy is choosing its recipients based in part on actual talent, in part on what will garner the most media attention and in part on who fits both of the previous criteria and is also a white man. Winning the Nobel Prize is ultimately a distinguished achievement —in fact, in our imaginations, it exists as the highest achieve-
ment for its specified field. But the more you think about who is actually winning year after year, the more you begin to question the nature of these so-called achievements in the first place. So, yes, we should be proud of how many University of Chicago faculty and alumni are Nobel Laureates. But at the end of the day, it partly means that we are celebrating the fact that, according to old white Scandinavians, we have more talented white men than most other schools. Felipe B omeny is a second-year in the College majoring in history.
Letter: College Republicans Defend Their Refusal to Endorse a Presidential Candidate
Maggie Loughran, Editor-in-Chief Forrest Sill, Editor-in-Chief Annie Cantara, Managing Editor
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Nabokov’s “pornographic” writing saw him snubbed as well. And Salman Rushdie, whose Booker Prize–winning The Satanic Verses generated vitriolic controversy, was also snubbed on the grounds of being “too popular, too predictable.” That telling epithet is likely why Haruki Murakami, the Ladbrokes’s perennial favorite on the difficult-to-guess shortlist, will probably never win the Nobel. Meanwhile, Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer was reportedly nominated every year until his eventual recognition in 2011, when he became the eighth Swede to win the prize awarded by his countrymen. This year’s Literature Prize did not go out to another Scandinavian but, for the first time since 1993, an American—Bob Dylan. Dylan is the instantly recognizable bard of the 1960s counterculture and folk movements. It’s refreshing to see the Nobel Committee continue to expand its parameters of what constitutes literature after awarding the prize to Belarusian journalist Svetlana Alexievich last year. But given the notoriously politicized nature of who wins this award, could Dylan’s prize just be a message from a group of 18 old, politicized Scandinavians declaring that they, in picking an iconic folk singer who was subversive and countercultural in the ’60s, are also hip? W hile Dylan is a worthy winner in some respects, he, as a laureate, fits the profile: like all of the other winners this year, he is a man, and like most other winners, he is white. What would have been
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Given the slew of incorrect assertions in a recent op-ed in T HE M A ROON written by Jake Eberts, a member of UChicago Students for Hillary (“A Deafening Silence” 10/18/16), I feel compelled to correct the record. While the author claims that College Republicans has declined to endorse or denounce Trump, he portrays our decision as an act of cowardice rather than a matter of principled consistency. College Republicans has not endorsed presidential candidates for years. In 2012, despite the clear qualifications of Mitt Romney, College Republicans endorsed no candidate. We have not endorsed in this cycle because our policy is, as it has always been, to focus on campus and state issues. This is precisely the reason that Senator Mark Kirk is the only can-
didate we have endorsed this cycle. I want to begin by addressing the specific f laws of the author’s claims about our endorsement policy. He notes that College Republicans is “apparently too busy endorsing senators, governors, and welcome letters” to address the presidential race. This is theater. As mentioned, the only campaign that College Republicans has endorsed this cycle is Mark Kirk’s. If the author had made an effort to contact us or investigated our Facebook page, as he claimed he did, he would know this. I have given our position on a number of occasions publicly and at our meetings. This established, our members have worked on numerous campaigns across the state and the nation, making calls for House, Senate,
and gubernatorial candidates, an effort we are proud to facilitate. The author’s claims that we are sitting out this election cycle are also baseless. We are and will continue to be active this election season. Our advocacy on campus and state issues is due to the open nature of our club; we welcome members of all ideologies to our meetings. We have Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and even Socialists at our meetings. We are immensely proud of this openness and wish that our friends across the aisle mirrored our attitude. If the author had made the effort to attend one of our meetings, like many Democrats do on a regular basis, he would have discovered this. I also fi nd the author’s comments to be hypocritical and Continued on page 8
8
THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 21, 2016
“[College Republicans has] not endorsed in this cycle because our policy is, as it always has been, to focus on campus and state issues.” Continued from page 7 partisan. When UChicago Students for Hillary had a real opportunity to oppose on-campus bigotry, they remained silent. W hen Student G over nment ’s boycott resolution against
Israel was proposed just a few months ago, Students for Hillary had the opportunity to join College Republicans in being vocally opposed to what Clinton herself calls “efforts to malign and undermine
Israel and the Jewish people.” However, they remained silent in what can only be construed as a deliberate mischaracterization of Clinton’s position on the issue. I say these things not to attack
my friends in Students for Hillary, but rather to note the unfair and partisan attack the author has engaged in. In the spirit of the f r e edom of d i s c ou r s e College Republicans so
strongly embraces, I would have loved to discuss all of these issues before this factually questionable oped was published in T HE M AROON. That I, as head of College Republicans, was not contacted by Eberts
poorly reflects less College Republicans and more on those who seek to criticize us. Matthew Foldi is a third-year in the College majoring in political science.
Troubling Security Agency If the TSA Is Serious About Public Safety, Then It Needs to Make Some Major Changes
Brian Dong Most out-of-state students are probably accustomed to the egregiously long a nd cu mbersome security lines at the airport. Considering we’re on the quarter system, students will have to go through the uncomfortable pat downs and invasive scanners up to six times in a single school year. W hile most of us hate these dreaded airport encounters, we put up with it anyway. It’s all in the name of national
security, right? Wrong. Statistically speaking, the Transportation Secu r ity Ad m i n istration (TSA) is abysmal at doing its job. L ast year, u nde r c o ve r homel a nd security agents disguised themselves as passengers and were able to smuggle fake weapons and explosives through security c he c k p oi nt s at m a ny airports throughout the cou ntr y. A stagger i ng 95 percent of them went through. Let that sink
in. $7.6 billion a year to help stop terrorism. $7.6 billion a year to ensure that people can f ly safely. $7.6 billion a year and it can’t even catch a few knives and bombs. O f c ou r s e , t he or ga n i zat ion wa s qu ick t o r emove it s a c t i n g ad m i n istrat or, Melv i n C a r r away, a f t er t h at news broke. But, while a change in leadership is a much-needed step in improving the TSA, it is far from enough. I f anything, this alarming and inexcusable failure sheds light on the dire need to improve airport security. If we’re going to spend $7.6 billion per year to keep people safe
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during their flights, then we ought to do the job effectively. Conventional secur ity measures are costly, ineffective, and aggravating for passengers to deal with. A major reason behind the TSA’s failure is its fau lty detection equipment. Since 2008, the TSA has spent $2.1 bi l l ion on new body scanners. A quarter of this budget was spent on x-ray machines that allowed operators to see people naked. According to former TSA employee Jason Harrington, “the scanners were useless… and supervisors instructed [employees] to begin patting down the sides of ever y f i f th passenger as a clumsy workaround to the scanners’ embarrassing v ulnerability.” Many machines are prone to mal function, subject to frequent glitches, and even give false alarms. Congress reported that the TSA experienced more than 25,000 breaches since its inception in 2001. The machines aren’t the only faulty part of the entire TSA system. The actual agents seem inept and unequipped to truly sense a national threat. W hen I landed in Newark Airport from London earlier this summer, I spent two hours waiting in line for customs as the department was wildly understa f fed. W hen it was finally my turn, a TSA employee spent less
than one minute asking me basic questions such as why I left the U. S. and how long I was gone. B efore I k new it , the next person was called. T raveling to L ondon, I also had a very similar experience with customs, where I was interrogated for half a minute on easy questions. Airport secu r ity determi ned that I wasn’t a terrorist by asking me where I went for vacation! There are many reasons other than the long wait time that make this a major problem. What good are customs when the rigor of questioning is so low that people can make up a believable answer on the spot? Surely, an operative from ISIS isn’t going to admit to planning to bomb Times Square at the airport. It is aggravating to see that billions of dollars are being spent on an organization that can’t do its job properly. That being said, there are many ways in which it can be improved. There are two options moving forward: stop squander ing mi llions of dollars on ineffective equipment and use cheaper mach i nes that accu rately detect common weapons, or just invest in equipment that actually works. Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson proposed to have simple metal detectors installed at security checkpoints due t o body scan ners’ ineffectiveness. At least
that way, somebody can’t smuggle a knife by hiding it on their sides. W hat the TSA also needs is an administration that u ndersta nds how terrorists operate. For this reason, it should t a ke spe c i a l ef for t t o hire people who used to work in the intelligence community, particularly counterterrorism, for their expertise and experience in the field. Along those same lines, trave lers should be required to provide substantive personal information when purchasing plane tickets. This information would then be passed onto the i nt el l igence commu n ity for further analysis so potential ter ror ists could be screened before they even arrive at an airport. T he T S A was bor n more than a decade ago in order to prevent another event l i ke 9 /11. While no disaster of that magnitude has happened in this country since, it would be foolish to let the TSA continue what it is doing. The terrorist attacks at the Brussels a nd Ista nbu l a i r por ts a re examples of what could go wrong if our security remains in such a vulnerable state. Our safety depends on its effectiveness, and we need to ensure that it does its job right. Brian Dong is a firstyear in the College majoring in political science.
9
THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 21, 2016
ARTS Mad Treat: Lyric’s Lucia Has Blood Coming Out of Her Wherever BY MJ CHEN ARTS EDITOR
I’ll get to Lyric’s new-to-Chicago production of Gaetano Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor in a bit. (I loved it.) First, a bone to pick. A good friend of mine—an ardent devotee of Wagner—once explained to me the tragedy of bel canto (“beautiful singing”) operas like Lucia. “This is the problem with the Italians,” he declared, “Everything they write sounds the same.” True. A handful of musical tropes defines the genre, from paint-by-number arias (invariably written in solita forma) to those interminable act finales (how many codas does a man need? Sheesh). A fondness for simple harmonies and upbeat tempi don’t help: The difference between duels and love scenes, in many cases, is the libretto. Bel canto can be uniform—but it can also be uniformly beautiful. In Lucia, Donizetti draws from his singers some of the most exquisite melodies ever written. From Lucia’s chiaroscuro entrance (“Regnava nel silencio…Quando rapito in estasi”) to her cathartic mad scene (“Il dolce suono”) to Alberto’s heart-wrenching suicide aria (“Tu che a Dio spiegasti l’ali”), Donizetti’s music is generous. We can’t help but indulge in it: An ocean of sound wraps the body; a vision of beauty nourishes the spirit. All this despite a two-penny melodrama of a plot. Lucia (Albina Shagimuratova) and Edgardo (Piotr Beczala) have fallen in love despite the bitter animosity between their families. Her brother, Enrico (Quinn Kelsey), wants Lucia married off to cement a political alliance: While Edgardo is away in France, she is tricked into signing the marriage papers. He comes back, denounces her, she goes mad, stabs her husband, everyone dies. I reveled in Shagimuratova’s Lucia. Her soprano glowed with a burnished, silver
luster consistent across her stratospheric range; Her coloratura fell on the ears like so many stars from heaven, each note perfectly lucid and bell-like in tone. From entrance to final E6 flat (a real doozy after two full acts of singing) Shagimuratova remained in peak form, her voice fresh and organic like produce from the farmer’s market. Central to the opera is Lucia’s infamous mad scene, in which she hallucinates her wedding day with Edgardo after stabbing Arturo to death. “A heavenly harmony, do you not hear it?” she sings, “Ah, they are playing a marriage hymn!” We hear a ghostly tune in the flutes, joylessly chipper and eerily hollow. Shagimuratova moved as if terrified by her own ecstasy—combined with her consummate musicianship, the effect walked a line between pathos and awe. The pleasure is that of watching gymnastics. Here, Donizetti composes a sky-high sing-off between soprano and flute (the flute loses). Replete with runs, leaps, and trills, this passage is bel canto at its most brutal. An operatic Simone Biles, Shagimuratova delivered on the floor in Olympic fashion—equal parts art and power. As Edgardo, the Polish tenor Piotr Beczala proved an able match for his prima donna. His voice poured forth amply and without reserve, imbuing their love scene in Act I with an ardent mellowness. Yet Beczala could also swap fire for extraordinary tenderness, as in his suicide aria. “Oh, my beautiful soul in love,” he sings, “Let your true lover ascend with you.” Edgardo has stabbed himself: A lone cello underscored his melody, its mournful warmth like the ebb of his lifeblood. Soft and radiant, Beczala’s tenor saturated the theater—if this music all sounds the same, how can it affect so deeply? At best, Graham Bick’s production was ungimmicky; at worst, it was lazy. His vision of Lucia was that of a bleak moor lit by an oversized moon, because Scotland, with gray,
Courtesy of Todd Rosenberg
As Lucia, soprano Albina Shagimuratova devastates in the infamous mad scene.
cloud-streaked panels to define interior spaces. (Bel canto without a single change of scene feels cheap.) Stage directions kept with his minimalist vogue: The singers moved with pleasing economy, if at all. I vastly prefer this “park and bark” approach to the hand-wring-
Courtesy of Todd Rosenberg
Edgardo (Piotr Beczala) woos Lucia on the Scottish moor. “Verranno a te sull’aure i miei sospiri ardenti... ”
ing that passes for method acting in opera. However, Bick’s concept felt overly parsimonious at times. Nobody danced at Lucia’s wedding, instead, Bick treated us to several scintillating minutes of signing papers. I get it: political marriage, loveless, heteropatriarchy, all that. But indulge my male gaze a moment. Bel canto deserves glam: In the final scene, where morning light breaks over the moor, it gets a glimmer. Conductor Enrique Mazzola kept the Lyric Orchestra supple throughout the evening, infusing Donizetti’s score with appropriate energy and flourish. If his tempi felt at times too quick, his remarkable dramatic imagery more than compensated for the rush. The verdict? Stunning leads and solid musicianship carry a rapturous Lucia at the Lyric, which feels at home in its bel canto wheelhouse. This season is heavy with grand opera warhorses. If Lucia is any indication of what’s in store, opera newbies and aficionados are in for a treat. Lucia di Lammermoor plays at the Civic Opera House through November 6, 2016. Student tickets are $15 throu gh Lyr i c’s N E X T prog ram.
Humanities Day Celebrates Questions, Culture, and Man BY ZEKE GILLMAN MAROON CONTRIBUTOR
On Saturday, students, faculty, and Hyde Park residents gathered in lecture rooms across campus to listen to UChicago humanities faculty lecture on their research as part of the 36th annual Humanities Day. “[Humanities Day] started in 1980... more as a recruitment event to open up to the public, but also to have students come to the University of Chicago,” said Tom Popelka, Director of External Relations for the Division of the Humanities . “Over the years, it’s basically stayed the same, though it has gotten much bigger. We still only have faculty members run
the division so it’s not humanities members as a whole but it’s also members from, say, history and sociology participating.” Humanities Day is the largest public event hosted by the Division of the Humanities, with over 1,000 people registered for the diverse lectures offered this year. Attendees debated questions ranging from modern conceptions of gender identity (“What is Man?”)to the merits of Bob Dylan’s music. This year’s Humanities Day keynote speaker was Professor James Chandler, the Barbara E. & Richard J. Franke Distinguished Service Professor and Director of the Franke Institute of the Humanities. In his address, Professor Chandler spoke about the value of criticism. In
particular, he sought to combat the rising neglect of criticism by showing its use and its integrality to human nature. Other popular talks included one by Frank L. Sulzberger Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus Richard Strier. In his talk, “Why Shakespeare?”, Professor Strier explored the history of the Elizabethan age and the other lesser known dramas and playwrights of the period to illustrate why we consider Shakespeare to be one of the greatest playwrights of all time. Professor Jason Bridges, Associate Professor of Philosophy, indulged his audience in philosophical contemplation with his talk: “Is the Mind Real? The Place of Human Thought in the Natural World.” Professor
Bridges sought to quell the anxiety that arises from our need to understand how the mind works. He questioned the possibility of ever understanding the mind through a scientific approach and demonstrated his and other philosophers’ misgivings of a purely naturalistic attitude to the mind. While no common theme connected the lectures, Popelka explained that the lecturers were united in the common aim to promote awareness of the great breadth of humanities research. “Humanities Day does two things,” Popelka said.“Showcase work of faculty. The other goal is to explain what the humanities is and how it’s related to you, to the general public.”
10
THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 21, 2016
Lesbian Brokeback: Park’s The Handmaiden Gets Hands-on BY KENNETH TALBOTT LA VEGA VIDEO EDITOR
Check out Kenneth’s running coverage of high-profile films screened at the Chicago International Film Festival. His fourth review in the series covers Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden. The Handmaiden is a South Korean drama adaptation of the Welsh novel Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, directed by Park Chan-wook. Park is one of South Korea’s most acclaimed fi lmmakers, garnering commercial and critical success in South Korea in 2000 with Joint Security Area and then winning the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival for Oldboy (2003) as well as the Jury Prize for Thirst (2009). The Handmaiden premiered in competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
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Back in his forgery workshop, con man Count Fujiwara (Ha Jung-woo) teaches pickpocket Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri) how to stun with flattery. Fujiwara looks in a mirror, puts on an exaggerated face, and bellows, with excessive stammering, “Spellbindingly beautiful!” Later in the fi lm, during a steamy lovemaking scene, a shaken and romantically enraptured Sook-hee slips out the same phrase with the same affectation—this time, in earnest. T he phrase is used by Fujiwara throughout the fi lm as a subtle verbal motif. Yet when uttered by Sook-hee, it takes on a heightened essence: In the most unexpected
of circumstances, she has discovered the actual meaning of “spellbinding beauty.” In many similar ways, Park Chan-wook’s erotic psychological thriller The Handmaiden is also spellbindingly beautiful (stuttering optional). However, this phrase alone does not properly capture the experience of the fi lm; The Handmaiden is also extravagant, overwhelming, cheeky, even sybaritic. Executed with tremendous flair, Park tells a story of a pair of con artists who attempt to swindle Japanese heiress Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee) by courting her into marriage with Fujiwara, then shortly committing her into a mental asylum. The scam becomes painfully difficult for Sookhee, who goes undercover as Lady Hideko’s handmaiden, once the two women develop romantic feelings for each other. And yet, this summary only begins to describe the fi rst act of Park’s narrative. As the film plays around with chronological order and plot exposition, it uncovers outrageous and scandalous developments that leave heads spinning. The Handmaiden constantly flirts with excess, but by the end of the third act it is totally worth it. The adjective “erotic” does not do this film justice. Park’s vision straddles romance and physical sexuality. Anchoring the tone of the film is his vision of the liminal state between the two moods—a condition where the mystery of love fuels a lustful desire for sex, and the mystery of sex feeds an unshakeable yearning for love. Concomitant-
Courtesy of Park Chan-wook
Lurid yet sensual, Park’s The Handmaiden toes the line between indulgence and subversion.
ly, the film explores love and sex in several of its forms and functions: as social catalyst, as oppressive power structure, as artist’s muse, and, most luridly, as an enigmatic—dare I say, queer —all-consuming fever. Speaking of luridness, Park’s handling of the more sexual elements of The Handmaiden raises the issue of gratuitous nudity: Its sex scenes seem to readily indulge the male gaze. By over-saturating the traditional roles of men in his film, Park at once sabotages them through stereotypes and exposes the gender dynamics of East-Asian cinema and literature. One of the fi lm’s central
themes, after all, is the prospect of subversion in the performance of gender and sex in culture. So in that sense, the indulgence of the male gaze in The Handmaiden is perhaps one of conscious and purposeful exploitation. Near the end of the film, one of the female protagonists cross-dresses in a train station to avoid lesbian suspicions. As she and her lover laugh and make light of their ridiculous situation, the viewer gets the notion that the humor is informed not just by their circumstances—immediate or throughout the fi lm—but, in a self-referential sense, also by the absurdity
of gender and sexuality in all its cinematic forms. All things considered, The Handmaiden is a trove of lush visual and narrative metaphors that gives viewers plenty to think about, as they watch scenes so erotic, so graphic, and so fervently passionate they give Kechiche’s Blue is the Warmest Color a run for its money. You have been warned. The Handmaiden runs 145 minutes in Korean with English subtitles. It will screen October 23 at 8:15 p.m. and October 25 at 8:30 p.m. Individual tickets and festival passes are available online at www.chicagofilmfestival.com
At Art Institute, Moholy-Nagy Finds Unity in Future Present BY ROBERTO VELASCO-ALVAREZ MAROON CONTRIBUTOR
László Moholy-Nagy discovered his leukemia in 1945. That same year he dedicated two works, Nuclear I, CH and Nuclear II, to atom fi ssion. These paintings, among others uniquely reunited for Future Present at the Art Institute of Chicago, feature the earth’s globe and microscopic globules coexisting in a strange and colorful harmony.
Moholy-Nagy passed away one year later in Chicago, leaving behind a life in the arts that included painting, sculpture, photography, cinematography, and advertising, among others. Future Present reunites over 300 of these pieces in an exquisitely curated retrospective made possible by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Born in Hungary, Moho-
Courtesy of Roberto Velasco-Alvarez
Moholy-Nagy’s Nuclear I (far left) and CH and Nuclear II (second from left).
ly-Nagy started his artistic career as a poet in his teen years. During World War I he began drawing in the trenches and took on painting while recovering from battle wounds in Budapest. He moved to Berlin in 1920 and studied contemporary art movements, such as Dada and Constructivism. In 1923, he was hired as a teacher for the Bauhaus art and design school. These years defi ned his style and obsessions, paving the way for a career that spanned the coming decades and led to the foundation of the New Bauhaus in Chicago, where he moved in 1937. This school continues now as part of the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology. By arranging Moholy-Nagy’s works mostly chronologically, Future Present allows viewers to appreciate the themes that hold together his output as a lifelong exploration of present reality, future possibilities, abstraction, and industrial production. The paintings about atomic fi ssion share, for example, common forms with a poster designed years earlier for the London Underground; the paintings in the Kestner Portfolio could easily pass as sketches for his famous Light Prop for an Electric Stage. The exhibition also showcases some of the distinct tech-
Courtesy of Roberto Velasco-Alvarez
Architecture-inspired works like Light Prop showcase how Maholyplays with light, space, and perspective.
niques used by Moholy-Nagy to investigate and experiment with similar forms and subjects. Such unity might be a defining characteristic of Moholy-Nagy’s oeuvre. While walking across Room of the Present, a centerpiece of the exhibition that was built in 2009 based on plans and documents dating back to 1930, it becomes even clearer. The chamber allows sculpture, film, photography, and design elements to come together simultaneously. Future Present, first presented at the Guggenheim in New York City, reveals a constant striving against technical boundaries. It also presents
Moholy-Nagy’s frustration with the techniques of his time. As a beautiful endnote to an exhibition that has metaphorical time in its center, the nighttime slides shot in Chicago during the mid-20th century were not printed until 2002 because of the artist’s dissatisfaction with the printing quality of the time. Moholy-Nagy created art not only about the future but also for the future; his Lake Shore Drive pictures could not be in a more fitting time and place. Moholy-Nag y: Future Present will be on di splay in the Art Institute of Chicago through January 3, 2017.
11
THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 21, 2016
South Siders Head Farther South to Hendrix FOOTBALL
BY MIRANDA BURT MAROON CONTRIBUTOR
Chicago will be in action this Saturday against the Hendrix Warriors in the fi rst of two back-to-back road trips for the South Siders. The Maroons are coming off a close Homecoming victory, in which they pulled off a 33–26 win against conference foe Rhodes College. Chicago will look to ride this momentum into this week’s game against Hendrix, who, with a 5–1 record, is third in the conference behind Wash U and Berry. The Maroons were able to make clutch plays, completing all four attempted fourth down attempts, in addition to forcing five turnovers. Despite facing winds that reached over 20 mph, fourth-year quarterback Burke Moser again led the Maroons with 332 passing yards and a 3:0 touchdown to interception ratio. His performance, along with third-year Chandler Carroll’s 153 yards rushing, will have to carry over into this week’s game against the Warriors. Hendrix’s stingy defense is only allowing 20 points per game, while its fast paced offense is scoring over 40 points per game. “We know Hendrix is a solid team across the board. They score a ton of points, and they are pretty stingy on defense, so that means we need to put together a complete team effort on both sides of the ball to be victorious, which is going to be a challenge,” said Moser. “They beat us last year by only one point to spoil our Homecoming, so I feel like we know this game means a little more, especially with conference title implications
on the line. We feel confident coming off a big home win.” The Warriors and Maroons have played two common opponents, and the results provide proof that the game this weekend should be competitive. The South Siders beat Birmingham-Southern in a hard fought home game, 38–34, while Hendrix won by a comfortable 47–17 margin. However, Hendrix was just handed its first loss at home by the Berry Vikings, 24–14. The Maroons played the Vikings much closer, losing on the road 28–21. While Chicago’s defense struggled to get crucial stops early on this season, they are now starting to find success in the big moments. Of the five turnovers forced last Saturday, the Maroons captured two in the fourth quarter. First-year Ben Christensen came up big for the South Siders, picking off a pass at his own 11-yard line and recovering a goal line fumble. “We have the same approach as always. It’s just another team that we approach with great intensity and focus at practice. Hendrix obviously has one of the top offenses we will face this year. Playing great team defense is the key to stopping as offense. If we play our best, we can disrupt them offensively. All I’m focusing on this week is doing my job. If you do your job and play within the scheme, the team has the best success,” Christensen said. The Maroons will look to rely on their preparation to pick up their fi rst road win and improve their 3–2 Southern Athletic Association (SAA) record. Moser seemed to think this would be the perfect chance to bring everything together when he said, “Our prepara-
University of Chicago Athletics Department
Fourth-year Burke Moser hands off the ball to running back Chandler Carroll.
tion is what has helped us improve all year. Fourth down success is just being poised and comfortable in the face of pressure, something that comes from practice and repetiton. We still feel like we have not put our best game together, so we will continue to work and improve
and just have fun. It really is fun when the results back up the hard work, so this week we hope to see the dividends of that work.” Moser will lead the Maroons in action this Saturday in Conway, Arkansas. This SAA matchup will kick off at 1 p.m.
Upsets Galore in the UAA; Will Wheaton Fall Prey? VOLLEYBALL
BY SIMONE STOVER MAROON CONTRIBUTOR
Chicago was set to face off against Wheaton College this Thursday in what was shaping up to be an exciting match after a recent string of victories for the Maroons. After a disappointing performance in the Chicago Invitational two weeks ago, during which the team lost all three matches in its first home tournament in nearly a month, the South Siders rallied for an impressive performance in the UA A Round Robin #2. The team finished the tournament— which was held in Waltham, Massachusetts this past weekend—with four wins and zero losses. The team beat No. 6 Emory, Rochester, and Case Western in 3 –1 victories, while also defeating New York University in an even more decisive 3–0 victory. Chicago’s stellar performance was a continuation of the streak that the team began at the beginning of the month during the UA A Round Robin #1, in which Chicago defeated Brandeis, No. 16 Carnegie Mellon, and No. 15 Wash U. The Maroons are currently undefeated and ranked first in the UA A Conference with a record of 7–0. They are trailed by Emory, which touts a record of 6 –1. Overall, the Maroons boast a 15–7 record. With such an impressive performance to add to its record, the Chicago team seems to be in very high spirits going into this Thursday’s match. “I’d say that as a team we’re focusing on maintaining good energy on the court
because that’s generally when we play best,” said Audrey Scrafford, a second-year outside/right side hitter, when asked about the team’s overall energy going into the game against Wheaton. “I think as long as we continue doing that we’ll find success,” she continued. Scrafford was a pivotal contributor to the Maroons’ Round Robin victories, racking up kill numbers in the double digits in all but one match. Her most successful match was that against Case Western, during which she achieved an impressive seventeen kills. Chicago and W heaton came into Thursday’s game on relatively equal footing, with neither team having a distinctive edge. Last year, the Maroons boasted a decisive 3–0 victory over the Thunder, but have yet to play Wheaton this year. However, the two teams have faced many of the same opponents over the course of the current season. Both teams suffered losses against Millikin, UW–Eau Claire, Calvin, and Elmhurst; each managed to achieve a 3–0 win over Carroll. Illinois Wesleyan is the only common opponent against which Chicago and Wheaton have not had similar results. Chicago suffered a 3–1 loss to Illinois Wesleyan back in September, while Wheaton achieved a 3–2 victory against the team this past Tuesday. The match was held at Wheaton College’s campus in the King Arena, located only about an hour away from the University of Chicago. Editor’s Note: The Maroons fell to Wheaton 3–1 late last night.
University of Chicago Athletics Department
Fourth-year Erin Risk gets ready to serve the ball.
12
THE CHICAGO MAROON - OCTOBER 21, 2016
SPORTS IN-QUOTES... “I would give Lebron 15 percent of the pie” -Jason Whitlock assigning credit for the Indians winning the pennant.
No. 1 Maroons Look to Stay on Top MEN’S SOCCER
BY SIDDHARTH KAPOOR MAROON CONTRIBUTOR
This Sunday will see the No. 1 Maroons involved in a clash against Aurora University. A victory over Aurora would allow Chicago to continue on the impressive momentum that it has built up over the season. Indeed, with two victories against Brandeis and New York University this past Homecoming weekend, the South Siders extended their winning streak to 14, putting them at an undefeated 14– 0–0 record. These victories maintained the Maroons’ position at the summit of DIII men’s soccer. With much confidence and belief, the Maroons are ready to face anything thrown at them. Standing in their way this time around is Aurora University, which comes to Chicago with a 4–8–2 record. This is in stark contrast to Chicago’s unblemished record, as Aurora has struggled to build up any steam this season. To add onto this, the Spartans have not won in any of their last four games. With these stats, all directions point toward an easy Chicago win. However, in the unpredictable sport of soccer, nothing can be taken for granted and the Maroons have to be wary of complacency. One player who buys into this philosophy is fi rst-year midfielder Gary Zhao. “We are as determined and hungry as ever,” Zhao said. “It was nice to get two
important wins from the weekend, but we all know that there are many things we still have to improve on. Everyone is locked in and focused on training this week to prepare for Aurora on Sunday.” Chicago’s attack continued to be prolific over the weekend, scoring seven goals in two games. The Maroons now average a shot on target for more than half of their attempts on goal (0.505). One of the players to contribute to this was Zhao, who netted the last of Chicago’s five goals against NYU on Sunday. “I have [fourth-year] George Voulgaris to thank for the goal,” Zhao said. “His pass set me up perfectly, and I didn’t have to do much to fi nish out the 5–0 win. I’m just happy about our team putting away our chances in the second half in addition to our defense keeping a clean sheet. The solid team win was a result of these things.” On the other hand, the Chicago defense continued to be resolute, conceding only one goal in the two games. As is the norm, third-year goalkeeper Hill Bonin was like a wall at the back and tied the UChicago career record of clean sheets (22). He will look to break the record this Sunday against Aurora, and with defenders like fi rst-year Sam Drablos in front of him, there is a high probability he will achieve it. With morale high, the Maroons will look to continue their dominance on Sunday at home, kicking off against Aurora at 1 p.m. on Stagg Field.
University of Chicago Athletics Department
Third-year Andrew Mines throws the ball into play.
Maroons Look to Capitalize on Conference Hiatus WOMEN’S SOCCER
BY EUGENIA KO MAROON CONTRIBUTER
The No. 7 Maroons are taking a short hiatus from UAA play this week to face off against two non-conference competitors. The squad played against Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) at home yesterday afternoon, and it now prepares to play Concordia University Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon before returning to UAA competition next week.
The South Siders entered the week of non-conference play coming off two huge UAA wins, beating No. 8 (and previously undefeated) Brandeis University 2–1 and New York University (NYU) 2–0 at home last weekend. On Monday, second-year midfielder Jenna McKinney was named UAA Athlete of the Week after netting the game-winning goal over Brandeis and adding a second goal plus one assist against NYU. The Scarlet Hawks of Illinois Tech
came to the South Side yesterday afternoon with a 5–10–1 record in comparison to Chicago’s 12–1–0. The Maroons dominated the entire game, outshooting IIT 31–7 over the course of the match and eventually prevailing 4– 0. The team managed to coast for most of the game thanks to three early goals, one from third-year forward Mia Calamari at 12:26 and two from McKinney at 16:24 and 22:34. Meanwhile, fi rst-year Katie Donovan and second-year Patty Dull tag-
University of Chicago Athletics Department
Third-year Mia Calamari attempts to keep the ball away from a defender.
teamed in goal to post the team’s 10th shutout of the year. The Maroons will look to add to their momentum on Sunday afternoon against Concordia in the last non-conference game of the regular season. Second-year goalkeeper Piper Mik attributes the team’s success thus far to the team’s work ethic. “When it gets down to it, we are all ready to work hard and grind it out,” she said. The Concordia Falcons are also rolling with momentum, having won their last two games against Dominican University and Marian University, putting them at 4–9 –1, an improvement after some early losses in their season. Though Concordia will have the home advantage, Mik said the Maroons will enter the game with the same mindset they have had all season, a mindset that allowed them to bounce back from their only loss of the season against Emory with tremendous resilience. “We are going to treat it like any other game and just work as hard as we possibly can for one another,” she said. Although the squad, with its 12–1–0 record, can’t help but look toward playoff and conference goals, it continues to focus on bonding and winning together, especially considering the many fi rst-years on the field. “On and off the field, it’s all about team-centered mentality,” Mik said. After playing the Falcons on Sunday, the Maroons will return to UA A play with games against Case Western Reserve University on October 28 and Carnegie Mellon University on October 30.