Independent Northeastern Illinois University
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
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Opinions
Give funding a Chance
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Vol. 36 Issue 12
Mexican Brass in the Jewel Box
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A&L
News
Shuttle bus comes to NEIU
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M5 Mexican Brass showcases their talents with beautiful sounds and comedic skits. | Pablo Medina
News
Dark matter and the PICO collaboration Laura Rojas An NEIU physics professor is making it his mission to research dark matter within our universe. Matter in general is a substance that has mass and takes up space. Dark matter is a type of matter that is invisible to the naked eye because it doesn’t interact with electromagnetic radiation. Scientists know dark matter exists due to how it interacts with other visible matter. Nearly 85 percent of all matter in the universe is dark matter, explained Dr. Orin Harris, a researcher and NEIU physics professor with a collaboration project that formed from the merger of two parent organizations: Project In Canada to Search for Supersymmetric Objects and Chicagoland Observatory for Underground Particle Physics. PICO project formed in 2012 and their research on dark matter has recently been recorded as the “world’s best” limit in evidence of dark matter. Harris joined the PICO team in 2013. Harris said the first time Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Lab, in Sudbery, Ontario, put a bubble chamber deep underground was sometime back in 2007-2008. The reason that the experiments have to take place so deep underground is because too much radioactive interference from the surface would make dark matter detection nearly impossible. “The radioactivity that is being created by cosmic rays is so much larger than the radioactivity that you expect to be created by dark matter,” said Dr. Carsten Krauss, lead scientist for the PICO-60 experiment and professor at the University of Alberta in Canada. “The problem with the surface is there’s so much natural radioactivity that it completely swamps our detectors.”
Assistant Professor Orin Harris wants to bring a small dark matter chamber directly to NEIU’s physics department. |Laura Rojas
In Addition to NEIU there are 17 other universities and organizations in collaboration with PICO project and SNOLAB, some others are Northwestern Unversity, University of Toronto, Université de Montréal, Pacific Northwest National Laboratories and several others from various states in the U.S. and Canada, including other countries abroad. Since dark matter composes so much of the universe, the importance of these experiments seeking to greater understand what makes up the universe and world around us is great according to Harris. Harris explained that the simplest way to differentiate among the various types of dark matter is by discriminating between two forms: spin-independent and spin-dependent interactions. The bubble chamber — which is used in the experiments conducted at approximately 6,800 feet below SNOLAB — is most sensitive to spin-dependent interactions. “Spin” is a property of a particle and some particles have different sen-
sitivities to spin than others. An example of this is xenon versus fluorine. Xenon has less spin than fluorine, therefore xenon would be a good candidate for a spin-independent interaction. There are also labs that use liquid xenon for such experiments to detect dark matter. Dr. Carsten Krauss, lead scientist for the PICO-60 experiment, said there is very little known about dark matter and there are currently many theories on its possible properties, especially on whether it carries spin or not. "For that type of dark matter we are the most sensitive in the world,” Harris said about PICO’s accomplishments in their dark matter experiments. “We currently have the largest operating bubble chamber, which is kind of neat.” Harris said bubble chambers were commonly used by physicists in the ‘50s and ‘60s for particle detection for what is now part of the standard particle model. After a period of stagnancy, there has been resurgence in their use for
research in the discovery for evidence of dark matter. The reason bubble chambers first went out of style was because they weren’t fast enough anymore for particle detection but came back into popularity when it was discovered that for the purposes of dark matter detection, speed was an irrelevant factor. Although there is no direct evidence of dark matter, since it has not been directly measured, there is strong evidence gathered over the years that supports its existence. “Once you can start seeing evidence in the laboratory for dark matter you can begin to measure its properties and those allow you to really start to understand exactly what it is,” Harris said. The methods used in the experiments in observing the dark matter aren’t only about simply watching and recording the bubbles forming from the dark matter interactions but also the use of acoustics. “We actually listen to the sound of the bubbles as they form and that
sound is actually different for dark matter and radioactive decays that occur in our detector,” Harris said. Their largest bubble chamber, PICO-60, is filled with octafluoropropane, known as C3F8. This is a newer fluid that had been previously used. This fluid is superheated past its boiling point between 14 and 16 degrees centigrade and since the fluorine nucleus has a high degree of nuclear spin, this makes it most ideal for the detection of spin-dependent dark matter. What happens in the experiment is that when the liquid is superheated, it causes a reaction called nuclear recoil where one single atom of fluorine is “kicked away,” which causes the bubble to form and depending on the acoustics measured the scientists are able to determine if it is being caused by dark matter. Krauss said that the latest findings of the PICO-60 experiment — having the greatest recorded limit of dark matter — demonstrate that their technology and techniques work really well. “This is really exciting for us because it allows us to get ready for a really large detector,” Krauss said. Harris was also excited about his plans to build a smaller dark matter chamber for Northeastern Illinois University’s physics department that will be used to further support the research being conducted at SNOLAB by the PICO project collaboration. They would accomplish this by testing different types of fluids for the bubble chamber and different acoustic measuring devices. It won’t be used to directly measure or detect dark matter though, since that requires the experiments to take place very deep underground.
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Tuesday, March 14, 2017
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Students voice concerns over campus furloughs Grace Yu An email went out on March 3 announcing the shutdown of NEIU over Spring Break, along with the introduction of furloughs for faculty members. Approximately 300 student jobs will also be lost, meaning students won’t be working over the break. The recent measures taken by the NEIU administration have not gone unnoticed by students, who are filled with anxiety and tension. Doan Vo, a senior and a Student Government Association Senator, has been aware of the state budget crisis and its subsequent effects on university funding for a while. Last year, Vo, as a Monetary
Award Program grant recipient, was affected emotionally and psychologically in her life both in and outside of school by frequently worrying about whether or not she would have money to attend school. “If it weren’t for the university fronting the MAP grants last year and this year, I wouldn’t have been able to come to school,” Vo said. Vo is a first-generation college student who fears the effects of the continued lack of state funding for low-income students. “I know many individuals who are extremely intelligent, extremely committed,” she added. “The only thing that’s keeping them from being able to achieve what they want to achieve is that little bit of financial assistance, which is what MAP is for
students like myself.” Glen Williams, a 43-year-old veteran, is pursuing a degree in secondary education and biology in hopes of landing a career in teaching, a profession in which he aspires to give back. A big concern of his comes from the lack of access to campus resources over the break that students would normally be able to utilize, including the Ronald Williams Library, B-Building computer lab and professor office hours. “I’m going to use that extra time to get caught up and ahead of where I should be,” Williams said. “We need access to campus, we need our professors and we need tutors.” Zach Springer, a psychology major, is a Writing Intensive Program
tutor for the Psychology Statistics and Methods course. He has heard conflicting reports from different professors and is personally unsure about his job status. “We are uncertain about everything when we come back,” Springer said. The same goes for Jacob Belser, a philosophy major graduating in May who attended the open meeting on the faculty furloughs held March 7. Even though it’s his last semester, he wishes that the changes being made in the running of the university could be more clearly communicated to students. “I’d love some information about how all this is working. It seems like there’s a lot of conversations happen-
ing in the background that we’re not aware of,” Belser said. “There seems to be conflicting information, and it’s not very clear, even after I’ve gone to through this meeting that was supposed to present information.” Some NEIU students are insistent on the need to fight back. Vo, who graduates this spring with a degree in social work, feels a personal responsibility to advocate on behalf of others. “My profession is to advocate for those who do not have their basic needs met, and what the state is doing, not only are they cutting funding for the university, but they are also cutting funding for social services, so they’re affecting people who are in the most vulnerable, marginalized parts of society,” Vo said.
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Tuesday, March 14, 2017
NEWS
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Police Blotter The following offenses occurred at NEIU’s main campus between Feb. 20 and March 7. Feb. 20 - The Nest: Assault. A victim reported that she received a threat of physical harm from her ex-roommate. The incident is currently under investigation. Feb. 21 - FA Building: Fire Alarm. NEIU Police and the Chicago Fire Department responded to a fire alarm. There was no smoke or fire. The cause of the alarm is unknown. Feb. 25 - The Nest: Disturbance/Fight. A physical altercation occurred between two males. No arrests were made and medical assistance was refused. March 5 - The Nest: Disturbance/Fight. A physical altercation between female residents occurred. No complaints were signed and no arrests were made. March 7 - Student Union: Criminal Damage to Property. An unknown offender damaged a table in the cafeteria. 17:
The following offense occurred at NEIU’s El Centro campus on Feb.
Feb. 17 - EC: Domestic Dispute. A victim’s personal property including her laptop and car keys were taken by her ex. The property was later returned to the victim’s mother.
Photo courtesy of Kyle Burke
All aboard! NEIU’s new shuttle takes students where they need to go.
NEIU’s shuttle takes off Sarahy Lopez NEIU’s new shuttle program takes students directly to campus, the Kimball Brown Line station and other NEIU locations. This service is free of charge. The shuttle is currently in it’s pilot program, funded through student fees. It started two weeks ago and is currently operating only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Kyle Burke, director of student union, events and conference services, said students might see shuttle services during the fall semester if the pilot program is successful. The shuttle will drop off and pick up students at regularly scheduled times starting from The Nest, continuing southbound to the CTA Brown Line, El Centro, and finally arriving at the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies. It will then circulate back northbound, starting at CCICS and ending at The Nest. The shuttle will park
directly in front of the buildings and behind the Kimball bus stop near the Brown line. Following a tight schedule and anticipating traffic patterns, the shuttle will start to depart from The Nest at 8 a.m., ending the service at 6 p.m. The shuttle also has “buffer times” in case it arrives too early at the pickup or drop-off locations and will wait to get back on schedule. These times might be impacted by traffic or weather conditions and are subject to change, but will generally follow this schedule. “The program has been a longtime ‘wish’ for both the CCICS and El Centro locations,” Burke said. The service is first-come, firstserve and the shuttle is designed to help students avoid taking the bus or driving during heavy traffic times, especially for students who have classes at multiple locations or need a ride to the CTA Brown Line. “I do wish that the pilot program is successful because from my ex-
perience so far I have had with one passenger, it was very helpful to her,” said Aryanna Jackson, driver for the shuttle. “I think that the shuttle has so much potential. If it gets advertised more … then it could grow.” Students are encouraged to arrive earlier to the locations in order to obtain a seat, as the shuttle can only fit a maximum of six students. A valid NEIU ID is required to ride the shuttle, as well as an authorization form students will be required to fill out. Forms will be available in the shuttle in case a student hasn’t filled one out. The shuttle will not run during Spring Break or the summer semester. Currently, students with at least six-credit hours and the standard Illinois driver’s license can also apply to be drivers by contacting Burke. A timetable of arrival and departure hours can be found on NEIU’s website by searching under Student Union and Information Center/Box Office.
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NEIU’s future in the face of furloughs Rut Ortiz Students who will be fired from their campus jobs because of furloughs imposed during spring break can expect to get back to work soon after. “We’re going to try to do that immediately after the five furlough days in spring break is to hire as many back as we can,” Interim President Richard Helldobler said. Unfortunately not all of the employees who are laid off can expect a call back. “We’re not bringing back any temporary employees, we’re keeping those off the payroll until further notice,” Helldobler said. Helldobler continued that if the university does not get another stopgap budget or appropriation before May 15, NEIU would need to implement three additional furlough days in order to stay afloat. Those affected by the furlough days can expect an approximate 20 percent of their income cut. The message recently went out that NEIU would impose furlough days during the five days of spring break. University administration will spread those days over five weeks. An open meeting held on March 7 allowed the NEIU community, unions and bargaining groups – such as AFSCME Council 31 and UPI Local 4100 – to come and express their thoughts on cuts faculty and staff were going to experience for the second time since last year. Timothy Libretti, English department chair, said that state politicians see that NEIU continues to run without a state budget and the university ends up running on fumes. “We need to find a way to transfer that stress and responsibility and there has to be a moment where you say, ‘No More. Fund us or close us,’” he said to a room full of applause. A conversation of frustrated faculty going on strike also occurred at the open meeting. “It would be really horrible for the university but I can certainly understand and appreciate their frustration. They’ve been going at this for 20 months and we asked them to (take furloughs) last year and many faculty and staff haven’t recovered financially,” Helldobler said. “I understand the burden that this putting on everybody.”
Although the conversation of doing so was applauded during the open meeting, a “no-strike” clause in AFSCME’s contract with the NEIU administration would prevent them from going on strike. A faculty strike would also affect the UPI as confirmed by NEIU Chapter President Sophia Mihic that students do not have to be concerned about coming back from spring break to find their teachers gone. “That’s absolutely not the case,” Mihic said. “There is no way we could strike in that first week.” However, the amount of money necessary to carry NEIU through to the next fiscal year is not a small number. Michael Pierick, vice-president of finance and administration, gave a presentation at the beginning of the open meeting and explained that in order to keep NEIU operational through June 30, the university would need to cut expenses by approximately $8.2 million. The salary-saving program and spending freeze would cut that number down to about $2.8 million, an amount of expenses that still need to be cut to keep the school open and faculty members addressed their questions to university leadership about getting attention from the politicians in Springfield. “The spring break furloughs worry me because people aren’t paying attention,” Libretti said. “Having (furloughs) over spring break is going to make us much less visible.” Mihic said that Springfield politicians need to know that NEIU is at a crisis point. “I think taking the furloughs may be papering over the crisis and they’re not seeing how bad things are,” she said. “I can’t imagine another year like this. I didn’t think we would be in this position this year after what we did last year.” The trickle down effect of the budget impasse will close the childcare facility on NEIU’s campus. The campus will be closed down during the furlough days and will only have “a very skeletal police crew and custodial staff ” according to Helldobler. “Because we don’t have a full custodial, engineer and police staff, it’s a health and safety issue for me,” Helldobler said. NEIU’s main campus is expected to resume business after spring break.
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
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Opinions
The Independent Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Brett Starkopf
Taking a Chance on CPS
Managing Editor Robin Bridges Production Editor Pablo Medina News Editor Rut Ortiz Opinions Editor Danny Montesdeoca Sports Editor Spencer Jones Arts & Life Editor Cecilia Hernandez Online Editor Christian Gralak
Independent Staff Copy Editors John Cummings Desiree Dylong Naaim Siddiqi Grace Yu Production Staff Jason Merel Writers Michelle Bright Sarahy Lopez Eric Rodriguez Laura Rojas Grant Spathis Regina M. Torres Bisma Zafar Cartoonists GN Marketing and Advertising Director Christopher Starnawski Payroll Manager Cheryl Johnson The Independent is a public forum for the university and community around Northeastern Illinois University. The Independent is completely student run and receives no prior review of its content by anyone other than its student editors. Views presented do not necesarily represent those of the administration, faculty or students. The Independent is a member of the Illinois College Press Association and Associated Collegiate Press.
Chance the Rapper, among other celebrities, has stepped up to help fund CPS for the sake of the students ﹘ a moral obligation that’s been seemingly forgotten by our state legislators. | Photo courtesy of Scott Perry via Vimeo
Robin Bridges Chance the Rapper is not a hero. He’s a man who saw a need and did what he could. Earlier this month Chance the Rapper, after a “vague” and “unsuccessful” meeting with Governor Bruce Rauner, donated one million dollars to Chicago Public Schools Foundation. The next day, Chance again announced he would donate an additional $10,000 to specific schools to support art education as part of a challenge to local Chicago businesses. Chance is upping every $100,000 donation by $10,000 in order to help close the gap left by the continuing budget crisis in Illinois. While I admire what celebrities, like Chance and Derrick Rose, and Chicago business owners are doing
to help, is this really their problem to fix? I don’t think so. One of the purposes of public schools is to create accountability within a community, not only accountability for students but for community members as well. This includes everyone from taxpayers to the distributors of tax funds, AKA the government. This lack of accountability from law makers makes me wonder, do they care if our kids go to school? I’m going to need some proof that they do. So far there is none. “Our kids should not be held hostage because of political positioning,” Chance said during a press conference at Wescott Elementary last week. Should celebrities shoulder the burden of caring for their community? No, not single-handedly. What Chance and Rose are doing should
give these kids an advantage, not struggle to put them on level ground. I’m so happy Chance and Rose found it in their hearts to take on this burden, but while I praise them, I will shame those who left Chicago kids in a hole. One million dollars or even 10 million dollars is a drop in the bucket compared to what Chicago needs. And yes, Chicago needs its public schools. Less than a week after Chance’s huge donation there were calls for other Chicago celebrities to follow suit. Former CPS student and teacher Timeica Bethel went so far as to call out specific celebrities listing their alma mater alongside their net worth. Where’s the lists calling out Illinois and Chicago legislators asking them to make the same donations? Crickets. Legislators collect money spe-
cifically for schools. Where’s the call for them to distribute it fairly to every student? The call is here. Bruce Rauner is estimated to be worth near a billion dollars. Where is his million dollar donation to the school system that cares for his children? Where is his $10,000 donation to Walter Payton College Prep, where his children attend on a technicality? There are certain things our government has to fund because those things are rights for its citizens. Local government needs to make up its mind. EIther education is a right for all citizens or it isn’t. If it isn’t, please say so and stop funding it all together. Save the percentage of funding normally allocated for education and put it somewhere else. The other option is to fund education fully and equally and stop bickering about how much it costs.
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AHCA: A poor replacement for the ACA Eric Rodriguez Since its inception, there has not been a piece of legislation in the last 20 years that has received as much opposition by Republicans as Obamacare. Partly because of its big government principles and mostly because it stood emphatically as a symbol of a black president who was guiding a nation in a more progressive direction, Obamacare was the rallying flag for opposition from conservatives and moderates alike. Six years of gridlock, 52 votes to repeal and two government shutdowns later, the Republicans are finally in the driver’s seat and can now show us the “better health care” they were talking about for so long, but ﹘ spoiler alert ﹘ it doesn’t exist. Not only is the GOP’s health care proposal disappointing in its ingenuity, it’s just bad. The bill, formally titled the American Health Care Act, amends the Affordable Care Act and cuts certain provisions from it while adding some of its own to compensate. Most notably, it lifts the requirement for Americans to own insurance and replaces it with a tax penalty, levied by insurance companies, for those who don’t keep their insurance for consecutive years. The health care bill is not, as many Republicans proclaim, a repeal of the ACA, as the AHCA keeps the large frame of Obamacare intact. Under AHCA, young adults will still be able to stay on their parents’ health insurance plan until they’re 26, and health insurers are still barred from denying patients with pre-existing conditions. If this was all there was to say about the bill, there would undoubtedly be little opposition to the law. But the law goes on to redefine how the government disburses its funding for healthcare. The ACA calculates financial assistance by the cost of insurance within a given area and by how much the purchaser can afford. This allows government healthcare funding to be
flexible and target the people most at need for assistance. The AHCA, on the other hand, calculates by income and age, which may seem like common sense, but in practical terms, gives equal funding to the single mother of two making 40,000 and the single bachelor of the same age making 40,000. This makes funding counterintuitive as the people who really need it don’t get enough of it and the people who don’t necessarily need it get funding anyway. The fact that the AHCA doesn’t account for the difference in insurance cost within a given area will also mean that people from places like New Mexico and Hawaii that have high state insurance costs will receive the same amount of funding as people from states like Michigan and Indiana who have substantially lower health care costs. If the ACA is as dysfunctional as the Republicans say it is, then AHCA is wholly unsustainable for our country. In its essence, the AHCA is self-defeating. Free market principles wrapped in Obamacare doesn’t mesh well. Republicans say that they want to the lower costs of healthcare and then turn around and write in a provision that allows insurance companies to charge up to five times higher premiums towards people over 60. The AHCA also repeals the mandate that requires large businesses to provide affordable insurance, doing this all while slashing taxes on big businesses that were used to pay for the ACA. This bill is the anti-Robin Hood of healthcare, robbing the poor and giving to the rich, and yet House leader Paul Ryan is selling it as an “Act of Mercy.” This is not mercy, this is negligence. Our politicians have had six years to come up with a plan to replace the ACA, and what they’ve come up with mirrors the work of a college freshman pulling an all nighter to finish a paper ﹘ sloppy and uninspired. Our politicians should be ashamed of themselves ﹘ we deserve better.
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
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Tuesday, March 14, 2017
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Opinions
Furloughs fracture NEIU community
Independent
For the second year in a row, financial uncertainty looms over NEIU.
Bisma Zafar & Danny Montesdeoca We are now into our second year without a budget, and an end is not in sight. Even if a budget is passed through tonight, the impact of the budget impasse will not erased. NEIU’s financial situation also does not bode well for its reputation among potential students and faculty that are looking at NEIU as an option. Since fiscal year 2015, NEIU has had a 47 percent reduction in state funding, according to the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. In an email sent out to the entire university on March 3, Interim President Richard Helldobler surprised bargaining units on campus by announcing that furloughs would take place during spring break. The effects of the furloughs will also continue to be felt in the makeup and reputation of the university. Since last spring, the library has had three tenure-track faculty, out of a total of 14, leave and take positions elsewhere. With our inability to attract new hires and our inability to retain students, professors, faculty and staff, it’s hard to be optimistic about the future of NEIU. Not only are we losing funds, but we can be potentially losing the cogs in the machine that make the university run. These are the consequences that our state legislators don’t think about. These are the
subtle consequences of their ineptitude while behind the closed doors of state congress. “Many people have mentioned that they are thinking about new careers, which doesn’t mean that they’re going to leave next year, but they are making preparations for the long haul, to maybe move out of higher education, or they are actively applying to other institutions,” said Mary Thill, Humanities Librarian at Ronald Williams Library. At the same time, attracting new applicants is difficult with a job ad that includes the following notice: “Northeastern Illinois University positions are contingent upon the University's receipt of its State of Illinois appropriation.” “If anyone reads that closely, it’s taking a big risk for anyone who applies here, because they could apply, get the position, and then maybe we’d say ‘Oops, we don't have the money,’” said Lisa Wallis, another librarian at Ronald Williams Library. NEIU and other small state schools cannot afford to be recognized as “broke.” Our name doesn’t carry the weight of an Ohio State or Michigan State, but that does not mean we are any less important than them. As a university, NEIU is a very capable institution with a brilliant staff and smart, talented students. We are an institution that serves the less fortunate. If anything, that’s why we should be kept afloat, not left to fight for scraps.
A&L Left to Right:Miguel ( French Horn), Cruz (Trombone),Juárez (Tuba), Miranda( Trumpet), Freund (Trumpet) sing “Der Alte Peter”
Mexican Brass in the Jewel Box Pablo Medina
Comic Corner
For every jewel in a box, there’s some brass to complement it. M5 Mexican Brass band, led by the charismatic trumpeter Alexander Freund, fellow trumpeter Oscar Villegas Miranda, French hornist Juan Carlos Quiterio Miguel, tubist José Lopez Juárez and Roberto Carlos Cruz on trombone, M5 Mexican Brass had unique charms and wits to their theatric personalities. First Dancer of NEIU’s Ensemble Español Claudia Pizarro accompanied M5 for three songs and with every set, the Mexican Brass Quintet amazed both in- and out- of music.
Their solid entrances, well-blended tones and virtuoso techniques were all furthered by their lovable personalities. It was simply amazing seeing how little the members needed to speak to impress. Their playfulness and recital shined. Some of my personal favorites “Brasscinación,” included the variations of “Der Alte Peter,” a folk song frequently adapted into song by some German and Austrian composers such as Wagner, Strauss and Mozart, respectively. The quintet’s rendition Leonard Bernstein’s “Maria” from the play “West Side Story” suited the group’s style and sound with hints of
Mexican motifs and spicy musical flavor. Freund told a humble story about his presence in the M5 Quintet. “As you can hear, there is a suspicious German accent in the Mexican room,” Freund said. “I’ve worked on it for 30 years.” Freund introduced each member of the band with a light-hearted comment of their fascinating upbringings and personal stories, and connected with the audience through planned and choreographed skits. M5’s performance was well received with audience members . NEIU students Tyler Miles and Dmitri Snyder reflected on their
impressions of the concert. “I’m having a blast, it’s super fun. I love that they’re dancing, I like that they got Ensemble Español involved and their choreography is funny,” Miles said. “(Freund) is a wonderful teacher and comedian, and it’s funny that as he’s talking about the history, they do little gags on the side, it’s very cute.” Snyder highlighted the variations of “Der Alte Peter” as a noteworthy performance. “I like that it was informative and fun. We got to see a journey of a little folk tune through the ages and that was enjoyable to watch,” Snyder said. “They have a fun charisma about
them, and that’s what makes a good performance. You learn something, but you’re also enjoying yourself.” Every song contained an element that kept the stage and auditorium lively, as the music bounced from spot to spot with elegance. The group delivered on four encores, with a mix of Latin-inspired themes, two solo trumpet stand-offs and an extra invitation for Pizarro to showcase her traditional dance moves on the stage. M5 Mexican Brass showed its musical weight in brass and flourished in every quality with their adoring brotherhood of performers.
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A&L
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
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The release of ‘A People’s History of Chicago’ Grace Yu As the artistic director for Young Chicago Authors (a nonprofit organization devoted to youth arts and literary education) and the founder of Louder Than a Bomb, Kevin Coval mentored and worked with many young artists in the city of Chicago since they were teenagers. Coval’s newest poetry book “A People’s History of Chicago” is a love letter to the city, a literary celebration of all of its people, spirited and vital. The new book contains 77 poems, one for each of Chicago’s neighborhoods. Its title and inspiration are a nod to Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States,” which tells the history of America from “the other side,” detailing its counter-narratives to stop the erasure of their
history. Haymarket Books published Coval’s poetry book. The official release was on March 4, Chicago’s “bornday.” With the stated mission, “to publish books that contribute to struggles for social and economic justice,” Haymarket is a conscientious independent publisher that has also released several of Coval’s previous poetry books. In anticipation of the book release, “The Southside Weekly” published one of Coval’s poems titled “The Father is a Black Man,” reminding Chicago that its founding father, “the first non-Native / to settle in Chicago / Jean Baptiste Point du Sable / was a hustler” - and black. Another one of the poems, “Ode to Footwork,” was made into a video featuring a dancer that goes by the name
of “Lightbulb” killing it in the aisles of a neighborhood grocery store. Coval reads the poem over the colorful, vibrant videography. The foreword to “A People’s History of Chicago” was written by Chancellor Bennett, the one and only Chance the Rapper (also signed “Chance the Chicagoan” in the foreword). Chance calls Coval, whom he met during high school at an orientation for the Chicago-area Louder Than a Bomb poetry festival, “his artistic father.” LTAB is one of the most supportive organizations of young artists today. Recently, for a forthcoming anthology of Muslim American writers titled “Halal if You Hear Me” (which celebrates intersectionality within Muslim identity), LTAB hosted a live performance at the Jane Addams Hull
House Museum on March 9. Coval, like many of the other active Chicago artists, is often out and about in the city he loves. In celebration of the release, a party filled to capacity was held at the Harold Washington Library on March 4. Not bad for a poetry event on a Saturday night. I had hoped to attend the free event, but was told that due to fire code restrictions, the venue had begun to turn guests away at the door. Luckily, I was able to meet Coval at the after party at the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, DJ’ed by King Marie and OddCouple. Many events related to the release of the new book are being planned throughout the city for the remainder of 2017. If you’re a fan of poetry or of Chicago, be on the lookout for a reading near you!
Courtesy of Haymarket Books
‘A People’s History of Chicago’ can be ordered online at HaymarketBooks.org.
www.neiuindependent.org Caroline Neff (Sonya) and Tim Hopper (Vanya) in the Chicago premiere of Annie Baker’s adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, directed by Robert Falls. | Photo courtesy of Liz Lauren
Chekhov 'Uncle Vanya' from your list Regina M Torres There’s a reason that classics are classics. Even if manner of dress and other cultural symbols are of a bygone era, the stories and characters of masterpieces prove to remain relatable throughout time. Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” fits this bill as Chicago’s own Goodman Theatre has demonstrated this season. Within the span of three decades, Goodman’s award winning artistic director Robert Falls has tackled several of Chekhov’s plays, with the latest production of “Uncle Vanya” being extended to March 19 due to popular demand. “'Uncle Vanya’ is Chekhov’s first mature play—and as such, his most radical…I had a hard time connecting to it. But I re-read it last year, and suddenly it demanded to be done,” Falls told OnStage, Goodman Theatre’s online magazine Chekhov was a physician by day and a playwright by night when he penned Uncle Vanya, an intense dark comedy set in a once imposing and
full of grandeur Russian country estate that is now crumbling apart, much like the character’s emotional psyches which crumble apart as they unravel on stage. Uncle Vanya first premiered at Moscow Art Theatre in 1899, during the Victorian era when the arts were full of overdramatic, stiff and prosy dialogues. Chekhov and his theater partners were seeking to create new art that would realistically reflect human nature. Hence, Chekhov is considered one of the founders of modern realism in theater. This intent to reflect Chekhov’s raw and realistic societal portrayal is conveyed nicely by director Falls’ approach to the dysfunctional characters. “I try to resist ‘interpretation … I don’t think, ‘I’m going to make this a funny production, or a tragic production,’ … It’s life, and my job is to let the characters live their lives in all of their human contradictions,” Falls told OnStage. This realistic approach is further solidified by the translation and adap-
tation done by Pulitzer prize winning playwright Annie Baker. Her goal was to “create a version that sounds to our contemporary American ears the way the play sounded to Russian ears during the play’s first productions,” according to the preface of her script. Thankfully, Baker decided to adapt the play to make the language used by the characters sound contemporary. At the start of the nearly threehour show, with a magnificently detailed set design accomplished by set designer Todd Rosenthal, the audience is introduced to awkward silence, even though there are two characters present. Marina (Mary Ann Thebus), the kind-hearted and loyal nanny, pours tea and recommends that Astrov (Marton Csokas), the discontented country doctor, eat something. More awkward silence commences as they perhaps search for something to say in an environment of self-perpetuated boredom and the realization that their lives are not that spectacular.
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
This sort of darkly comedic dissatisfaction and regrets of wasted living set the theme for “Uncle Vanya,” and there is plenty to go around with the talented cast of dysfunctional characters. Mix in some unrequited love triangles, vodka binge drinking, depleting forests, bitter resentments and other human faux paus, and you have the collaged recipe for a comedic tragedy on human affairs. Kristen Bush plays the young, desired and conflicted Yelena, the wife of retired and ornery professor Serebryakov. In the same household, we have the unfulfilled professor’s daughter Sonya (Caroline Neff)who shares a kinship with her ticking time bomb uncle Vanya (Tim Hopper), who looks after his aging mother Maria (Marilyn Dodds Frank). Without going into spoiler mode, there are other colorful characters
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rounding out the ensemble, each giving life (albeit often chaotically) to an otherwise lifeless scenario. Besides the acting, adding to the tension and emotional climates were great sound and lighting effects, which at times made the audience almost jump out of their chairs. If you want to lose yourself in an intense, often sad, and at times hilarious tale of the follies past, present and future of a portion of human existence on the brink of implosion, then take a seat at the Goodman and raise a toast to uncle Vanya and company. Goodman Theatre offers student tickets for every show. For ticket and show information visit www.GoodmanTheatre.org/UncleVanya or call 312-443-3800. Goodman theatre offers accessible seating arrangements. Visit Goodman Theatre.org/Access for more information.
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A&L
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
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Nothing dead about this ‘Salesman’ Photo courtesy of Kimberly Loughlin
“Death of a Salesman” runs until March 26 at the Redtwist Theatre (1044 W. Bryn Mawr).
Grant Spathis For a play as well known as Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” breaking new ground is a difficult task. Fortunately, at the Redtwist Theatre in Edgewater, this was no problem. Directed by Steve Scott and driven by the strikingly powerful performance of Brian Parry as Willy Loman, the devastation of Miller’s story is pounded home. Given the limitations of the stage space at the Redtwist, with its narrow room featuring chairs on both sides of the stage, the physicality of a performance is crucial. Both Parry and Matt Edmonds, as Biff Loman, Willy’s eldest son, brought viewers into the visceral conflict between the two characters. The unique stage at the Redtwist allows play-goers to step right into a story, and with a story as dynamic as that of Willy Loman and his family, this presents the perfect opportunity to do so. Following a failed businessman as he struggles to find meaning in his and his son’s life is a story that demands the audience feel each trans-
gression and emotion being etched out. The wonderfully understated performance of Jan Ellen Graves as Linda, Willy’s long suffering wife, pulled the gravity of the stage toward her with each line of dialogue. The audience can sense the betrayal, fear and disillusion as Linda sees her entire world collapsing in front of her. As a whole, Redtwist’s staging of “Death of a Salesman” was an intimate affair. However, that does not mean the production of the show was anything less than stellar. Sound Designer Karli Blalock used the auditory hallucinations of Willy Loman to great effect, bouncing the voices in his head off the walls and making the space feel as though it was closing in on the stage. While minimal, it allowed the audience to see into the mind of Willy, as did the lighting. In scenes featuring Willy delving into his past while talking with his long-lost brother Ben,played by Ted Hoerhl, the lighting became almost surreal, focusing on Ben while leaving Willy somewhat obscured, much like the haze of Willy’s mind as he slowly unraveled.
While the story does not have a traditional villain, Willy’s boss Howard is the closest thing to it. Played with merciless smarm by Michael Sherwin, the one scene he is featured in encapsulated the brutal reality of an old man losing his place in his industry. Juxtaposed by the futuristic toys that Howard is enamored with, Willy seems even more anachronistic. He struggles with a toy for a society that has left him behind, unable to accept the reality of his life. In much the same way that Sherwin takes advantage of his single scene to make an impression, Adam Bitterman as Charley, Willy’s neighbor and verbal sparring partner, steals every scene he is in. His worn in, pitch perfect Brooklyn accent and dry delivery provide the play’s few moments of respite from the ever mounting pressure cooker of Arthur Miller’s story. Staging a play as classic as “Death of a Salesman” is inherently difficult, but Steve Scott and the Redtwist Theatre are up to the task. Led by the dynamic performance of Parry as the titular salesman, this staging is an unequivocally success.
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Sports
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Cutler’s gone. Is the Chicago Bears playoff drought finally over? | Photo courtesy of Mike Morbeck via
Wikimedia Commons
Cut loose
Bears release Cutler after 8 seasons Christopher Starnawski Eight years ago, the Chicago Bears made an uncharacteristic trade sending Kyle Orton, a pair of first round picks and a third-round pick for quarterback Jay Cutler. It was shocking and sparked a needed enthusiasm in the fan-base as the NFL was transforming into a pass-heavy league. Fans were eager to watch Jay Cutler lead the Bears to a Super Bowl, but in his eight years as starting quarterback, the Bears only made playoffs once. After six different offensive coordinators and three head coaches, the decision was made on March 9 to release Cutler.
Cutler was arguably Chicago’s most polarizing athlete of the past decade. In his first game as a Bear, Cutler threw four interceptions against the Green Bay Packers and finished the season setting a franchise record with 26 Interceptions. After a miserable opening season, Chicago was left guessing about what kind of player Cutler actually was. The Bears went on a tear the following season earning 11 wins and five losses. Cutler was able to shave off ten interceptions from his stat line with a receiving cast led by Devin Hester and Earl Bennett. For the first time since the 2006 season, the Chicago Bears had made
it to the NFC championship game to face off against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field. The expectations for the game was historically high and in return Chicago fans were delivered a historic disappointment. Cutler left the game early in the third quarter with an MCL sprain without leading the Bears to a single point. Football fans began to question Cutler’s toughness after leaving the most important game of his career with an injury. Looking back after seven years, there’s no question Cutler is tough. During his tenure with the Bears, Jay Cutler was sacked 251 times resulting in several sprains, concussions and tears. He survived behind
consistently bad offensive lines but could never excel. The fans certainly cared that the leader their team gave up a bulk of draft picks for never made it to another pro bowl, but did Cutler ever care? On top of his toughness being called into question, his leadership ability was consistently doubted. Former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher stated on an interview with 88.7-The Game back in 2014 that, “Financially, Cutler is one of the elite guys in the league but that he hasn’t produced like an elite quarterback. “Rodgers has no offensive line. He wins. Brady has no receivers. He wins.” At the time when Urlacher made this comment, Cutler had a plethora
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of offensive weapons at his disposal consisting of Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Martellus Bennett. Going into the 2014 season, NFL analysts were favoring the Bears to win the Super Bowl only for them to finish the season with a miserable 5-11 record. Maybe a winning percentage isn’t a good leadership indicator, but Jay Cutler’s attitude certainly was. On the field, fans saw no emotion or similar fire from Jay Cutler that great quarterbacks portray and off the field he was the same way. The “Don’t Care” Cutler mantra became mainstream in 2013 after a fan claimed to have approached Cutler to express his fan-hood and Vanderbilt connections only to have Cutler lean his head back while using a urinal and yell “Don’t Care.” Understandably, it’s hard to blame the guy for not caring about that conversation under the circumstances, but his delivery of the seventh inning stretch at Wrigley Field in 2012 gave fans reason to raise arms. His monotone enthusiasm was unique and unorthodox, yet it showed the fans the type of guy that was taking snaps under center for the beloved Chicago Bears. Whether you’re a Cutler lover or hater, it’s hard not to appreciate his memorable moments. Even though the predictions about Jay as a Bear have gone up in smoke like a Marlboro Red, he leaves the team as the franchise’s all-time leader in passing yards, touchdowns and quarterback rating. The Chicago Bears are getting younger and are heading into the draft with the third overall pick. It isn’t out of the question for the team to draft a quarterback at that spot but from all indications made by Bears GM Ryan Pace, the team will be selecting the best player available. Regardless of who is drafted at that spot one thing is certain: there will never be another Bear quite like “Smoking” Jay Cutler.
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Sports
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Act like a lady, play ball like a man Robin Bridges The women of the WNBA have inspired some of the greatest moments in my life. As a woman who is not-so-typical, sports was my refuge. Players like Lisa Leslie and Cynthia Cooper showed me that giant women like me play good game. At 6-5” and 5’10” respectively these tall, tall ladies rocked heels, dresses, jerseys, gym shoes and made me feel like I could do the same thing. So I did. In late February, Candice Wiggins shared her WNBA story with a reporter for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
She called out the league and women in it for bullying her throughout her almost decade long career for her sexual preference. I wouldn’t try to diminish her feelings by saying she wasn’t bullied. If Wiggins feels some kind of way, girl, feel your feelings. However, this seems like a cover-up. She talked about her spirit being broken by low viewership and a toxic culture that prevailed since the time she was drafted. After a long career it’s understandable that bullying would be a factor in her decision to retire. “I would say 98 percent of the women in the WNBA are gay women,” Wiggins said. “It was a conform-
ist type of place. There was a whole different set of rules they (the other players) could apply. “There was a lot of jealousy and competition, and we’re all fighting for crumbs.” Ninety-eight percent? 98 percent! Really? That sounds excessive. First of all, what does who they love, sleep with, or are attracted to have anything to do with you? Mainly because it is not you. To assert that all homosexuals are after you because they’re gay is a bit of a stretch. I’m not saying you’re not beautiful or valuable or sexy. You are all of those things. It’s because homosexuals have standards just like everyone else.
Don’t assume you meet them for the simple fact of being a woman. Second, perhaps I misunderstand but it sounds like the amount of competition in a professional league is something to complain about? Isn’t that your job? To compete? I believe it is. Finally, when Wiggins said, “It comes to a point where you get compared so much to the men, you come to mirror the men. So many people think you have to look like a man, play like a man to get respect. I was the opposite. I was proud to a be a woman, and it didn’t fit well in that culture.” You can be proud to be a woman all day, every day. But only if you’re really proud to be a woman. I hope
you have people in your life who love you just the way you are. If you don’t, as one non-traditional looking girl to another, you only have to look like yourself. I spent 12 years competitively swimming, playing water polo, basketball, wrestling and even cheerleading. Any reason to be active, I found it and rocked it. I did it all because these women dared to play basketball like the men. They dared to look different than the cheerleaders and the dancers. They dared to be gay, straight or other-sexual. They aren’t there for people to look at because they came to play.
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Tuesday, March 14, 2017
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An open letter to Jameis Winston:
Our girls shouldn’t be silent Spencer Jones
Photo courtesy of Keith Allison via Wikimedia Commons
Winston hasn’t learned from previous encounters with the opposite sex.
A few weeks ago, Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback Jameis Winston made an appearance at an elementary school in St. Petersburg, Florida in an effort to give back to the community. What started as something with good intentions spiraled into a territory that Winston is sadly familiar with. “All my boys, stand up. All my ladies you can sit down,” Winston said to the audience of students, teachers and parents, according to the Tampa Bay Times. “We strong, right? The ladies — they’re supposed to be silent, polite, gentle. My men, my men supposed to be strong.” The ladies, they’re supposed to be silent. As someone who has witnessed the physical and emotional abuse women close to him had to go through, these words stuck with me. “The ladies” that he referred to will one day become women that he and other men wouldn’t be here without. In that same speech, Winston recited with the boys “I can do anything I put my mind to.” Can the same not be said for the girls? They’re supposed to be silent. Supposed to be, as if they don’t have the option to be vocal and express their personal beliefs. As if they’re not suppose to strive to achieve their goals and aspirations like their male counterparts. What Winston did, like others before him, has unconsciously taken away their voices and made young girls feel inferior. Even if it’s a case of poor word choice, Winston, a 23-year-old, should’ve known better. It’s not like this was his first time dealing with sexual controversy. In 2012, while attending Florida State University, he was accused of raping a fellow stu-
dent. Though he was cleared of any wrongdoing his image is still tainted. Silent. Something that many women that were abused have been. They’re silent because, they believe it’s pointless to speak out. They’re silent because they’ve witnessed women speak out and get shunned and rejected for it. They’re silent, because men like Jameis Winston have told them to be. According to the “National Sexual Violence Resource Center,” one in four girls have been sexually abused before their 18th birthday. In that audience, Winston was
not only talking to a group of eager students, he was talking to sexual assault survivors. Since the event, Winston has come out to state that he had no intentions on disrespecting the ladies in the audience. As he put it, there was a male student in the audience that wasn’t listening. “I didn’t want to single him out so I asked all the boys to stand up,” he told the Tampa Bay Times. During my talk, I used a poor word choice that may have overshadowed that positive message for some.” The positive message wasn’t so positive for the young girls who had to sit through it and be silent.
Jimmy
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Play like a ‘man’ pg. 14
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Above All
By: Michelle Bright
pg. 12
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Soaring
Cut Loose Vol. 36 Issue 12
ee Durfee graduated from Northern Illinois University and has been teaching yoga and Zumba for the past 14 years. She discovered she wanted to teach during a high impact aerobics class. “I remember the light bulb going on in my head,” Durfee said. “I asked the front desk that same day on who to contact to become an instructor. A woman named Paula took me under her wing and led the way for me to get in house training through Bally’s. I also received a Primary Group Exercise Certification through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America that same year.” Teaching fitness was just something on the side, she really wanted to perform since that’s what she got her degree in the performing arts. “The fitness industry sucked me in because I fell in love with teaching, the excitement of the group exercise and the joy I get from seeing my students and myself improve.” Being inspired by different aerobic instructors played a role in her decision to teach. “I felt like teaching would be something fun I could do, choreograph, and perform at the same time.” Durfee said she loves helping people and making them smile and laugh. “Group exercise is also a place where you can make new friends, and feel a sense of belonging,” she said. Along with teaching at NEIU she works at other places such as corporate gyms and community gyms. In the past she worked for ballet and Pilates studios. Durfee faced challenges of her own in the group fitness industry. “Some were surprising. (For example) how verbal you have to be as fitness instructor,” she said. “We have to use our voice in an efficient manner and project while getting our heart rate up.” That’s not all, making people feel welcomed and safe in the environment while working out also plays a role. She pushed to maintain a healthy relationship with people who attend her classes. “Students want to see results because it is such a special relationship between instructor and students,” Durfee said. “It is difficult at times to maintain my instructor position and keep a friendly distance emotionally from students. We have to maintain the integrity of our position as a teacher and keep our students responding to the class in a positive, respectfully way.” Through her struggles Durfee has accomplished many things. “I used to have social anxiety where I would not want to speak up, give presentations, or tell jokes at parties,” she said. “Teaching threw me in the deep end, I was petrified at first and still get nervous from time or time.” Stott Pilates Full Certification, Les Mills BodyPump Certification, and Polestar Allegro Certification are just a few of her accomplishments. “I accomplished many things which can be documented on a piece of paper, but I have accomplished so much as a person,” Durfee said. “I am more intelligent, more well rounded, confident and compassionate as a result of my teaching experience.” Over the years she has seen an improvement in women’s sports. “These days there seems to be a sense of androgyny where everything is for everybody and there is much less sexism and less rules of what a female should and should not do,” she said. In years to come, Durfee would like to get her masters degree in dance therapy from Columbia College. She wants to teach more yoga classes and obtain a certification in aqua fitness and plan for retirement, although she laughed when she expressed this. “The key to life is breathing and concentration,” Durfee said.