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NEWS: A Cry for Divestment: SJP Rally Draws Hundreds of Attendees

NOVEMBER 2, 2023 SIXTH WEEK VOL. 136, ISSUE 4

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University Officials Float Further Lyft Ride Cuts in Safety Webinar By ARJUN MAZUMDAR | Senior News Reporter On a Zoom webinar held Tuesday, October 24, Associate Vice President for Safety and Security Eric Heath addressed the recent series of off-campus armed robberies, discussed ongoing investments in safety infrastructure, and mentioned the possibility of further scaling back the Lyft Ride Smart program amid a deluge of student and parent questions. He was joined by President Paul Alivi-

satos, Dean of Students Michele Rasmussen, Dean of the College Melina Hale, and Vice President for Communications Paul Rand. The webinar came amid rising student and community anxiety over crime in Hyde Park. Recent armed robberies and paintball attacks have led to widespread discussion across a range of forums, with many calling for greater

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transparency and criticizing the University for decreasing the number of Lyft passes provided to community members. Crime Awareness and Lyft Ride Smart Program “In the city, we’re seeing a 25 percent increase in overall crime and a 25 percent increase in robberies,” Heath said, contextualizing the wave around campus as part of a Chicago-wide trend. He spoke directly about the spike in Hyde Park-based crimes. “Really the change in the fall tends to be just an influx of new people. It’s about educating and reeducating all the new students, families, faculty, staff, and community members that come into our area.” Rasmussen elaborated on the importance of awareness and safety education. “Try to just get in the mindset of being prepared and vigilant all the time and not let your guard down, especially if you’re walking around in an urban environment when it’s darker. We want [our students] to be aware and paying attention to their surroundings by not being too plugged

in with their AirPods or looking down at their phone while they’re walking around in the streets.” Several audience members called for an expansion of the Lyft Ride Smart program in light of the recent nighttime robberies. Currently, the program gives all enrollees up to all enrollees up to $10 off on seven rides a month, compared to 10 $15 credits a month last academic year, in a geofenced area that includes Hyde Park and part of the Woodlawn neighborhood, between 5 p.m. and 4 a.m. Rasmussen said the program “was not so much suggested to us by students as a response to crime. It was suggested to us by students as a late-night alternative, especially on weekends, to shuttles or walking to get from point A to point B, particularly off-campus. It was never intended to be a standalone transportation system, to replace our shuttle system, to replace our CTA bus routes, but rather more of a complement.” Despite Rasmussen’s claims, the University has used the Lyft program as CONTINUED ON PG. 2

Emotions Run High on Quad as Maroons for Israel and SJP Stage Opposing Protests By EMMA JANSSEN | Deputy News Editor Content warning: This article contains mentions of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and violence. Tension filled the center of campus Thursday afternoon as students from a collection of UChicago Jewish organiza-

NEWS: UCPD Impounds Gray Kia, Apprehends Robbery Spree Suspect PAGE 5

tions and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at UChicago demonstrated on the quad, separated by only a few feet. A collection of UChicago Jewish organizations, including UChicago Hillel, Rohr Chabad, Law Students for Israel, the Jewish Business Student Association, UChi-

NEWS: Class of 2027 CC Representatives Elected as USG Reports Lowest Engagement in Eight Years

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cago Kehillah, and UChicago Maroons for Israel, organized a rally from noon to 1 p.m. at the center of the quad to express support for Israel following the October 7 attacks on the country by Hamas. This rally came as SJP continued its daily occupation of the quad, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., “until the genocide ends.” SJP began its daily protests on Monday, October 16.

Attendees protested for a myriad of reasons. Many had personal ties to the region. Some were Jewish, others Muslim. Some were religious leaders or in training to become religious leaders. Many hadn’t been able to focus on their work since violence erupted on October 7. An Arab-American undergraduate stu-

ARTS: Art to Live Without

SPORTS: The Best Spots to Work Out in Hyde Park

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“We have to think about the balance of creating and improving safety while also not creating a police and security state.” CONTINUED FROM PG. 1

a response to crime in the past. When it was first launched in September of 2021, passes could only be used on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. But after a wave of violent crime in November of 2021, including the murder of graduate Shaoxiong “Dennis” Zheng, the program was extended to every night of the week. While initially marketed as temporary, the expansion was eventually made permanent. Heath hinted at plans to further scale back or eliminate the Lyft program altogether. “We’re considering exploring alternatives to a Lyft program that provides point-to-point service, maybe even more so than what Lyft currently provides, but in a manner that is both environmentally and economically sustainable, because what has shifted with our Lyft program is the influx of single-ride vehicles that has created a lot of challenges and concerns for our greater community.” Despite the University’s concern for the environmental sensibilities of the community, there have been no organized calls for the Lyft program to be adjusted because of emissions. In a written statement to The Maroon, the UChicago Environmental Justice Task Force lambasted the University for citing environmental concerns while not taking action on initiatives that students have advocated for years. “It’s hard to commend the University for their environmental and community concerns when their concern is clearly manufactured to cover for their aggressive spending cuts and corporatization. If the University actually cared about the environment it would (1) divest from fossil fuels (2) invest in proven and effective partnerships like the CTA bus program that benefit the community, the environment, and students. If the University actually cared about the broader community it would (1) stop over policing the community, which carries its own environmental costs (2) stop making financial decisions like investments and land purchases with no transparency (3) stop displacing Black residents on the

South Side.” During the webinar, Rasmussen addressed the difficulty of providing safety assurances to the campus community. “Everyone, including our students, have different thresholds for where they feel safe. Some students are extremely comfortable in an urban environment, and others a little bit less so, and that’ll come with time. Unfortunately, there is no set of guaranteed behavior[s] or actions that will 100 percent prevent you from becoming a crime victim. We also don’t want to frighten students into not getting out of campus and exploring Chicago,” she said. Details of the Robberies According to Heath, in the last three weeks, several University students fell victim to a series of armed robberies, which primarily occurred north and east of campus. “In the span of three weeks, we believe around 10 robberies were likely related to one particular group of suspects who, over the course of multiple weekends, were stealing vehicles, committing a series of crimes, and then dropping the vehicles,” Heath said. The University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) leveraged its system of license plate readers to analyze distinct patterns used by the suspects. “In the three patterns that we had, we were able to actually review video footage and by the second weekend, have a really good understanding of what vehicles were being used in the second pattern, and unfortunately chase those vehicles,” Heath said. UCPD officers recovered the second vehicle used and obtained the license plate of the third vehicle. “The very next night, when [the third vehicle] returned to that area, we located the vehicle, chased the vehicle, and were able to apprehend one juvenile suspect, who we turned over to the Chicago Police Department.” Heath confirmed the age of the juvenile suspect and noted the complexity of the crimes. “These crimes are complicated. They are fast and they’re quick. Even

in a situation like this, when a 13-year-old juvenile gets arrested, the reality is even at 13 years old, they’re extremely street savvy.” He also emphasized the atypical nature of the crimes, citing unreleased UChicago Crime Lab data. “Where we had the robberies most recently in the last couple of weeks isn’t where the historical crime patterns exist for our robbery hotspots in our patrol area.” UCPD Efforts and Challenges All the crimes were committed off campus, and Heath commented on the challenges posed by the UCPD’s large coverage area. “Our extended patrol area is quite large geographically. It’s about four and a half square miles. We have an extended patrol area that probably dwarfs all of our peers geographically.” He emphasized that areas beyond the northern and southern campus boundaries are primarily patrolled by the Chicago Police Department. “UCPD provides support to the Chicago Police Department. We’re kind of like an additional eyes and ears.” Heath also cited the lack of city-provided camera coverage in the extended patrol area as a challenge. “While we have a robust technology situation on our campus, off-campus, we’ve never really had that broad coverage. In the last two years, we have donated a significant amount of money to the city to improve their own camera infrastructure. Over the last couple of weeks, in fact, they have started installing all of those cameras.” Security Alerts Several students submitted questions calling for more immediate security alerts, criticizing the University’s lack of communication and transparency. Heath emphasized that under the Clery Act, the University is only required to communicate on-campus crime. He defined “on campus” as “property that the university owns or controls for the purposes of higher education or in support of education, as well as public property, streets, and sidewalks that are immedi-

ately adjacent to that property. Anything else,” he said, “is considered off-campus.” The one mugging-related security alert sent to students discussed an incident on 58th Street, which is considered on-campus according to the UCPD patrol map. Heath added that the decision to restrict security alerts to on-campus crime was informed by community feedback. Prior to 2018, the university reported onand off-campus crime via email security alerts. “The vast majority of the feedback was that there was way too much information. So we moved, based on the feedback, to an opt-in system to talk about off-campus crime.” But he admitted that emailed security alerts are ineffective at notifying students quickly. “I realize that the 18-yearold students are probably not reading their emails at 11 o’clock at night. So we need to think differently about if there are different means and modes to produce and disseminate that information.” Safety Measures and Infrastructure Enhancements In addition to bolstering local camera capabilities, Alivisatos discussed widespread staffing enhancements. “Two years ago, we set into motion a large set of new investments to support your safety. For example, we are growing our police force substantially. To do that, we had to establish a new program for recruiting officers.” He added, “Over the next coming weeks, we intend to double the actual coverage we have in the extended patrol area.” This increase in staffing is part of a larger reorientation of how the Department of Safety and Security views its role. “We switched our perspective of being a campus law enforcement agency into more of a forward-thinking agency that’s addressing urban-related crime. What has worked well on campus? What can we also extend in the area?” Alivisatos also acknowledged community concerns regarding UCPD expansion. “We have to think about the balance of creating and improving safety while also not creating a police and security state.”

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“Essentially what we’re trying to do is [assert] our right to be here and to exist.”

nathaniel rodwell-simon.

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dent told The Maroon she joined the SJP protests on Monday and Thursday because she felt a sense of solidarity with Palestinian students. “I’m from a country that has been oppressed before. And we did resist and we overcame our oppression, and it’s a very near and dear conversation to my heart when you talk about Palestine because of this,” she said. “Because we’re living in a post-9/11 America, [I’m] always having conversations with people where you’re basically defending your right to be alive and begging the other side to see you as a human being,” she said. An Israeli student who recently moved to Chicago spoke to The Maroon about her connection to the conflict. “Last Saturday, what they call a resistance group crossed the border in order to kill civilians,” she said. “My entire family lives in Israel. Obviously, the Palestinians have the right to live and Israel does everything in its power not to target civilians, but we are facing terror, and this [terrorist] organization is rooted within civilian infrastructure. They are putting a gun against our head, and Israel has a right to defend itself.” Tensions began to rise as an increasing number of students filtered into the quad from their classes. Speakers on both sides

yelled and chanted, each attempting to drown out the other. Students supporting Israel sang in Hebrew; speakers from SJP chanted into a megaphone. Both groups waved flags and signs. University officials briefly intervened when an altercation broke out between a handful of demonstrators around 12:33 p.m. Organizers from both groups also called on their supporters not to interact with the other. Prior to this, only one University staff member, a dean-on-call, stood between the two groups. One student stood along the outskirts of the quad, watching the protests. The student, a Jewish first-year whose grandfather is Israeli, was moved by one speaker in the protest in support of Israel, who he said gave a balanced and empathetic speech. “However,” he said, “the pro-Palestinian supporters did not hear that message because they’re focused on their message. And the Israel supporters, I don’t know if they’ve all fully taken in that message.” With both sets of protestors wielding megaphones and leading chants, it was difficult to hold conversations. Except for the altercation, the two groups largely stuck to their respective sides of the quad. When asked how it had felt to be a Jewish student on campus since the conflict began two weeks ago, the first-year responded, “I feel like shit.”

“To hear these people while I’m in my class, and hear them louder than my professor speaking [as they] chant ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine must be free,’ it’s a little disturbing,” he added. One Muslim graduate student protesting with SJP spoke about his motivations for protesting and drew parallels to the political climate after the terror attacks on September 11, 2001. “I grew up in the shadows of the war on terror,” he said. “I never had any false pretenses about the political establishment.” On Monday, the student attended the funeral of six-year-old Wadea al-Fayoume, a Palestinian-American child stabbed to death by a landlord who professed Islamophobic rhetoric. “We’re all walking around with so much grief. I can’t go on my phone without seeing pictures of dead bodies. I hope nobody ever has to pray over the body of a six-year-old child. I hope I never have to do it again,” he said. “I don’t want to make this just about Muslims,” the student told The Maroon. “I know my Jewish brothers and sisters are grieving too. And that pain is real, and I’m not here to speak down to anyone’s pain.” Matthew Wieseltier, a Jewish fourthyear undergraduate, joined the protest supporting Israel out of a feeling of solidarity with the Jewish community. Like the first-year Jewish student, Wieseltier said he struggled with the slogans he had heard used by SJP. “‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ implies that you’re going to ethnically cleanse the millions of Jews that live there. So I think a lot of us feel kind of taken aback by the rhetoric used by SJP,” Wieseltier said. “The last two weeks, I really haven’t been able to focus on anything. I’ve rarely been able to do work,” he added. “I’m just sick of having to explain why I feel persecuted and attacked by this. As a persecuted minority, you shouldn’t have to explain that to other people.” A fourth-year Turkish undergraduate protesting with SJP said he was using his privilege as a white-passing student to support his fellow activists. As he stood facing the protest in support of Israel, a small group of demonstrators shouted and jeered at him. “I spent high school in the Middle

East. So I got to interact with a lot of Arab students who were Syrian, they were Lebanese, but really, their fathers or their mothers or their grandparents were from Palestine,” he said. “They’re from Lebanon and they’ve never seen Palestine, but they still hold onto that.” On the other side of the quad, the students supporting Israel periodically broke into song. They sang “Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu,” a peace song often sung in both Hebrew and Arabic; “Hine Ma Tov,” which includes the lyrics “How good and how pleasing/ For brothers to sit together in unity”; and “Am Yisrael Chai,” a Jewish solidarity anthem that translates to “The People of Israel Live.” The singing was a significant part of the protest, Wieseltier said. “Essentially what we’re trying to do is [assert] our right to be here and to exist.” On SJP’s section of the quad, a Jewish fourth-year undergraduate who has been a member of SJP throughout his time in college described how his Jewish identity had influenced his activism. The student said SJP’s daily protests had become a source of comfort and community for him. “It’s one of the few things that keeps us going at a time with just so much death and violence at the hands of the Israeli state. So being able to experience and then channel our anger and disgust together into the community has been really important.” A Jewish student who came to support Israel emphasized the sense of community that the rally offered. “It’s always kind of been difficult to be on campus as a Jew, seeing a lot of antisemitism encased in what’s perceived as anti-Zionism. I think most of this was just so we could see each other, because we get to see other Jews and other non-Jews come together.” As the rally in support of Israel began to end around 1 p.m., some protesters began interacting with opposing activists. Some interactions were private conversations, but other students confronted each other, prompting University officials to maintain separation between them. But as time passed, students on both sides returned to their respective areas of the quad and eventually headed home, concluding the day’s events.

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A Cry for Divestment: SJP Rally Draws Hundreds of Attendees

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By SHINJINI CHAKRABORTY | Deputy News Editor Content warning: This article contains mentions of violence. Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at UChicago held a rally and press conference in solidarity with Palestine on Friday, October 20. Addressing hundreds of attendees gathered outside of Levi Hall, speakers demanded that UChicago divest from Israel and decried Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. The speakers, who did not disclose their names because of media presence and out of fear of retaliation, were representatives from SJP, the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), and #CareNotCops. Two University faculty members also spoke at the event. The first speaker, from PYM, spoke out against Israel’s actions in Gaza. The speaker mentioned an explosion on the premises of Gaza’s al-Ahli Arab Hospital on Tuesday. “We are watching the crimes against our people unfold in real time,” she said. “On Tuesday, it all came to a head when a hospital, a hospital full of patients and doctors and people trying to live, was bombed, killing more than 500 Palestinians. This is not just a war crime, this

is a genocide.” Since Tuesday, U.S. and European intelligence agencies have stated that the cause of the explosion was a misfired Palestinian rocket. An analysis of security camera footage conducted by the Wall Street Journal also corroborated those claims. Speaking about the United States, the speaker stated, “We hold this country responsible for sending the weapons that killed hundreds of people at a hospital, for sending Israel more than three billion dollars every single year to oppress people who just want to do more than survive.” The next speaker said he had been a faculty member at the University for the past several years. He condemned both the actions of the Israeli state towards Gaza and the support that Israel received in those actions from nations and institutions such as UChicago. “I’m also here, in small part, because I am Jewish, and I think it’s important to combat the weaponization of antisemitism against those who stand with Gaza,” he said. “And to say that the equation of anti-Zionism with antisemitism is itself antisemitic.” An organizer from #CareNotCops focused her speech on UChicago and the

City of Chicago. “Although what’s going on in Palestine may seem so far removed from us, our University and the City of Chicago are complicit in the genocide going on in Gaza. UChicago invests in defense companies that are building the bombs that are being dropped in Gaza right this minute,” she said. “The Chicago Police Department actually has a strong relationship with Israel. They send their officers to Israel to train. That means that the CPD learned from and worked together with the IDF, the so-called Israeli Defense Forces, that we know are really the Israeli Occupying Forces.” Another professor challenged the University’s stated commitment to political neutrality. “I am glad that I can stand here and say ‘free Palestine.’ I am glad that I am not as afraid [as] other colleagues of losing my job because of this University’s ostensible commitment to free speech,” she said. “However, the University cannot be rhetorically neutral while being materially invested in apartheid. If the University is truly committed to neutrality, it needs to fully exit this conflict. Investing in Israeli military contractors is not neutrality. Partnering with Israeli institutions is not neutrality,” she added.

“In their response to the invitation to this protest, University administrators assured us that ‘our endowment investments are all legal.’ I assure you they are not. Apartheid is illegal. Occupation is illegal,” the professor said. Following the speeches, a protest organizer called out the fact that University administration had not shown up to the event. The organizer then initiated a march to the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. As the protesters began marching, a small group of counterprotesters holding Israeli flags remained behind. They told The Maroon that they were not from any particular organization. Upon reaching the Crown School building, the organizers introduced a final speaker, who identified himself as Michael. He spoke about the company General Dynamics, in which the named benefactors of the school, the Crown family, are substantial investors. “The controlling stake in General Dynamics, the fifth largest weapons contractor in the world, is the Crown family,” Michael said. “So that means that the $75 million that they spent to slap their name on this school had nothing to do with social work.… They have made the people that attend this university and especially this school complicit in their crimes.”

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UCPD Impounds Gray Kia, Apprehends Robbery Spree Suspect After Chase By NEIVE RODRIGUEZ | Senior News Reporter A suspect involved in a series of armed robberies in Hyde Park has been apprehended by the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD), according to an update posted on the University’s Safety and Security website on October 22. As described in the update, a stolen vehicle associated with the robberies was spotted near the location of the ini-

tial robberies on October 20. UCPD was able to locate the suspect through the vehicle’s license plate, which was logged in the department’s Strategic Operations System. The stolen vehicle was pursued by UCPD until it crashed at the intersection of East 55th Street and South Indiana Avenue. The driver was arrested, and the

other occupants of the vehicle fled. UCPD impounded the vehicle and recovered personal items from last week’s robberies, which the Chicago Police Department is still investigating. According to an October 20 email sent to University community members from Associate Vice President for Safety and Security Eric Heath and Dean of Students Michele Rasmussen, security and police presence have been increased on and

near campus since the string of robberies. “We are constantly evaluating additional tools for safety and communication, building on significant investments made over the last two years,” the email read. “These include substantial increases and enhancements to the police force, additional security technology such as cameras and license plate readers, and a new strategic operations center to aid real-time response and crime solving.”

New Plant-Based Cafe Sundrip Opens at Campus North By SABRINA CHANG | Deputy News Editor Sundrip, a Black- and family-owned vegan eatery, is the newest addition to the row of food and drink options located right below Campus North Residential Commons. The café opened in early September, replacing the Southspace art gallery. Sundrip was first founded in 2020 in Fulton Market under the name Uncooked by Chief Vision Officer Jeremy Jones, his mother and Chief Executive Officer Carole Jones, and his wife and Chief Operating Officer Kaitlyn Jones. The family decided to expand their business to Hyde Park after a regular customer, whose husband works for the University, introduced them to the spot on campus. The new name and rebrand debuted in January this year. “The thinking was to make the brand a little bit more approachable, less hardcore, to demystify the idea that people had about raw veganism,” Jeremy said. “We just want the vibe to be fun and joyful.” The path to the creation of Sundrip started over 13 years ago. Jeremy and Carole got into plant-based eating specifically for the idea of “food as medicine” after losing Carole’s husband to colon cancer. In 2009, Carole co-founded Chicago Raw, a vegan, plant-based café in River North, and was joined by Jeremy there. In 2020, they had the opportunity to start a family business together along with Jeremy’s wife Kaitlyn and were able to find success amid the pandemic.

Everything sold at Sundrip is whole food, plant-based, gluten-free, vegan, and prepared fresh daily, according to Sundrip’s website. “The first thing you’ll notice with our food is when you replace all of the empty calories with things that are micronutrient rich, you’ll feel fuller on less,” Jones said. “There isn’t that five o’clock hangover after eating something big.” One of their goals for the Hyde Park location is to help make healthy food options more accessible to college students. “We want to remove all the barriers between you and making that healthy [food] choice. So if you eat something from us that is quick, convenient, and tastes really good, it’s a moot point if it’s healthy and makes those choices extremely easy, and that’s really what we’re going for,” Jones said. The owners also recognize that college students are known to try to save on money, so in an effort to alleviate this, Sundrip is offering a 20 percent discount for UChicago students and working on adding a Maroon Dollars option in the near future. Sundrip also offers a yearly membership as part of its online ordering platform that includes a 25 percent discount on all items, and it is currently running a promotion that gives UChicago students and faculty a 50 percent discount on the annual membership fee. The owners hope to destigmatize the stereotypes associated with healthy

restaurants by not only making their products taste good but also making their space bright and inviting. The interior of Sundrip features an orange and yellow color scheme complete with a grab-andgo fridge stocked with colorful juices and acai bowls; hanging egg chairs; and a large flower wall with a neon sign that reads, “let your soul shine.” “We wanted to create a space that was fun and more representative of the people that come in. ‘Let your soul shine’ really is an invitation to bring your whole self and just smile for no reason,’” Jeremy said. Jeremy hopes that the restaurant space can serve as a place for the community to host events, free of charge. “I think we have a unique opportunity, especially given where we are on campus, to bridge the greater community of Hyde Park and Woodlawn with the student body,” Jones said. Jeremy hopes to make the Hyde Park café a tight-knit community with many regular customers, similar to the Fulton Market location. “The reason why folks come back is because we have a standard of excellence of how we treat them. It’s about the relationship more than the transaction,” Jeremy said. “I think it’s also embedded in the brand of not trying to sledgehammer you over your head with who we are but trying to create a mirror for who you are.” Sundrip also places great emphasis on practicing and promoting sustainability. After learning that compostable packag-

ing is only industrially compostable and not recyclable, the owners transitioned to reusable packaging made from recycled bottles. Most of their menu items use noodles made from kelp, which grows in water and is the only vegetable that sequesters carbon at a massive scale. The use of kelp means that Sundrip is carbon neutral from the start. Sundrip’s smoothies are also all blended in-cup, which not only ensures uniformity but also helps eliminate waste. The café also cross-utilize items in its produce section, which means that there is less spoilage. As part of its efforts to encourage sustainable living, Sundrip also partnered with local Hyde Park artists and photographers to create pieces for the space that match the colorful aesthetic while also portraying issues of global warming and our responsibility to the environment. Jeremy’s go-to meal at Sundrip is the sesame noodle or chipotle noodle salad with a 33-ounce “green vitality” smoothie with an immunity power shot in it, which he has almost every morning for breakfast. The menu also includes a wide variety of other drinks and quick eats, including smoothies, acai bowls, juice cleanse kits, pastries, salads, and Asian–fusion style noodles. The owners are working on expanding this menu to include more meal options such as paninis for the coming winter. When asked why people should try Sundrip, Jeremy said: “It’s just damn good food, and that’s good with a capital G.”

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Uncommon Interview: Assistant Secretary for the Office of Nuclear Energy Kathryn Huff By DEREK HSU | News Reporter With Hollywood blockbuster Oppenheimer reigniting fascination in all things nuclear, The Maroon sat down with Assistant Secretary of the Office of Nuclear Energy Kathryn Huff (A.B. ’08) to speak about her background, what she hopes to accomplish during her tenure in the Biden administration, and how the University helped shape who she is today. Huff currently serves within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and is a major advocate for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 with the help of nuclear energy. In her current capacity, Huff is responsible for overseeing the nation’s $1.7 billion portfolio in the civil nuclear energy research and development enterprise. She was nominated to serve in this role by President Joe Biden in January 2022 and was confirmed by the Senate in May with an 80–11 bipartisan vote. Huff credits the University’s early involvement in the development of nuclear energy for sparking her interest in the field nearly a decade and a half ago, when she received an undergraduate degree in physics. “A lot of my inspiration to go [to the University] was reading The Making of the Atomic Bomb...because a huge part of that book, along with the Manhattan Project history itself, takes place at the University of Chicago.” The Making of the Atomic Bomb details the history of nuclear fission through the Manhattan Project and the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs. She also recalls memorable moments while attending the University, such

as taking a Big Problems course from agricultural economist George Tolley, spending a summer in Chile doing materials physics research, and riding public transportation for the first time. “Just the pure experience of being in a place so steeped in history and surrounded by society changed me, and I am now a much more cosmopolitan individual than I was when I started,” she said. After having attended institutions such as the University of Wisconsin for her Ph.D. from 2008 to 2013 and the University of California, Berkeley, for her postdoctoral degree from 2013 to 2016, Huff found the philosophy courses at the University of Chicago most instrumental. “If you want to talk about specifically University of Chicago features of my personality, the tendency to think hard about how I’m thinking has stuck with me,” she said. Huff initially considered becoming a nuclear engineer but chose to work in academia and policy because of her deep passion for the role of nuclear energy in mitigating climate change. Huff insists the urgency of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is undeniable from an international and national perspective, to which the U.S. has already made commitments on a world stage. Nuclear energy, which originates from the process of splitting uranium atoms called fission, is currently the largest single source of carbon-free electricity in the United States, producing more than half of carbon-free electricity. Huff said that in

conjunction with increased development in renewable energy, “many unilateral institutions have assessed that we need to double or possibly triple the amount of nuclear power in the world by 2050.” Huff is cognizant of the need for clean firm power, which is defined as power on the grid regardless of the weather. Renewable alternatives like wind and solar energy are intermittent, producing only when the sun is shining or when the wind is blowing. Limitations in technology for long duration energy storage in the domestic grid further increase demand for firm, nuclear power. “Our estimate is that we need between 550 to 770 new clean firm gigawatts of power, of which 100–200 will have to be nuclear,” she said. Huff advises against comparing the capacity of alternatives to that of nuclear power via measuring gigawatts. “[Some] people forget when you build one gigawatt of some generation source, it is not the same as nuclear because nuclear performs at a 92 percent capacity factor or higher,” Huff said. Nuclear, in contrast to other types of generation that run 20–40 percent of the time, is always running. Therefore, she prefers the metric of gigawatt hour, or the amount of electricity generation of one gigawatt over an hour, which is more accurate to the efficiency of various energy types. Huff shares immense optimism about the resources and funding available in the Biden administration to meet the net-zero emissions goal by 2050, citing the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America (CHIPS) Act, Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act.

One key area of growth, Huff notes, is the expansion of uranium enrichment, a key contributor to creating nuclear fuel. Given that Russia has been the largest supplier of enrichment services in recent years, Huff aims to increase U.S. independence on sourcing and making its own nuclear fuel. Additionally, Huff has high expectations for the optionality and commercialization of small modular reactors, or SMRs. “There are lightwater small modular reactors that we would refer to as Generation III+…like the VOYGR-6 or Westinghouse AP300 that represent a shrinking of standard designs that we have across the conventional set of reactors today,” she said. Huff anticipates greater demand from utilities and industrial interests alike to meet new standards. When asked about combatting preconceptions and biases surrounding nuclear energy, Huff maintains confidence in younger generations. More people agree upon the inclusion of nuclear energy in the energy mix, a result she says springs a generational shift in opinion. “Whereas folks older than me and my parents’ generation saw the biggest existential threat to humanity as the atomic weapon…people in my generation see the biggest threat as climate change.” When asked whether she watched the pop-culture phenomenon Oppenheimer, Huff was eager to note fellow Secretary at the DOE Jennifer Granholm’s role in overturning the decision to strip J. Robert Oppenheimer of his security clearance in 2022, which was omitted from the movie. Otherwise, “I loved it,” Huff said.

Class of 2027 CC Representatives Elected as USG Reports Lowest Engagement in Eight Years By FEIFEI MEI | News Reporter Five Class of 2027 College Council representatives and one Class of 2025 representative were elected to Under-

graduate Student Government (USG) on Friday, October 20, in an election marked by the lowest number of candidates run-

ning in eight years. First-years Kevin Guo (236 votes), Demetrius Daniel (229 votes), Alex Fuentes (220 votes), Trinity Bledsoe (129 votes), and Andrea Pita Medez (124 votes)

were the five candidates chosen for seats on the Class of 2027 College Council from a field of nine who appeared on the ballot. Voting was open from October 16 to CONTINUED ON PG. 7

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October 20. Daniel and Bledsoe had open complaints filed against them by the Elections and Rules (E&R) Committee because of failures to submit timely budgets. The committee unanimously found that these constituted minor infractions and issued each a 3 percent vote deduction. USG also held a special election to fill a vacancy in the Class of 2025’s College Council lineup after Danielle Lopez, who had been elected in the spring via write-in votes, resigned. Chad Coen, the only candidate who filed a petition to run, won the election. The representatives will serve for the duration of the 2023–24 academic year. The next round of elections will take place no later than the fifth week of spring quarter. “We’re just really excited about the passion and vision these first-year reps have and have a lot of confidence that USG is in good hands this year and moving

AUSTIN STEINHART forward,” USG president Jefferson Lind wrote in an email to The Maroon. After the elections, Lind and USG executive vice president Ariana Ukaonu met with the newly elected representatives.

“[We] were thrilled to see the passion they shared with us regarding maintaining the Lyft program, as well as some really interesting lanes of advocacy regarding student programming accessibility USG

hadn’t pursued in the past,” Lind wrote. “[The] first-year representatives are interested in establishing funding for [house activities] programming through more administrative support.” Overall candidate numbers and voter turnout for this election cycle were significantly lower than those seen in previous fall CC elections. There were only nine first-year candidates on the ballot compared to 15 the previous year, and just one candidate applied to be on the ballot for the special election for the Class of 2025. “Overall, this [cycle saw] the lowest student engagement seen in autumn elections for some time,” second-year Nevin Hall, the chair of USG’s Elections and Rules Committee, wrote in an email to The Maroon. “[We have] some plans in the works on the electoral regulation end to stimulate further interest in USG, including allowing limited political parties and endorsements.”

New McKeon Center Looks to Cross Fields, Platform Tough Conversations By ZEV WOLDENBERG | News Reporter The Institute on the Formation of Knowledge (IFK) launched the McKeon Center on October 12. Inspired by the late UChicago philosopher, classicist, and human rights advocate Richard McKeon, the Center aims to expand on the legacy of McKeon’s work with a new minor, faculty research and course development grants, a biennial scholarly seminar, and public conversation series. The center will operate as an offshoot of the IFK, which works to promote cross-disciplinary engagement by bringing together faculty from different schools and departments to conduct joint research and teach classes together. Executive Director of the Center Shadi Bartsch-Zimmer told The Maroon that the center would seek to con-

tinue the work McKeon was most known for. “Just as McKeon himself did, the center exemplifies and brings into practical existence some of the issues that have always been central to the UChicago mission,” Bartsch-Zimmer said. McKeon was not only an influential academic but also someone who acted on his intellectual values. He was a fierce champion of intellectual pluralism and an instrumental figure in the development of the United Nations’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which spelled out the rights of all human beings and laid the foundations for international human rights law. “Sometimes I think of McKeon as the University of Chicago on two legs,” Bartsch-Zimmer joked at the center’s October 12 launch event.

As dean of the humanities, McKeon worked hand in hand with former University chancellor Robert Maynard Hutchins on the Core and advocated a more central role for the humanities in the University. He argued that humanistic knowledge could be a tool for solving real-world conflicts. The center’s fundamental aim, in alignment with McKeon’s vision, is to revitalize the humanities and give them purpose, Bartsch-Zimmer explained. “We think that the humanities have been unjustly shunned to the side in the grand scheme of departments and divisions. They are far more relevant to scientific advancement than people understand,” she said. With a $10 million grant from David Bernick, a student of McKeon and renowned trial lawyer, the center aims to

convince the University of just that. “We want to give away as much as we can for the greater good of the undergraduates in the University,” Bartsch-Zimmer said. McKeon’s investigations into the systems of knowledge organization will serve as the foundations of the center’s academic pursuits. “Our questions will be new, but they’ll be based upon McKeon’s concerns,” Bartsch-Zimmer said. McKeon’s concerns included the ways that different cultures and philosophical systems interact with each other as well as the relationship between a democracy and speech. To tackle these issues, the center will provide research grants to faculty and invite undergraduates to apply for research fellowships, through which they can assist professors with CONTINUED ON PG. 8

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their research. Through cross-listing, the center will offer a program of courses in deliberative rhetoric, democracy, human rights, and pluralism. The center also hopes to develop an interdisciplinary minor with a focus on the relationships between these subjects. The minor would guide students through identifying, asking, and answering questions across the humanities and social sciences that have a direct impact on human welfare. Related internship opportunities in public policy and civic engagement would also, Bartsch-Zimmer hopes, be available to students enrolled in the minor. “[The University is] missing a department where we talk about the most important means to a democracy, and that is through representation and speech,” Bartsch-Zimmer said. At some point in history, Bartsch-Zim-

mer explained, philosophy decided to distance itself from rhetoric, arguing that it distracted from the pursuit of truth. The center, she said, seeks to remedy that. “For McKeon, rhetoric is philosophy put into action,” she said. Twice a year, the center will host the McKeon Minute, an unscripted hour-long conversation between two high-profile public figures with different perspectives, with the goal of modeling open dialogue. Bartsch-Zimmer said the center plans on having undergraduate students play a role in selecting the speakers. Until she figures out specifics on undergraduate involvement, Bartsch-Zimmer encourages students to come and chat at the center, located in the IFK. To formally launch the center, the IFK hosted a welcome event featuring a conversation between professor of international law Tom Ginsburg and Special Rapporteur to the United Nations Fionnuala Ní Aoláin. Their discussion flowed

from the universal ideals of international law to Ní Aoláin’s on-the-ground work in countries that are regular violators of human rights. In a nod to McKeon, Ní Aoláin described her routine use of persuasive rhetoric to convince the leaders of these countries to allow her to write reports on

them. The talk concluded with a discussion of the Israel-Palestine conflict. “This is the University of Chicago. We don’t shy away from difficult topics. We’re going to talk about affirmative action; we’re going to talk about abortion; we’re going to talk about Israel-Palestine,”

zev woldenberg.

Presidents Talk Change: UChicago’s Alivisatos and Rockefeller Foundation’s Rajiv Shah Discuss Impact at Scale at IOP Talk By ERIC PARRILLA | News Reporter University of Chicago President Paul Alivisatos and Rajiv Shah, the president of the Rockefeller Foundation and former administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, held a discussion about Shah’s new book, Big Bets: How Large-Change Really Happens, on October 20. The book calls for a “big-bets philosophy” to confront large-scale problems besetting the world. Rather than pursuing incremental change, Shah argued that “big bets” can attract the support and collaboration needed to produce effective solutions to big problems such as world hunger or climate change. Like the University of Chicago, the Rockefeller Foundation was founded by the “big bets” of John D. Rockefeller. For more than a century, the foundation has had a stated aim of advancing the well-being of humanity around the world. By investing in infrastructure projects such as

solar panels and supporting local innovators, the foundation helps to confront global problems such as food insecurity, poor health access, and climate change. As the foundation’s 13th president, Shah is both the first Indian American and the youngest to hold the position since its founding. As the USAID administrator, Shah was at the forefront of the U.S. humanitarian response to both the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010 and the Ebola epidemic in West Africa. During the talk, which was hosted by the Institute of Politics (IOP), Shah discussed his years at the University of Pennsylvania, telling the audience that he was split between wanting to pursue a career in medicine and getting more involved in politics. At the time, he said, “there wasn’t much courage; there was confusion.” While Shah was volunteering for then–vice president Al Gore’s 2000 pres-

idential campaign, he was introduced to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, at which he began his career in humanitarian efforts. It was his work with the foundation and its effort to vaccinate millions of impoverished children around the world that helped him learn about what he calls the “big bets” mindset. The “big bets” mindset, according to Shah, starts with dreaming big and confronting huge problems regardless of how difficult they may seem. Another vital step is seeking partnerships with unlikely collaborators to bring about the best solutions possible. Shah offered an example of the Rockefeller Foundation’s partnering with private companies to bring cheap, renewable energy to villages in India and Sub-Saharan Africa. In doing so, the foundation is acting on its “big bet” of bringing electricity to a billion people. Yet Shah warned of the potential for an individual or an organization to get caught up in the “minutiae of the bet

rather than going back to the big vision.” In order to prevent a “big bet” from losing momentum and failing to produce results, Shah noted, a person and organization should always remain cognizant of their larger vision. Describing his tenure as USAID administrator, Shah remembered feeling constantly scrutinized by politicians and the media, leaving him little room to self-inquire and maintain open dialogue with experts and colleagues about potential solutions. “When you’re in politics and there’s a lot of scrutiny on you, you don’t have the safe space to self-inquire. There’s a lot more heat in figuring out those public problems,” he said. Shah encouraged students to keep their “inquiry spirit” with them in their careers so that they choose to conduct dialogue in the face of complex challenges. “Try to avoid being overwhelmed from what’s in the news. That can prevent you from making big bets,” he said.

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Longtime 53rd Street Restaurants Close as Hyde Park Sees Development Shifts By AMY MA | News Reporter Walk through Hyde Park, and you may notice the lack of some familiar fixtures. In recent months, several longstanding establishments have bid their farewells to the community. One such shuttered restuarant is the iconic Mellow Yellow. This vintage eatery had been dishing up hearty breakfast options on East 53rd Street since its opening in 1976. The Hyde Park Herald attributes Mellow Yellow’s closure last June to the retirement of the former owner, Francisco Garcia. A soul food joint, Oooh Wee! It is!, has taken its place. Over its impressive 46-year tenure, the restaurant had become an integral presence in the community. “I ate at Mellow Yellow quite often in the ’70s when I was a high school student at Kenwood [Academy]. I think I went there once for a first date,” said Tim, a Hyde Park local. “Before closing, I made sure to go back one last time.” But Mellow Yellow is not the only change to 53rd Street’s business strip. Several other well-known eateries, including Leona’s Pizza and The Budlong Hot Chicken, have also shut down business for good. Some of these closures were accompanied by more tumult. What’s Krackin, a popular seafood joint, closed this September amid a legal dispute with its landlord. Piccolo Mondo, an Italian restaurant once celebrated on The Maroon’s Gems of Hyde Park, abruptly shut its doors last November after a 39-year legacy. The sudden closure left several former staff without jobs or severance pay at the start

sabrina chang.

of the holiday season. The staff launched a virtual tip jar at the end of December 2022 to cover their living expenses. Amid these closures, new businesses have emerged. Sundrip, a vegan eatery offering smoothie bowls, salads, and juices, opened their doors in August right below Campus North. Litehouse Whole Food Grill also relocated to a new storefront on 53rd Street. Part of the changes in Hyde Park can be credited to funding from governmental organizations. Kilwins, an ice cream and dessert parlor, recently received a $250,000 community grant from the City of Chicago to construct a “chocolate garden” in its backyard. The area, complete with amenities and an outdoor patio, will provide a versatile space for hosting weddings, parties, and other community events. Furthermore, the city of Chicago also recently awarded a $5 million grant to Revive 6300 for a project to build highend offices on the site of the Washington Park National Bank building. These changes in Hyde Park’s business landscape reflect a response to evolving consumer demands. With recent University land acquisitions and the construction of the Obama Presidential Center (OPC), Hyde Park is undergoing a gradual demographic shift. The median age of Hyde Park residents has gradually declined for decades, and the Black population has decreased by 33 percent since 2000. Given UChicago’s continuous expansion efforts, this change will likely persist. For example, the University of Chicago has partnered with two real estate firms to build Harper Court Phase II. This 13-story tower will house quantum and life sciences laboratories, along with heavy technological infrastructure. Replacing the restaurant Park 52, the project began earlier this year and is expected to conclude by mid-2024. These developments have attracted criticism from some Hyde Park natives. Corporate and institutional actors are increasingly dominating commercial and residential real estate in the neigh-

borhood. Investors currently own about 25 percent of housing in Hyde Park, tying it as the sixth-most investor-dominated zip code in the city of Chicago. All districts within the top five are adjacent areas around the South Side. Many South Shore residents have united under the aid group Not Me We to advocate better housing and sustainability metrics. Earlier this year, their efforts led to the passing of the Woodlawn Housing Preservation Ordinance, allocating $4.5 million of city funding for affordable housing programs. The ordinance also established affordability requirements for 30 percent of new housing units built on 52 vacant lots near Woodlawn. In response to such pressures, the developers of Harper Court Phase II have pledged to meet the University’s diversity goals. The project aims to create economic opportunity for women and minority con-

tractors, with “2,000 construction jobs tied to the project.” New businesses are also contributing to inclusive community-building. Jackie Jackson, the owner of Kilwins, stressed her desire to keep the renovated patio space affordable. “The whole goal is to bring something to the community that people can utilize, feel safe, and have fun with. We don’t want to charge a lot of money because we really want it to be accessible to the community.” Many of the storefronts once occupied by Mellow Yellow and other fixtures now stand empty, awaiting new tenants. As Tim savored a steak salad at the recently opened Litehouse Grill, he said, “Growing up in Hyde Park means that you get used to a certain rhythm of change…. As much as I feel nostalgia for those old fixtures, life moves on.”

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ARTS Art to Live Without A regretful reporter reflects on missed opportunity during Smart Museum’s Art to Live With event. By ANIKA KRISHNASWAMY | Arts Reporter Broods of cicadas chirped loudly with excitement. Lone mayflies circled lamp posts in anticipation. Squirrels peered down curiously from their leafy perches. Though humans are few and far between at 4:30 in the morning, the entire natural world was watching my roommate’s and my every move with bated breath. We trudged forward across the main quadrangle with a single goal in mind: We were going to steal a painting. The definition of the word “steal” is, of course, highly subjective. In this case, the reader should interpret it to mean waiting in line for “the unique opportunity to borrow original works of art to display in [our] dorm rooms”—i.e., the Smart Museum’s annual Art Match. For three days leading up to the Art Match, I had been plotting. I would arrive

well before the harsh crack of dawn and ally myself with the other weary sojourners, waiting around the doors of the Smart Museum, sharing my humble offering of protein bars. Then, when the museum’s doors opened at 8 a.m., I would betray my acquaintances and seize “Picasso’s Dream and Lie of Franco II”, better known as “the Picasso with fewer naked people.” It was the perfect piece to put between my Barbie and Radiohead posters, and I had the perfect plan. Upperclassmen and Smart Museum staff alike had reassured me: “Hardly anyone camps out.” “If you get there before 8 a.m. you’ll certainly get a piece.” “My friend got a Picasso last year and he showed up at 9 a.m.” Etc., etc. But when I arrived, mentally and physically exhausted after 20 minutes of sprinting away

from random cars, clutching my pepper spray for dear life, there were already at least 30 people waiting. Though confused and slightly deterred, I soldiered on, directed toward a sign-in sheet by one of the more seasoned campers. At once, I realized my intelligence had been flawed: despite my early arrival, I was 170th in line for a collection with only 140 pieces. Disappointment. Sadness. Resentment. I experienced all these as I scribbled my name onto the list. And yet I still waited for a staff member to arrive for the 7 a.m. check-in. He, of course, confirmed my dreadful suspicions, and though he tried to comfort the 20 of us who had woken up at 4 a.m. for nothing, we were inconsolable. Especially since most of us hadn’t heard anything about the existence of a sign-in sheet to begin with. Moving forward, I firmly believe that

the specifics of the Art to Live With event need better marketing. So I’ve taken it upon myself to provide said marketing. Check-ins begin at 6 p.m. the night before the Art Match and continue every two hours until midnight, with a final check-in at 7 a.m. the day of, allowing a seven-hour window for participants to sleep. Technically, you should attend all four check-ins, but the staff will give you some leeway for missing just one. If you want to give yourself the best chance at a successful art heist, learn from my mistakes. Complete the three check-ins from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. the night before, skip the 12 a.m. check-in, and be back by 7 a.m. for coffee and donuts. At the very least, I’ll be using this strategy as a jumping off point in preparation for next year’s Art Match. Oh, and I suppose you could use it too. Just don’t take my Picasso.

Finding joy in the unadorned at Life As A Unity The Smart Museum showcases the visceral works of Ruth Duckworth, a pioneering Chicago sculptor, throughout the academic year. By HARMONIE RAMSDEN | Arts Reporter Life As A Unity opened at the Smart Museum on September 21. This monographic exhibition of nearly 60 pieces— the first such monograph at the museum since 2005—highlights the natural and sociopolitical elements that influenced Ruth Duckworth, along with her works. The showcase draws inspiration from a 2021 course, Ruth Duckworth and Ceramics in Chicago. Laura Steward, curator of public art at the Smart Museum, led the class and research surrounding Duckworth, which culminated in the organization of this ex-

hibit. Steward joined the Smart Museum’s staff in 2018 after a period of museum leadership at the University of Chicago and in Santa Fe. Beyond Duckworth’s pieces, the Smart Museum uses contextual pieces in Life As A Unity to convey the organic components that informed her work. Grainy landscape photographs by professor Tetsuya Fujita— who researched at the University of Chicago from 1953 through 1990 and influenced Duckworth’s cloud formations—decorate one wall, while videos of Duckworth’s artistic process adorn another. Viewers

journey through her work and then enter a semi-obstructed room to see Duckworth’s natural and interpersonal inspirations. The contextual fragment of Life As A Unity shines a new light on the elements that drive her appreciation of Earth. Duckworth’s work invokes a feeling of serenity that stems from the intricacy of wildlife. Each piece feels raw, with rough edges and earth tones that place spectators into the imperfection that is the natural world. Her artistry is reminiscent of the topographical features that define our geography, with a playful back-and-forth of negative space in each sculpture. Other pieces capture the fluidity of the

human physique. The ambiguity of “Untitled” (1972) challenges us to picture a human mouth, ribs, or vagina. Smooth bodily forms draw a contrast with the rougher elements of Duckworth’s landscape pieces. In an unpublished personal journal, she wrote, “There is only one-ness, all else is words and pain and senseless reasons.” This embodies the overarching theme of this exhibition: Though humans and our environment manifest differently, we are intrinsically connected by the “one-ness” that comes from occupying Earth. Though much of her work was developed in the sociopolitical climate of the CONTINUED ON PG. 12

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1960s and 1970s, the ethos that drove Duckworth’s appreciation of nature still holds true today. In an increasingly digital world, the work’s emphasis on our inherent connection to the environment invites viewers into self-contemplation. Whether through aerial or visceral pieces, Duckworth invokes the core quality of humanity: that we inevitably return to nature. Even the most absolute artworks allow for ambiguity in their interpretation. Duckworth’s art can be understood in whatever way one pleases. Visitors to Life As A Unity can view more of Duckworth’s work by visiting the Joseph Regenstein Library and the Henry Hinds Laboratory for Geophysical Sciences. The former displays “Clouds Over Lake Michigan” in the first floor reading room. This nine-foot-by-25-foot public art piece, Duckworth’s second large-scale mural, is composed of 65 clay tiles, drawing on Lake

Michigan and its watershed. “Clouds” was created in 1974 for Dresdner Bank executives, later moving to Cboe Global Markets in 1984. The laboratory’s 1968 “Earth, Water, Sky” was commissioned by Julian Goldsmith, then chair of the University’s Department of Geophysical Sciences. This was Duckworth’s first mural, meant to unify Goldsmith’s academic building. Compared to “Clouds”, the latter work takes a more holistic approach, melding air, topography, and natural bodies. Sixty years after the bulk of Duckworth’s work, her meditative works draw viewers in to see the exquisite in what’s seemingly mundane. Viewers can visit the Smart Museum between the hours of 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Tuesday–Sunday through February 4 to view Life As A Unity. The Regenstein Library is open from 8 a.m.to midnight, and the Henry Hinds Laboratory for Geophysical Sciences is open between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.

Clouds Over Lake Michigan is on display now on the first floor of the Regenstein Library. noah glasgow.

The Return of Chappell Roan Arts reporters Josie Barboriak and Sofia Hrycyszyn cover Chappell Roan’s sparkling Midwest Princess tour. By JOSIE BARBORIAK | Arts Reporter and SOFIA HRYCYSZYN | Senior Arts Reporter In the Midwest, royalty comes in a pink cowboy hat studded with jewels. In the House of Blues on an October night, multicolored lights flash. “Chappell! Chap-pell! Chap-pell!” The crowd chants. The princess emerges. Chappell Roan, a shining star in the modern queer pop landscape, continued her Midwest Princess tour at the House of Blues in downtown Chicago. The crowd tended young and femme, eager to see Roan perform. For each show, Roan assigned concertgoers a theme; this week’s was one of her biggest songs, “Pink Pony Club.” Fans sported pink cowboy hats, sequined dresses, and glitter in homage to the song, a triumphant ode to letting loose and being yourself in the face of societal judgment.

Roan opens every concert with a drag show. On Thursday, the openers were three drag queens from the Chicago area: Kenya J. Sanchez, Veronica Pop, and Princess Janelza. The queens took turns performing dances to hit pop and rap songs by artists ranging from Kelly Clarkson to Nicki Minaj. When taking a break from cartwheeling across the stage, twerking, or hitting the splits, they made jokes like “Are you drinking? The drunker you are, the hotter we look. But we’re hot regardless.” Drag queens are pillars of what Roan deems the “local queer community,” and in each city, the local queens get the crowd fired up while spreading awareness of their endeavors. Roan began the show with “Femininomenon,” the opening track to The Rise

and Fall of a Midwest Princess. The piece starts as a violin-accompanied ballad, but with the addition of a revving motorcycle and a steady drum beat, it sharply transitions into an upbeat expression of the need for women to stand up for themselves in relationships. A brief country guitar riff signaled “Red Wine Supernova,” one of Roan’s most popular tracks. The hardwood began to shake under our feet as fans belted the lyrics and turned to each other to chant, “I heard you like magic/ I got a wand and a rabbit/ So baby, let’s get freaky, get kinky/ Let’s make this bed get squeaky.” The crowd fed off Roan’s energy, turning the floor into a frothing sea of sparkling pink. Seamlessly, Roan transitioned into “After Midnight,” which challenges her mother’s wisdom that “‘Nothing good happens/ when it’s late.” Since Sofia’s previous review of Roan, Roan has vast-

ly improved the delivery of her songs, in terms of both her choreography and her vocals. For this “After Midnight,” she added layers and texture to the music. In the second verse, she added a rounded pop to her vocals, “That’s my type of fun, that’s my kind of party/ Your hands on my body, your hot hands.” The crowd, now familiar with the music, fed her sassy energy. While Roan’s talent is evident in her recordings, she can’t help but add in extra flourishes when live, making for a breathtaking performance. Though Roan’s lyrics are often explicitly sexual, making blatant references to sex toys and sex with women, there’s something earnest and untarnished in her voice, a vision of sex without grime and guilt. It’s a refreshing depiction of sex to hear from a female artist, who’ve traditionally been shamed for writing CONTINUED ON PG. 13

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about sex at all. Songs like “Hot to Go!” and “Red Wine Supernova” capture a spirit of playfulness in these fleeting encounters. It’s more complicated than that, of course. She performed Josie’s favorite song, “Casual,” an angry ballad about a low-commitment relationship. The song features a pressing synth beat, and guitar slides were added in the live performance. At the beat drop in the chorus, Roan doubled over. The emotional truths of this pain, of the contradictions between what a lover may say and what they mean, come packaged with the pleasure. Roan strutted across the stage, parroting advice her mother used to give her before pausing and staring down the audience. “You know what they say,” she said in time with the disco beat, opening Sofia’s favorite song, “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl.” A modern day mash-up of Madonna and Lady Gaga, Roan is all flamboyant energy. Channeling Madonna, she continued, “He doesn’t have what it takes to be/ with a girl like me.” Roan’s vocals overlaid the disco, making for a high-energy piece that’s impossible not

to dance to. Roan puts unique effort into making her fans feel special and seen. As the music stopped, Roan bit her lip, scanning the audience, taking in the outfits and the energy. Roan’s constant engagement with the crowd on a general and personal level has contributed to the dedication of her fan base but also makes for an intimate concert environment as she figures out the relationship of her work to the queer and drag community. “The whole point of my project, which I now am calling a drag project, is expressing a part of me I didn’t get to express when I was living in a small Midwestern town.” Sparkling and cat-eyed as she is now, Roan is a vision of the possibilities for young people who are barred from being their true, authentic selves. “The reason why I keep doing this project is simply because there are fourteen-yearold versions of me that really need this.” A portion of the proceeds from Roan’s ticket sales goes to charities that support gender-affirming surgeries, suicide prevention among the LGBTQ+ community, and GLO, an LGBTQ+ community center in the Ozarks, where Roan grew up.

One could consider Chappell Roan the new face of indie pop. She upgrades smooth-voiced ballads and high-powered synth-pop numbers with an elevated sense of freeness—and queerness. The tropes—big cities, dancing, falling in love for a day—are all there in the lyrics, but upgraded. At the show’s end, with her powerhouse voice and expert strut, Roan

returned to the stage for an encore. The crowd chanted, “Pink Pony Club! Pink Pony Club!” We knew what was coming. Lights flashed pink over the faces in the crowd, singing and smiling, as Roan sang joyously for the final time that night. We were triumphant, dancing, in our pink cowboy hats.

Roan leans into the crowd with a smile. sofia hrycyszyn.

SPORTS UChicago Women’s Cross Country Holds First-Place National Ranking for Five Straight Weeks By AUSTIN ZEGLIS | Senior Sports Reporter The University of Chicago women’s cross country team is no stranger to national success. After their second-place finish last year at the NCAA DIII Cross Country Championships, the team opened the season ranked second in the country by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) before jumping to the first overall spot on September 20.

But for fourth-year captain Cat Wimmer, her team’s ranking as the best in the country for five weeks in a row isn’t at the forefront of her mind. “The ranking is a great indicator of the tremendous depth in our team and the hard work that we’ve been putting in, but what’s more important is the chemistry that we have and the feeling that we’re headed in the right direction,” she said. Wimmer, along with fellow fourth-

year captains Maddie Kelly and Page Cassidy, spoke to The Maroon about their first-place ranking, how they achieved success this season, and what they think this team can accomplish. The Maroons have held the top spot in the USTFCCCA rankings for five straight weeks, and rounding out the top five in the most recent rankings are Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Wartburg College, Carleton College, and New York University. Despite their success and recognition on a national level, the Maroons are keep-

ing their focus on performing to the best of their ability and competing as a team. “Even though we’ve been ranked No. 1 so early on, we’re trying to remember that everything is up for grabs. Nothing is final, and we’re really using that mindset going into the conference meet and regional meet,” Kelly said. That doesn’t mean the Maroons don’t expect great things from themselves. The team has finished in the top six at the last three NCAA Division III Championships. CONTINUED ON PG. 14

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“We know that if we go into the national meet as a group of individuals versus as a team, it’s going to be a completely different race.” CONTINUED FROM PG. 13

Their conference success speaks for itself as well—they haven’t finished below second in the University Athletic Association (UAA) since their third-place finish in 2015. “Obviously, we would prefer to win.” Cassidy said about the team’s aspirations regarding this year’s national championship meet. “But I think we’ve all kind of decided that at the end of the day, if we ourselves know that we did everything we possibly could to win the race, we’re not going to be disappointed. If we’ve done everything we can, we can walk away with victory even if it didn’t result in an actual national title.” The team have taken first place in four of their five regular season meets this year, the lone exception being the Joe Piane Invitational in South Bend, Indiana. Kelly said that this group’s team mindset is part of what has propelled them to the level of success they’ve reached this season. “People really underestimate the team aspect of cross country. What you don’t know is the feeling of when you’re in a race and the only thing that’s pushing you forward is your teammate that’s running next to you…. We know that if we go into the national meet as a group of individuals versus as a team, it’s going to be a completely different race,” she said. Wimmer mentioned the Maroons’ performance at the Wheaton Gil Dodds Invitational, their second competition of the year, as one of this season’s highlights. Kelly, Evelyn Battleson-Gunkel, Sophie Tedesco, Caitlin Jorgensen, and

Elisabeth Camic finished first through fifth at the meet, a perfect cross country sweep that kept ninth-ranked conference rival Washington University in St. Louis off of the podium. “Everyone was really stoked after that,” she said. “We’d been training super hard over the summer, and we weren’t set back at all by missing first place at nationals by a few points.” The team’s most recent competition was the Augustana Invitational in Rock Island, Illinois, on October 14, a six-kilometer race in which the Maroons fin-

ished first out of a field of more than 40 teams. They finished with a team score of 48, giving them a sizable margin of victory over second-placed Wartburg College (68). Fourth-year Battleson-Gunkel placed first in the race of 395 runners, with a time of 21:24.7. The rest of UChicago’s scoring runners were Kelly (7th, 21:48.3), third-year Tedesco (11th, 21:53.3), thirdyear Camic (14th, 21:59.9), and graduate student Jorgensen (15th, 22:03.1). Emma Kelly (29th, 22:44.5), and Estelle Snider (97th, 23:48.2) rounded out the Maroons’

seven varsity runners. The Maroons attempted to repeat as conference champions at the UAA championship meet in Hunting Valley, Ohio, on October 28, but they finished second to NYU. The Maroons’ next meet is on November 11, where they’ll participate in the NCAA Midwest Regional meet, hosted by Wartburg in Waverly, Iowa. The NCAA DIII Cross Country Championships will be held on November 18 in Newville, Pennsylvania.

The Maroons in a huddle before the Wheaton Gil Dodds Invitational. courtesy of cat wimmer.

The Best Spots to Work Out in Hyde Park By ADVAITA SOOD | Sports Reporter If you thought Hyde Park was only good for education and overpriced fusion restaurants, think again! It is also a great place to get fit. Here are some of the best workout spots in the Hyde Park area:

Anthos Training Club 1558 East 53rd Street If you are deep-pocketed and have no problem taking orders, give Anthos Training Club a go. Judged “the best gym in Chicago” by the Chicago Reader,

Anthos pampers its clients with a training plan tailor-made to their body type, goals, and something called “movement patterns.” It also assigns to each client a personal trainer who supervises their workout and ensures they stick to the plan without getting injured. As someone who cherishes autonomy and revels in the possibility of a

semi-planned or unplanned gym session, I cannot help but view Anthos as anything but the gym equivalent of a nanny state. On the other hand, I was assaulted by a rogue dumbbell during my workout the other day. Maybe I should look into this personal trainer thing. CONTINUED ON PG. 15

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What are these people training for? A revolution, perhaps? A robbery? No one can say for sure. CONTINUED FROM PG. 14

Planet Fitness 1301 East 47th Street

If you have an erratic schedule, enjoy late-night lifts, and don’t mind seeing people swinging from cable machines, Planet Fitness is for you. However, if you plan on frequenting this establishment during the day, be warned: Planet Fitness is not for the faint of heart. Planet Fitness is known nationwide as a playground for gym-going renegades, a safe haven for free spirits who have no qualms about using barbells to stick fight or weight plates as frisbees. Unsuspecting casuals who have set foot inside a Planet Fitness have described the experience as a fever dream: costumed individuals using pulldown machines to bungee jump, old men running backwards on treadmills, people lying face-down on weight benches with the barbell perched on their backside. What are these people training for? A revolution, perhaps? A robbery? No one can say for sure. Still, it is the only 24-hour gym on this list and is said to calm down by nighttime. Also, their cheapest membership plan costs only $10 per month, which makes it one of the most affordable gyms in the Hyde Park area.

their most basic membership costs $119/ month—around $30 per 12-minute session—meaning OrangeTheory is unlikely to be a serious option if you’re broke or financially literate. LA Fitness 5224 South Lake Park Avenue If you just want a regular gym at a reasonable price, go to LA Fitness. There’s not much to say about this place other than that it is a decent gym with a wide range of equipment, as well as a pool, a sauna, and a whirlpool spa, if you’re feeling a little fancy. Gerald Ratner Athletics Center and Henry Crown Field House 5530 South Ellis Avenue (Ratner); 5550 South University Avenue (Crown)

If you are a University of Chicago student, you really shouldn’t be working out anywhere other than at these two on-campus spots, unless perhaps you would like a 24-hour option like Planet Fitness (or are just itching to waste money). However, even non-students should consider Ratner and Crown—they have all the equipment most people need and even offer other amenities such as basketball courts (both), swimming pools (Ratner), and a running track (Crown). Non-students must purchase yearly memberships to use the gyms. Between around 3:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Ratner is usually chock-full of people, while Crown is usually sparsely populated other than between 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., when it is swarmed by student-athletes.

OrangeTheory Fitness 5109 South Harper Avenue If you are lonely, looking for a cardio-focused workout, and the gullible type, look no further than OrangeTheory Fitness. OrangeTheory offers 12-minute group workouts consisting of rowing, treadmill-based cardio, and strength training, the idea being that spending this amount of time at a certain maximum heart rate boosts your metabolism and enables you to burn calories long after the actual workout ends. Exactly how much of this is backed by science and how much of it is a fad is unclear. Regardless, your fitness is bound to improve if you work out intensely a few times a week, even if it is only for 12 minutes at a time. Unfortunately,

Students at the Ratner Athletic Center. finn hartnett.

Gyms with Student Discounts Finally, the University of Chicago has partnered with four Hyde Park studios to offer students, staff, and faculty at the College discounts on membership plans. Unfortunately, not one of the studios is a traditional gym. So if you cower at the prospect of actual exercise and prefer half-baked workouts my grandmother could use to warm up, try Pure Barre, S3 Studios, The Space, or Yoga Six. Each place offers a different brand of new age, nonsense exercise, from Pure Barre’s “low-impact, small movements” workouts to S3 Studios’ “flow and strength classes.” Then again, my joints creak when I walk, and I can’t stand up without groaning, so maybe a little flexibility work isn’t such a bad idea.

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CROSSWORDS 66. Proper German By PRAVAN CHAKRAVARTHY | Head Crossword Editor Across 1 Parsley unit 6 Michoacan miss 10 Supper, for one 14 O’Hare vehicle 15 Jesus, Adonai, or Vishnu 16 Nonchalant 17 The λ in Av = λv 19 “Whew, it’s been a long week!” 20 Thorough examinations 21 “What ___ thou else/ In the dark backward and abysm of time?”—Shakespeare, The Tempest 22 The number of syllables in this clue 23 The Kaaba and others 25 Sat in Baker, maybe 28 Need for many a 40-Across person 31 A loooooong time 32 Baby holders 34 Make sleepy 36 Classical composer’s work 39 Cancelled, as a mission 40 A djec t ive m a ny UChicago students use to describe themselves 41 Very thin iPod variety 42 Utopian garden 43 What someone in a shared Google Doc might do 44 Director DeMille 45 W hat The M aroon provides (besides crosswords, of course) 47 Point in a network 49 Summer, on the Seine 50 Animals hunted by

53 55 56 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69

Elmer Fudd The A in IPA Not together One who sees what you’re saying, literally Meh The Ψ in HΨ = EΨ Landed Nose goo ___ firma ___ pit Vegetable sometimes called lady’s fingers What you can find next to a quote?

Down 1 Tore 2 Knee-bending ballet move 3 Wrath 4 Not good at one’s job 5 Spanish has two, but Latin has three 6 Monteneg r i n or Rusyn 7 What you can be assigned in a Discord server 8 Prime minister famously outlasted by a cabbage 9 Gator follower 10 Inevitable position for a losing chess player 11 The set of v’s that satisfy Av = λv (for a given λ) 12 Surface, as issues 13 Nighttime conveniences for UChicago students 18 Mid-2010s predecessor of TikTok 21 Full house inits. at a theater 24 Had in one’s hand 25 Clearasil target

For more puzzles, visit chicagomaroon.com/crosswords. 26 27 29 30 33

Stepped (on) What’s (sometimes) formed by the v’s in Av = λv Made it home, in a way Home to the Museo Nazionale del Cinema Soup base made from

35 37 38 40 44 46

a skeleton Morbius actor Jared Joule, coulomb, or ampere Only Midterm or final Author Ng What brevity is the soul of, per a common saying

48 50 51 52 54

“Aw, rats” South Indian tomato soup Skater Ohno whose first name sounds like a Greek god Stretchable dog in the Toy Story movies, familiarly Past participle of

57 58 59 60 61 63

25-Across 2019 Tyler, the Creator album 10^15 prefix Sharp item in a pub game To be, in Brest Butt [Por ___ (“because,” Sp.)]