102312 Chicago Maroon

TUESDAY • OCTOBER 23, 2012

ISSUE 6 • VOLUME 124

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892

CHICAGOMAROON.COM

Shakespeare prof gives Hum Day keynote Jon Catlin Senior News Staff

Dancing the night away The Grand Daddy Blues Band woos the audience at COUP’s annual Blues ‘n’ Ribs.

JAMIE MANLEY | THE CHICAGO MAROON

Sleigh Bells to ring in MAB’s fall show Rebecca Guterman News Editor Indie noise-pop duo Sleigh Bells will headline the Major Activities Board’s (MAB) fall show on November 3rd at 8 p.m., according to MAB Chair and fourth-year Lyndsey McKenna.

The Board hopes that Sleigh Bells will appeal to a diverse crowd in the same way that Matt

& Kim attracted audiences to last year’s fall show. “One of the things we based it off of was that Matt & Kim was a good show.

We were able to sell out,” McKenna said. “[Sleigh Bells] has a lot of electronic influences [among others]. Their live shows are just phenomenal.”

A Saturday Night Live appearance, a summer of festival gigs, and an ongoing national tour

have contributed to Sleigh Bells’s rising popularity, according to McKenna. Because of this growing appeal and visibility, she said they were MAB’s first pick since planning began the week after Summer Breeze.

“Sleigh Bells were our top [choice] and we really thought that they would be an appropriate, engaging, and just exciting act,” she said. “When it comes

Approximate shuttle schedule announced Sam Levine Senior Editor Transportation officials released an updated NightRide departure schedule last week after analyzing ridership volume of the new evening shuttle program.

According to the new schedule, which was posted on the Transportation and Parking Web site last week, shuttles depart from the “Transit Hub” near Reynolds Club and the Reg every 15 to 20 minutes from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

After 1 a.m., shuttles depart every 30 to 35 minutes until 4 a.m.

Sunday through Wednesday and until 6 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Last year, evening shuttles de-

parted on 10- and 20-minute intervals at different points in the evening. The door-to-door SafeRide service supplemented those shuttles, which had shorter hours and did not cover as large of an area in Hyde Park. Administrators consolidated the two programs this year after students complained that SafeRide was unreliable.

Director of Transportation and Parking Theresa Brown explained that NightRide shuttles leave on approximate intervals because they can take anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes to complete their routes.

“The 5 p.m. shuttle should arrive back at the hub at approxiNIGHTRIDE continued on page 3

down to it, we had other options in mind, but as backup.”

The band will be performing a sold-out concert at Metro in Chicago the night after MAB’s fall show. Originally, they were slated to perform at Metro before the quarter began, but a skating accident involving one of their touring band members caused them to reroute their tour. BeMAB continued on page 3

English Professor Richard Strier sought to challenge long-held critical views that two of Shakespeare’s most famous plays are prejudiced against women and Jews in his 2012 Humanities Day keynote address on Saturday.

“George Bernard Shaw famously divided his dramas into ‘plays pleasant’ and ‘plays unpleasant.’ For many, The Taming of the Shrew and The Merchant of Venice fall clearly into the latter,” Strier began, referring to Shrew’s alleged portrayal of women as subservient to men and Merchant’s portrayal of Jews as greedy and cruel.

“I hope that after this talk these plays can be seen differently,” Strier said.

“But I cannot promise that these shadows will go away completely.”

On its surface, Shrew shows the conversion of Katherine, initially a sharptongued woman vehemently opposed to marriage, into a submissive wife who grovels at the feet of the

suitor who “tamed” her, Petruchio.

However, Strier illustrated places where this conversion seems less misogynistic than many had previously thought. For example, when Katherine finally submits to Petruchio, she affirms only that a wife should submit to her husband’s “honest will,” not, as many have interpreted the scene, to his unconditional will.

The play is also more respectful of women when compared to other “shrewtaming” advice of Shakespeare’s time, which usually involved the male suitor’s use of violence to force a woman into submission.

Merchant has long been considered anti-Semitic for reinforcing negative stereotypes about Jews through the titular character, Shylock, who betrays Antonio when Antonio fails to pay him back for a “brotherly” loan. Even once the friend can procure the money, Shylock insists upon the alternate legal punishment of “a pound of flesh” from Antonio.

However, Strier noted HUMA continued on page 2

Old theater to show New films in Dec. Raghav Verma Senior News Staff Harper Theater is expected to open in mid-December, after the announcement nearly a year ago that it would become part of the University’s Harper Court developments.

Tony Fox, the President of ADF Capital, Ltd., parent company of The New 400 Theaters, said that the cinema is expected to open in the middle of December, slightly after the original estimate of November.

The 98-year-old theater, located at 53rd Street and Harper Avenue, was acquired by the University 10 years ago but will be operated by The New 400 Theaters, a movie theater based in northern Chicago.

The theater will screen children’s and wide-release films, initially op-

A New 400 Theaters plans to open sometime in mid-December, in an old building the University bought about 10 years ago.

COURTESY OF KEVIN WANG

erating from mid-afternoon to 10 p.m. If demand expands, though, so will the hours, according to Fox. Fox said that he hopes the theater has a beneficial effect on the community and helps restore ex-

citement about the neighborhood.

“I hope it impacts everyone in a positive way, and that everyone feels that they have their theater back. I spoke with people who HARPER continued on page 2

IN VIEWPOINTS

IN ARTS

IN SPORTS

Throwing transit for a loop » Page 4

McQueen’s art reigns over space, time, and the human body » Page 7

Not even a dogfight: Maroons throttle winless terriers » Back Page

Life without Hogwarts, warts and all » Page 8

Athletes of the Week » Page 11

Speaking out on sexual assault » Page 4

2

THE THE CHICAGO CHICAGO MAROON MAROON || NEWS NEWS || October October 23, 19, 2012 2012

Fisher v. UT could affect U of C Jennifer Standish Associate News Editor The U of C filed an amicus brief with several other private universities last August in support of the University of Texas in the pending Supreme Court case Fisher v. University of Texas, which could end affirmative action policies in college admissions.

In the brief, which was coauthored by every school in the Ivy League and five other private universities, the schools argue that “racial and ethnic diversity are a distinct kind of difference in background, and reliance on such race-neutral measures alone cannot substitute for individualized, holistic review that takes account of race and ethnicity of the type approved of by Grutter [v. Bollinger],” a 2003 Supreme Court case that upheld 5-4 the use of affirmative action in university admissions, but maintained that using numerical racial quotas is unconstitutional.

Because the University receives funding through government grants and contracts, it is subject to federal anti-discrimination policies, according to University

spokesperson Jeremy Manier. In the brief, the universities recognize that the Court’s decision could affect their admissions policies.

“Although Amici are private institutions, they are cognizant that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids institutions that receive federal funds from engaging in racial ‘discrimination,’ and so their ongoing efforts to attain diverse student bodies could be compromised by new limits this Court might place on state university admissions procedures,” the brief says.

According to a statement posted on the University’s news Web site in May, 42 percent of the matriculating students to the Class of 2016 were students of color, a record high for the U of C. Approximately half of the University’s 35.1 percent minority population is Asian, according to the University Registrar’s spring enrollment report.

It is not clear how the University’s population would change in response to a ruling in favor of Fisher.

Manier, speaking on behalf of Dean of College Admissions

James Nondorf, said the U of C would “not speculate on the outcome or potential implications of this case.”

The University’s standing admissions policies are guided by a statement authored by President Robert Zimmer last year, according to Manier.

“We...celebrate our tradition of inclusion and recognize that our success as an institution depends on its ongoing renewal,” Zimmer said in the statement. “Diversity for the University is therefore particularly germane to our core perspective.”

Fisher v. University of Texas was brought to the Court by Abigail Fisher, a 22-year-old white woman who claims that she was rejected from the University of Texas at Austin because of her race. The University of Texas claims that Fisher would have been rejected from the school regardless of her race, and that using affirmative action in its admissions policies helps to create a diverse student body.

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments for Fisher v. University of Texas earlier this month and will issue a decision next year.

Lady Gaga’s brand of selfadvertising a century-old technique, says historian

Harper Theater to show big-name and indie movies HARPER continued from front

are my age in the community who grew up going to the Hyde Park Theater and they are ecstatic to have it back.”

If the theater does open in the middle of December, one of the first big-name feature films will be The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 3D, Fox said.

He also expects that the theater will show independent art films and may partner with Doc Films.

“We did talk to [Doc Films] last

year, and we have nothing but the highest regard for them. We hope to be able to jointly sponsor events and anything else that they’re interested in,” Fox said.

However, he specified that the theaters will not overlap. “We’re not going to be showing anything they’re going to be showing.”

The theater will also have a café branch of the Metropolis Coffee Company, which will have sandwiches, salads, and pastries. It will open at 8 a.m. every morning,

though those hours could also be adjusted depending on demand.

Harper Theater opened as Hyde Park 1 & 2 in 1915 and closed in April 2002. In 1999 the Meridian Entertainment Group bought the theater but failed to keep it open during the following year due to tax problems within the company. In the fall of 2000, the theater reopened and ran for another year and a half, but was closed again in 2002 when Meridian shut down.

English prof debunks Shakespearean stereotypes HUMA continued from front

that Shylock’s motivations for demanding the penalty were actually more rooted in Christian notions of revenge and binding contracts than Jewish ones. Strier’s interpretation is that the play’s other characters are shaken to look beyond race for moral judgment because they sympathize with Shylock’s motivation.

Strier concluded that the two plays work to question stereotypes and “beg the question of what treating the alien well would provide.”

Professor Shadi Bartsch-Zimmer discusses China’s views on classics.

SYDNEY COMBS | THE CHICAGO MAROON

FOR MORE COVERAGE OF HUMANITIES DAY, GO ONLINE: “Reason and the Freudian Unconscious” with Candace Vogler—There is a connection between reason and the unconscious, the David B. and Clara E. Stern professor of philosophy argued.

“The Art of Writing Through Reading” with Megan Stielstra, Rachel DeWoskin, and Leila Wilson—three faculty members from the Committee on Creative Writing shared their original work.

“Alien Classics: The Western Cannon in Modern China” with Shadi Bartsch-Zimmer—20th century Chinese thinkers looked to Athens and the West to shape a new China, according to Classics professor Shadi Bartsch-Zimmer.

“Kings and Salesmen” with Ted Cohen—Professor Ted Cohen dissected the tragedy of kings and the common man.

Amy Lippet, a University of Chicago historian, describes the rise of celebrities in pop culture as a result of mass-produced images.

SYDNEY COMBS | THE CHICAGO MAROON

Mara McCollom News Contributor The modern conception of celebrity emerged in conjunction with the advent of the mass-produced image in the 19th century, said Amy Lippert, assistant professor of American history, in a talk at the Law School on Sunday as part of the Chicago Humanities Festival.

In the lecture, entitled “The Lady Gagas of the 19th Century,” she discussed how photographs revolutionized self-representation by allowing people to market themselves as commodities.

“Many of these stars did possess talent—albeit in varying degrees—but what they really had in common was the fact that they recognized the power of the persona,” Lippert said. “And [they] fashioned theirs so as to be provocative, to be titillating, and controversial enough to trump up publicity.”

Lippert cited Lola Montez and Adah Issacs Menken as examples of 19th century celebrities with carefully crafted public personas built on controversy rather than talent.

Montez, whom Lippert described as a mediocre actress and dancer, generated buzz by posing for an intimate picture with a Native American chief, a highly controversial move at a time when the country was still in the midst of violent conflicts with Native Americans. She later became the first woman to be photographed

smoking a cigarette.

Menken, also an actress, confronted gender and sexuality stereotypes by playing male characters and cross-dressing. She achieved notoriety for wearing tight, flesh-colored clothing that made her appear naked on stage.

“The superficial became substantial as a determinant of cultural trends and generational style and a mechanism for creating iconography out of identity,” Lippert said.

She noted that the personal lives of celebrities also became part of the cultural consciousness at this time, giving rise to the idea of being famous for being famous.

Montez was as well-known for her affairs with composer Franz Liszt and King Ludwig I of Bavaria as she was for her acting. Her most famous play, Lola Montez in Bavaria, was a highly dramatized, semi-autobiographical take on her time in the Bavarian court.

Menken encouraged the gossip by taking pictures with her lover, Alexandre Dumas, who was twice her age.

Menken and Montez furthered their public profiles as “rulebreakers” by circulating stories of their debauchery.

Lippert recounted a popular story about Montez in which a train conductor told her that she couldn’t smoke while aboard the train.

Montez took a drag of her cigarette, puffing the smoke in the conductor’s face. “But you see sir, I can,” she said.

THE THE CHICAGO CHICAGO MAROON MAROON || NEWS NEWS || October October 23, 19, 2012 2012

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With old schedule still in mind, shuttle-riders adjust to routes and times of pilot without SafeRide NIGHTRIDE continued from front

mately 5:30 and leave by 5:40; the 5:155:20 shuttle should arrive back at the hub by 5:45 and leave by 5:55. Essentially, there are four departures per route, per hour during the hours 5 p.m. – 1 a.m.,” she wrote in an e-mail. Brown said that two shuttles operate on each route in a continuous loop until 1 a.m. each night, and one shuttle per route after 1 a.m.

The new shuttle program was communicated in a letter to all staff and students from University Chief of Police Marlon Lynch as well as to all housing staff and incoming students during O-Week trainings and Chicago Life Meetings, Brown said. At the beginning of the academic year, administrators also distributed maps of the new

routes in residence halls and the lobbies of campus buildings, and outlined the program in a release on the University’s news Web site, without the current schedule.

Some shuttles have also been renamed with colors to denote their expanded route. The display on the South shuttle, for example, will sometimes say “Red South” to denote the expanded route on the map provided by Transportation and Parking drawn in red. Aside from the color of the route on the map, neither the Transportation and Parking Web site nor the University news article explains that shuttles with displays that say “South” and “Red South” service the same route.

Asher Gabara, a fourth-year who lives off campus, said that he learned about the new

MAB could conflict with Metro concert for students MAB continued from front

cause of the scheduling change, some students may already have $21 tickets to see Sleigh Bells at Metro the night after they perform on campus.

“We had committed to the act ages and ages ago.

Unfortunately, that was an unforeseeable incident,” McKenna said.

MAB tried to announce the fall show as early as possible to give people opportunities to adjust their plans. “We didn’t want people to feel disappointed if

they did get tickets [to the Metro show]. Hopefully they can reassess their ticket options,” she said.

The Board has yet to announce the opening acts for the concert and could not talk about them due to legal complications, according to McKenna.

This year’s fall show will cost concert-goers the same as last year’s Matt & Kim concert. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for faculty and staff in advance, and $10 for students and $15 for faculty and staff the day of the show, if available.

shuttle schedule from the Transportation and Parking Web site.

“It’s pretty clear that they essentially come every fifteen minutes. And the route of the shuttle is available,” he said. Gabara added that he also knew the shuttles departed less frequently after 1 a.m.

Gabara noted that the first result of a Google search for “UChicago shuttles” is to the old evening shuttle routes. That page does not say anything about the NightRide program or that the routes have been changed. The old schedule and routes are not accessible directly from the Transportation and Parking Web site, and the new program is outlined under the Web site’s old SafeRide tab.

During a ride on the Central route last

week, second-year Kara Taylor said that the changes had not had much of an impact on her trips back and forth to Broadview, but that friends who used to be able to get across Hyde Park in 15 to 20 minutes using SafeRide now took the better part of an hour using the evening shuttles.

NightRide will run as a pilot program throughout the entire year, and Brown said that administrators would continue to tweak the program in response to feedback.

“T&P will continue tracking actual usage and ridership trends and will report changes in the schedule at appropriate intervals to ensure riders have the most current information available,” Brown said.

—Additional reporting by Raghav Verma

CORRECTIONS The Oct. 5 article “Arts hub stuck in funding limbo” incorrectly stated when Ken Schug made an offer to buy Fenn House; the offer was made before the article was written.

The Oct. 12 article “Part I: Where are we now? Sexual assault at the U of C” inaccurately reported that two members of an accused student’s department are present at their trial. It is two members of their division. The article also conflated the University’s sexual assault policy and the sexual assault division of the Area Disciplinary policy. The article also incorrectly stated that an accuser does not have access to the testimony of the accused.

THIS COULD BE YOUR WORK. Join the MAROON Photography staff.

University Symphony Orchestra with the Hyde Park School of Dance and the University of Chicago Chorus 2012 Annual Halloween Concert

!

the wild, wild west !

Around 1948: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Global Transformation

COME IN COSTUME!

Barbara Schubert, conductor

Saturday, October 27

COME IN COSTUME!

7 PM & 9 PM featuring: Copland’s Billy the Kid Williams’ The Cowboys Overture plus music from The Magnificent Seven, Paint Your Wagon, The Wild, Wild West, and Copland’s Rodeo Mandel Hall | 1131 E. 57th Street

Amanda Anderson Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Humanities and English, Brown University

The Liberal Aesthetic and the Early Cold War Thursday, October 25 Lecture: 4:00 — 5:30 pm with reception to follow

Workshop: 6:00 — 7:15 pm workshop text available at: http://franke.uchicago.edu/sawyernew-events.html

Donations requested: $8 general/$4 students

The Franke Institute for the Humanities 1100 East 57th Street, JRL S-118, Chicago, IL

Event Hotline: 773.702.8069 music.uchicago.edu

Co-sponsored by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Franke Institute for the Humanities.

For more information, please see: around1948.uchicago.edu Open to the public. Persons with a disability who believe they may need assistance are requested to call 773-702-8274 in advance.

Children under age 12 must be accompanied by an adult. under age 12 must be accompanied byofanthe adult.

Persons Children who need assistance should call 773.702.8484 in advance event.

This concert is supported in part by the Claireshould “Dux” Swift Endowment.

Persons who need assistance call Music 773.702.8484.

VIEWPOINTS

Editorial & Op-Ed OCTOBER 23, 2012

Throwing transit for a loop To live up to its own advertising, the University should make it easier to get out of Hyde Park, into the city

The student newspaper of the University of Chicago since 1892 JORDAN LARSON Editor-in-Chief SHARAN SHETTY Editor-in-Chief COLIN BRADLEY Managing Editor HARUNOBU CORYNE Senior Editor DOUGLAS EVERSON, JR Senior Editor SAM LEVINE Senior Editor CELIA BEVER News Editor REBECCA GUTERMAN News Editor LINDA QIU News Editor AJAY BATRA Viewpoints Editor DAVID KANER Viewpoints Editor EMILY WANG Viewpoints Editor EMMA BRODER Arts Editor HANNAH GOLD Arts Editor DANIEL RIVERA Arts Editor DANIEL LEWIS Sports Editor VICENTE FERNANDEZ Sports Editor MATTHEW SCHAEFER Sports Editor SONIA DHAWAN Head Designer BELLA WU Head Designer KEVIN WANG Online Editor ALICE BLACKWOOD Head Copy Editor DON HO Head Copy Editor BEN ZIGTERMAN Head Copy Editor JAMIE MANLEY Photo Editor

In the recent first-year College Council elections, which witnessed record numbers of student turnout, candidate Christina Dong won the most votes. Dong’s platform focused heavily on transportation, with a specific initiative to move the Roosevelt Shuttle (officially the South Loop Shuttle) to run at an earlier time in the day.

The apparent appeal of Dong’s transportation-focused platform to first-years indicates that citywide travel is and will remain a major concern for U of C students.

However, the University has not yet produced a transportation option for students that justifies its self-branding as a school nestled within a great metropolitan city.

The University’s “Civic Engagement” Web page states: “Students and faculty engage the city as a subject for inquiry through our Chicago Studies program…We are not just in Chicago, we are of Chicago, setting a new standard for urban universities.” However, this aim remains more fantasy than reality.

Though the Harper Court devel-

opment and the Logan Center offer new possibilities of student engagement within Hyde Park and to the South Side at large, not much of it actually takes place south of South Campus or north of Hyde Park Boulevard. Certainly, there are numerous factors accounting for both of these deficiencies; restructuring the University’s citywide transportation options would by no means be “setting a new standard,” but it would set it on the right track to such a goal.

The most popular methods of transportation out of Hyde Park include the #6 bus and the #55 bus to either the Red Line or Green Line on Garfield. Given the costs of CTA buses and trains, and assuming the average student takes at least one round trip per week, expected costs should then be, at a minimum, $150 per year.

But regardless of monetary concerns, the real deterrents to citywide travel are the inaccessibility, unsafe conditions, and long wait times that often afflict routes out of and back to Hyde Park.

The University’s only answer for return transport for late-night trips is the South Loop Shuttle, which departs from the Reynolds Club to Roosevelt Road and State Street on Friday and Saturday nights from 9 p.m. to 3:30 a.m.

This particular location offers little to students besides a proximity to a Red Line stop and, with such late running times, the shuttle serves only to bring students back to campus, not off campus. Most businesses in the vicinity are no longer open at those times, and considering the irregularity of Red Line arrival times, students may be stuck waiting at the stop late at night for upwards of half an hour.

One solution to these problems would be to introduce another interval of service between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., which would cover the time period in which most students go downtown for dinner or other events. In addition to adopting an earlier schedule, the drop-off point of the shuttle should move further north, ideally to Jackson Boulevard and State Street, providing easy ac-

cess to every CTA rail line in the Loop. The Roosevelt stop, aside from its inexplicable schedule and location, was recently found in a Chicago Tribune analysis to be the most dangerous on the CTA. While moving the drop-off location further north in the Loop would be preferable, another solution may be to move the shuttle to the Garfield or 47th Street Red Line stops, allowing students to avoid undesirable long wait times and harsh weather conditions.

Simply put, it’s deceptive of the University to continue marketing itself as a campus closely connected with the entire city of Chicago when it does not have a transportation structure in place to make this image a reality. Restructuring the South Loop Shuttle would only be the first step in a likely long process of more fully integrating the University into its namesake city, but an integral step nonetheless.

The Editorial Board consists of the Editors-in-Chief and the Viewpoints Editors.

SYDNEY COMBS Photo Editor JOY CRANE Assoc. News Editor MARINA FANG Assoc. News Editor BEN POKROSS Assoc. News Editor MADHU SRIKANTHA Assoc. News Editor JENNIFER STANDISH Assoc. News Editor

Speaking out on sexual assault In light of recent events at Amherst, U of C must vocalize commitment to support sexual assault survivors

ALICE BUCKNELL Assoc. Arts Editor SCOTTY CAMPBELL Assoc. Arts Editor SARAH LANGS Assoc. Sports Editor

Christina Pillsbury Viewpoints Contributor

JAKE WALERIUS Assoc. Sports Editor JULIA REINITZ Assoc. Photo Editor

Editor’s note: This content deals with an account of sexual assault and may be triggering to some readers.

TYRONALD JORDAN Business Manager VIVIAN HUA Undergraduate Business Executive TAMER BARSBAY Director of Business Research VINCENT MCGILL Delivery Coordinator HYEONG-SUN CHO Designer ANDREW GREEN Designer AUTUMN NI Designer KELSIE ANDERSON Copy Editor CATIE ARBONA Copy Editor KEN ARMSTRONG Copy Editor AMISHI BAJAJ Copy Editor MARTIA BRADLEY Copy Editor SHANICE CASIMIRO Copy Editor G. PHILIP CREAN IV Copy Editor CONNOR CUNNINGHAM Copy Editor LISA FAN Copy Editor MAYA HANDA Copy Editor

Last week, a former Amherst College student published an article in the Amherst Student detailing her experiences on campus after being sexually assaulted in her dorm. The article quickly went viral on college campuses. My Facebook feed was inundated with friends posting the article—angry at the A.C. administration, angry at rape culture, and sad for this girl. I, on the other hand, felt excited, empowered, and an enormous sense of kinship that a fellow sexual assault survivor was able

to come forth in such a public way with her story.

“

I felt excited and empowered that a fellow sexual assault survivor was able to come forth in such a public way with her story.

”

I thought, what if this inspires other survivors to tell their stories? We as a community could then begin to eradicate the oppressive shame inflicted on us and challenge the system that put it there

in the first place. If we all tell our stories, we can then attempt to address what stopped us from telling them before.

When I was 16, I woke up at a party in the middle of the night with a friend on top—and inside—of me. I was initially just mad at myself; how did I let this happen again? The year before, a different friend had held me down, called me a slut, and put his penis inside of me without a condom. I was too afraid of both of them, so why tell anyone? It didn’t occur to me that there might be adults who could protect me while at school. It didn’t occur to me that there were other girls at my school who were going through similar things. We were all just too scared to say anything.

Even though I had the most supportive family, having to see those

boys every day at school seemed like it would be much harder if everyone knew. And furthermore, my support system couldn’t possibly control what happened to me at school.

Perhaps if a staff member of my high school had told us that we could talk to them, I would have felt safe walking the halls. Looking back, they might have helped, but in a moment of panic and fear, I was in no place to research my options, or figure out a way to bring it up after English class.

Maybe if my school or town or country was a place where talking about sexual assault didn’t bring about shame, survivors could have found one another. But instead, I heard jokes from boys in my grade (including one of my attackers) about that ASSAULT continued on page 5

ALAN HASSLER Copy Editor SHERRY HE Copy Editor NISHANTH IYENGAR Copy Editor CECILIA JIANG Copy Editor MICHELLE LEE Copy Editor JONAH RABB Copy Editor

A gross national product The political obsession with economic expansion is harming education, creating narrow-minded citizens

LINDSEY SIMON Copy Editor ZSOFI VALYI-NAGY Copy Editor KAYLEIGH VOSS Copy Editor ESTHER YU Copy Editor The Chicago Maroon is published twice weekly during autumn, winter, and spring quarters Circulation: 5,500.

The opinions expressed in the Viewpoints section are not necessarily those of the Maroon. © 2012 The Chicago Maroon, Ida Noyes Hall, 1212 East 59th Street Chicago, IL 60637 Editor-in-Chief Phone: 773.834.1611 Newsroom Phone: 773.702.1403 Business Phone: 773.702.9555 Fax: 773.702.3032 CONTACT News: News@ChicagoMaroon.com Viewpoints: Viewpoints@ChicagoMaroon.com Arts: Arts@ChicagoMaroon.com Sports: Sports@ChicagoMaroon.com Photography: Photo@ChicagoMaroon.com Design: Design@ChicagoMaroon.com Copy: CopyEditors@ChicagoMaroon.com Advertising: Ads@ChicagoMaroon.com

By Luke Brinker Viewpoints Columnist If there’s one overarching concept that unites President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, it’s the notion of restoration.

Stumping in the closely contested state of Iowa this summer, Obama framed his reelection campaign as a

bid to restore the American dream of widespread middle class prosperity. In making his case to voters, the President often ties his policies to those of Bill Clinton, the last Democrat to preside over a booming national economy.

Meanwhile, the Super PAC supporting Romney is called, somewhat awkwardly, Restore Our Future. Precisely how one goes about “restoring” the future remains a mystery, but you get the idea: Romney and the Republicans pitch themselves as the party best equipped to return the American economy to the halcyon days of the late 20th century.

Neither candidate seems to have given much thought to whether a return to the pre-crash economy is a truly desirable prospect. There is a reason,

after all, that the economy collapsed in 2008. Bipartisan orthodoxy at the turn of the century held that financial deregulation was vital to a thriving and competitive economy. In concert with congressional Republicans, President Clinton significantly weakened the financial regulatory regime. While financial industry profits accounted for under a quarter of U.S. business profits at the end of the Reagan administration, finance’s share skyrocketed to over 40 percent by the early 2000s.

As Big Finance flourished, Wall Street compensation ascended ever upward, making industry jobs especially attractive for the best and brightest college graduates. In 2008, 28 percent of Harvard graduating seniors entered

financial services, compared to a paltry 5 percent who opted for jobs in communications, the media, and the arts, and 9 percent who embarked on careers in education. According to the U of C’s Office of Career Advancement, 17 percent of the class of 2011 gained employment in financial services, down slightly from a high of 22 percent in 2007.

To be sure, many of these students found the idea of working in the financial industry exciting—largely thanks to the recent emergence of a Wall Street culture based on complex debt instruments, sky-high bonuses, and a light regulatory touch—but it’s hard to believe that a quarter of the GROWTH continued on page 5

THE CHICAGO MAROON | VIEWPOINTS | October 23, 2012

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Social value-added We don’t make friends randomly; we make them the way we shop—by seeking out the best product on the market

By Eleanor Hyun Viewpoints Columnist Sometimes, a miracle occurs. Phospholipids spontaneously arrange themselves into lipid bilayers; U of C first-years, complete strangers brought together by an application which barely scratches the surface of who they are, somehow organize themselves into circles of acquaintances and friends within their first week together.

Order emerges from chaos.

The last time I encountered such a miracle was my first day of kindergarten. Back then, I was generally happy to play with any and all other kids, and the thought “How will I make friends?” did not cross my mind. I was convinced that everyone would be everyone’s friend. Approaching the first day of college with a newly heightened sense of self-consciousness, I was decidedly less convinced of this former belief.

Yet, somehow, despite some anxiety, I ended up with some friends by the conclusion of the first week. Even though only a few weeks have gone

by since, if someone asked me how and when any one of those friendships was formed, I don’t think I would have a clear answer.

I find that my thoughts on friendship echo a certain U of C T-shirt: “That’s all well and good in practice…but how does it work in theory?”

Erich Fromm, a social psychologist, sociologist, and philosopher, wrote the following in his book The Art of Loving: “Our whole culture is based on the appetite for buying, on the idea of a mutually favorable exchange. For the man an attractive girl—and for the woman an attractive man—are the prizes they are after. ‘Attractive’ usually means a nice package of qualities which are popular and sought after on the personality market….Two persons thus fall in love when they feel they have found the best object available on the market, considering the limitations of their own exchange values.”

Although Fromm is speaking specifically about romantic love, I believe that his ideas can be applied to friendship as well. It seems awfully cynical to relate love, which we have been taught to value and revere, to a simple matter of economics, or to think that we can attach a ‘social value’ to individuals. We are all familiar with this idea, though, perhaps most so when we note our own imperfections in the bathroom mirror each morning. We also cannot deny the judgments we immediately pass on people from a single cursory glance.

When I walked into my first class, I did not have

the opportunity to get to know every person in that room, or even to greet all of them. In fact, I was only able to glance at them. For all of us, time and attention are in finite supply, and we must make a decision about how and where we will spend them.

So, how do we make the choice?

Is it random? The Class of 2016 is a little less than 27 percent Asian, so, in theory, I should have a similar percentage of Asian friends. My number is closer to 60 percent, if not higher, probably due, in large part, to my own Asian identification. I don’t think I’m prejudiced in any way, but a combination of factors—a subconscious feeling of belonging, a socially ingrained instinct from some instances of racism and rejection—have led me to judge those people as deserving of my time and energy. And I would wager that very few students of any race can claim that their friend groups correspond exactly to the University demographics—based on racial identification, economic status, sexual orientation, or any other category.

The above example is enough to prove that our selection of friends isn’t random and is influenced by how we judge people’s physical appearance, but can we go as far as Fromm does, and claim that we select friends based off their “socially competitive quality packages?” I think we can.

On my fourth day of Gen Chem, I sat down in my usual seat a couple of minutes before class began. The girl who sat next to me, with whom I’d only ever exchanged names, leaned over and

asked me to explain a problem. It was a difficult problem that had been squeezed into the end of our last lecture, but, fortunately, I was able to work it out and explain it to her. Immediately after, she asked for my phone number. At least three other students sitting around me asked for my number, as well, and over the next couple days we became friendlier with each other. Something similar happened in my math class.

I saw Fromm’s model of social interaction working in these instances: I offered a service (math or chem help) that others found to be valuable, and they repaid me with their attention and time.

Fromm condemned the capitalistic beginnings of love, and I find myself somewhat apprehensive about them, too. I, and many others, often feel that the factors that make individuals less competitive socially are beyond their control (physical appearance, which is closely related to race, is an example of this).

Even the factors that were in my control leave a slightly bitter aftertaste in my mouth. I am an individual with interests and passions and dreams, and in the universe of myself, my CHEM 111 abilities are the slightest dust speck. And yet, even among friends, I sometimes wonder if they would have paid the slightest attention to the rest of who I am if it weren’t for my ability to explain problem 49b.

Eleanor Hyun is a first-year in the College majoring in English.

Rape culture can most effectively be dismantled at the interpersonal level ASSAULT continued from page 4 girl in our class who was so stupid that someone raped her.

Maybe attacking rape culture doesn’t start with changing the justice system. On an interpersonal level, we can start the conversation as a way of beginning to support one another, allowing survivors to heal in a way that makes sense to each of them as individuals. Much of the recent conversation about sexual assault at this university revolves around the disciplinary process, but we need to look at the issue differently: We need to focus on what the survivor needs. To do this, we all need to feel as if we’ll be supported on campus. We need administrators to make it abundantly clear that this is a place where

students should feel safe coming to them for support. And they must understand how to facilitate the building of a safety net in order to heal and empower survivors on campus.

I am not accusing the University of anything; I have no personal experience dealing with assault on this campus. But I also don’t assume that the U of C can handle situations better than other institutions. The University’s online Sexual Harrassment and Violence Resources and Information Index does list support groups and resources for students, but the links leading to the Sexual Assault Section of the “Common Sense” Brochure and the “Sexual Assault Brochure: A Guide to Support Services” are both broken. This system would clearly not be ideal in a mo-

ment of crisis, and considering that the Amherst case is hardly the first allegation of a college reacting poorly in cases of sexual assault, I’d probably believe talking to a dean wasn’t worth it. It’s not that the University’s sexual assault policy isn’t comprehensive enough; it’s that other schools have similar policies, yet accusations of mistreatment are still common. Rape culture is so prevalent everywhere else; is there any real reason to believe that the U of C is different?

I, as a woman, as a survivor, as a resident of Hyde Park, as a student of the University of Chicago, need Robert Zimmer, Dean Boyer, and Dean Art, among others, to publicly state that they care about me, and every other student. I need to know that they care about our

well-being and that they feel it is unacceptable for someone to have to go through a time of crisis alone. In order to feel safe here, I need to hear someone counteract the threatening statements of members of Congress, of the justice system, and of every douchebag out there who has told me that some kinds of sexual assault or harassment are worse than others.

I hope that University administrators understand the immense responsibility they have to students in this regard. This is a crucial time for survivors and future survivors, and the University has the opportunity and obligation to help support us.

Christina Pillsbury is a fifth-year in the College majoring in English.

The economic crisis has encouraged a money-seeking ideolog y that hurts democracy GROWTH continued from page 4 entering class at a leading university dreams of 90-hour workweeks consumed by conference calls, high-risk margin trades, and the pooling of mortgage securities. Increased tuition has left many students laden with high levels of debt, so the six-figure bonuses offered by elite firms look particularly alluring. But it’s doubtful that, if the nation’s top schools charged only $20,000 annually in tuition, legions of students wouldn’t still be lining up at the Goldman Sachs booth at career fairs. Isn’t something more fundamental at work? Doesn’t the growth-obsessed rhetoric of Obama and Romney reveal that we live in a society in which the accumulation of wealth has become an end in itself ?

Attention to the perils of growth-mindedness is hardly a recent phenomenon. Speaking at the University of Kansas shortly after the launch of his 1968 presidential campaign, Robert F. Kennedy decried the economistic rhetoric that characterized the national discourse: “Our gross national product . . . if we should judge America by that— counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for those who break them... It counts napalm and the cost of a nuclear warhead…” What GNP failed to account for, Kennedy reminded his audience, included “the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of

our marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials.”

“

Absent a concern for sustainability and for public welfare, growth becomes destructive to the nation’s social fabric.

”

Kennedy did not intend to disparage economic growth per se, but he saw the foolhardiness in pursuing growth as an end in itself. Absent a concern for sustainability and for public welfare, growth becomes destructive to the nation’s social fabric. Moreover, a single-minded focus on growth cheapens the quality of education, as U of C philosopher Martha Nussbaum perceptively noted in her 2010 book Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities. Analyzing the Obama administration’s approach to education, Nussbaum writes that the president “has so far focused in individual income and national economic progress, arguing that the sort of education we need is the sort that serves these two goals.” Obama declared in a 2009 speech that “economic progress and educational achievement have always gone handin-hand in America.” Though the President’s words

are undeniably true, he went on to deliver a speech heavy on praise for ostensibly useful “STEM” (science, technology, engineering, and math) education, with little to say for the humanities— less instrumental disciplines, but ones which have the vital capacity to inculcate creative thinking, cultural literacy, and a keen appreciation for the diversity of world perspectives.

Rather than prompting leaders to reconsider what kind of society we ought to live in—one that prizes money-making or one that emphasizes allowing each of its citizens to thrive as complete human beings—the economic crisis has only exacerbated the worrying trends brought on by a single-minded focus on growth. The elite clamor for “austerity” (read: sharp cuts to social, educational, and health programs) threatens the basic standard of living essential to allowing individuals to function as free and curious citizens. Meanwhile, educational institutions less advantaged than U of C have curtailed humanities education. When the State University of New York at Albany abolished its programs in French, Italian, Russian, classics, and theater in 2010, NPR reported that officials put those departments on the chopping block “because of a fear that these disciplines are less career-oriented than business and technology, less valued in a world dominated by the bottom line.”

Democracy depends on a culturally literate, civically engaged, and environmentally conscious populace. This, in turn, demands that a society’s brightest minds enter fields like the

arts, media, and education. That’s what makes the two campaigns’ relentless emphasis on growth above all else so unfortunate.

Luke Brinker is a graduate student in the MAPSS program.

SUBMISSIONS The Chicago Maroon welcomes opinions and responses from its readers. Send op-ed submissions and letters to: The Chicago Maroon attn: Viewpoints 1212 East 59th Street Chicago, IL 60637 E-mail: Viewpoints@ ChicagoMaroon.com The editors reserve the right to edit materials for clarity and space. Letters to the editor should be limited to 400 words.

Op-ed submissions, 800 words.

THE CHICAGO MAROON | ADVERTISEMENT | October 23, 2012

6

A PRESENTATION BY

WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT,

SHERYL STOLBERG A REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK:

CONGRESS, THE WHITE HOUSE AND 2012 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012 7 – 8 P.M. KENT 120 University of Chicago Brought to you by the University of Chicago Student Government

SHERYL GAY STOLBERG is a Washington correspondent for The New York Times. Previously, she had been a White House correspondent for The Times from May 2006 to May 2011, covering the administrations of President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. Before that, she was a Washington correspondent, covering Congress, from 2002 to 2006.

Ms. Stolberg joined The Times in 1997 as a science correspondent in the Washington bureau, writing about the intersection of science and public policy, including such topics as the AIDS epidemic, the 2001 anthrax attacks, bioethics controversies and the fight over federal financing for embryonic stem cell research.

12-1868

Ms. Stolberg began her career at the Providence Journal in Rhode Island, and later spent nearly 10 years at the Los Angeles Times, where she developed a specialty in medical reporting. As a member of that newspaper’s Metro staff, she also shared in two Pulitzer Prizes for coverage of the 1992 Los Angeles riots and the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

AT THE UNIVERSITY Y OF CHICAGO

inCOLLEGE

ARTS

Trivial Pursuits OCTOBER 23, 2012

McQueen’s art reigns over space, time, and the human body Alice Bucknell Associate Arts Editor Frigid pellets of rain and too-coldtoo-early autumnal temperatures were no match for the buzz of artistic ardor in the Rubloff Auditorium Friday night, as hundreds of Chicagoans poured in to attend a talk by artist Steve McQueen in honor of his new exhibit at the Art Institute, which opened to the general public this past Sunday. McQueen is a world-renowned artist from London whose film and sculptural work tackles major ideological concepts in both the political and aesthetic arenas while maintaining an intimate exploration of the human body.

Turner prize recipient McQueen, who has exhibited in locations as diverse as Paris and the U of C’s very own Renaissance Society in 2007, was approachable and funny in his speech, and set aside a large amount of his speaking time for audience questions. McQueen conversed directly with a handful of eager high school and college-age fans, responding to a sea of questions ranging from the technical production of specific scenes to his major works in film and the staunch ideological framework that underlies his creations. In addition to such conceptually illuminating explanations, all articulated eloquently and earnestly, McQueen regaled his giddy fans with hilarious anecdotes from his film-making process, including the time he lost the screenplay for Shame in a nightclub while the film was in production.

A quarter of the exhibition’s floor space is occupied by a pyramidal screen with a different film piece playing on each side.

From the entrance of the gallery, “Five Easy Pieces” (1995) is the most readily visible.

Presented as a montage of various scenes, the perspective, composition, and mood of each filmed activity is wildly different from its counterparts. One includes an aerial shot of five men hula-hooping , their figures threatening to breach the edges of the camera’s eye. Another shows a tightrope walker from behind and then facing the camera as she nervously negotiates her space. She dips into the frame as she moves forward through space, her anxious face emphasized by McQueen’s experimentation with shifting perspectives. In a few shots the camera takes on a radical ground-based point of view, where the tightrope walker is viewed from beneath in a manner that foreshortens and eroticizes her form.

Extreme close-ups of McQueen’s face flash through these scenes of bodily discomfort. The aggressive nature of

Love enters through the eyes, and so does this finger in Steve McQueen’s work Charlotte (2004), now at the Art Institute.

COURTESY OF THE ARTIST, MARIAN GOODMAN GALLERY, NEW YORK/PARIS, AND THOMAS DANE GALLERY, LONDON.

these startling magnified shots—shown in color to break up the otherwise blackand-white work—is bolstered by clips of him urinating and spitting on the camera.

McQueen’s physical aggression toward the camera inspires self-consciousness in viewers who might grow complacent, since they possess a comfortable distance from the work of art.

“Just Above my Head” (1996), another one of the works presented on the pyramidal screen, is a 10-minute short that features a figure (McQueen) walking through a field with only a marginal piece of his head uncovered. The activities taking place in the sky command the viewer’s attention. And then there’s “Bear” (1993)—much like the other two works, it is a silent black-and-white piece that has no explicit narrative. Though it initially appears to depict a wrestling match between McQueen and another, anonymous character, the film takes an erotic turn as it gradually becomes unclear whether the two are fighting or passionately embracing.

Another remarkable film included in the gallery is “Charlotte” (2004). Presented on the relatively small scale of a boxed TV set, this five-minute long projection features the eye of famed English actress Charlotte Rampling. The work soon

becomes uncanny when a disembodied finger begins to probe the eye, which is bathed in red light. It pulls and pushes the flesh around the eyeball, closing and opening its eyelids and pinching its skin into folds. As the finger continues to perform its invasive action, the molded skin ceases to spring back to its original, even consistency, and the age of the body to which the eye belongs becomes increasingly apparent.

STEVE MCQUEEN The Art Institute of Chicago through January 6, 2013

What begins as a childlike game between a finger and an eyeball soon turns sinister and sexual. The folding eyelid begins to resemble female genitalia; the finger, a phallus. The teasing of flesh becomes malevolent as the digit draws close to the eyeball itself. The finger hovers over the unflinching eye for a horribly drawn out moment before pressing down upon its iris. A spasm of frantic blinking and twitching ensues—the human

body’s primal self-defense.

The extensive understanding of spatiality McQueen displays in his film work lends itself just as well to his sculptural creations. The back left room of the gallery houses “Queen and Country” (2007-09), an oak cabinet containing a series of 160 facsimile postage sheets with portraits (hand selected by the families of the deceased) of the British men and women who lost their lives in the most recent war in Iraq. Each stamp bears the familiar white cut-out silhouette of Queen Elizabeth. The stamp sheets are arranged chronologically by the soldier’s date of death, each occupying a separate sliding glass panel that can be pulled out and examined by the viewer. McQueen encourages visitors to interact with the piece, and has suggested that he will not consider the work to be complete until the stamps are put into circulation, a request that the Royal Mail has denied so far.

His work is deeply cognizant of and imbued with topics dear to the contemporary art world–local and global politics, space and spatiality, and the necessary burden of bodily being.

From these tangled strands of discourse, McQueen has created a wonderfully coherent legacy that can be enjoyed in the gallery as well as the movie theater.

At Congress Theater, The xx doesn’t skip a beat Tori Borengasser Arts Contributor A thunderous force shook the theater, and a billowing fog rolled in. The lights dimmed ominously; screams could be heard throughout the venue. This past Saturday indie pop band The xx performed their haunting, ghostlybare melodies before a soldout show at the Congress Theater. And it’s not even Halloween yet.

The xx, comprised of members Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim, and Jamie Smith, broke out in 2009 with their selfproduced album, xx. The album spent 87 weeks on the UK Albums Chart, and, as a result, the band played a few of the most popular North American music festivals in 2010—including Coachella, Sasquatch, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits.

The group’s second album, Coexist, released earlier this September, has also garnered critical acclaim, reaching #5 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on US Independent Albums.

Band member Jamie Smith, who also works under the moniker Jamie xx, produced the largely successful single “Take Care” from Drake’s album of the same name last year.

The show began with 2:54, another male/female

duo from London, who played an opening set that sounded something like an indie rock Evanescence—it did not exactly fit with the dreamy dance rhythms the audience was anticipating.

But Barcelona-based act John Talabot (often mistakenly billed as the Catholic singer-songwriter John Michael Talbot) performed an excellent DJ set, switching back and forth between keyboards, laptops, cymbals, drum pads, and

mixing boards to create a collage of captivating beats.

Just behind the performers, a black cloth covered a massive arrangement of objects. The cloth, which stretched from one end of the stage to the other, seemed to conceal an altar to an Egyptian god rather than musical equipment.

When the opening sets came to a close, a gauzy white curtain fell across the front of the stage, hiding the preparations for the

main attraction and rousing the crowd’s anticipation.

When it was finally time for The xx to play, the stage, still partially obscured by the diaphanous sheet, was slowly lit, barely revealing the figures of the band members as they took their places. The packed crowd screamed for the band’s trademark echoing guitar that introduces “Angels”— the opening track and first single from their new album. xx continued on page 8

THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | October 23, 2012

8

Life without Hogwarts, warts and all Ayesha Wadhawan Arts Contributor J.K. Rowling’s new novel leaves behind the cozy fires of Hogwarts to explore the selfish and petty aspects of human nature.

After parish council member Barry Fairbrother dies of a burst brain artery, the already-divided council of the tiny British town of Pagford in J.K. Rowling’s new novel The Casual Vacancy enters a full-blown state of war. The council struggles to decide whether or not to continue classifying the “Fields,” a poor and seedy neighborhood that once belonged to the adjacent town, as part of Pagford.

Rowling uses the setting of the seemingly idyllic British village to comment on the plight of those in utmost poverty and destitution. Simultaneously, she devotes much of the novel to exploring a network of characters bound together in conflicted, unhappy relationships. Though the reader spends every moment in the company of these flawed characters, they do not ultimately earn emotional investment. As a result, The Casual Vacancy is well-plotted but somewhat lifeless.

Rowling’s novel has intentions that are respectable enough to merit waiting until the end of this sentence to mention Harry Potter. Like her bestselling series, The Casual Vacancy is character-driven. It develops each character’s distinct voice, and delves into their petty emotions and nasty thoughts. The sheer number of central characters, though, leaves little time for any particular backstory. The nuances of relationships and personalities are stated explictly, but there are not enough scenes to illustrate what’s postured. For example, Rowling writes, “Fats suspected that he needed Andrew more than Andrew needed him,” but this is hardly noticeable in the course of the narrative.

Every so often, the prose is conveniently interrupted by a lengthy parenthetical aside that provides an excerpt from a character’s past. The characters, although not utterly one-dimensional, feel flat even after 500 pages of reading. Intimacy between the reader and the text is never established.

The prose is simple and explanatory, but this is an adult novel for reasons other than the frequent

The magic is gone: Enter J.K. Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy.

COURTESY OF LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANY

occurrence of expletives. Rowling unabashedly delves into the corners of her characters’ lives, exposing their jealousy, cruelty, and sheer insanity. The tone lacks the warmth or charm of her previous novels, but this is deliberate. Instead of lovable, wand-wielding misfits, there are children sabotaging their parents, parents terrorizing their children, universally unhappy marriages, and middle-aged women having detailed fantasies about teenage boys.

The book’s tone is morbid. One of the main storylines is that of Krystal Weedon, an impoverished VACANCY continued on page 9

Audience gives it up for The xx’s crystalclear tides of soft, undulous sound on their subsequent performance of “Fantasy,” and the intro to “Basic Space” was stripped down to vocals alone, while “Shelter” received a beat-heavy dance treatment. The group sailed through many of their tracks from Coexist, including “Chained” and “Reunion.” The latter used steel drums in a surprisingly poignant way.

The xx ended their set with a performance of the plaintive, “Infinity,” a song about the sorrow and longing for a past relationship. As Sim and Croft alternately called out “Give it up/I can’t give it up” and the song reached its dramatic climax, a white curtain on the back wall of the stage lifted slowly, revealing a massive, vitreous X which eventually filled with smoke and shone with white light.

The audience couldn’t give it up, either, after the monstrous finish. The band returned for an encore to thunderous applause.

Beginning with “Intro,” they shifted into “Tides,” and finally the very fitting “Stars” as the X behind them projected an image of stars in the night sky flying by.

As Croft and Sim held hands and gave a final bow, the audience gave a huge ovation of screams, claps, and whistles. Even after the band had left, the X continued to glow brightly, evocative of the band’s incandescent performance, and left the audience longing for more.

xx continued from page 7 Undulating and iridescent colors appeared, projected onto the screen to match the cover artwork of Coexist. As the drum percussion collapsed into the bridge of the song, the ghostly white curtain dropped dramatically, revealing Croft and company.

As they transitioned into “Heart Skips A Beat,” Croft and Sim swayed rhythmically as they played their instruments face-toface. Sim’s plunking bass guitar matched his deep croon and complimented Croft’s soft vocals and ringing guitar. From behind a glassy podium bearing two large X’s, Smith bobbed his head and supplied the beats, backing tracks with the scores of diverse instruments that had previously been hidden under the sprawling black cloth.

Once the band had completed “Fiction,” the instantly recognizable bass guitar intro of “Crystalised” filled the theater.

This time, however, something was distinctly different. The bumping bass riff faded out and a keyboard that stripped the song down to harmonic chords picked up the tune instead. Smith’s keyboard backed Croft’s vocals and the two of them played at half speed. It was a wonderfully surprising rendition of the song.

They sang along to the wistful lyrics that plead, “go slow,” at the song’s end.

The band also put a new spin

FLU VACCINATION CLINICS LASR

HEP

ACC. BUILDING

“NUCLEAR ENERGY”

FUTURE SITE OF THE WILLIAM ECKHARDT RESEARCH CENTER

REGENSTEIN LIBRARY MANSUETO LIBRARY

2

3

57TH STREET GORDON CENTER

4

SNELLHITCHCOCK

KERSTEN

QUAD CLUB

HUTCHINSON COMMONS

NEW HOSPITAL PAVILION

COMER

DREXEL AVENUE

REYNOLDS CLUB

CRERAR LIBRARY

MANDEL HALL

SEARLE HINDS JONES

KENT

RYERSON

ECKHART

UNIVERSITY AVENUE

BOOKSTORE

ELLIS AVENUE

CUMMINGS

MAIN QUAD

ADMIN

58TH STREET

ORIENTAL INSTITUTE

WOODLAWN AVENUE

DCAM

6 HARPER CENTER

PICK MEDICAL CENTER PARKING

COBB

MEDICAL CENTER

SWIFT

ROSENWALD

WALKER

Rockefeller Memorial Chapel presents

ROCKEFELLER CHAPEL

1 PRESIDENT’S HOUSE

HARPER

8 IDA NOYES HALL

59TH STREET

with Live Organ and Electronic Music 5

Wednesday October 24, 8 pm Rockefeller Chapel A screening of F.W. Murnau’s epic 1926 silent film Faust, with Dennis James live on the E.M. Skinner organ, and Mark Goldstein, Theremin and Lightning. This version of the film is Luciano Berriatua’s restored and reconstructed version for Filmoteca Española: a great treat for Halloween.

1. Student Health Services 5839 S. Maryland R-100 Saturday, October 6 | 10am - 1:30pm 2. Regenstein Library Room 127 Monday, October 22 | 9am - 3pm 3. Bartlett Lounge Tuesday, October 23 | 1pm - 8pm

The musical texture underscores the fundamental struggle between the forces of good and evil by pairing the organ with electronic synthesis: the 1920 Soviet-era Theremin, and the Lightning (Don Buchla’s wireless synthesis controller developed in 1990).

4. Reynolds Club South Lounge Wednesday, October 24 | 9am - 3pm

Tickets $10 general admission at the door or in advance online at: rockefeller.uchicago.edu

5. Social Services Administration Lobby Thursday, October 25 | 9am - 3pm

7

6. Chicago Booth Room 104 Tuesday, October 30 | 9am - 1pm 7. Law School Room G Wednesday, October 31 | 9am - 3pm 2. Regenstein Library Room 127 Thursday, November 1 | 1pm - 8pm 1. Student Health Services 5839 S. Maryland R-100 Saturday, November 3 | 10am - 1:30pm 8. The Health and Benefits Fair Ida Noyes Hall Thursday, November 8 | 9am - 4pm

Free to students with UChicago ID

5850 S. Woodlawn Ave. • 773.702.2100 • Elizabeth J.L. Davenport, Dean

FREE FLU SHOTS! BE IN LINE AT LEAST 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE END OF THE SESSION BRING UNIVERSITY ID CARD WEAR SHORT SLEEVES!

THE CHICAGO MAROON | ARTS | October 23, 2012

Style

Chicago Manual of The looking-into-other-people’shome shopping network Few would refute the claim that the U of C is not the fashion capital of the world. Now that’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of well-dressed people roaming the quads: In fact, I’ve seen more interesting fashion choices in the Reg than I have in the Loop. Even those who wouldn’t consider themselves fashion-conscious possess a certain style that is cool in that it is undeniably U of C (I’m thinking of the “oops, my shirt doesn’t match my pants because I finished my readings instead of looking at what I put on my body this morning� look). But I think we can all safely admit that the school is more interested in econ than chiffon.

However, two U of C alumni have broken out of this tendency against the trendy and introduced some phoenix into the fashion world: Claire Mazur (AB ’06) and Erica Cerulo (AB ’05) founded Of a Kind (ofakind.com), a half-blog, half-online shopping website that emphasizes the work of “onthe-rise fashion designers.� The website features one rising designer at a time, providing site-goers with the newcomer’s background story, as well as a piece (an article of jewelry or clothing, a bag, a box, a hat—anything, really) designed especially for Of a Kind. If you’re in the mood to spend, go right ahead: You can buy anything you see straight from the Web site. However, the site is packed with interesting bios, witty comments, and lovely photography, courtesy of Jamie Beck (please teach me your ways!), so even if you’re not ready to shell out 80 bucks for a cardholder, you’ll surely find something worth browsing.

According to the site biography, Mazur and Cerulo, who met as undergrads at the U of C in 2002 where they both participated in the Major

Hill

by Anna Jessen O’Brien

Activities Board as well as several other RSOs, bonded over “an appreciation of fashion and a Tracy Flick-like approach to their extracurriculars.�

The two moved to New York, and, after agreeing that they were tired of buying mass-produced items from faceless suppliers, decided to create an outlet for a more personal and informed type of shopping. Of a Kind was born. “We find something thrilling about new designers,� the site reads, “because it’s so easy to see their personalities in the things they make— in experiencing their products and process, you get a strong sense of who they are and what they’re about.� On the Web site, you can browse through photos of the designers’ studios, their sketchbooks, their homes, their music collections, even their children. You can learn where the man who designed your sweater went to school, and where he met his wife, and where his favorite restaurant is. That is, you don’t just buy a necklace—you buy a necklace made by Peter and Phoebe, who met while doing homework at the Massachusetts College of Art. You don’t just snag a tote bag as you’re waiting in line—you pick one from Kyle Ng, who you already know has a taxidermy collection so big that it doesn’t fit in his house (they provide pictures, in case you’re interested). Of a Kind redefines home shopping—you’re not just shopping from home, you’re looking directly into the homes of the people who make the products, and this intimacy provides for an incredibly refreshing break from the norm of anonymous purchasing.

Recently named by PSFK as one of the “11 Startups Reshaping NYC’s Fashion Industry,� and

Every visit to the cinema, despite the utmost watchfulness, leaves me dumber and worse than before. —Theodor Adorno

EPDšMNT PSH

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University of Chicago College alumni Claire Mazur (right) and Erica Cerulo founded and manage the highly successful fashion website Of A Kind.

COURTESY OF THE GLOSS

previously featured on The Today Show and in W, Women’s Wear Daily, and the Los Angeles Times, Of a Kind is making quite the splash in the fashion world. And the founders came from our own questionably-clothed ranks. U of C might not be topping the fashion listings just yet, but it looks like we’re off to a good start thanks to the innovative ideas of two fellow phoenixes. If this keeps up, who knows—someday maroon may be the new black.

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Rowling trades potion class for British class struggles VACANCY continued from page 8 16-year-old from the Fields. Krystal’s tragic life is described in searing detail— the neglect of her heroin-addicted mother and the responsibility of raising her young brother. Krystal is denounced among the more “respectable� members of the area as being violent, uncouth, and promiscuous.

The falsehood in this situation points to the prejudices in right-wing British society.

One watches Krystal’s struggles to improve her family’s life with pained sympathy that is never rewarded with redemption. Barry Fairbrother, the council member who dies at the beginning of the book, had been a source of support for Krystal, and in his absence what pathetic plans she had start to fall apart.

The Casual Vacancy contains Rowling’s quintessential literary tools and tropes. While characters are not as singularly good or bad as in her other books, their fates are predictable.

By the end of the book there is a sense of closure and the doling of justice. Yet Rowling’s cleancut character development and patterning can also serve to her advantage. Her use of tragedy to emphasize the consequences of selfishness and negligence is extremely effective. She is not subtle, but Rowling has an incredible knack for grounding potentially melodramatic scenes in reality. This makes for a satisfying read.

Where The Casual Vacancy misses out is in the building of a deep, subtle story, something that’s traditionally worked for Rowling.

This generation has endlessly analyzed the dynamics of Harry Potter; The Casual Vacancy does not provoke the same examination.

Instead, it is a quick and dirty look at the lessthan-magical side of human nature.

THE CHICAGO MAROON | ADVERTISEMENT | October 23, 2012

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Events subject to change or cancellation. *While time permits. Limited to the first 300 customers; one autograph and one photo per customer.

THE CHICAGO MAROON | SPORTS | October 23, 2012

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Call it a weak end: At Elmhurst, unranked Millikin prevents a South Sider sweep Volleyball Qianyi Xu Sports Contributor As their season draws to a close, the South Siders added to the momentum that’s propelled them all year. The Maroons returned home Saturday after finishing up the two-day Elmhurst Invitational, beating Haverford 3–0 and Wheaton 3–1 on Friday, and UW–Eau Claire 3–1 on Saturday before falling to Millikin 3–2.

“Any time that we go to Elmhurst I think that we play some great competition,” head coach Vanessa Walby said. “This weekend, I know that we did. We had three region matches and we always know that our region has tough competition. Almost every team will bring their best game against us.”

Chicago’s first match against Haverford on Friday was an impressive performance—the Maroons served 11 aces across their three sets. They racked up 38 kills, 53 digs, and six team blocks in total. Morgan Barry alone recorded seven kills and six aces. Third-year Nikki DelZenero had 32 assists and 10 digs.

“I’ve had better matches during the season,” DelZenero said, “but this weekend I made a lot of adjustments and tried to better every ball for my teammates.” The first match closed with a final score of 3–0 (25–15, 25–18, 25–22).

Later the same Friday, the Maroons ended a closer match with Wheaton, with a score of 3–1 (25–14, 25–21, 16–25, 25–22). As a team, Chicago compiled 50 kills, 79 digs, 8 blocks, and 49 assists. Fourth-year middle blocker Caroline Brander showcased her dominance with 13 kills and only one error on 24 attempts. For her effort, Brander was also named to the All–Tournament Team after the Invitational.

“Caroline has had a great week of play, not just a weekend,” Walby said. “She has the ability to take over a match if she gets it in her head to do so. She is very good offensively and she got into a good rhythm with her blocking.”

On the second day of the Invitational, the Maroons split their two matches, beating UW–Eau Claire 3–1 (25–13, 22–25, 25–19, 25–22) but

Third-year Katie Huntington spikes the ball during a home game against Elmhurst on October 6.

JAMIE MANLEY | THE CHICAGO MAROON

dropping a 3–2 decision to Millikin (25–21, 20– 25, 25–21, 16–25, 15–13).

“I think that Millikin brought the tough competition against us. We were also pretty slow on making some adjustments on defense,” Walby said.

“Millikin plays a completely different game that we weren’t used to seeing—all tips over the block

and off-speed,” DelZenero said. “We didn’t learn quickly and we didn’t capitalize on their weakness.”

After the Invitational, ninth-ranked Chicago ran its record to 23–8. But the South Siders still have room to improve—they will now begin preparation for next weekend’s Benedictine Tournament. The Benedictine Tournament marks their

final slate of competition until the UAA Championship in Atlanta, Georgia.

“I am happy that we will get four full days of practice in this week to prepare for the weekend,” Walby said. “It will give us a good amount of time to fine-tune some things and get some extra reps in some different areas.”

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK The executive boards of the Women’s Athletic Association and the Order of the “C” have implemented a new program, “Athlete of the Week,” to highlight athletes making a big impact on the campus community—both on and off the field. We hope the MAROON’s new series on these ‘Uncommon’ athletes can start a conversation...and not just within the walls of Ratner.

COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO ATHLETICS

BRANDON MECKELBERG, FOOTBALL Head Coach Dick Maloney: “Brandon had a career day versus one of the top teams in Division III. A tight end with nine catches is an amazing feat. He also missed some time earlier in the week to attend an interview for dental school. Brandon is also an outstanding performer for outdoor track as a discus/hammer thrower as well.

“Brandon is a true UChicago student-athlete. He plays two unrelated and different sports— football and track. These events require totally different skills and abilities to excel at each. The combination of a two-sport athlete with an excellent GPA (looking to dental school) shows that Brandon is a unique student-athlete. He competes on every snap at practice, leading his team by example through his extremely hard work and on-thefield success. He is a very special person and athlete.”

SAMANTHA BROWN, WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL Head Coach Vanessa Walby: “Samantha did an outstanding job this weekend of leading our team and keeping us steady in tough situations. She has done a fantastic job all year leading by example, having high expectations and not letting us settle for anything but excellence. Her standards have helped push our team and move our team towards excellence.”

SPORTS

IN QUOTES “In an elevator a guy asked, ‘Are you watching the Bears tomm.’

Me=yes The guy=where? Me=I have field passes.”

—Chicago Bears WR Brandon Marshall on Twitter, a day before Monday night’s game against the Detroit Lions.

Not even a dogfight: Maroons throttle winless Terriers Football Sarah Langs Associate Sports Editor It’s time to get down to business. After the Monsters of the Midway (4–3) handed the Hiram Terriers their seventh loss (0–7) of the season by a score of 23– 7, all eyes are now on UAA play. Having wrapped up their non-conference games for the year, the Maroons will face stiff competition from Case Western, Carnegie Mellon, and Wash U to finish up the season and challenge for a playoff berth.

Chicago put together a good offensive showing, but still sees room for improvement. The red zone offense was not all it could have been; a few times, the Maroons failed to capitalize in Hiram territory and were left with missed opportunities.

“We were pleased with the win this week. However, we knew we left a lot of points on the field,” second-year quarterback Patrick Ryan said. “We were not as sharp on offense as we would have liked to be, but we established a ground game and pounded

away all game.”

Despite some offensive shortcomings, defense and special teams sparkled in Ohio. The Terriers were held to a miniscule 26 rushing yards on 31 carries. Though the opponent may not have been daunting, these defending Maroons did not look much like those who gave up 41 points against Wittenberg last weekend.

With Hiram in the rearview mirror, Chicago heads home to begin the UAA slate. “[The win] gives us a little momentum going in, a little extra confidence,” fourthyear wideout Dee Brizzolara said.

The players feel the gravity and importance of UAA play, and are up for the challenge.

“The team is very excited for UAA. The coaches have already stressed to us UAA is a different type of football and we need to be ready,” third-year quarterback Vincent Cortina said. “They told us our minds have to be completely focused on the game when we come to practice.”

Third-year quarterback Vincent Cortina pushes away an opposing defender and looks for an open receiver during a home game against Allegheny on October 6. The Maroons won that game 10–0.

AUMER SHUGHOURY | THE CHICAGO MAROON

Just because it’s serious preparation, though, doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable.

“UAA play should be a lot of fun. We get a chance to prove to the league we are

a good team. It is a new season for us and we can’t wait to go out there and try to win a new championship,” Cortina said.

The South Siders have been talking about this

championship all year. With a chance still left to go 7–3, and undefeated in the UAA, now is the time to back up their words.

“These last three games have a different feel to

them,” Ryan said.

That’s the simple version.

The tough part will be channeling that feeling into a victory. The Maroons begin their UAA quest on Stagg Field at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Kwan, Kragie connect for winning goal in Oshkosh Women’s Soccer Jake Walerius Associate Sports Editor They’re at it again. Chicago (10– 5, 2–2) overcame UW–Oshkosh (9–4–3) on Saturday thanks to another clinical combination between second-year Sara Kwan and fourthyear Brigette Kragie. The final score: 1–0. Kwan was the provider this time, setting up Kragie for the game-

winner late in the second half.

It was a controlled performance from the Maroons, who restricted their opponents to only four shots throughout the game. But at first, it seemed as if they would go away frustrated.

The first half was a relatively even contest with both goalies forced into important saves to keep the match level. The second was a dif-

ferent story altogether. Chicago was dominant, out-shooting the Titans 11 to one.

“I was most pleased with the passion and the intensity that we showed in the second half,” head coach Amy Reifert said. “We were a little slack in the first half and in the second half we came out fighting and did a lot of very nice things in terms of winning balls and making passes

and creating dangerous chances.”

Despite their dominance, the Maroons left it until late to secure the win. Kragie broke the deadlock in the 83rd minute with a simple finish inside the area after being played in

by Kwan. That was Kragie’s seventh goal of the season and Kwan’s ninth assist. Between the two of them, they have scored or assisted over a quarter of the team’s goals this season. And

First-year Mary Bittner controls the ball inside the box during an October 6 home matchup against Carnegie Mellon.

JAMIE MANLEY | THE CHICAGO MAROON

Reifert is as familiar as anyone with the pair’s ability.

“They are both very talented, passionate players,” she said. “They have a very good sense of each other on the field, where the other one is, and, especially in the final third, they love to combine. They’re fun to watch.

They’re both two dynamic, attacking players, who work extremely well together.”

After two non-conference games in two weeks, the Maroons will now refocus their attention on the UAA. The transition back to conference play can be a tricky one as the intensity—and the quality—of the competition increases. Knowing full well that winning out might be Chicago’s only chance at an NCAA tournament bid, Reifert is intent on taking as much as possible from the Oshkosh game.

“I continue to believe that we need to value possession,” she said, “and that we are most effective, we create the most dangerous chances, when we carry the ball into the final third, as opposed to passing it into the final third, and that when we do those things we can be very dangerous.”

The Maroons travel to Cleveland this Friday where they will face Case Western in the first game of a weekend doubleheader at 5 p.m. ET. The second game will be played on Sunday against Rochester, in Rochester, NY, at 10 a.m. ET.