Chicago Maroon News Blog

The Maroon News Blog has moved

2009-05-11T14:24:00.010-05:00

The Maroon News Blog has moved to http://chicagomaroon.com/news-blog

University of Chicago ranked 3rd in Media Exposure

2009-04-09T14:48:00.003-05:00

University of Chicago ranks third most covered in global media, after Harvard and Columbia, according to research group Global Lanuage Monitor (GLM).

The ranking is based on internet as well as traditional media, and must have something to do with the vast amount of research coming out of the University, as well as its association with Barack Obama.

GLM announced earlier this month that English would soon gain its 1,000,000th word.

The Recession Specialist: Darth Inflator

2009-04-07T01:05:00.010-05:00

Booth School of Business professor of finance John H. Cochrane used the force, if you will, on the threat of giving the government too much leeway at a panel in New York last week, part of a conference on the Depression and the New Deal featuring some economic big wigs.

"When the federal government keeps changing the rules, it’s like having Darth Vader in control, John H. Cochrane, a professor of finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, said during a panel. 'I have changed the deal,” he intoned like Vader, the “Star Wars” villain. “Pray I don’t change it any further.'"

This seems to put Cochrane, who's been teaching at the Univesity since 1991, firmly in the laissez-faire, Adam Smith-style liberal column the University is known for, and that would make sense, given that the conference was co-hosted by Amity Shales (a writer who has decried Roosevelt's intervention into the markets as unnecessarily prolonging the Great Depression) and the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at NYU (certainly snobbish if not conservative), and featured other panelists such as Anna Schwartz (who co-authored the highly important, A Monetary History of the United States, with polarizing (ha!) U of C personality Milton Friedman) to give some idea of the company he kept during the week-long conference.

However, your faithful Specialist's midi-Chlorian count seems to be down today, as evidenced by the fact that he didn't understand what even the titles to Cochrane's articles mean, so I'll leave that for your comments, below.

As reported in: Patricia Cohen's April 3 article, "New Deal Revisionism: Theories Collide," in the New York Times' Arts Section. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/arts/04depr.html?_r=1

Obama fails to draw student attention away from 172

2008-12-16T14:04:00.002-06:00

Politico has a report today profiling U of C student's reactions to Obama sightings in Hyde Park, in particular the brief flashes of the president-elect as he enters and exits the Regents Park apartment complex, on South Lake Shore Drive, where he works out every morning.

John McCain called him "the biggest celebrity in the world," but Barack Obama's appearance outside the Regents Park Luxury Apartments on a freezing-cold Thursday morning didn't move a half-dozen University of Chicago students waiting on a salt-and-snow layered sidewalk for the Chicago Transit Authority's 172 bus.

Full story here.

Scalia faults Law School's increasingly liberal bent

2008-09-18T03:48:00.004-05:00

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who spent five years lecturing at the University of Chicago Law School from 1977 to 1982, criticized what he sees as the Law School's move toward liberal ideologies at a talk before a group of conservative lawyers earlier this week in Chicago.

Scalia told the Federalist Society of Lawyers that he bemoans the crop of newer, less traditional classes that now supplement the more "serious" classes that exclusively comprised the Law School curricula during his time as a lecturer.

A graduate of Harvard Law School, Scalia reflected on his own legal training as a law student.

"I took nothing but bread-and-butter classes, not "Law and Poverty." Take serious classes. There's so much law to learn. Don't waste your time," Scalia told the audience, according to today's issue of the Chicago Sun-Times.

"I regret it," Scalia added, refering to the Law School's political and ideological shifts. "I don't think the University of Chicago is what it was in my time. I would not recommend it to students looking for a law school as I would have years ago. It has changed considerably and intentionally. It has lost the niche it once had as a rigorous and conservative law school."

The Wall Street Journal blog also picked up on the Sun-Times story.

Does your U of C vote count?

2008-09-13T17:36:00.014-05:00

Will your vote make a difference this coming November?

If you're a University of Chicago student registered in Illinois, blogger Jon Bruner of Forbes magazine says no.

Despite the hordes of Columbia students who turned out to support Obama at the September 11 forum on Columbia's Morningside Heights campus this Thursday, Bruner argues that pre-election hype isn't necessarily indicative of who will actually show up at the polls come November 4.

Bruner's hypothesis isn't without academic backing either. His article cites an NYU political scientist on voting trends among young people ages 18 to 24.

At a forum for incoming New York University students a few weeks ago, NYU political scientist Rogan Kersh told the students, “you might say you’re going to vote, but something will happen; you’ll oversleep, you’ll have a test, you’ll forget to register.”

For die-hard Obama supporters at the U of C, what Bruner writes next about University of Chicago votes and those from other blue state peer institutions might prove alternatively depressing or infuriating.

In any case, the Electoral College sees to it that the votes of many Columbia students won’t have any effect on the presidential selection process. Nor will many student votes at the University of Chicago, Harvard, or the University of California at Berkeley, for that matter. Election results in New York, Illinois, Massachusetts and California are practically foregone conclusions, and savvy students at those institutions may well do better to stay home and study than to vote in those states. Both candidates might have preferred that last night’s event had taken place at schools in State College, Pa., Madison, Wis., or Gainesville, Fla.

College students are certainly excited, but that is not a guarantee that they will actually make a difference in the upcoming election.

Post your thoughts and comments on Bruner's predictions for college voter turnout.

TIME magazine profiles Obama and the University of Chicago Law School

2008-09-11T00:54:00.005-05:00

Today's issue of TIME features a short piece on Obama during his twelve-year stint as a lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School.

The article also mentions our very own Hyde Park--"an enclave of tree-lined streets, upscale condos and cafés." (Really!? When has Hyde Park offered anything other than a dearth of fun?)

Read the full article here.

University announces death of fourth-year College student

2008-09-09T14:28:00.008-05:00

The University announced the recent death of a fourth-year student in an e-mail memento sent to the campus community this afternoon. Asher Goldman was a philosophy major and a music minor in the College, and anticipated pursuing further education in music composition after graduating this upcoming June, wrote Susan Art, dean of students in the College.

The cause of Goldman's death remains under investigation, and the University did not release additional information in the e-mail in consideration of the privacy of Goldman's family and friends. Examinations have ruled out suicide as a possible cause of Goldman's death, and investigators do not suspect that foul play was involved.

Goldman's death is the third University-related death this year. In July, third-year College student David Stein was found dead by apparent suicide in his off-campus apartment. Stein was a neurobiology concentrator and was living in Hyde Park over the summer while enrolled in summer classes.

This past December, recent College alumnus and Hyde Park resident Alex Bethurem committed suicide in his Chicago home. Bethurem maintained a visible profile on campus after graduating from the University in 2007, and was a long-time employee at the student-run campus coffee shop Hallowed Grounds.

According to Art's e-mail, Goldman's family is planning a memorial service in Norfold, Virginia on September 21. Additionally, the University community will convene an on-campus memorial service once the school year begins.

Additional coverage about Asher Goldman will be posted on the Chicago Maroon homepage in a web update as more information becomes available.

The Maroon welcomes any comments, reflections, or concerns our readers may have about Asher Goldman or recent trends in student deaths at the University.

Daley for Veep...Maybe? Probably not?

2008-08-22T17:20:00.003-05:00

Many people who signed up for Obama's Veep announcement text message today received an alert that read: "Obama Chooses Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley as Vice Presidential Nominee."

Should Chicago rejoice?

Maybe not yet. There have been reports of false text messages about this, and rumors that the campaigns network has been hacked into. So perhaps this is just another false alert, especially considering the major networks are not reporting it yet. (You'd think the eager reporters at CNN, who have been ruminating on veep choices for days, would have at least signed up for the text message alert.)

Plus, there may be some tricky constitutional issues involving a veep/pres from the same state. Odds are, the constitutional law professor thought it through, but it's a little beyond me. Read more here.

Daley, who endorsed Obama back in 2006 when it still looked like Clinton's race, helped legitimize the campaign. But he didn't endorse in the Senate race.

Choosing Daley would come as a surprise to many, since Daley wasn't widely mentioned as a potential VP pick.

Plus, it has been New York's last two mayors who have earned the most attention this election season.

What could this pick mean for the U of C, now the 8th -- not 9th! -- best school in America? The Mayor has worked with University at times, including partnering up with the medical center to help locals get jobs.

One things for sure: no matter who the veep is, Chicago is going to be a political focal point like never before.

U of C ranks #8 in 2009 national listing

2008-08-22T10:41:00.002-05:00

U.S. News and World Report published their much anticipated 2009 college and university rankings today. This year, the University of Chicago landed a ranking of eighth best university for undergraduate study--tied with Columbia and Duke. Harvard, Princeton, and Yale once again garnered the list's top three spots.

Both the Report's 2007 and 2008 rankings listed the U of C as #9. The University jumped six spots from #15 in 2006 to #9 in the 2007, after the University began evaluating the Report's ranking methodologies and tracking the way the Report interpreted information about the University.

After the University dropped several ranks over the past several years, University administrators chose to take an increasingly active role in reporting admissions statistics, spending on its undergraduate programs, selectivity, and retention rate.

As part of the University's decision to revamp its reporting procedures, Michael Behnke, vice president for University relations and dean of College enrollment, and several other University administrators visited the magazine's headquarters in Washington, D.C. two years ago.

"In discussing their methodology and some of the ways we were answering the questions, the magazine thought we were misinterpreting some things," Behnke told the MAROON in October 2006.

While many students, parents, and alumni laud the University for its recent efforts to bolster the College's image and raise publicity, the University has come under scrutiny from those wary of current college admissions procedures.

Some have characterized the University's switch to the Common Application as a means of bolstering national rankings by broadening applicant pools and increasing selectivity. Since Zimmer announced the application overhaul, the Facebook groups such as "Save the Uncommon Application" and "The Uncommon Application Appreciation Society" have cropped up on the University of Chicago network in protest of the switch.

In May 2007, the Education Conservancy, a non-profit organization that works to combat what it calls the "commercialization" of the college admissions process, circulated a letter among college and university presidents asking them to refuse to fill out the reputation portion of the U.S. News and World Report questionnaire.

“We believe these rankings are misleading and do not serve well the interests of prospective students in finding a college or university that is well suited to their education beyond high school,” the presidents said in the letter. Among other reasons, they argue that the rankings “encourage wasteful spending and gamesmanship in institutions’ pursuing improved rankings…and overweight the importance of a university’s prestige.”

Although upwards of 60 schools signed onto the letter, University of Chicago President Robert Zimmer refrained from signing.

Nevertheless the University says that the rankings remain a force to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future.

“The rankings are not going to go away, so we’d prefer for them to have accurate information than to go fishing around websites” for data, Behnke said, in a September 2007 MAROON article. “There are some colleges that don’t participate but that are still ranked.”

Univeristy reaches Chicago Initiative goals

2008-08-11T11:39:00.009-05:00

The University of Chicago has surpassed its $2 billion fundraising benchmark--totaling $2,380,373,507 in grants, donations, and pledges from alumni and University affiliates. In an e-mail memo to the University community this morning, President Robert Zimmer announced that the Chicago Initiative garnered triple the funding raised during the University's last fundraising initiative, which was completed in 1996.

"Annual fundraising totals have increased sharply in recent years, reaching $376 million in the fiscal year that ended June 30. In the final two months of the campaign we received six donations between $5 million and $25 million, along with thousands of other generous gifts," Zimmer wrote.

Chicago Initiative funding endowed 105 new professorships, 207 graduate fellowships, and 177 undergraduate scholarships since the Initiative's inception nine years ago. Last summer, the University received a gift of $100 million from an anonymous donor--the largest in the history of the University. The gift will endow the Odyssey Scholarship program, effective this fall, which replaces student loans with grant money for students from low-income families.

The Odyssey program comes at a time when colleges and universities nationwide are choosing to revamp undergraduate aid packages in order to attract competitive applicants from wider demographic pools. Read more about past Maroon coverage on national and Illinois aid trends here.

The University of Chicago Magazine, published by the University's News Office, has a feature piece about the Chicago Initiative and University fundraising efforts in the current issue of the magazine. Read it here.

Developers say they won't save Doctors Hospital

2008-08-01T15:20:00.016-05:00

White Lodging, the development company planning the construction of a Marriott Hotel and Fairfield Inn and Suites on the site of the former Hyde Park Doctors Hospital at 5800 S. Stony Island has rejected a proposal presented by preservationists that would have incorporated the historic building into the project.

The Hyde Park Herald reported this week that the company had sent a letter to preservationists, who hired their own architect to develop the alternative proposal that would prevent the building's demolition. In the letter, White Lodging's VP for development concluded that after careful consideration of the proposal, the company had deemed it unfeasible.

The announcement puts to rest rumors that had been circulating in recent months about the possibility that White Lodging was considering other sites for the Hotel.

One of the most interesting passages of the letter quoted by the Herald seems to portend no slowing down for the University's continued development across Hyde Park and Woodlawn, where it owns and has been buying up many properties. According to White Lodging's VP for development:

"...a third of the site needs to remain available for the University of Chicago 'for future use' - a plan he argued is best served by White Lodging's use of the land."

The decision represents a stinging setback for neighborhood activists who have long-advocated, in cooperation with the Landmarks Illinois, for the building's preservation. The University bought the property for $10 million at a September, 2006, auction.

Immediate plans are unclear, but both White Lodging and the architect of the alternative plan have said they will continue negotiations. The developers will make a presentation to the community at an open forum hosted by Ald. Leslie Hairston August 5 at Bret Harte Elementary School at 1556 E. 56th St., at 6 P.M.

Hadron super-collider: murder weapon or piece of art?

2008-08-01T13:41:00.004-05:00

The Boston Globe just posted some, as they would say, wicked cool shots of CERN's Hadron super-collider that caused such a big fuss earlier in the year. Who knew wires and tubing could be so beautiful?

The Obama we know and love

2008-07-29T20:23:00.004-05:00

On the front page of the New York Times' website today is a feature on Barack Obama, the UChicago law professor, something that is harped on a lot more on campus than in the national media.

The article portrays Obama as an engaging professor whose nuanced lectures echo some of the principles he espouses on the campaign trail today, but as someone who was somewhat removed from the culture of being a teacher (given that he had two other jobs at the time, the article says). One of the more interesting passages:

But as a professor, students say, Mr. Obama was in the business of complication, showing that even the best-reasoned rules have unintended consequences, that competing legal interests cannot always be solved, that a rule that promotes justice in one case can be unfair in the next.

So even some former students who are thrilled at Mr. Obama's success wince when they hear him speaking like the politician he has so fully become.

"When you hear him talking about issues, it's at a level so much simpler than the one he's capable of," [a former student] said. "He was a lot more fun to listen to back then."

Also posted are a series of old exams and memos from eight years of constitutional law classes, as well as his syllabus from "Racism and the Law," supplied by our very own Adrian Florido. The questions are thorough, to say the least, and sometimes a little silly, as law exams tend to be. Worth reading at least one, if only to say you did.

Princeton Review rates UChicago...as kinda nerdy

2008-07-28T22:31:00.011-05:00

The Princeton Review issued a resounding warning today to any incoming first years who were the Kelly Kapowskis or Zack Morrises of their graduating high school class. If the Princeton Review replaced its categories with Saved By The Bell characters, we'd probably be Screech.

The 2009 ranking of the 368 best colleges in North America - "based on...outstanding academics and the opportunities provided to students" - came out today. Each year, colleges are ranked in various categories that relate to all aspects of the student experience, from the quality of professors to the taste of cafeteria food. (Right now, the website is REALLY slow...a lot of eager high school students are probably checking).

In what might not come as a surprise (or an affont) to U of C students, the ranking reinforced the school's bookish rep, ranking it ninth for Best College Library, ninth for Students Study the Most, and 14th for Intercollegiate Sports Unpopular or Nonexistant. The U of C was ranked in these same categories last year, but came in at 11th, fourth, and 15th, respectively.

The "Best Overall Academic Experience" ranking - a category which UChicago topped twice in recent years - was absent this year, as it was last year.

College rankings are often criticized for taking complex institutions like the U of C and boiling them down into a few numbers or oversimplified traits. (How do you think A.C. Slater felt when friends described him as "a wrestler"? He was quarterback, as well!)

US News & World Report rankings should be out in the new few weeks. That ranking is simpler, if potentially even more problematic: colleges and universities are ranked according to a single overall score.

Farewell to Obama's Favorite Restaurant & The New Yorker on UChicago

2008-07-17T13:36:00.010-05:00

Barack Obama will not be pleased.

Calypso Cafe, a restaurant he called his favorite in Hyde Park according to this week's New Yorker, will be vacating the area.

According to a blog post that Justin dug up, Calypso Cafe, C'est Si Bon and Dixie Kitchen will leave Harper Court now that the University owns the property.

The New Yorker article (yes, the one with THAT cover) focuses on Obama's quick political ascent, charting how he laid roots in Hyde Park.

The very in-depth (read: long) article will interest students, Hyde Parkers, and anyone who likes to read about the Democratic presidential nominee (perhaps three groups with some overlap?). It quotes Will Burns - a UChicago grad, Chicago pol, and former Obama aide - who had this say about UChicago's role on the South Side:

“Even though the University of Chicago is one of the largest employers on the South Side of Chicago, it is seen by some, particularly black nationalists, as a bastion of white political power, as a huge entity that doesn’t take into account the interests of the community, that doesn’t have a full democratic partnership with the community, and does what it wants to the community in maintaining clear boundaries about where black people are. It’s seen as an expansive force, trying to expand into Bronzeville and into Woodlawn”—historically black neighborhoods adjacent to Hyde Park—“and put poor blacks out of the area. The University of Chicago is not a brand that helps you if you’re trying to get votes on the South Side of Chicago.”

Whether you consider it an informative read could hinge on how you feel about using the Hyde Park Herald "as a sort of time capsule" - the article cites it over nine times. Either way, it's still worth checking out to see your local alderman Toni Preckwinkle raking in some national attention. It starts with Preckwinkle - calling her a "tall, commanding woman" - and includes a few of her characteristically blunt remarks, this time targetting the Democratic presidential nominee.

Milton Friedman Kerfufle

2008-07-16T17:35:00.004-05:00

A group of more than 100 faculty members from across a departmental spectrum recently sent a letter to President Zimmer and Provost Rosenbaum to express their concerns about the Milton Friedman Institute and have begun a petitioning process to call a meeting of the entire faculty to discuss the issue.

The Maroon recently posted an article about the debate. Check back over the week for updates.

Physical sciences department receives $20 million gift from mathematics alumnus

2008-07-14T09:30:00.003-05:00

President Zimmer announced yesterday a $20 million gift to the University’s physical science division from alumnus William Eckhardt. The gift will fund construction a new Center for Physical and Computational Sciences on the west side of Ellis Avenue between 56th and 57th Streets, slated for completion in 2013. The Center will be comprised of the Eckhardt Research Institutes building and a new building to be built over the site of the current Accelerator Building.

In an email memo to the University community, Zimmer said that the gift and the building project would attract valuable researchers and thinkers to the University faculty.

“Mr. Eckhardt’s gift in support of these efforts will help ensure that we can continue to attract the world’s most original and innovative scientists and foster the development of their work,” Zimmer wrote.

Zimmer said that the department would also use the gift to strengthen inter-disciplinary studies within the sciences, including specialties spanning computation, particle astrophysics, and neuroscience. Zimmer also mentioned the possibility of directing gift monies to launch a new molecular engineering program.

Discussion concerning the University’s standing relative to other research institutions has been underway since February 2007, when the Zimmer and Provost Thomas Rosenbaum convened a faculty committee to discuss the merits of adding a molecular engineering program to the physical sciences division. Although some voiced concern that an engineering program would detract attention from the University’s longstanding emphasis on theory and “the life of the mind,” most biological and physical science professors said that the lack of an engineering program is a limitation for the University, faculty, and students studying the physical and biological sciences.

“[The departments] are all basic science, and that works for and against us. I’d say that right now, it is primarily working against us. We lack the kind of expertise that links science to new technologies,” said Neil Shubin, a biology and archeology professor, in a February 2007 interview with the Maroon.

The committee meetings culminated in a list of faculty recommendations and a report, which estimated a conservative cost of a molecular engineering program around $250 million, according to an October 2007 Maroon article. Apart from the Eckhardt gift, the University has not mentioned other potential sources of funding for the engineering program.

Echkardt received a master’s degree in mathematics from the Univeristy in 1970, and is currently chairman and CEO of Eckhardt Trading Company based in Chicago. He is also a member of the Physical Sciences Division Visiting Committee at the University.

Reader's Comments: David Stein

2008-07-01T09:23:00.009-05:00

Rising College third-year David Stein was found dead by apparent suicide in his Hyde Park studio apartment Friday, June 27.

The Maroon has posted an article on its website, and will be providing additional coverage soon.

If you knew David Stein, we invite you to post your comments and reflections here.

Super-collider lawsuit may not see its day in court

2008-06-27T17:05:00.003-05:00

The Maroon covered the lawsuit filed by two scientists last quarter against the US government--and the U of C's Fermilab--to prevent the creation of a super-collider they claimed would destroy Earth by creating a black hole that would swallow us up. The NY Times reported today that lawyers for the federal government were seeking a dismissal of the case since its statute had run out and, perhaps more importantly, the money had already been spent. The article also addresses Fermilab specifically:

Meanwhile, the government also argues, Fermilab should be left off the hook. It cannot be sued, they said, because it is not a legal entity, not an agency of a corporation. It is "simply a collection of physical assets (such as scientific equipment and buildings)" owned by the Department of Energy, which approves and pays for all the operations there, according to an affidavit from Joanna M. Livengood, the department's site manager there.

Chicago named 2016 Olympics finalist

2008-06-04T16:07:00.006-05:00

The day after Kenwood resident Barack Obama clinched the Democratic party's presidential nomination, Chicago's South Side has yet another reason to celebrate (in the opinion of some).

Hyde Park moved a step closer today to becoming the focal point of international attention if the city of Chicago is selected to host the 2016 Olympic games. The city survived the International Olympic Committee's final cut before the host is chosen in late 2009. Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, and Madrid are the other three contenders. Prague; Baku, Azerbaijan; and Doha, Qatar, were eliminated from contention.

The city's selection would have a profound impact on the redevelopment of Hyde Park, its neighbors, and the South Side more generally. Under current plans, Washington Park, just east of campus, will be the site of the main Olympic stadium, and University administrators, including the next VP for community and government affairs, will work closely with the bid's organizers to prepare the neighborhood to assume the international spotlight.

Not everyone is excited about the prospect, and the city's efforts from here on out will undoubtedly spur fierce debate among local residents about what the bid would mean for Hyde Park, its neighbors, and its residents.

From the Chicago Tribune:
By Philip Hersh

Chicago has advanced to the final phase of the contest to become host city of the 2016 Summer Olympics, although it has ground to make up on its three remaining rivals before the International Olympic Committee's 110 members choose the winner Oct. 2, 2009.

The IOC executive committee decided Wednesday to eliminate three of the original seven bidders, Prague; Doha, Qatar; and Baku, Azerbaijan. That leaves Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid and Tokyo.

Wednesday's decision was based on evaluations in a report made by an IOC working group. Chicago wound up tied for third with Doha in the rankings. Tokyo placed highest -- followed by Madrid -- with Rio in fifth. The IOC executive board used the rankings as guidance rather than ultimate selection criteria.

"This is a key hurdle to have passed,'' said Bob Ctvrtlik, the U.S. Olympic Committee vice-president for international relations. "Now the bid committee and the city and the USOC and the nation have to unite behind Chicago.''

From information provided by each city, the bids were ranked overall and in 11 areas on a 10-point maximum. Chicago ranked no higher than second in any of the 11 and fifth in three: government support, legal issues and public opinion; sports venues; and transport concept.

To put that in perspective, 2012 Summer Games host London finished third overall behind Paris and Madrid in the rankings at the same stage of the process.''

"We know where we are strong, and we know where we are weak,'' Ctvrtlik said. "We respect the analysis that has been done.''

Both the USOC and Chicago 2016 officials expected the report to show concerns about transport, given the aged nature of the city's subway and bus systems, and finance, since the U.S. is the only country where the games cost is not completely guaranteed by government entities.

Those concerns were well founded.

The report was particularly hard on Chicago's transport. It cited inconsistencies in the amount the city planned to spend on road and transit projects and said the many sports venues along Lake Michigan are well connected to Lake Shore Drive but not close to rail lines and stations.

"The working group had difficulty in identifying the location of transport projects and therefore assessing the coherence between transport projects and the Olympic Games concept,'' the report said.

The low grade in sports venues came from the working group's worry that four major venues require private funding and "the construction budgets appear low.''

The report also noted that the wording of Chicago's guarantee does not fully conform with the Olympic Charter, which demands the host city and Olympic organizing committee assume all financial responsibility for putting on the Games.

Chicago has come up with a $1.15 billion guarantee against operations, including $500 million from the city, $500 million in projected operating surplus and a $150 million pledge from the state, which has not been approved yet.

The finalists immediately can begin international promotion of their bids, through advertising, interaction with global media and lobbying of IOC members.

The next formal event in the bid campaign takes place at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where each finalist will send observer teams to learn first-hand how a Summer Games runs, to assess how they can use the pluses and minuses of China's organization to improve their own candidature -- and to chat up IOC members.

"We will take full advantage of the opportunity to spend the full time in Beijing for the Olympics and Paralympics,'' said Patrick Ryan, chairman of the Chicago 2016 bid committee.

"Every candidate city will be there and wanting to communicate as much as they can about their city and their bid -- as much as IOC members are willing to take the time to listen to.''

Since the goal is to convince a majority of IOC members rather than the global public that Chicago's bid is the best, the impact of advertising is diminished.

"We would also like to convince other people of sport who have influence with IOC members,'' Ryan said. "People in (international sports) federations. People in national Olympic committees.''

After Beijing, the cities begin working in earnest on the "bid book'' -- a highly detailed candidature file that generally runs to 400 pages. That file must be submitted to the IOC by Feb. 12, 2009.

The IOC will then send an evaluation commission for three-day visits to each city, likely next April and May. That commission prepares a report released a month before the final vote. It does not contain an official ranking of the candidates.

Since the IOC banned members from making inspection visits to candidate cities -- except for business or personal matters -- in the wake of the bid city vote-buying scandal that erupted in 1998, many cities have been frustrated in trying to overcome their unfamiliarity to many IOC members.

That is an issue for Chicago. Ryan said fewer than 25 percent of the members have visited Chicago, and Mayor Richard M. Daley told the Tribune Monday the city's "profile was very important.''

In April, IOC president Jacques Rogge said that to alleviate the familiarity issue, all candidate cities and IOC members would be invited to a meeting at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland some time next year, probably late spring.

2008 Scav Hunt Blog

2008-05-09T23:57:00.005-05:00

Springtime in Chicago ushers in the usual flora and fauna, colonies of feral cats, and the U of C's annual four-day, nationwide Scavenger Hunt--the world's biggest, according to my sources.

This year, our web editor Mischa Fierer launched the Maroon's shiny new Scav blog. Check it out for around the clock updates by editors, writers, and scavvies.

Stay tuned for the inside campus scoop, on the grounds reporting, and Sunday's judging results.

http://blogs.chicagomaroon.com/scav/

UChicago gets bad rap

2008-05-06T18:21:00.002-05:00

According to the New York Times, a Chicago graduate is responsible for Uma Thurman's stalking woes.

Higher Education Act Expires

2008-05-01T12:55:00.001-05:00

From Politico:

As of today, there is apparently no Higher Education Act. On Tuesday, the Senate passed by unanimous consent a one month “extension of higher education programs.” But the House hasn’t taken action on the extension, which means that the original expiration date – April 30, 2008 – has come and gone.

HEA is a huge barrel of rules and authorizations of appropriations that form the basis of federal higher education policy. A House Democratic aide said that the short-term extension will be passed next week and that the Congressional Budget Office has said that "no programs will be affected." But as of today, it’s gone.

What’s that mean exactly? One lobbyist noted to the Crypt that the rule that prevents students with drug convictions from getting loans is now gone – but so too, apparently, are the loans themselves. So tough luck, stoners.

We’ll update this post when we learn more.

Here’s the extension that the Senate passed on Tuesday…

SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

(a) Extension of Programs- Section 2(a) of the Higher Education Extension Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-81; 20 U.S.C. 1001 note) is amended by striking `April 30, 2008' and inserting `May 31, 2008'.

(b) Rule of Construction- Nothing in this section, or in the Higher Education Extension Act of 2005 as amended by this Act, shall be construed to limit or otherwise alter the authorizations of appropriations for, or the durations of, programs contained in the amendments made by the Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-171) or by the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (Public Law 110-84) to the provisions of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Taxpayer-Teacher Protection Act of 2004.

Covering a Tragedy (video)

2008-02-17T20:30:00.003-06:00

I spent Friday morning with the staff of the Northern Star, NIU's student newspaper, as they covered the aftermath of the shootings from the previous day.

I also had a video camera.

(Check out more videos at Fresh Cut.)

NIU Vigil

2008-02-16T14:28:00.002-06:00

Student Government announced today that there would be a vigil in support of Northern Illinois Monday. Here's the info:


Name:	Vigil in Support of Northern Illinois
Tagline:	Show Support for our Fellow Students
Host:	Student Government
Type:	Causes - Rally

Time and Place
Date:	Monday, February 18, 2008
Time:	12:00pm - 1:00pm
Location:	Main Quads: Flagpole
City/Town:	Chicago, IL

Contact Info
Phone:	541.760.9342
Email:	srduncom@uchicago.edu

Student Government is organizing a vigil in support of the students of Northern Illinois University. We will have a memorial book for students to sign.

The facebook event is here: http://uchicago.facebook.com/event.php?eid=10451052462

Covering a Tragedy

2008-02-15T13:06:00.003-06:00

It's 7:00 a.m. The generators are up and running, hair and make-up artists are hard at work, and fat, unshaven cameramen are talking about basketball over boiling cups of coffee. Their discussion is interrupted when a younger looking guy asks for the bathroom. His hair is perfect, he's styling a chic $1000 outfit, and he could have done without the semi-obvious face lift. But the cameramen cut him some slack: He's from CNN.

This was the scene as I arrived on the campus of Northern Illinois University this morning, situated 60 miles or so west of Chicago in Dekalb, IL. The shootings that ravaged the campus a day earlier opened the door to a media frenzy a town this size should never have to see. And I stood out like a sore thumb amidst all of it.

Or so I thought, until I decided to ditch the stodgy press area and visit the offices of the Northern Star, the campus newspaper whose constantly updated website has served as a lifeline to concerned NIU parents, students, and outside journalists. Indeed, situated about a mile away from the lights and camera crews, the Northern Star offices proved instantly to be ground zero for anything and everything NIU. And I was the only person there.

It wasn't long before I met Justin Smith, an NIU senior and the Northern Star's online editor, as he unlocked the door to the newspaper office. He'd already sipped half of his frappuccino and was toting about five of this morning's national newspapers, all of them headlining the events of the previous day. He leads me to his computer, we chat for a bit, and he checks his Blackberry every 30 seconds for updates. Like many of his fellow staff members, he hasn't slept all night.

But for a guy who's just been through a national tragedy and spent the past six hours doing interviews for every major news outlet in the world, he looks like he couldn't be happier. After all, it's Friday, and he's been nothing but smiles as he updates the Northern Star's website.

Jim Killam, the newspaper's faculty adviser and NIU journalism professor, is the second staffer to arrive at the office, and he has some news for Smith. First, the Associated Press has offered to pay the paper for using its photos. Second, the coroner has released the names of the dead. And third, "Did I ask 'How are you?' yet?" Yet again, smiles on both their faces as Killam holds the Northern Star's morning issue, hot off the press, draped with the headline: "TRAGEDY".

(to be continued, later today)....

Resources

2008-02-15T13:03:00.004-06:00

An e-mail sent to University students and staff this morning from VP/Dean of Students Kimberly Goff-Crews:

February 15, 2008

Dear University Community,

Today we are mourning the tragic loss of lives in the shootings at Northern Illinois University. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims as well as the entire NIU community. President Robert Zimmer has written a letter to President John G. Peters of NIU expressing our condolences and offering our support.

University of Chicago students are making plans to honor the victims of this terrible tragedy. We will share more information as soon as it is available.

A number of resources are available to students, staff and faculty to help us process our feelings of grief, sadness and fear. We are working with deans of students and residence hall staff to reach out to students who may need extra support during this time. Students who need assistance are encouraged to contact the Student Counseling and Resource Service, 5737 S. University Ave., 773-702-9800. Counseling resources are available to faculty and staff through Perspectives, 5751 S. Woodlawn, 800-456-6327. Other University resources are available by calling 773-834-HELP.

University of Chicago Police are trained and prepared to respond in the event of an emergency similar to that which occurred at NIU. Police would send an emergency message via cAlert and campus e-mail if we were ever in a situation that required community members to take immediate safety precautions. If you have not yet signed up for the cAlert emergency notification system, we encourage you to do so by visiting http://calert.uchicago.edu.

More information about the University’s safety resources and efforts is available at http://www.uchicago.edu/safety/.

Sincerely,

Kimberly M. Goff-Crews

Vice President and Dean of Students in the University

Tragedy

2008-02-15T01:02:00.003-06:00

In an unfortunate irony, I was about to board a plane headed to my home state of Virgina - the site of last year's tragic killings at Virginia Tech - when I first heard the news about what had happened at Northern Illinois (read Adrian's post Six dead from shooting at Northern Illinois for the latest). Sitting on the plane, thinking about what I had just seen flash across the television monitors, I couldn't help think about that day last April - the panicked phone calls from friends asking if I had heard the news, if I knew if this or that person was ok; my Facebook news feed flooded with messages from one friend to another checking on each other's safety and health; the phone call from my mom, nearly in tears, wondering how something so horrible could happen to kids with so much to look forward to; and, most harrowingly, the conversation with my roommate, also from Virginia, about a girl who he had worked summers alongside, helped with homework, attended church alongside, and that he would never see again.

Undoubtedly, countless kids across the U of C campus - and campuses around the state and country - had similar experiences this afternoon. There are students tonight who have lost best friends, parents who have lost sons and daughters, and communities that have had to confront an unfathomable violence. There are serious questions to be answered about how something so horrible could happen - could be allowed to happen - especially on a college campus, the last bastion of safety and security we're afforded before being dumped into the "real world" - but most important is the fact that six of our fellow students are dead today, sixteen others are injured, and many, many beyond that have been wounded. Our condolences to the families and friends of these students, to the Northern Illinois campus, and our hope for a speedy recovery and return to full health for all injured today.

--

Returning to a more objective news analysis, expect that the coming weeks and months will raise new questions for public officials and universities - including the U of C - to grapple with. It has become increasingly obvious that the problem of violence on campus is one that cannot be ignored or dismissed as aberrations, and schools will have to make tough decisions that could dramatically alter the culture and atmosphere of college.

Looking first to security, universities will have to evaluate whether substantially increased police presences and security systems are warranted - and what the tradeoffs of that extra layer of safety are. Most likely, text messaging and e-mail notification systems like cAlert will become more commonplace, but also expect increased pressure on schools to make these systems mandatory and as effective as possible. We are still unsure how - or if - such a system came into play today at NIU. Administrators will find it increasingly difficult to justify not informing students immediately about violent incidents, and excuses like those floated after Virginia Tech, or even the Amadou Cisse murder south of our campus, will become increasingly less compelling. So too will "opt-in" rather than "opt-out" campus security updates about violent crimes like muggings and robberies.

There is also a principle question of student mental health - one that was particularly pertinent after Virginia Tech, where the shooter was diagnosed with anxiety disorders - but that surfaces after any instance in which a person decides to open fire on a group of innocent and defenseless individuals. Early reports indicate that the shooter at Northern Illinois was a former graduate student who left the University, although further details are still unknown. Regardless, trends of competitiveness, high stress, and social disorder on college campuses are undeniable, and universities will be forced to yet again take a sobering look at the resources, preventative measures, and support systems available to their students.

---

Still, these themes are largely speculative, and it will be important to keep track of the developments from NIU, both for a better understanding of what happened today, and what it means for universities going forward. We will, of course, have continuing coverage in the Maroon, online here and in print starting again Tuesday. The NIU student newspaper, the Northern Star, has up-to-the minute updates, and has done an exceptional job in covering the story as it develops. The paper lost at least one staff member Thursday, and so special condolences and recognition to those providing their campus with important information as they mourn the loss of one of their own. Hassan will be at the NIU campus tomorrow, filming segments for Fresh Cut, so on the ground updates will also be available there.

Six dead from shooting at Northern Illinois University

2008-02-15T00:28:00.007-06:00

Police and university administrators have announced that five people, all students, were killed when an as of yet publicly unidentified gunman barged into a Northern Illinois University (NIU) lecture hall and began firing shortly before 3:00 Thursday afternoon. At least sixteen other students were injured, some seriously, before the gunman, a former graduate student of the university, turned the gun on himself.

Witnesses of the incident have told officials, according to various media reports, that the gunman stepped out from behind the curtain on the stage of the lecture auditorium and started shooting. Students dropped to the ground to shield themselves from the gunfire and some tried to slowly make their way toward the classroom's exits.

The gunman was armed with a shotgun and two handguns, officials said. The Chicago Tribune has reported that the suspect was a 27 year-old graduate student of sociology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

In a press conference late Thursday, John Peters, NIU's president, said that two of the sixteen wounded students sustained critical injuries.

Administrators implemented an emergency response plan minutes after receiving reports of the incident, Peters said, according to reports. Many universities, including the U of C, developed such response plans in the aftermath of last year's deadly massacre at Virginia Tech University which left 32 people dead. University officials there were criticized for not having done enough to alert the university community of the impending danger.

NIU is located in DeKalb, Illinois, about 65 miles west of Chicago.

Be sure to pick up Tuesday's issue of the Maroon for coverage of campus response to the NIU shootings.

Police: 17-year old Warren shot Cisse

2008-02-12T10:36:00.000-06:00

The Chicago Tribune is reporting today that police have identified 17-year-old Demetrius Warren as the shooter of Amadou Cisse, the graduate student killed late last quarter. Warren is also believed to be the one who shot at a university employee who ran away from a confrontation with Warren and three other men, who have all been charged as accomplices in the murder and preceding string of robberies.

We'll have more details as they emerge on the blog, with full coverage in the print edition of the Maroon. As a heads up, there will be no paper on Friday (College Break Day), but publication will resume next Tuesday. Also, be sure to check out the revamped Maroon website at http://maroon.uchicago.edu.

Open House

2008-01-05T11:38:00.000-06:00

Winter break is drawing to an all-to-quick close, but for those of you who might have stumbled upon the Maroon blogs during our hiatus, a quick public service announcement from our editor-in-chief:

"Want to break into journalism? Made a New Year's resolution to get more involved in a campus group? Want the inside scoop on the goings-on at the U of C? Consider working for the Chicago Maroon, the university's student-run, independent newspaper.

The Maroon is hosting its annual open house this Monday (Jan. 7) at 7:30 p.m. We'll provide free pizza and soda, and the editors will be on hand to explain how you can get involved in writing, photography, copy-editing, art, or design. Just show up in the office, located in the basement of Ida Noyes.

We do not require prior experience; we'll provide the training. Contributors can spend as much or as little time with the newspaper-- every bit helps us. If you have any questions before Monday, feel free to contact Kat Glass at kglass@uchicago.edu."

Don't worry - if you write for the paper, copy editors will make sure your articles don't include incomplete sentences like the one that may occur in the last paragraph of that e-mail... In all seriousness, though, the Maroon is a great way to get involved at the U of C, and we're looking for people interested in writing for any of our sections - news, viewpoints, voices (arts & entertainment), or sports. There are also lots of opportunities for working on the design/business/photography side of things, too.

The Maroon will return in print form on Friday, January 11, so be sure to pick up a copy at the end of first week - we have reporters working hard on some in depth looks at the stories that we've been reporting on over the break, so those are worth checking out for sure. We'll continue to update here until then, after which the blog will still be live for small updates and stories that fall through the cracks. Happy new year to everyone.

Workers approve contract

2007-12-24T21:25:00.000-06:00

University clerical and service and maintenance workers voted Friday to accept the latest offer from the U of C negotiators, settling for less than the 4 percent annual raise they had previously demanded. Clerical wokers will receive a 3 percent raise in retroactive to March of this year with a $175 bonus; a 2 percent increase in March 2008; 2 percent in September 2008; and a 3.5 percent increase in March 2009 with $100 bonus. Service and maintenance workers will receive a 45 cent hourly raise retroactive to March with no bonus; a 40 cent raise in March 2008; and another 40 cent raise in March 2009, with a $100 bonus.

To get caught up on the negotiations, check out Adrian's excellent series:
Union negotiations reach new impasse
Campus workers reject contract offer
Protesters back union stance
Workers to vote on contract

And here's the press release put out by SOUL (Students Organizing United with Labor):

Chicago, Illinois – University of Chicago clerical and service and maintenance workers voted Friday to accept a new contract agreement presented by the UChicago human resources and Teamsters Local 743 negotiating team. This contract offer fell short of workers' demands for a 4% yearly wage increase to keep up with the rising cost of living in Chicago, but it stands as a marked improvement over wage increases won in past contracts.

Since January 2007, Teamsters Local 743, which represents over 1,100 clerical and maintenance workers at the University of Chicago, has been negotiating a for a 3-year contract. Many workers, frustrated with University stalling tactics and intransigence on offering a decent wage increase, began running a confrontational campaign that involved a mass contract-education drive, open worker discussion meetings, weekly rallies and outreach to student and community groups.

This campaign refused to accept the 3% yearly wage increases that had been the status quo of clerical contracts at UChicago, and instead pushed for 4% increases, coupled with improved job security and a return of yearly 'step' wage increases. The workers argued that a 4% wage increase would have a negligible financial impact on the wealthy University—it would amount to an additional expenditure of less than $400,000 per year, which is less than the combined salary and benefits enjoyed by many individual University administrators. As a result of the campaign, workers were organized to reject two contract offers from the University—a first in the history of this Local 743 bargaining unit.

After the workers rejected the second contract offer, University human resources officials announced that any future offers would be inferior, and they refused to meet with union negotiators for several weeks. However this past Tuesday, Dec. 18, in the wake of escalating pickets, rallies and other actions by workers and their allies, a contract was presented to the rank-and-file that is stronger than both of the previous offers. "This improved contract offer shows that the University felt the pressure of our campaign," said Joe Sexauer, campus clerical worker leader, "even as it shows that the University still stubbornly refuses to offer a wage that its workers can live on. This contract campaign is only the first step; two years from now we'll be entering the next contract negotiations with a reformed union local and focused, educated members—we will win 4%+ wage increases, good job security, and any other demands that campus workers decide are essential."

We'll have more coverage of the implementation and ramifications of the new contract on the blog and when the paper returns to print in January. Hope everyone is having a happy and safe holiday season...

Updates

2007-12-19T14:59:00.001-06:00

The Co-Op voted Monday to formally accept Option A, by a margin of 7-1, despite last minute calls by some activists to extend the University's deadline and an offer of $500,000 from Hyde Park Herald owner Bruce Sagan. The store will close on January 28, and another grocer - either Treasure Island or Dominick's - will open shop in mid-February. Employees will lose their jobs but will receive accumulated sick and vacation pay.

One aspect of the deal that we haven't extensively covered in the Maroon is the involvement of Certified Grocers, the company that both supplied the Co-Op and owned the lease on the 47th Street store. Certified agreed to a $1 million buyout of the 47th street lease under Option A, which relieved the Co-Op of both a $1 million loan it had already taken from Certified, and the obligation to pay them an additional $1 million in rent for the 47th street location every year until 2023.

While, on the surface, the move made some sense for Certified - the Co-Op would have been released from the lease anyways under bankruptcy protection had Option B succeeded, and this way Certified was guaranteed to at least recoup the outstanding loan - the fact that Certified is also the principle supplier for Treasure Island raises some ethical questions about the bidding process in place to replace the Co-Op. Was the University able to secure Certified's cooperation with Option A by promising that they would replace the store with another Certified client? If that's true, is the University seriously considering Dominick's, or only using them to leverage a better offer from Treasure Island? Not that this is particularly scandalous (coordinating all the actors involved to get the Co-Op out and a new grocer in is no small undertaking and undoubtedly involved a lot of back room dealbreaking, while competition for the store, real or perceived, will only benefit shoppers), but one would hope that the choice of the new grocer is actually fair and above board, if for no other reason than to avoid any sort of validation of the University conspiracy theories that oftentimes surface during these types of impassioned neighborhood issues. Furthermore, one of the biggest complaints with the Co-Op was with the quality of the food - old produce, dented cans, and expiring packaged goods were all cited as reasons for getting rid of the grocer. While this was partially due to mismanagement, blame also resides with Certified for providing the Co-Op with the less-than-savory stock, and the University should weigh this among the many other factors involved when choosing between Treasure Island and Dominick's.

Continuing coverage of all of this here and on the viewpoints blog...

--

Bail was denied Saturday for 21-year-old Benjamin Williams, who is the second person charged in the murder of graduate student Amadou Cisse. According to UPI, Police believe Williams, who has admitted his role in the crime, helped to select victims during the neighborhood crime spree, and served as a lookout during the murder. At least two other arrests are expected in connection to the murder and robberies.

Breakdown of Co-Op Vote

2007-12-15T11:14:00.000-06:00

The latest info on the Co-Op vote, via their website:

All ballots were received, overseen and counted by Project LEAP. Its approach was to maximize the opportunity for voters to have their votes honored. Approximately 75% of the ballots contained minor violations of the rules that did not effect the vote. Additionally, there were a great many votes that were injured or separated in the mail. To the extent possible, the intentions of voters were honored, regardless of these irregularities.

Vote watchers from each of the two positions were in the counting room at all time and agreed in the resolution of all questions.

Ballot packets mailed	approximately 19,000
Returned undeliverable	approximately 650
Ballots Packets received	approximately 4,000
Results
Option A	3,200
Option B	2,049
Ballots separated from member information in mail :
Option A	228
Option B	134
Spoiled Ballots and reasons
Insufficient Shares ^*	153
Overcast ^*	9
No member information	8
Not entitled to 2 votes ^*	23
No record in membership list	8
Single person cast 2 ballots ^*	342
Fraud	1
Identifying marks on ballot	33
Duplicate votes ^*	7
^* In these cases votes were recorded on both sides of the packet when the voter was eligible to vote just once. The vote on left-hand ballot was recorded and the other discarded; thus the ballot was not truly spoiled.

It's pretty remarkable that 75 percent of the ballots contained "minor violations of the rules" - it will be interesting to see if this is a fact that some die-hard Co-Op loyalists pick up on, or if this whole ordeal is really over. Still no reaction yet from the University, but I'm sure that's forthcoming after the weekend...

Co-Op Shareholders Approve Plan A

2007-12-15T00:50:00.000-06:00

The Co-Op has posted the results of their vote, and the University-backed Plan A (which allows the U of C to buy out the Co-Op, pay down their debts, and install either a Treasure Island or Dominick's within two weeks) ended up victorious, with roughly 61 percent of the vote. The final tally:

Option A: 3200

Option B: 2049

According to the Co-Op's website, a public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. next Monday, at which the board will announce the closing of the grocer. The actual timeline for the store's transition is unclear, but we'll get that to you as soon as it becomes available.

Second charged in Cisse murder

2007-12-14T17:09:00.000-06:00

- The Trib is reporting today that the state attorney is bringing murder charges against a second man - 21-year old Benjamin Williams - in the death of graduate student Amadou Cisse last month. According to Police, they do not believe that Williams was the one responsible for the shot that killed Cisse; teenager Eric Walker has also been charged in conjunction with the murder, but the Cook County prosecutor was similarly vague as to whether Walker was the killer. 17-year old Demetrius Warren was also charged in relation to the earlier crime spree, but has not - as of yet - been brought up on murder charges. Williams was additionally charged with two counts of armed robbery, and one count each of attempted robbery and aggravated discharge of a weapon.

- Check back tomorrow for breaking news of the fate of the Co-Op : according to the Sun-Times, the results of the shareholder vote, which concluded Thursday, will be announced.

“It is so exciting—there’s really no other way to describe it”

2007-12-10T18:58:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone - sorry for the lack of posts lately, I managed to destroy my laptop on my trip back to D.C. (our friends at HP are taking their sweet time getting it back to me, so I've appropriated my parents' computer for the minute) and even had Adrian been inclined to post, not only has he been bogged down with finals and throwing together his B.A., but he had a little run in with the inch of ice that has been covering everything in the Midwest this week. Without further adieu, a rundown of the latest U of C / Hyde Park news:

- The Hyde Park Herald is reporting that the Co-Op may have a loan in place, provided that the University is willing to forgive (or postpone the payment of) the $1.2 million in back rent due, and Certified Grocers accepts a $1 million buyout of the 47th street lease (the terms they had agreed to under the proposal the University is currently backing). Battling analysis of the report is available on the Editor's Blog, Hyde Park Progress, and Hyde Park Urbanist (the blog of Co-Op Board Secretary James Withrow).

- Kudos to Alice Sverdlik (A.B. '06), a 2008 Marshall scholar, who will attend the London School of Economics next year to study Social Policy and Urbanization and Development. More details here and forthcoming in the Maroon.

- Our fearless leader, Kat Glass, got quite the write up in the latest issue of the Chicago Chronicle, in conjunction with the Pacemaker Award we won in October. Congrats to Kat, Mike, Tara, and to all the writers, editors, contributors, copy editors, designers, photographers, front office staff, and everyone else who takes time to make the paper what it is - the award is shared by everyone who has taken time out of already crazy schedules to contribute to a newspaper that doesn't have many of the benefits of some of the competition, and they all deserve a lot of credit.

New Hyde Park Shooting

2007-12-04T23:06:00.000-06:00

University students received this safety awareness alert today by e-mail:

At approximately 3:30 p.m. today (Dec. 4), a 16-year-old unaffiliated male was walking with his sister and other teens on 61st Street between Kimbark and Kenwood. A beige sedan passed them and someone inside the car fired several shots in their direction, one of which struck the victim in the right leg. The victim was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he is listed in good condition. Police believe that this is the aftermath of an earlier fight that occurred near the Hyde Park Academy involving the victim's older brother. The police are investigating. Safety Awareness Alerts are based on information that has been reported to the police. The reported facts may not have been investigated or confirmed.

The shooting occurred just blocks from the site of the Amadou Cisse murder, and again raises questions about the University response time in issuing safety alerts. This e-mail was sent nearly 4 hours after the shooting, and although it appears to be an incident limited in scope, there are still legitimate questions as to whether the University should immediately notify students when gunshots are fired on or near campus. We'll post updates as they become available.

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Updates

2007-12-01T16:07:00.000-06:00

Demetrius Warren, 17, the second teen charged in the spree of Hyde Park crimes on the night of Amadou Cisse's murder, was denied bail by a Cook County judge, the Tribune is reporting today. Warren's lawyers are disputing his confession, arguing that the teen, who was already on probation, was denied access to a lawyer on three occasions. The police are claiming that proper procedure was followed, and say they are still considering charges against three other individuals in the car that night with Warren and 16-year-old Eric Walker, who was charged with murder Wednesday. Police have still not named the gunman they believe directly responsible for Cisse's death, but indications are that he may be one of the individuals yet to be charged.

--

Strange happenings over at the Co-Op, as was reported by our friends at the Editors' Blog:

"Their main website is now advertising a fund raising campaign. They say they need $800,000 to be able to declare bankruptcy and that they have already raised $26,245."

It's extremely unclear what the Co-Op is trying to do with the pledge drive. From what I can piece together, it looks like the Co-Op is trying to raise the $800,000 filing fee to declare bankruptcy, assuming they are somehow able to secure the $2.3 million loan they would need to pay down their minimum owed debts and rent (if they were unable to secure that loan and declared bankruptcy, they would be forced to close and allow their creditors to fight over their assets in court, while the storefront would stay vacant). But, while the pledge drive letter seems to indicate that they have secured such a loan, entering the main website tells a different story.

While it's difficult to know how this whole situation will play out (it's more thank likely that an overwhelming number of voters will support the bankruptcy route over the University bailout, if the community meetings and Hyde Park Herald are any indications, but the board is not technically bound to the vote) - it does seem increasingly like the University will be willing to let the Co-Op languish if their offer is refuted. I alluded to this in an earlier post, but during a meeting this week with President Zimmer, some Maroon editors asked the President about the Co-Op's future. Zimmer's response was interesting for two reasons - in the two and a half years I've spent covering University events, I have never once heard him either share a personal anecdote or give an unequivocal, absolute answer to a question - he is a master (for better or worse) of ambiguity, especially on sensitive issues. Yet, when discussing the Co-Op Wednesday, he did both - apparently, in the '70s, when Zimmer was a graduate student in Mathematics at the University, he would drive north, dismayed with the quality even then of the Co-Op, to shop for groceries outside of Hyde Park. Secondly, when I asked him directly about the possibility of the University helping the Co-Op in any way were they to approve Proposal B (bankruptcy), he said that there was"absolutely no" chance of a bailout, rent forgiveness, etc. Unless the Co-Op is able to somehow secure a extremely large loan and solicit another $770,000+ in pledges, their future seems doubtful.

Second arrest in Cisse murder

2007-11-29T13:26:00.000-06:00

In an e-mail to the University community today, UCPD chief Rudy Nimocks gave more details about the fourth (previously unreported) robbery on the night of the murder of graduate student Amadou Cisse, and announced that a second suspect had been charged in connection with the robberies.

According to Nimocks, a male student was robbed at gunpoint on the 5300 block of South Greenwood Avenue around 1 a.m. last Monday morning. This robbery is in addition to the mugging of two women near the University Hospitals, the murder of Cisse, and the attempted robbery of a University staffer walking home, during which a shot was fired as the victim fled down the street.

Demetrius Warren, a 17-year-old South Side resident, was charged with two counts of armed robbery in conjunction with the mugging at the University Hospitals, and one count of armed robbery for his part in the mugging of the student on Greenwood Avenue. Warren was also charged with "aggravated discharge of a weapon" in connection with the incident involving the University staffer.

The Tribune is also reporting that police are currently interviewing a third individual who they believe participated in the robberies along with Warren and 16-year-old Eric Walker, who was charged with first degree murder yesterday. Contrary to earlier reports which indicated that Walker had shot Amadou Cisse, police believe this third suspect may have been the one to pull the trigger, and are currently continuing interviews and ballistics tests on the gun recovered in a nearby alley.

Check back for continuing coverage of the shooting.

Latest on Cisse Shooting / Co-Op & CTA Update

2007-11-28T21:09:00.000-06:00

As was alluded to in Kat's scoop last night (for which my co-news editor, Adrian Florido, deserves a lot of credit), Chicago police have made an arrest in the murder of graduate student Amadou Cisse. Here's a quick rundown of the latest developments:

- 16-year old Eric Walker was charged today with first degree murder, and denied bail by a Cook County judge. According to the Chicago Police Department (CPD), they have a videotaped confession of Walker (with a parent present) admitting to the crime, which confirms the account of the female student who was mugged earlier the same night Cisse was murdered, and picked Walker out of a lineup. Walker was also charged with attempted armed robbery, armed robbery and aggravated discharge of a firearm, in connection with the other muggings and attempted muggings throughout the evening.

- Police are weighing charges against at least one other suspect who may have been involved in the crime spree that evening, although they believe that Walker both suggested the idea of robbing people near campus and drove the maroon-doored car that was caught on a campus security camera. The suspects are all juveniles, although prosecutors expect to try them as adults.

- Police are also saying that Walker was involved in a fourth campus mugging earlier that evening, although the student who was robbed had not previously come forward. Details of that incident are not yet available.

- The University has pledged to review the emergency procedures that implemented in the hours after the shooting, including a close look at whether a cAlert should have been sent out immediately after the University was made aware of the shooting. (President Zimmer in a meeting today: "I think these are fair questions about the nature of the alert, and this is a... way to test the protocols in place.") The University is also going to bring in an outside consultant to evaluate the security of the campus and the neighborhood as a whole. (Zimmer: "It's useful for all parts of the University to have external advice, and it can be very useful to get input from experts who specialize in this kind of thing.")

- A memorial fund, facilitated by the University, is now accepting donations, which can be sent to Amadou Cisse Family Support Fund, c/o University of Chicago Bursar, 5801 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago, IL 60637. The donations will be given directly to the family of Amadou Cisse.

More information is available with the Chicago Tribune's coverage of Walker's bail hearing.

---

In ongoing community news, the latest attempt to fund the CTA (which is approaching the next "doomsday" at the end of December) was dramatically voted down today in the Illinois House of Representatives, increasing the possibility of dramatic fare increases and route cuts next year.

And we asked President Zimmer today about what the University planned to do if their offer to buy out the Hyde Park Co-Op Markets was rejected by shareholders in the ongoing vote. According to Zimmer, there was "absolutely" no possibility of the U of C helping the Co-Op with rehabilitation or debt forgiveness if their offer is rejected.

Chicago Maroon wins top honor

2007-10-30T17:37:00.000-05:00

The Chicago Maroon was awarded the 2007 Newspaper Pacemaker, the highest honor for the Associated Collegiate Press.

The Maroon was one of 11 newspapers that won the non-daily, four-year college category. There were 224 entrants in total across all categories (which include Four-year Daily, Four-year Non-daily, and Two-year Newspapers).

Check out the list of other winners at the ACP's website.

The Associated College Press is the oldest and largest national membership organization for college student journalists.

Mearsheimer takes case to "The Colbert Report"

2007-10-06T21:28:00.000-05:00

The University had some special representation on "The Colbert Report" this past week.

Stephen Colbert went toe to toe with John Mearsheimer, the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the U of C and co-author of the controversial New York Times best-selling book, The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy.

For anyone intrigued by the whole Israel Lobby debate, the October 2 interview (embedded below) is probably the best way to learn about it without watching a heated and/or uncomfortable exchange that may or may not involve accusations of anti-Semitism.

So watch for yourself, judge for yourself, and most importantly, enjoy:

Stay of Execution

2007-09-16T12:03:00.000-05:00

The CTA put on hold the substantial rate hikes and service cuts that had been planned for next week when the Illinois state legislature and Govenor Blagojevich floated the battered transportation agency a $24 million advance in transportation funding. According to the Sun-Times, while the reprieve is hopeful news, the advance does little to better the long-term prospects of the CTA; without more dedicated funding guaranteed by the legislature, the $1 fare increase and loss of 39 bus routes (including 3 that service Hyde Park) will still take effect in November. Springfield has not approved a plan for mass transit since 2004.

CTA President Ron Huberman (A.M., M.B.A '00) sent this letter to registered CTA riders Saturday:

Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2007 08:41:26 +0700
From: chicagocard@transitchicago.com
Subject: Postponed Fare Increase
Dear Chicago Card and Chicago Card Plus Users: I am writing to inform you that the fare and service changes scheduled for September 16th have been postponed. This means that the cost of your passes and fares will not increase on Sunday, and any routes scheduled for elimination will continue to operate. However, the temporary loan of $24 million provided by the State postpones these changes for less than two months. On November 4th, if the Illinois General Assembly has not acted, we will be forced to increase fares and reduce service. The bottom-line is we need a comprehensive plan to fund mass transit. I know that you are frustrated about the potential service cuts and fare changes. So are we. That is why we are again asking you to join with us and tell our State leaders: "No More Doomsdays. Fix Mass Transit." Please visit transitchicago.com, or call 1-888-YOUR-CTA, for information on how to contact your state legislators. Please make your voices heard as we fight to preserve and improve the mass transit system Chicago needs and deserves. Thank you again for your support. We are committed to improving your experience on the CTA. Sincerely, Ron Huberman ---A quick public service announcement - for everyone interested in the goings on around the University and Hyde Park, or looking for a fun and meaningful way to get involved on campus, the Maroon is looking for new staff members of any year and experience. There are great opportunities in pretty much every aspect of the paper you might be interested in; aspiring journalists can investigate campus news, write editorials, review campus and city arts and entertainment events, or cover the Maroon sports teams, while on the production side, we are always looking for talented copy editors, web and print designers, and photographers. If you might at all be interested in joining the Maroon, stop by our booth during the RSO fair during O-week, keep your eyes peeled for information about our open house during second week, and/or e-mail chicagomaroon@gmail.com for more details.

More Hyde Park Violence

2007-09-10T09:03:00.001-05:00

Fresh on the heels of the Friday night gang-related shooting west of Washington Park, two teens were shot at a playground just south of the University at 12:30 a.m. Saturday night. According to the Sun-Times, police have two "persons of interest" in custody related to the shooting, although no charges have yet been filed.

View Larger Map

One of the victims, a 17-year-old boy, was shot in the neck and remains in critical condition at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The other, a 16-year-old girl, was shot in the leg and was listed in stable condition at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County.

There is no indication yet that the two incidents are linked.

---

For a slightly more encouraging look at the Hyde Park community beyond the ivory towers, check out the excellent feature in Sunday's New York Times chronicling the 2000 congressional race between incumbent (and victorious) Representative Bobby L. Rush, and a young, ambitious, but relatively unknown U of C law lecturer by the name of Barack Obama.

Congressman Rush told the Times that in a House race, your neighbors “hold you to a different standard.”

The article is a great primer on the tangled web of Hyde Park and South Side politics, and how the priorities and values of neighborhood residents and the University community can be at odds or converge together, depending on circumstance.

My favorite line from the article?

“For what he’s [Obama] doing now, he didn’t need to march against police brutality,” Mr. Rush said, invoking his own record. “He didn’t need to demonstrate against poor meat in substandard grocery stores. He didn’t need that kind of stuff because obviously his audience was at a different level.”

I'm not sure Rep. Rush has been to the Co-Op lately, otherwise he might not count his protest against substandard grocery stores among his greatest successes...

Fatal shooting in Washington Park

2007-09-08T16:42:00.000-05:00

Three people are in custody following a Friday night gang-related shooting that killed an 18-year-old man and injured two others in Washington Park, which sits a few blocks west of Ratner Athletic Center and is a popular recreation spot.

View Larger Map

The Sun Times reported today that South-Sider Cory Dillard, 18, was shot at around 8:30 p.m. at 57th Street and South Calumet Avenue, on the west side of Washington Park. Dillard died from his injuries at the U of C's Bernard Mitchell Hospital, where he was being treated.

A 26-year-old woman, also being treated at the U of C, is reportedly in good condition. Northwestern Memorial Hospital listed a third shooting victim in stable condition, according to the Sun Times.

The three suspects in custody have not been charged in connection with the incident.

Sex, religion, and Jessica Alba. Interested yet?

2007-09-05T01:33:00.000-05:00

The University does a good job of publishing groundbreaking, unconventional, and provocative research. I think we can all agree with that.

More importantly, the U of C explores issues that are actually significant and useful to society. Not like Indiana University researcher Peter Todd, whose recent study revealed that, when it comes to relationships, men seek more attractive women and women are drawn to money and security. Thanks, Professor Obvious.

But as accomplished as the University has shown itself to be, there are times when its passion for the mysteries of science raises more than just eyebrows.

For example, file this under "I did not need to know that":

The U of C's National Social Life, Health and Aging Project last month presented the results of what the University called "the first comprehensive national survey of sexual attitudes, behaviors and problems among older adults."

The University found that many men and women are sexually active even in their 70s and 80s, "participating in vaginal intercourse, oral sex and masturbation."

The Maroon knows what you did this summer, Professor.

If you're like me, there are two things running through your mind: 1) That's the last time I clean grandma's dentures; and 2) What's the point of this information?

For study co-author Edward Laumann, PhD, the George Herbert Mead Distinguished Service Professor in Sociology, it's a big step forward for this specific field.

"I am especially happy that we now have in hand reliable and comprehensive information on sexual function and activity among older adults based on a scientifically drawn representative sample of Americans 57 years of age and older," he said.

If we get mature for a second, it's pretty clear that this survey is an important tool for sociologists and the medical community, considering the prominent role sexuality and related issues have in society.

Nevertheless, something tells me that Professor Laumann's office hours are going to be incredibly awkward.

In other research news:

An assistant professor of medicine at the University led a study on religious affiliation amongst psychiatrists. The study found that psychiatrists are the least religious among physicians in the United States.

Don't be glib! Tom Cruise knows all too well that religion and psychiatry don't mix.

Dr. Farr Curlin told Scientific American on Monday that there's "something" about psychiatry that dissuades religious doctors from pursuing that field. Curlin said that "something" could be the remnants of anti-religious views indoctrinated into psychiatry by early thinkers, namely Sigmund Freud.

Specifically, the study found that "U.S. psychiatrists generally are less likely to be Protestant or Roman Catholic than other types of doctors," according to Scientific American. "Psychiatrists are more likely to be Jewish or have no religious affiliation than U.S. doctors overall and less likely to be Protestant or Roman Catholic Christians."

It might be a matter of semantics, but the study seems to suggest that being Jewish or having no religious affiliation makes psychiatrists less religious than other doctors, who have a greater tendency to be Protestant or Roman Catholic (i.e. "more religious").

I'm pretty sure Dr. Curlin isn't trying to outdo Professor Mearsheimer by suggesting that being Jewish makes someone less religious, but the distinction isn't totally clear.

And finally, from the department of "Science Dollars At Work":

There is controversy surrounding a new "study" that set out to find the woman with the sexiest walk.

Unfortunately, the claim to this work goes not to the University of Chicago, but rather to a team of Cambridge University mathematicians. Still, it's pretty cool.

Anyways, the Daily Telegraph reported last week that the Cambridge team selected Jessica Alba as the woman with the sexiest strut, citing Alba's 25-inch waist and 36-inch hips.

"The academics found that it is the ratio between hips and waist that puts the sway into a woman's walk - and the nearer that ratio is to 0.7, the better," wrote The Telegraph.

Jessica Alba is a perfect 0.7. Or is she?

Today, Cambridge mathematician Richard Weber told TMZ.com that, in fact, Alba was not the winner. It turns out Angelina Jolie has the sexiest walk, according to Weber. Clarion Communications, a PR firm representing hair removal products manufacturer Veet, commissioned Weber to come up with the formula, but according to him, the company falsified the results.

Clarion declared Alba the winner for her "shapely curves and smooth, glossy legs," but Weber told TMZ the press release "was not approved by me and is factually incorrect and misleading in suggesting there has been any serious attempt to do mathematics here. I do not endorse what the press release says."

Deep down, I kind of wish this study was conducted by another notable Cambridge mathematician, Stephen Hawking. It'd make for such a better story.

Train Wreck

2007-09-01T18:48:00.001-05:00

With budget negotiations still at an impasse, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) moved closer to the dramatic price hikes and route changes outlined earlier, with an e-mail sent to Chicago Plus Card holders earlier this week:

From: chicagocard@transitchicago.com
Subject: Proposed fare changes

Dear Valued Chicago Card Plus Customer:

Due to insufficient state funding, the Chicago Transit Authority Board recently approved a contingency plan which includes changes to CTA service and fares. Without additional funding, this contingency plan will take effect on September 16, 2007. Customers who pay with cash or Transit Cards and use the CTA weekdays will pay higher fares at rail stations and on buses (depending on the time of day they ride). Fares will also increase for customers who use Chicago Card® and Chicago Card Plus®. Visit www.transitchicago.com to learn more about CTA's 2007 fare changes.

Under this plan, beginning September 16, the fare for Chicago Card and Chicago Card Plus customers will increase from $1.75 to $2.00 per ride, and 25¢ for a transfer (which allows two additional rides within two hours of issuance), regardless of the time of day. However, the bonus structure currently in place will remain, providing a $2 bonus for every $20 of Pay-Per-Use value added to an account. The cost of a 30-day unlimited Chicago Card Plus card will also increase from $75.00 to $84.00.

If the fare change goes into effect on September 16, the new $2.00 fare will be deducted from your Pay-Per-Use Chicago Card Plus account. Those who use the Chicago Card Plus 30-day unlimited ride pass, and whose reload occurs on or after September 16, will be charged the new rate of $84.00 on their accounts.

Chicago Card and Chicago Card Plus offer the best value for traveling on CTA. Thank you for choosing Chicago Card Plus as your fare payment option.

While these proposals are less draconian that some of the figures that had been floated earlier in the CTA's campaign for increased funding, the intent of the e-mail is clear - not simply to inform customers of the change, but to put the Illinois legislature on the clock for a budget that had been languishing all summer.

--

In other news, the bill that came from the bursar's office earlier this week (with three convenient ways to pay!) was slightly blunted by the simultaneous arrival of this week's New Yorker - the $48,000 a year can seem somewhat worth it when your poli sci professor is caricatured on the front page of "Talk of The Town".

U of C professor John Mearsheimer, right, author of The Israel Lobby.

David Remnick's essay gives a decent overview of the controversy surrounding Mearsheimer and co-author Stephen Walt's work, which extends back through last year, and has been rejuvenated by the release of a book expounding their views. Also, a little unconfirmed scoop for the Mearsheimer-devotees in the crowd: expect everyone's favorite realism professor to make an appearance on The Colbert Report to coincide with the release of the book.

Chalk blocked

2007-08-30T02:39:00.000-05:00

Mention the words "petition" or "protest" around the U of C campus, and the ongoing Darfur divestment campaign is the first thought that comes to mind.

Head up to the north side, and the students of DePaul University will tell you that any whiff of protest has something to do with the denied tenure of their political science professor Norman Finkelstein, best known for his controversial views on Zionism and what he calls the exploitation of the Holocaust by American Jews.

Personally, I first heard of Finkelstein when someone alerted me to his bitter feud with Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard law professor, Israel supporter, and member of O. J. Simpson's "dream team" defense. (Yes, I do think it's relevant to mention the part about the "dream team.")

Forget Paris vs. Nicole:
It's Dershowitz, left, and Finkelstein

For those new to the story, here's a quick rundown of the tenure situation:

Finkelstein has accused Dershowitz of plagiarism and academic dishonesty concerning his 2003 book, The Case for Israel. Numerous public (and downright vitriolic) exchanges have taken place since then, the most entertaining of which can be found at Democracy Now!

With Finkelstein up for tenure this year, Dershowitz took matters into his own hands, sending the DePaul political science department an unsolicited "dossier of Norman Finkelstein's most egregious academic sins, and especially his outright lies, misquotations, and distortions," according to a May 21 article in The Nation.

In the words of Jon Wiener, who wrote the Nation story:

This kind of intervention in a tenure case is virtually unprecedented....DePaul's Faculty Governance Council objected to Dershowitz's intervention.... Michael Budde, chair of DePaul's political science department, told the New York Times that Dershowitz's campaign "shows no respect for the integrity of our process and institution."

Ouch.

Anyways, DePaul finally decided to deny Finkelstein tenure in June, emphasizing that Dershowitz's involvement had no bearing on the decision. Per the terms of his contract, Finkelstein could still teach for another year.

Now the latest news: DePaul canceled Finkelstein's sole remaining course, despite what the Chicago Tribune reported as standing-room only enrollment. Finkelstein has vowed to "engage in civil disobedience," which could include going on a hunger strike, he told the Tribune.

The U of C connection in all of this? Well, apart from Finkelstein's criticism of Israel hitting the same nerve as did The Israel Lobby, co-authored by the U of C's John Mearsheimer, there's another University connection to the tenure debacle. In seeking input from other academics to help make their tenure decision, DePaul enlisted the opinions of U of C history professor Peter Novick, author of Holocaust Creationism and a vocal critic of Finkelstein's arguments.

As The Nation explains, however, Novick disapproved of Dershowitz's involvement in the proceedings, writing to the administration that the dream teamster's "highly publicized intervention has, it seems to me, made it impossible for DePaul to reject Finkelstein's bid for tenure without everyone concluding that DePaul had capitulated to Dershowitz's bullying."

Knowing Alan Dershowitz and his love of vendettas, Novick had better watch his back. If nothing else, he'd have something in common with a certain beleaguered professor on the north side.

Paging President Levi

2007-08-28T14:07:00.000-05:00

With the resignation of controversial Attorney General Alberto Gonzales yesterday, all of Washington has been abuzz over who President Bush might appoint to assume the top law enforcement position in the land. Most pundits have focused in on Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) or sitting Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, although pundits from both sides of the aisle seem to agree that Bush would be best served by a highly respected, independent outsider - an argument that, believe it or not, is grounded in the work, decades ago, of a U of C alumni.

From an editorial in today's Washington Post;

"Bush's appointee will need to make an unbreakable commitment not to use prosecutions and investigations -- particularly questionable allegations of voter fraud -- to influence the outcome of the 2008 elections. A successor should also pledge to get to the bottom of the unusual firing of nine U.S. attorneys in the middle of the president's time in office.

At the same time, the nominee will need to restore faith that the extraordinary powers granted government in the name of fighting terrorism are not abused and that they are subjected to serious oversight. Schumer said that Bush may have let Gonzales go in part because only a fresh attorney general could successfully negotiate a new terrorism surveillance bill with Congress this fall.

The model for Bush to ponder regarding Gonzales's successor is obvious. When Gerald Ford took over from Richard Nixon, the Justice Department was in shambles, discredited by political abuse and corruption at the top. In naming a new attorney general, Ford turned not to a political crony but to Edward Levi, the president of the University of Chicago. Levi's reputation as a man of integrity who despised the abuse of power almost instantly restored the department's standing.

Levi understood the danger of seeing all "human relationships . . . in terms of power relationships -- in terms of the manipulation of power," as he put it in a 1976 essay for Newsweek.

"I really think that's one of the most wicked ways of looking at the world," Levi went on. "It's a very incomplete way. It strips people of their humanness. It converts all the other good attributes people have into just an ability or a desire to manipulate others."

In this polarized time, Justice desperately needs a new Edward Levi. So does Bush."

Levi is a fascinating, albeit often overlooked, part of the University's history. A native Chicagoian, Levi earned his undergraduate degree from the U of C in 1932, and his J.D. in 1935. Throughout the next three decades, Levi served remarkably both in Hyde Park and Washington - during World War II, he worked as special assistant to the Attorney General, but returned after the war to the Law School, of which he was named dean in 1950. That same year, he worked as chief council for a House Judiciary Committee subcommittee; his promotion to provost at the U of C in 1962 coincided with appointments to numerous White House task forces during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. Levi became president of the University in 1968, a position which he held until Ford appointed him attorney general in 1975. As attorney general, Levi not only restored a sense of faith in the Justice Department after the Watergate scandal, but developed important guidelines that curbed the FBI's reach at a time that the agency went virtually unchecked. Furthermore, Levi was instrumental in urging President Ford to appoint fellow U of C law professor (and Maroon writer) John Paul Stevens (A.B. '41) to the Supreme Court.

So, is there anyone with connections to the U of C today that President Bush could tab in hope of replicating Levi's success? (Forgetting, for a moment, that the President already appointed a U of C alum - John Ashcroft (J.D. '67) - to the post, with what might generously be called mixed results.) While President Zimmer is unlikely to garner consideration (since he's technically a "mathematician," and has "no law experience") anyone who has heard the Zimmer deflect difficult questions about Darfur divestment, financial aid, or the common application knows that he's more than qualified to stonewall a testy Senate confirmation committee. More realistically, President Bush might consider failed Supreme Court nominee and avowed pot smoker Douglas Ginsburg (J.D. '73), the current chief justice of the D.C. court of appeals; former acting attorney general James B. Comey (J.D. '85), who left the Justice Department in 2005 after a very public fallout with Gonzales; and 10th circuit judge Michael W. McConnell (J.D. '79), who has vocally supported - as the President has - a constitutional amendment banning abortion.

For the law school's take on the Gonzales legacy, check out their (consistently excellent) faculty blog.

Reviewing the Review

2007-08-21T11:33:00.000-05:00

Following up on Adrian's post earlier this week, the Princeton Review Best 366 Colleges rankings have been released. Perhaps most interestingly, the "best overall academic experience" category - which the U of C lead for 2 of the past 3 years - has been completely eliminated, replaced by a more vague "best classroom experience" (The winner? Reed College, in Portland, Oregon. When I was looking at colleges during high school, my mother and I went to visit Reed; the highlight of the trip, by far, was when we were randomly offered hits of marijuana multiple times walking through campus on the official guided tour - this might have something to do with why Reed students seem to enjoy their time there so much.) Anyways, without further adieu, the lists on which the U of C appears:

Academics - Best College Library

1 Harvard College
2 Princeton University
3 Brigham Young University (UT)
4 Cornell University
5 West Virginia University
6 Loyola University New Orleans
7 Whitman College
8 Columbia University--Columbia College
9 Saint Olaf College
10 Wesleyan University
11 University of Chicago
12 Dickinson College
13 Stanford University
14 Mount Holyoke College
15 Emory University

Academics - Their Students Never Stop Studying

1 Reed College
2 Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
3 California Institute of Technology
4 University of Chicago
5 Harvey Mudd College
6 Bennington College
7 Wabash College
8 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
9 Swarthmore College
10 Middlebury College
11 Marlboro College
12 Grinnell College
13 College of the Holy Cross
14 Haverford College
15 Davidson College

Extracurriculars - Intercollegiate Sports Unpopular or Nonexistent

1 New College of Florida
2 Eugene Lang College--The New School for Liberal Arts
3 St. John's College (NM)
4 Bennington College
5 College of the Atlantic
6 Thomas Aquinas College
7 Marlboro College
8 Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
9 St. John's College (MD)
10 Emerson College
11 New York University
12 Reed College
13 Hampshire College
14 Sarah Lawrence College
15 University of Chicago

The results are in...

2007-08-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

Drumroll, please....

...the 2008 winner... and defending title champion...Princeton University!

Just days before the start of the academic school year at colleges and universities across the country, anxious administrators, soon-to-arrive-on-campus freshmen, and, admittedly, at least one student news editor today eagerly reviewed U.S. News and World Report's most recent rankings of the nation's top programs to see how their respective schools fared in a process that, to the vexation of some, has in many ways come to represent the prevailing standard for gauging an institution's academic reputation.

The U of C ranked 9th in this year's assessment, tying with Columbia. Here are the top ten:

1. Princeton
2. Harvard
3. Yale
4. Stanford
5. University of Pennsylvania
Cal Tech
7. M.I.T.
8. Duke
9. University of Chicago
Columbia University

A position at the coveted head of the rankings list has in many instances translated into increased student and parent interest in attending a top ranked school, which is why colleges pay close attention.

And while Princeton's position as the cream of the academic crop for the eight consecutive year comes as no surprise except, maybe, and yet again, to #2 Harvard, most of the buzz generated by the list's annual announcement results from the anticipation of lower-ranked schools as they wait to find out whether they've "advanced" or "regressed" in their quests to inch their way closer to the pinnacle of perceived scholastic prestige. Certainly, many schools dedicate significant resources to efforts aimed at improving their position in the rankings, which is part of the reason the U.S. News system and similar incarnations have increasingly come under fire from coalitions of colleges that argue that the rankings place excessive emphasis on subjective aspects of an institution's academic programs and do little to provide students with more valuable objective information about a school's offerings.

U.S. News has also been criticized for its yearly tweaking of the statistical formula that generates the rankings, which opponents say is done to alter schools' positions on the list in order to increase sales of the newsstand magazine and online service that provide statistics on each school that makes the cut. The day before this year's rankings were released, a U.S. News blog post declared "College Rankings Countdown Begins."

The rankings are based on university-submitted data such as graduation and retention rates, endowments, selectivity and a controversial section that asks university presidents and administrators to assess other institutions' academic reputations. That section accounts for 25 percent of a school's overall score.

Dozens of university presidents, including the president of the University of Illinois at Chicago, have signed a letter written by the non-profit Education Conservancy asking university administrators not to fill out the reputational survey. The signers argue that the rankings:

"imply a false precision and authority that is not warranted by the data they use; obscure important differences in educational mission in aligning institutions on a single scale; say nothing or very little about whether students are actually learning at particular colleges or universities; encourage wasteful spending and gamesmanship in institutions' pursuing improved rankings; overlook the importance of a student in making education happen and overweight the importance of a university's prestige in that process; and degrade for students the educational value of the college search process."

In June, a consortium of private liberal arts colleges known as the Annapolis Group announced that it would develop a more objective and reliable system for college rankings.

For their part, the editors of U.S News have defended their rankings system as the most statistical and scientific method yet devised, saying that the rankings provide valuable information to students who are seeking the best academic programs. In a written response to the Annapolis Group's announcement, Robert Morse, who develops the methodology and survey that determines the rankings said:

"In terms of the peer assessment survey, we at U.S. News firmly believe the survey has significant value because it allows us to measure the 'intangibles' of a college that we can't measure through statistical data. Plus, the reputation of a school can help get that all-important first job and plays a key part in which grad school someone will be able to get into. The peer survey is by nature subjective, but the technique of asking industry leaders to rate their competitors is a commonly accepted practice. The results from the peer survey also can act to level the playing field between private and public colleges."

And indeed, it is more often the public colleges that are at a disadvantage when it comes to rankings because of the significantly smaller amount of money that they have per student. Last year the U of C shot up to 9th place from 15th after administrators revised the data they submitted to the magazine when they found that they were significantly underreporting the university's per-student spending, as Zach Werner reported in the Maroon last October.

While none of the schools at or near the top of the national rankings list have yet to condemn the rankings system (why would they?), interest in the arguments of such protesters as the members of the Annapolis Group is growing, and it will be interesting to see how the development of their proclaimed objective assessment system further advances the discussion over the actual value of college rankings.

The Princeton Review's annual college rankings, which are also criticized because of their reliance mainly on student input, but which are nonetheless closely watched, are due out Aug. 21. Last year the U of C ranked first in the category of "best overall undergraduate academic experience."

Full Court Press

2007-08-15T09:07:00.000-05:00

New U of C Press director Garrett P. Kiely sat down with the Chronicle of Higher Education earlier this week to outline his vision for the University’s proud, but struggling, division. I posted earlier about the troubles facing the Press, and how Kiely’s replacement of longtime director Paula Barker Duffy came as a surprise to some in the University community.

From the Chronicle:

A graduate of Georgetown University, Mr. Kiely describes himself "a self-taught businessperson" with a commitment to scholarly publishing — a prerequisite at an academic press that also happens to be a multimillion-dollar business.

Mr. Kiely didn't seek out the job. The Bert Davis Executive Search firm, retained by Chicago to recruit candidates, approached him, drawn by a résumé that straddles the commercial and academic worlds.

"I kind of mix the two," he said. "Palgrave has a strong reputation with crossover publishing — academic books that have succeeded as trade books." He oversaw the 2000 merger of St. Martin's Scholarly and Reference Division with Macmillan Press, which is based in Britain. And his extensive experience in the reference fields includes a stint as the U.S. publisher of the Encarta World English Dictionary.

Mr. Kiely does not plan a major overhaul of Chicago's operations. "The University of Chicago Press does not need radical fixing," he said. But "it does need leadership — a consistent vision and a direction, and that's what I'm going to be providing."

While Kiely’s responsibilities will primarily involve balancing the interests and demands of prestigious academic journals read only by the experts in their respective fields, he and the rest of the Press would likely love to replicate the bestseller success of one summer surprise – the reprinted Instructions for American Servicemen in Iraq During World War II. The 44-page book, which offers advice to soldiers hoping to earn the favor of Iraqi citizens, has become a breakaway success, appealing to everyone from ironic anti-war hipsters to military history buffs. From The Washington Post:

As the war in Iraq drags on, some folks talk about wishing everyone knew in 2003 what we know now. Turns out, we did.

The surprise hit book of this summer may well be a 44-pager by an unknown War Department writer in 1943 titled: "Instructions for American Servicemen in Iraq During World War II."

On the very first page, we learn that "American success or failure in Iraq may well depend on whether the Iraqis (as the people are called) like American soldiers or not. It may not be quite that simple. But then again it could."

The book warns against errant first impressions. "Most Americans and Europeans who have gone to Iraq don't like it at first. Might as well be frank about that. But nearly all of these same people changed their minds after a few days or weeks, largely on account of the Iraqi people they began to meet. So will you."

Long before Gen. David Petraeus co-authored the "Counterinsurgency Field Manual," the 1943 guide explained that "the best way you can [beat Hitler's agents in Iraq] is by getting along with the Iraqis and making them your friends. And the best way to get along with any people is to understand them." So "Talk Arabic if you can to the people," the primer advises. "No matter how badly you do it, they will like it."

The University of Chicago Press, which discovered and reprinted the original manual last month, has already gone through two editions (10,000 books), is printing a third, and is likely to go through a fourth. (This constitutes a mega-blockbuster for academic publishers.) "My initial take was that if we could get a few media outlets to notice it, we would have a success," said university press publicity manager Levi Stahl. Bookstores are placing it at checkout registers because, as Stahl noted, "it's a good impulse buy."

Anyone planning a quick summer trip over to the birthplace of civilization - or looking for a cheap birthday present - can pick up a copy at Amazon.com.

The New Deal

2007-08-11T12:19:00.000-05:00

The University of Chicago prides itself on fostering meaningful relationships. Of course, I'm referring not to romance, but instead to the close ties between the University and society's wave-makers with that special U of C affiliation.

And for once, this is not a post on Barack Obama.

Instead, it's about Econ professor Steven Levitt and his popular Freakonomics blog, based on his and co-author Stephen Dubner's best-selling book of the same name.

The New York Times (specifically, NYTimes.com) announced August 8 that it would serve as the exclusive host of the Freakonomics blog, which the authors had previously hosted and maintained independently on their Freakonomics.com site. In order to access the book's "old" website, you'll need to visit freakonomicsbook.com.

This means that Levitt and Dubner (along with blog editor Melissa Lafsky) have joined the New York Times' online Opinion section, with their Freakonomics blog as one of the 32 total blogs featured on the Times' website.

"The blog will also feature original video clips, contests, user-generated content and links to content from around the Web," according to Editor & Publisher. Watch out, YouTube.

At his new cyber-home, Levitt has wasted no time sparking readers' attention (and outrage). Levitt's August 9 post, "If You Were a Terrorist, How Would You Attack?" spurred a whopping 594 reader comments, mostly vilifying Levitt's proposal of what would be required to carry out an optimal terrorist attack on America.

Referencing the Washington D.C. snipers' ability to instill fear into Beltway residents, Levitt offers up academia's version of If I Did It:

"The basic idea is to arm 20 terrorists with rifles and cars, and arrange to have them begin shooting randomly at pre-set times all across the country. Big cities, little cities, suburbs, etc. Have them move around a lot. No one will know when and where the next attack will be. The chaos would be unbelievable, especially considering how few resources it would require of the terrorists. It would also be extremely hard to catch these guys. The damage wouldn’t be as extreme as detonating a nuclear bomb in New York City, of course; but it sure would be a lot easier to obtain a handful of guns than a nuclear weapon."

Many blog readers responded with harsh criticism and outright disgust: "I don’t know about other people, but you posting good suggestions for terrorists plots gives me a very uneasy feeling." — Posted by dis

"I find the topic of this blog to be highly irresponsible. Yes we need to be open in our thinking about these kinds of scenarios, but this could also be seen as encouraging would-be terrorists." — Posted by Sam

"...Posting this garbage on the public domain is about as responsible as publicly discussing ways to get away with molesting children. Disgusting…" — Posted by Law Student

On the flip side, there were those readers who voiced support for Levitt's ideas:
"Starting conversations about weaknesses in our defense system is not something that can hurt us. It can only make us stronger and more adept at finding points of improvement." — Posted by Doug

The "Israel Lobby"-esque kickback prompted a follow-up post from Levitt, who described how his initial post "generated the most hate mail I’ve gotten since the abortion-crime story first broke almost a decade ago. The people e-mailing me can’t decide whether I am a moron, a traitor, or both."

Given the enormous success of Freakonomics and his stranglehold over popular economic thought, I have a feeling Levitt won't be losing sleep anytime soon.

Crime and Punishment

2007-08-04T17:17:00.000-05:00

Two years in Hyde Park have taught me that there are few things that University of Chicago students enjoy more than name-dropping famous faculty and alumni – it ranks right up there with complaining about the weather, taking subtle digs at the lesser Ivy League schools, and making transparently obnoxious allusions to Greek and Roman mythology as a favorite pastime of U of C’ers.

And as the proud owner of my own (admittedly ridiculous) t-shirt featuring the sizeable list of Nobel laureates associated with the University, I’m well aware that the majority of those notable individuals who came before us were heralded as pioneers of their fields. The University’s men and women have revolutionized economics, produced some of the most insightful literature of the past century, arguably developed two of the three major schools of international political thought, had a hand in basically every advancement in the physical sciences, and led some of the 20^th century’s most recognizable companies.

Unfortunately, as my professors, parents, ex-girlfriends, and former editors might tell you, I probably lack the drive (not to mention capacity for remembering to do things) that will ensure my place among Vonnegut, Hubble, and Friedman as one of the vaunted pillars of the U of C’s history – which is probably why the University’s storied (but, for some reason, far less advertised) connections to crime have always intrigued me. Well, that, and a desire to figure out some way to pay off my student loans without actually getting a real job.

Perhaps the most famous University criminals were Leopold and Loeb, two law students at the University who, fashioning themselves Nietzscheian superman, attempted to commit the “perfect crime” – the murder of a 14 year old South Side boy. The students’ crime became a national sensation (fueled primarily by the diabolical nature of the murder, their love of media attention, and their impassioned defense by legendary Scopes-trial lawyer Clarence Darrow in perhaps the first “trial of the century”) and their story was later adapted by Alfred Hitchcock for his 1948 classic Rope. More details of their crime are available at this website, compiled by a Universtiy of Missouri at Kansas City law professor.

The most acknowledged U of C connection to crime is Capone’s – the café and convenience store operated in Shoreland Hall. Famed Chicago mafia head Al Capone lived in the building for a short time when Hyde Park-Kenwood was considered an affluent lakeside oasis south of the city. (A fun game: try not to find irony in the fact that the University named a store in which a box of Frosted Flakes will run you more than six dollars after a legendary crime boss.)

More recently, the University was rocked by the allegations that Walter Ulmer, a student in the College, was responsible for the theft of over 50 computers and dozens of iPods, PDAs, and assorted other electronic equipment. Former news editor Ethan Frenchman detailed the allegations in a February 23rd story in the Maroon.

But the University has been making crime page headlines again, as Chicago-area newspapers have been tracing the stories of two alumni who have found themselves on the wrong side of the law. The Tribune filed this report Thursday about "lipstick killer" William Heirens, the state of Illinois' longest serving inmate, who once again had a parole request denied in a situation that many legal observers have decried as a miscarriage of the legal process. From the Tribune report:

A state board on Thursday once again denied parole to William Heirens, a convicted triple murderer whose 61 years in prison makes him the longest-serving inmate in Illinois history.

The Illinois Prisoner Review Board voted 14-0 to deny parole to the 78-year-old inmate, who pleaded guilty in 1946 to one of the most shocking murder sprees in Chicago history...

The board has turned down Heirens more than two dozens times, most recently in 2004. But Heirens' lawyers at Northwestern University Law School argued this year that his time served and failing health, including advanced-stage diabetes and eye problems, made his case stronger...

Heirens pleaded guilty to killing two women in their homes and strangling 6-year-old Suzanne Degnan, whose body was dismembered and disposed of in city sewers.

"For heaven's sake, catch me before I kill more," read a chilling message scrawled in lipstick on the wall of one victim's apartment. "I cannot control myself."...

In 1954, the Illinois Supreme Court acknowledged that authorities violated Heirens' rights during the investigation. But the court said Heirens voluntarily chose to plead guilty—and avoid a possible death sentence—rather than challenge those violations in court.

Prosecutors contend that Heirens' guilt is supported by his confession and damaging fingerprint evidence left at two of the murders. His print was found on a ransom note in the Degnan murder.

Heirens' attorney, Steven Drizin, disputes the confession and handling of the fingerprint evidence, but did not press the wrongful conviction argument before the review board this year.

A Chicago Sun-Times article gives more detail into the nature of Heriens' "rights violations":

A fearful public and a thirsty press grew restless as police interrogated suspect after suspect, none of whom they could peg for the murder Mayor Edward Kelly called "even too horrible for a maniac."
Nearly six months later, Heirens, a 17-year-old University of Chicago student and practiced burglar, was charged with Degnan's murder as well as the 1945 murders of two other women. Articles at the time referred to Heirens as "the youth possessed of the devil" and "the most brutal murderer in Chicago history."
After being injected with supposed "truth serum," sodium pentothal, and questioned for six days without an attorney, Heirens wrote a 19-page confession, pleaded guilty, and re-enacted his crimes for a gaping public at the behest of the Cook County state's attorney.
Heirens has spent six decades since trying to erase his confession. He said it was false and made under duress, at the advice of his family and attorneys who thought it was the only way to avoid the electric chair. His lawyers have argued this at Heirens' nearly 30 appearances before the parole board.

Heirens has not been the only U of C student to throw himself at the mercy of the court this summer; William Cottrell (B.S. '02), a math and physics double major, is appealing his conviction on charges of ecoterrorism. From the Tribune:

William "Billy" Cottrell was such an exceptional student at the University of Chicago that he was described by his professors as something of an eccentric genius. He even won the award for best senior thesis in physics, addressing string theory, which seeks a single unifying way to explain all forces and all forms of matter.

Today the 27-year-old is in jail.

Two years after his 2002 graduation with honors as a double major in physics and math, Cottrell was charged and convicted as one of the nation's first ecoterrorists of the post-Sept. 11 era. He was found guilty of conspiracy and arson in the 2003 firebombings of Hummer and other sport-utility vehicle dealerships in the Los Angeles area to advocate a radical environmentalism. Two conspirators remain at large.
Cottrell is appealing his conviction. One mitigating factor, his supporters argue, is that he is diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, which can make his behavior at times inappropriate.
His case is now a cause celebre for some of the nation's most prominent physicists, including four from the University of Chicago and even Stephen Hawking, who have urged better treatment for Cottrell in prison so he could continue his study and research.

A federal jury convicted Cottrell in 2004 of conspiracy and seven counts of arson in the spray-painting and torchings of the vehicles. In what prosecutors say was an example of his brazenness—his supporters say it evidenced his behavioral disorder, one that's akin to a high-functioning autism—Cottrell became a remorseless braggart while in hiding by ridiculing the FBI in e-mails to the Los Angeles Times after agents had arrested the wrong man.

Of course, as you may have noticed, the running theme among U of C criminals seems to be a propensity for getting caught. Ironically, this is due in large part to the real life counterparts to some of the University's most famous fictional alumni - CSI's master detective Gil Grissom, or Law and Order's dogged District Attorney Jack McCoy.

Walk it off

2007-08-01T02:50:00.000-05:00

Justin's post on the CTA (and public transportation in general) fits right in with a recent Gapers Block mention of Walkscore.com, a newly launched website that ranks your home/office/etc. based on the walking-distance proximity of various amenities such as restaurants, stores, schools, and parks.

Of course, it was only a matter of time before I searched the "Walk Score" of all the dorms on campus as well as the Maroon office. Below are Walkscore's rankings, with 100 representing a location where "many people get by without owning a car," according to Walkscore.com.

Rankings (best to worst):
Broadview, 95
Shoreland, 89
Stony Island, 88
Blackstone, 80
Pierce, 71
Burton-Judson, 69
Max Palevksy, 69
Maclean, 63
Breckenridge, 58
Snell-Hitchcock, 57
Chicago Maroon office, 57

By Walkscore's ranking criteria, it appears that the "most walkable" locations are the ones farthest from central campus. At the same time, low scores for the right-on-campus Snell-Hitchcock and the Maroon office indicate that "many everyday trips...require a bike, public transportation, or car," according to Walkscore.

The scores certainly don't reflect a thorough or particularly accurate analysis of these locations (i.e. Don't bank on a good Walk Score to increase the value of your off-campus apartment.) For one, as news staffer Sarah Hetherington reported this spring, Shoreland might be easily accessible to such amenities, but it doesn't necessarily mean those amenities are satisfying to students, especially when it comes to addressing the widely perceived lack of retail and late-night dining options in Hyde Park.

Nevertheless, the score gives a good sense of neighborhood accessibility to the amenities that do exist in the area. If anything, the rankings help explain why Maroon editors always ordered from restaurants that deliver. With the University's development of south campus poised to attract more commercial retail options closer to campus, it seems the Maroon's dismal Walk Score won't last for too long.

CTA: Take it?

2007-07-28T14:32:00.000-05:00

New details have emerged about how the dramatic changes to service and fares currently being considered by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) might affect U of C students and staff.

For those unfamiliar with the controversy, last spring CTA President (and U of C alum) Ron Huberman announced that the agency, which controls and operates most of the public transportation in the city, was facing dramatic budget shortfalls. According to Huberman, if the Illinois state legislature was not able to provide a substantial contribution to CTA funding, he predicted a "doomsday" scenario in which service would have to be slashed and the cost of riding CTA buses and trains would increase substantially (some predictions have fares more than doubling).

State legislators have still not agreed on a budget of any sort (and many proposals do not include increases in CTA funding - breaking details can be found at the Chicago Sun Times' blog on the looming transportation crisis), and it seems that Chicagoians are bracing for their first round of fare hikes and service losses.

According to the Chicagoist, here are the likely changes in fare prices:

What was still unclear was how exactly the route changes would affect Hyde Park and the University, both of which rely heavily on public transportation to move students and staff across campus and throughout the city. But, according to an e-mail sent across the Student Government (SG) listhost, riders might want to brace themselves for slower service and fewer rush hour options.

SG Class of 2010 representative Ben Esparza sent the following description of a meeting with Transportation Director Brian Shaw to members of their listhost:

CTA put their proposal for budget and the legislature is yet to give them
(or anybody) what they want. Now of course CTA is not going to be shut down,
but if the state legislature can't get things squared aways then what will
probably happen is that there will be services cut (the bus services in
Hyde Park that would be cut are the #2, X55, and X28), fares will be
increased (this is supposed to happen regardless) and no new bus routes
will be made.

What will happen with the 170 buses...

... not a whole lot.... the budget the school has given the
transportation office has not changed so the services from last year
will remain the same and that includes the 171, 172, 173, 174 and I
dunno if I'm missing one or two... but you get the gist... The reason
why the 170 bus routes won't change is because the University pays for
them, so it has little to do with the problems in Springfield. The only
thing the University is kind of worried about right now is if the #2 bus
gets cut. If it does that will cause a lot of problems on the
administrative side of things because a lot of people who work at the
University use #2.

As for the U-Pass... it really doesn't seem like it is going to happen
(that is just my take on it). Although the referendum  passed in the
college the school does not want to pay for the U-Pass and it seems that
students don't really want to either. Let's say hypothetically that
there was an overwhelming demand for the U-Pass in the College and
students were willing to pay, the school will not let the cost of
$200.00 be added to student's tuition because of financial aid reasons.
So unless someone has a rich uncle that wants to endow the
undergraduates with "the U-Pass" fund... It seems like there are too
many road blocks to make this a reality.

Shaw's comments reflect previous media reports and CTA announcements about plans for the budget crisis.

The potential changes would impact nearly every U of C student with the higher fares (which is likely to reignite the U-Pass debate that Esparza perceives as fruitless, a sentiment that Shaw has consistently expressed), but will likely have it's greatest impact on two groups of people:

- Students who live in dorms or apartments north of the quads, who use the X55 both as an alternative to taxi service to and from Midway Airport, and as an alternative to the 55 (which stops with greater frequency) or the 174 (which has limited hours of operation) when trying to connect to Green or Red Line trains into the city.

- Staff who commute from downtown Chicago to Hyde Park using the #2 bus, which provides direct rush hour service. While this bus is theoretically redundant, as there are alternative transportation options during rush hour to and from Hyde Park, it is unlikely that the commuters who use the #2 bus will appreciate the substantial increase to their commute time, a commute cost that will not only increase because of across-the-board rate hikes, but would now additionally include the cost of transfers to the train or another bus line, and new routes that take them through higher-crime areas.

It will be interesting to see how Shaw and the transportation department, already beleaguered by their bungling implementation of the new late night bus routes and consistently spotty Shoreland bus service, handles what seems to be another p.r. disaster on the horizon.

Honor Thy Forefather

2007-07-19T16:02:00.000-05:00

There is a crisis on America's college campuses. Not anorexia. Not acquaintance rape. Not even Straight-Thuggin' parties.

No, the looming threat to college students is civic illiteracy. At least that's what the nonprofit conservative think tank Intercollegiate Studies Institute continued to say with its most recent report on the subject.

In its June 27th press release, provocatively titled "Thomas Jefferson Would Be So Disappointed," the ISI reported that 48 percent of surveyed college seniors knew that the phrase "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal" is part of the Declaration of Independence.

"Forty-two percent of seniors incorrectly identified the Preamble to the Constitution as the source for the phrase. More than 400 of the college students surveyed said the phrase could be found in Marx and Engels’ The Communist Manifesto," stated the press release.

The Maroon is all too familiar with the ISI and its role at the U of C. For one, the University is home to the Center for Study of the Principles of the American Founding, one of several campus civic-education centers that the ISI has established nationwide. In her May 15 article reflecting on the Center's first year at the University, news staffer Kate Shepherd wrote about the organization's focus "on the time period of the American founding," with aims to "illustrate implications reaching beyond that era."

And as to the motivation behind founding the Center at the U of C, its director, political science professor Nathan Tarcov, said in a press release: "Unfortunately…study [of the principles of the American founding] has of late been too often neglected. Our center attempts to offer a corrective to this general trend."

By the ISI's account, a highly publicized study it published in 2005 "reveals how much American colleges and universities—including some of our most elite schools—add to, or subtract from, their graduates' understanding of America's history and fundamental institutions." Apparently, the U of C is one of those schools that subtracts this kind of knowledge from its students. It's enough to make a former Maroon news editor feel violated.

Please, please, keep America's history beautiful.
Credit: Keep America Beautiful

But then again, there's plenty of criticism surrounding the ISI's findings and methods, as outlined in news writer Bourree Lam's October 6, 2006 article:

"Knowledge of civics and history are interpretative questions, not objective. I’m skeptical about this report and the nature of the questions [on this test]," said Amy Dru Stanley, associate professor in history and chair of the American Civilization Core sequence.
[...]
"The strengths of our offerings are that the Core and the concentrations enable students to think broadly about meaning and causality rather than facts that would enable one to play American trivial pursuit," Stanley said.

And John Seery, Huffington Post blogger and Professor of Politics at Pomona College, had this to say about the ISI's bleak assessment of civic education:

[S]ometimes [I] give my own students a pop quiz on American civics and American civic values, but my questions aren't about the particularities of the Civil War or Keynesian economics.

Remarkably in my experience, I've found that my students understand those questions very well and are in lock-step unanimity in endorsing those civic values. They're not the civic dummies that the National Literacy Board is trying to make them out to be.

So back to the most recent ISI report, the one about Thomas Jefferson being so disappointed. Maybe there is redemption for us "civic dummies" after all: Take this sample INS test, which Americans-to-be must pass to gain U.S. citizenship.

If you love your country, you already know how you'll do. Make Thomas Jefferson proud again.

Case Closed

2007-07-14T12:08:00.000-05:00

Although the Crime Report is usually Hassan’s realm, there was some pretty substantial news breaking yesterday – Daniel Richmond, a 20-year old former convict, was charged in connection to an April 9 Hyde Park crime spree in which he robbed or tried to rob four people, raping one of them. According to the police, three of the four victims attended or were employed by the University, including a 19-year old woman who was robbed of $50 and then sexually assaulted in an alley or parking lot off the 5400 block of South Everett Avenue – just a couple blocks from Shoreland Hall.

From Rhema Hokama’s original account in the Maroon:

“Investigators from the Chicago Police Department announced Tuesday that they believe four robberies and assaults committed in Hyde Park on Monday night are related incidents.

The incidents occurred at 8:42 p.m., 9:15 p.m., 9:38 p.m., and 10 p.m. in the area bounded by 53rd and 56th streets and Dorchester and Woodlawn Avenues…

The four incidents were all robberies or attempted robberies in which the offender threatened his victims with a weapon, Richards said.

In the first incident, at 8:42 p.m., the offender implied that he had a weapon, Richards said. “At that time, the intended female victim screamed and, at that time, he fled,” he added. “In the second incident, a woman was walking, and the offender pushed a hard object into her back. He took some cash and then took her to a parking lot and assaulted her.”

The third and fourth incidents were also robberies in which the suspect fled.

Detectives believe that the offender does not have a prior criminal record within the neighborhood.”

Richmond had just been released from jail in January, after serving a three year conviction for a carjacking. According to the Tribune, “DNA recovered from the victim matched a sample taken from Richmond while he had been incarcerated, leading to Richmond's arrest.” Richmond had been charged earlier in two of the robberies; when prosecutors tacked on charges for the other robberies and sexual assault, his bail was raised from $150,000 to $400,000.

Word.

2007-07-13T02:02:00.000-05:00

Every year there's somewhat geeky buzz over the new words dictionaries choose to add to their catalogs. Merriam-Webster announced Wednesday that "IED," "DVR," "telenovela," "smackdown," and "ginormous" are just some of the roughly 100 words to be included in its Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition. (The fine editors also inducted "crunk" into linguistic legitimacy.)

Enamored by all things crunk-tacular is rapper Lil Jon.
Photo: Brian Appio/ MTV.com

The announcement reminded me of the U of C connection behind these kinds of popular decisions.

I took a lot of flak around the office for my coverage of a crossword puzzle competition accompanying The Meaning of Dictionaries, the Regenstein Library's most recent exhibit at the Special Collections Research Center. The exhibit, which chronicled the history and evolution of English-language dictionaries, ran from March 12 and ended last week on July 6.

While certainly not the sexiest story, it allowed me and news contributor Calvin Kim to get acquainted with some of the Library's more influential figures, among them being U of C alumna and lexicographer Erin McKean (A.B.'93), who provided the original idea for the exhibit.

As editor-in-chief of the New Oxford American Dictionary, McKean has the unique job of deciding which word candidates make the cut for new editions. Last summer, a University of Chicago Magazine profile detailed her selection process, which like other lexicographers involves finding new words that consistently crop up in mainstream media or pop culture.

And this week, New York Times blog The Lede commemorated the success of "ginormous" by looking at neologizing, or "the practice of coining new words," as NYT's Mike Nizza writes. The Lede reflects on the ways McKean has championed neologizing, from her 2002 column in The Times Magazine ("Neologizing 101") to leading a "word-making session" at a technology and publishing conference.

As for having these mash-ups pay off, McKean writes in her 2002 column: "You may not ever see your creation in a dictionary, especially if it was a word created for just one use or publication. The joy of having created a word of your very own should be enough."

With the Merriam-Webster announcements out, it'll be interesting to see what McKean has in mind for her own dictionary. "Neologizing" would be a good start. It's not yet officially defined.

Is the (ink) well drying up at the U of C Press?

2007-07-12T09:02:00.000-05:00

The University announced last week the appointment of Garrett P. Kiely, who currently serves as the president of the American division of academic publisher Palgrave Macmillan, to head the U of C Press – an interesting development in light of recent struggles at the publishing house. Kiely replaces Paula Barker Duffy, who served as director of the Press since 2000.

The University Press is one of the U of C's most valued and storied divisions; in addition to publishing the ubiquitous Chicago Manual of Style, the Press publishes dozens of highly regarded academic journals and a diverse field of academic texts. The Press was founded in 1891, which places it among the nation's oldest continuously-operating university presses, and employs over 300 people.

Still, the Press had a tumultuous year in 2007, losing one of its' most prestigious journals. From Adrian's article in the Maroon spring quarter:

"The American Astronomical Society (AAS) will end its longtime publishing relationship with the University of Chicago Press, putting into question the fate of at least 40 employees of the nation's largest academic publisher. Beginning in January 2008, The Astronomical Journal, put out by the AAS, will be published by the England-based Institute of Physics (IOP), with The Astrophysical Journal and The Astrophysical Journal Supplement poised to do the same in 2009…

The Astrophysical Journal has been published by the University since the publication's creation in 1895, and The Astronomical Journal since the 1990s.

The AAS's departure came as something of a surprise to the University Press, whose division dedicated to the publication of the astronomy journals employs at least 40 individuals."

While, as was noted in the Maroon article, the journals were actually losing the Press money, the loss of The Astrophysical Journal - and nearly 40 employees - was a hard p.r. blow at a time during which the publishing industry as a whole is struggling with threats from electronic media.

The University did little to acknowledge why the switch was made, and outgoing director Duffy was not mentioned until the final sentence of a press release issued last Tuesday. An article appearing in the Tribune similarly was devoid of details, although the press release notably mentioned that an interim director would be in place until Kiely took over in the fall - indicating that Duffy has likely already left - or been asked to leave - the position. Whether Duffy left the position voluntarily, or if the loss of the AAS journals contributed to her departure, is unclear. A request for more information from the University press office (which issued the announcement of Kiely's hiring) and a call to the Press have not yet been returned, although the University oftentimes declines to comment on personnel changes.

Fame-calling

2007-07-05T03:34:00.000-05:00

One of the disadvantages of the Maroon's publishing schedule is the inability to cover spring quarter graduation ceremonies. With so much pomp surrounding high-profile commencement speakers such as Bill Gates at Harvard University, Oprah Winfrey at Howard University, and the presidential front runners at various schools across the country, I as a news editor and graduating senior had a particular interest in what the U of C had in mind.

Members of the Class of 2007, including one particularly handsome student (center), form the post-commencement procession through the quadrangles.

As other schools began announcing their graduation speakers early on, some members of the Class of 2007 voiced concerns over a potential repeat of someone like last year's U of C convocation speaker, NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg. Viewpoints columnist and fellow fourth-year Tara Kadioglu wrote in the May 1 issue of the Maroon:

Bada bing! Bada boom! [Bloomberg] strutted to the podium! And that was it. Just like Goldilocks’s shock and dismay when the three bears woke her from her “just right” dream in Baby Bear’s “just right” bed, all those smiles and cheers turned into frowns and forced applause—and it wasn’t “just right,” but just wrong.

She called upon the University to court well-known alumni to speak rather than famous faces lacking that special U of C background. Tara also recounted the trauma she observed as a result of the Bloomberg experience. "To my left and right, the students who had been whispering jokes out of giddiness began whispering jokes out of irritation. Other graduating students looked confused, annoyed, and even offended," she wrote.

Those students may not have been more confused, annoyed, or offended as this year's class, which heard from commencement speaker and exiting Humanities dean Danielle Allen. Her speech, entitled "What's in a name?", reflected on the University's reputation as one of the last few institutions to read off each graduate's name when handing out diplomas (unless bad weather moves the ceremony indoors, in which case students graduate en masse). The University of Chicago Magazine's blog, UChiBlogo, summed up the speech:

Pronouncing each name, she said, "makes plain the fact of human equality." Our last names "sing tales of human conflict and collaboration" and "hold us accountable to tradition," while our first names are "given by someone only slightly older than us" who hopes we'll lead a full life. Despite the students' different intellectual abilities and GPAs, "everyone crosses that stage as equal participants in the drama of life." Arguing that "an acceptance of the proposition of human equality is fully compatible with a love of excellence."

It could have been the sinking realization that Barack Obama would not in fact be speaking, despite rampant rumors to the contrary — the presidential candidate, U of C Law School lecturer, and Hyde Parker was in town fund raising that weekend, and I guess it was no use trying to appeal to a crowd that had just spent serious buckage on a U of C education — but Allen's speech appeared to fall short on drumming up that graduation inspiration and excitement. As much as she was a University-connected figure, Allen essentially softened us up for the ensuing hour-and-a-half-long name-calling session. It's not exactly what one would call going out with a bada-bang.

Danielle Allen, exiting the University as dean of Humanities, addresses the Class of 2007. Photo Credit: Dan Dry

If there is a way to compromise on securing a University-affiliated speaker who is also a crowd pleaser, it could be through the wonders of the honorary doctorate degree.

Many already know that Knox College scored Stephen Colbert and Bill Clinton as their commencement speakers last year and this year, respectively, by issuing both of them honorary doctorates. Harvard made headlines with Bill Gates as its speaker, awarding him his long-awaited honorary degree. Perhaps less-publicized, sitcom star Julia Louis-Dreyfus spoke at Northwestern University, which presented her with an honorary doctorate. (Both Louis-Dreyfus and Gates attended but never graduated from their respective universities.)

But because the U of C is special like that, it adheres to a policy that awards honorary degrees exclusively based on scholarship and academic achievements. In a Chicago Chronicle article from November 2000, we learn that "the University does not honor actors, ambassadors, presidents or monarchs unless they meet stringent requirements for scholarship."

This spring, five academics in the science fields received honorary U of C doctorates. One recipient, Princeton University molecular biology professor John Hopfield, is described by the Chronicle as "an expert in the organized behavior of inanimate matter," and honorary degree recipient Pieter Tim de Zeeuw, a professor of Leiden Observatory in The Netherlands, is "a leading theorist in the study of the dynamics and structures of galaxies."

Princeton professor John Hopfield, one of this year's five U of C honorary doctorate recipients, could be coming to your graduation. Photo: Princeton University.

Indeed, these are no Elaine Beneses or saxophone-playing world leaders, but as U of C physics professor Henry Frisch told the Chronicle last November:

I would like to see our honorary-degree policy changed so that it is not just for scholarship, that it has a broader view of achievement. I would like to see our honorary degrees go to people whom we consider moral beacons, or humanitarian beacons or models beyond the narrow educational roles for which we give honorary degrees now. It used to be that way. If you go back through the honorary degrees, you see that they were given very broadly in the past, very early. It’s not true that it’s always been for scholarship.

When Phil Jackson coached the Bulls, I thought he was an ideal candidate, very much a scholar in some sense. You have to really be a student of the game and a student of people. Phil Jackson, if anybody, was a psychologist. Paul McCartney is another of my favorite choices. You can say, well, he doesn’t even read music. On the other hand, millions — maybe billions — of people love his music. Is he a scholar? I would say yes.

So when it comes to choosing that graduation speaker, maybe it's not the best idea to go with an honorary U of C degree recipient after all, unless your class is in to the organized behavior of inanimate matter. And as for what qualifies as a worthwhile honorary degree candidate, the likes of Professor Frisch are up against years of seemingly unbreakable tradition. But then again, that's what people said about the Uncommon Application.

Dr. Cosby, expect a phone call.

Investigation weighs foul play in U of C Hospitals patients' deaths, insulin overdoses

2007-07-04T00:10:00.000-05:00

The University of Chicago Medical Center has found itself at the forefront of an investigation to determine whether five patients intentionally received massive doses of insulin that proved fatal for at least one of the patients.

First reported as the Chicago Tribune's lead story on July 3, the probe also involves a Chicago Police Department investigation that U of C Hospitals officials cited as an unusual step taken amidst equally unusual circumstances.

"This is a very rare event," Dr. Bruce Minsky, U of C Hospitals' chief quality officer, told USA Today's On Deadline blog Tuesday. "We could not come up with a clear medical explanation."

The first three reported incidents involved elderly women being treated in the same hospital ward between early May and early June, according to the Tribune. Media sources also reported that none of the afflicted patients had diabetes or were prescribed insulin, although U of C Hospitals' spokesman John Easton contested those claims with On Deadline.

Insulin, a naturally produced hormone that controls blood sugar levels, is also prescribed to treat diabetes and other disorders affecting blood sugar levels. Extremely low or high levels of blood sugar carry the risk of coma and death.

One of the patients, 82-year-old Ruthie Holloway of North Kenwood, died after receiving treatment at the U of C for a urinary tract infection, registering an insulin level of 2,680, or several thousand times the normal level, the Tribune reported.

A 68-year-old woman fell into a coma when, less than a week after being admitted in late May for a urinary tract infection, she began showing signs of "extremely high levels of insulin," according to the Tribune. Similar to Holloway, the comatose patient registered an insulin level of 2,670.

The third patient, 89-year-old Jessie Sherrod who died June 6, reportedly displayed signs of insulin overdose shortly after being admitted on April 28 for complications of Alzheimer's disease, but conclusive blood tests to measure Sherrod's insulin levels are still pending.

Two more incidents surfaced later on Tuesday—involving an 89-year-old man who is still alive and a 30-year-old woman who died in June—but Easton told the Tribune these were not as threatening as the first three incidents.

In an interview with the Tribune, Dr. Irl Hisch, medical director of the Diabetes Care Center at the University of Washington in Seattle, addressed the speculation head-on: "The only way I know to get insulin that high is to inject it from a bottle."

"At this point of the investigation, the cause for the insulin test results has not been identified," stated a U of C Hospitals' press release issued July 3. Although police are investigating the possibility of intentional insulin overdoses, Easton has not ruled out possible "medication error" or "laboratory error."

In light of the situation, the Hospitals have taken extra security measures aimed at strengthening the "storage, administration and documentation of insulin," according to the press release.

Minsky, the Hospitals' chief quality officer, also told On Deadline that administrators will review old patient records for similar insulin spikes in other patients.

In a statement, David S. Hefner, president of the University of Chicago Medical Center since December 2006, assured patrons and the University community that "we will do everything we can to discover the cause." He added, "Whatever the investigation concludes, our hearts go out to these patients and their families."

The Maroon will continue its coverage of this developing story, with updates here on the News Blog.

iCharity

2007-06-29T09:18:00.000-05:00

In a 2005 UnCommon Interview appearing in the Maroon, reporter Jen Glickel turned the spotlight on Dave Clayman, writing:

In a small undergraduate population like that of the University of Chicago, certain students’ names come up again and again on the short list of movers and shakers.

Clayman, who graduated from the University in June, managed to propel his high profile to the national stage this week, making headlines as one of the first to line up outside a New York City Apple Store in hopes of purchasing a coveted iPhone, the $500-$600 hybrid device that goes on sale this afternoon.

According to CNET:

When David Clayman arrived in Manhattan last week, he had no idea he'd end up waiting in line for an iPhone. Clayman, a soft-spoken, bespectacled 21-year-old, graduated from the University of Chicago earlier in June and decided to spend a few days touring the Big Apple before starting his job as a consultant at enterprise software company SAP. He was staying in a youth hostel, exploring the city, when he walked by the massive glass cube of the Fifth Avenue Apple store on Monday and saw that the first person had already gotten in line to wait for the company's coveted iPhone. "I'd heard about all the iPhone hype," he said in a particularly wet interview outside the store during a break in Wednesday night's thunderstorms, "and I realized that there was clearly going to be a lot of publicity."

Clayman, who was active in multiple charitable organizations at the U of C, including the Skyscraper Challenge, is gaining attention not just for his dedication to the pursuit (he will spend more than 72 hours camped out on Fifth Avenue), but because, unlike the other iPhone fans lining up in eager anticipation, he has no intention of actually using the device.

Instead, Clayman hopes to sell the iPhone to benefit the Taproot Foundation, a nonprofit group that provides design and marketing materials to other nonprofits, and use the publicity to inspire further donations. His idea has inspired similar individuals at other stores in New York, and across the country, who hope to utilize the carnival-like atmosphere of the iPhone launch to promote their causes.

Apple will begin selling iPhones at Apple Stores and AT&T locations at 6 p.m. tonight.

(REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)

U.S. News Resistance

2007-06-23T16:34:00.000-05:00

The New York Times reported Wedsneday that

"The presidents of dozens of liberal arts colleges have decided to stop participating in the annual college rankings by U.S. News and World Report. "

The Times article said that a majority of 80 colleges in the Annapolis Group, "a loose association of liberal arts colleges" which includes such prestigious schools as Sarah Lawrence and Barnard, had announced their "intent not to participate in the annual U.S. News survey.”

The article does not address when these schools would stop complying nor whether a more formal contract will be issued to formalize this committment.

The growing discontentment with the U.S. News university ranking system, frequently considered the standard of college comparisons and frequently criticized for some of the criteria it prioritizes (such as endowment and selectivity), raises the question of whether a similar resistance movement will take root among schools in the National Universities category, within which the College is ranked.

Actions by the College last year appear to fly in the face of this growing tide of resistance to what many see as U.S. News' monopoly on college rankings. The College jumped from spot #15 to #9 after an alleged reassessment of how it reports the data sought by the magazine.

Last September, The Maroon reported:

Michael Behnke, vice president for University relations and dean of College enrollment, visited the magazine’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., along with Dean of the College John Boyer and Associate Provost Stephen Gabel.

“In discussing their methodology and some of the ways we were answering the questions, the magazine thought we were misinterpreting some things,” Behnke said, referring to the questionnaires that U.S. News sends to college administrators each year.

For instance, the University had not previously included its $15 million annual library expenses in its calculation of per-student spending, an error that hurt the College’s “financial resources” score and one that administrators corrected for this year.

We hadn’t done a thorough examination of definitions at every stage of how we reported data,” Behnke said. “These questionnaires had been answered in different offices over the past years. The questionnaire is about 80 pages long.

This year we followed up every data piece and asked each office how they derived it.”The U of C lagged behind other schools in its efforts to improve rankings, Behnke said.

Some saw another sign of the College's compliance with -- or at least, its resignation to -- the rankings in its announced plan to switch to the Common Application, a change allegedly aimed at diversifying the applicant pool but frequently criticized as a attempt to climb the rankings by shrinking the College's selectivity statistic.

Of course, the Annapolis Group colleges' committment may develop into little more than a symbolic gesture since U.S. News, in drawing up its rankings, need not rely on colleges to report their own data. As The Times article points out, data such as application statistics are made public anyway.

A recent report by The Chronicle of Higher Education gauged dissatisfaction with the rankings system, pointing to Reed College, which stopped reporting data to the magazine as early as 1995.

But every year since, Reed has nevertheless been ranked.

The rankings come out in August.

High Seas of Hyde Park

2007-06-21T09:53:00.000-05:00

The U of C has a rich history of sending its professors and administrators to Washington as consultants to both policymakers and bureaucrats – for instance, Cass Sunstein, a law professor, has advised scores of Democratic congressmen on policy and strategy, while former economics professor Milton Friedman was famously consulted by U.S. administrators as they were drawing up the Marshall Plan, the driving force behind post-WWII European reconstruction. But the University's latest trip to Capitol Hill was in a less flattering capacity, as Greg Jackson, the University's Chief Information Officer, was called in front of the House Science and Technology committee to testify about music and video piracy over university networks.

The University came under fire earlier this year when the movie industry identified the U of C as #16 on their list of schools with the most copyright violations, and congressman grilled Jackson and others on steps university administrators could take to curb the illegal downloading of movies and music over university networks. With high-speed internet access and a large, technologically advanced user base, university networks play a substantial part in the illegal sharing of copyrighted material. In March, following the release of the report, Jackson sent this notice to the entire University community.

Unlike his counterparts from Arizona State and Utah, though, Jackson made a bit of a splash at the hearing by arguing that implementing filter software, which restricts what websites and peer-to-peer networks students could access or how much they could download, is an expensive and potentially burdensome proposition. From USAToday:

Greg Jackson, chief information officer for the University of Chicago, said his school had tried to block file-sharing traffic using various methods, but when one program failed, it took down all of the university's Internet traffic with it, stumping the technical staff for "a while."

Jackson and Illinois State University dean of libraries Cheryl Elzy also blamed the entertainment industry for some of the piracy problems.

"So long as the right thing remains more daunting, awkward and unsatisfying than the wrong thing, too many people will do the wrong thing," Jackson said, referring to the digital rights management technology used widely in legally purchased music files.

Lawmakers, including committee chairman Bart Gordon (who received $4,500 from recording and movie industry PACs during the last election), have begun to posture about forcing universities to adopt such filtering software. Gordon argues in his op-ed piece for the Washington Post that "reducing illegal file-sharing is not a "futile battle"... many campuses are making progress, and as with combating many illegal activities, technology is a key part of their success."

Jackson, however, reiterated that such a filter could lead to significant disruption of even legitimate network use, and could just temporarily curb piracy. Although hearings over the past few years on the same subject in the House Judiciary Committee have not resulted in any legislative action by Congress, it remains to be seen whether Democrats will try to push through restrictions for campus networks.