Subscribe to the Maroon Newsletter here.
Good morning. It’s sixth week.
Seven robberies, several involving students, were reported by campus police between Monday and Wednesday of this week.
— Five of the cases were categorized as “armed robbery,” one as “robbery,” and one as “aggravated robbery.” All seven robberies are under investigation by the Chicago Police Department.
Provost Daniel Diermeier defended the admin’s opposition to the graduate student union on Tuesday and said the University will not negotiate while it has legal recourse to challenge the union. He made these comments at a closed-door faculty senate meeting, but three Council members recounted the discussion anonymously.
— Diermeier acknowledged that the vote indicates that grad students are unhappy, and he said the University needs to find out why.
— Graduate Students United responded to the story in a series of tweets: “The message was unsurprising, but honestly insulting. They plan to refuse to negotiate, despite the 70–30 #YesGSU vote. Reportedly, the Provost did acknowledge ‘unhappiness’ among grad students. So the admin seems to plan to…continue to deepen it.”
— After our story was published, a Council official reminded the entire faculty senate that the meetings are supposed to be kept confidential, according to two sources. This official then spoke with The Maroon, expressing frustration about the leaking and suggesting that Council members could propose a rule change to make the meetings public instead of violating the Council’s procedures.
DNAInfo has been shut down, employees laid off, and the site taken offline at the direction of billionaire owner Joe Ricketts. This is a major loss for Hyde Park and the University community—reporter Sam Cholke has covered neighborhood news for years. In fact, we were planning to link to a couple of Cholke’s stories in this newsletter before the site was taken offline. (Apparentlythe archives will be made available again in the coming weeks.)
Econ department gets its largest donation ever: The Kenneth C. Griffin Charitable Fund, named after the billionaire CEO of the hedge fund Citadel, has given $125 million to support scholarships, stipends, research conducted by economics students and faculty, and an applied research incubator. The economics department will be named in Griffin’s honor.
— The University’s stance on free speech, as well as its reputation for being an innovative research leader in economics, were cited by Griffin as the reasons why he made this gift.
The eastern end of the Midway might not host a parking lot after all. The proposal to build a garage with a landscaped, park-like roof on the portion of the Midway between the Metra tracks and Jackson Park faced community opposition.
University lobbying efforts were partially revealed by four third-quarter lobbying disclosures filed with Congress. Here’s where the University’s money went:
— $45,279 on DACA legislation, Argonne National Laboratory research funding, and Facilities & Administrative costs for NIH research. (Read more about the University’s “existential concern” regarding F&A costs)
— $48,000 from the Med Center on the unsuccessful Republican efforts, involving the AHCA and the BCRA, to replace Obamacare, Medicare’s 340B drug pricing program, Helping Hospitals Improve Patient Care Act HR 5273, the FY 2016 budget, Medicare, Medicaid, and what is referred to as the “NIH Funding Medical Education Funding Hospital Outpatient Department.”
— $40,000 on “Labor HHS and energy and water appropriates” as well as a “Hospital Medicare reimbursement bill.”
— $40,000 from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago on health and social sciences research and data issues.
Carl Bernstein, who, along with Bob Woodward, did much of the reporting of the Watergate Scandal, came to the IOP for a screening of the movie All the President’s Men and a discussion with Institute director David Axelrod (A.B. ’76) on Wednesday. In a comment that drew some attention, Bernstein said during the discussion that if President Trump had colluded with Russia during the election last year, the scandal would be “worse than Watergate.”
The history department unanimously approved a mission statement affirming its commitment to “diversity, inclusion, and equity,” which faculty members believe is timely in the context of the current national political climate.
— History professor Faith Hillis, who drafted the statement, said the approval process was quite smooth. “The discussion on the department level was quite cordial, actually,” she said. “The statement that was ratified is actually very similar to the one that circulated.”
UChicago Crime Lab released the 2017 Gun Trace Report, which revealed that Chicago’s homicide rate increased by 58 percent in 2016 when compared to that from the previous year. Mayor Rahm Emanuel blamed the report’s revelations on the flow of illegal guns into the city from regions with less stringent firearm regulations.
In Viewpoints
Editor Cole Martin writes in:
Columnist Ashton Hashemipour argues that UChicago's notoriously intense culture does us more harm than good.
Columnist Dylan Stafford analyzes how otherwise trustworthy news sources inadvertently incorporate Islamophobic narratives into their reporting.
Fabiana’s made the Tribune’s list of the best cinnamon rolls in Chicago.
The Latke-Hamantash Debate, the annual event when University faculty members debate whether latkes or hamantashen are the superior Jewish snack, will be held next Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Mandel Hall. As in years past, the event will be hosted by UChicago Hillel.
In Arts
Editor Alexia Bacigalupi writes in:
David Simon’s latest show for HBO, The Deuce is a gritty yet deeply human look at the complex power dynamics of crime and prostitution in 1970s New York.
In a new exhibit at the National Museum of Mexican Art, Luis Tapia’s hand-carved sculptures expand the understanding of sanctuary and community.
Hyde Park’s latest food offering offers customizable poké bowls with fresh fish, vegan, and gluten-free options.
Subscribe at chicagomaroon.com/newsletter. Feedback via e-mail.