Below their pay grade

By Justin Sink / February 27, 2009

Salaries for public servants should be raised to draw the best and the brightest

The fighting spirit

By Justin Sink / February 17, 2009

D-I athletics would rejuvenate the U of C.

Breaking open the piggy bank

By Justin Sink / January 30, 2009

Rather than pinching pennies, the University should go on a spending spree

Advisory advice

By Justin Sink / November 14, 2008

But my adviser and I both know that these annual meetings are mostly a sham, designed primarily to give parents the sense that someone is looking out for their kids’ academic futures.

Dry ban passes

By Justin Sink / November 5, 2008

A ballot initiative in the 5th Ward that would ban the sale of alcohol and likely prevent the construction of a hotel on the Doctors Hospital site has passed.

Dry ban passes

By Justin Sink / November 5, 2008

A ballot initiative in the 5th Ward that would ban the sale of alcohol and likely prevent the construction of a hotel on the Doctors Hospital site has passed.

Grant Park Blog: No defining moment

By Justin Sink / November 5, 2008

I came to Grant Park tonight expecting a moment of catharsis. Senator Obama instead provided a moment of clarity.

Bill Gates talks tech at GSB

By Justin Sink / February 22, 2008

[img id=”80351″ align=”alignleft”] In the future that Bill Gates envisions, technology will enable the seamless flow of information between a wide assortment of sources and media, and scientists will be able to make sophisticated calculations that will change our understanding of the universe. The chairman and co-founder of Microsoft addressed an overflow crowd of over...

S.G. seeks Uncommon Fund bids

By Justin Sink / January 29, 2008

Student Government (S.G.) has been fervently soliciting proposals this week for the Uncommon Fund, a $60,000 pool drawn from the student activities fee and the ORCSA budget that is aimed at funding innovative projects by individuals or campus groups. The fund is a reincarnation of last year’s New Initiatives Fund, which previously awarded thousands of...

Maroon is on hiatus

By Justin Sink / November 28, 2007

The November 27 issue of the Maroon was the last print edition of the quarter. For continuing coverage of University and Hyde Park news and events – including the latest information about the Amadou Cisse slaying and Co-Op vote – please visit the section blogs found in the righthand toolbar. The Maroon will resume publication...

Graduate student shot to death

By Justin Sink / November 20, 2007

Amadou Cisse, a 29-year-old graduate student in the chemistry department, was shot and killed Sunday night walking home to his apartment on the 6100 block of South Ellis Avenue. According to police, Cisse, a student from Senegal, was approached by a gunman at 1:26 a.m. and shot once in the chest. Witnesses in nearby apartment...

Nerd comedian finds niche with U of C audience

By Justin Sink / November 20, 2007

[img id=”80279″ align=”alignleft”] One couldn’t quite shake a sense of looming disaster Friday night at Mandel Hall—the planned entertainment, folk/rock/sea shanty hybrid The Decemberists, had cancelled at the last minute, and the Major Activities Board (MAB) had to scramble to bring in Daily Show and Flight of the Conchords comedian Demetri Martin. The pre-show crowd...

S.G. Council heralds new initiatives

By Justin Sink / October 23, 2007

After a politically tumultuous beginning to the new academic year, the Student Government (S.G.) College Council (C.C.) hopes to rebound with the introduction of several new initiatives aimed at increasing the visibility and accountability of the student leaders on campus. “This year is going to be an exciting year for College Council,” said second-year Ben...

Former U of C student shot in chest

By Justin Sink / October 19, 2007

A 24-year-old Hyde Park resident who was registered at one time as a U of C student is in critical condition after being shot in the chest during an altercation with a neighbor Wednesday night. The neighbor, 48, was found by the state attorney to have acted in self-defense, and no charges will be filed....

First-years kick off campaign

By Justin Sink / October 9, 2007

Voting begins Tuesday in first-year Student Government (SG) College Council (CC) elections, with a record 19 first-year candidates vying for the four open council seats. The election, which will be held online at SG’s website through 5 p.m. Thursday, has already taken to the streets—literally—with sidewalks surrounding many campus residence halls coated in chalk advertisements....

College nets record gift for financial aid

By Justin Sink / June 1, 2007

The University announced Wednesday the donation of $100 million to benefit College financial aid over 15 years, in what amounts to the largest gift in U of C history. The donation, given by an anonymous College graduate, is expected to substantively improve the financial aid packages of nearly a quarter of undergraduates enrolled in the...

University taps arts center architects

By Justin Sink / June 1, 2007

On Thursday, the U of C announced the winning proposal in the competition to design the $100 million Reva and David Logan Center for Creative and Performing Arts, a multipurpose building to open in 2011 that administrators hope will be the linchpin in attempts to revitalize the campus arts scene. The University awarded the project...

College Council elections marked by upset

By Justin Sink / May 18, 2007

[img id=”80249″ align=”alignleft”] Student Government (SG) College Council (CC) election results were announced Thursday night in a race characterized by a major upset in the Class of 2008 election, and, with the exception of the Class of 2010, a relatively small candidate pool. “I think it was a really successful election, with the candidates doing...

Students canvass for College Council elections

By Justin Sink / May 11, 2007

The Student Government (SG) College Council (CC) elections are heating up as candidates vying to represent their respective class years chalk campus sidewalks and badger friends to vote in next week’s contest. SG comprises an Executive Slate, which was elected late last month, and two deliberative bodies: the Graduate Council, comprising a graduate student representative...

U of C nets $35 million gift

By Justin Sink / May 4, 2007

The University, long criticized for underemphasizing its arts curriculum, took a major step toward reversing that image Thursday with the announcement of a $35-million naming donation for the construction of a new arts center south of the Midway. The donation, made by Reva and David Logan (A.B. ’39, J.D. ’41) along with their sons and...

Your SG wins

By Justin Sink / April 27, 2007

[img id=”80225″ align=”alignleft”] Posting a second consecutive year of record-high turnout, the Student Government (SG) executive slate elections concluded Thursday night, with the Your SG slate narrowly defeating the Most Known Unknowns. A non-binding referendum advocating adoption of the U-Pass—a card that provides full-time students unlimited rides on any CTA bus or train during an...

SG Election Guide: Your SG

By Justin Sink / April 24, 2007

Advocating greater transparency and more communication with students, the Your SG executive slate has launched a high-profile, multimedia campaign aimed at illustrating the centerpiece of their platform: improving relations between Student Government (SG) representatives and their constituents in new and different ways. Led by third-year Scott Duncombe, the current chair of College Council, You SG...

SG Election Guide: The Most Known Unknowns

By Justin Sink / April 24, 2007

Casting itself as a group of outsiders interested more in amplifying the concerns of students than preserving the Student Government (SG) status quo, the Most Known Unknowns executive slate has framed its relative lack of SG experience as an asset, hoping to tap into campus frustration with some of the perceived inefficiencies and shortcomings of...

High costs delay, downsize new dorm

By Justin Sink / April 13, 2007

[img id=”80201″ align=”alignleft”] Spiraling costs have forced the University to reevaluate plans for the new undergraduate dormitory under construction south of the Midway, with administrators saying that the new building will be scaled back in size and open a year later than planned. Changes include the reduction of the dorm’s 14-story center tower to nine...

New SCC leaders take aim at service improvements

By Justin Sink / March 6, 2007

[img id=”80175″ align=”alignleft”] The Student Care Center (SCC), a U of C Hospitals (UCH) clinic for University students, is undergoing a series of changes following the departure of two top administrators last year. Proposals include expanding the number of drugs available for free and without prescription, packaging pills in bottles—medicines like ibuprofen are currently given...

SG elects funding committee

By Justin Sink / March 2, 2007

[img id=”80171″ align=”alignleft”] Student Government (SG) saw a high turnout in this week’s elections for the position of first-year representative in the College Council (CC) as well as positions that will influence future allocation of RSO funds. In a General Assembly meeting Wednesday night, CC and Graduate Council (GC) delegates elected this year’s eight-member Annual...

Admin looks to revitalize campus arts

By Justin Sink / February 20, 2007

The arts programs at the U of C are in the midst of a widespread and extensive restructuring process that is intended to transform disciplines traditionally underemphasized at the University. In recent talks, President Robert Zimmer has stressed the need for greater collaboration with city and neighborhood organizations and museums, the creation of a Center...

SG debates way to boost student communication

By Justin Sink / February 16, 2007

The Student Government College Council (CC) debated a new proposal to reform constituent communication Thursday night, following growing internal discontent with perceptions of the Council as being disconnected and inconsequential. Under the plan, introduced in a memo issued earlier this week by third-year representative Kyle Lee, elected council members would be responsible for more frequent...

Divestment decision to come next week

By Justin Sink / February 2, 2007

[img id=”80149″ align=”alignleft”] University President Robert Zimmer made a surprise appearance at a student protest on the steps of the Administration building yesterday, promising activists who support the U of C’s divestment from Darfur that the Board of Trustees would have a decision “within a week.” The “read-in” protest drew over 40 members of Students...

Student Government adds new council seats in special election

By Justin Sink / January 26, 2007

[img id=”80137″ align=”alignleft”] The Student Government (SG) Graduate and College Councils were expanded to 17 seats each, and Zach Binney was elected as third-year representative to College Council Thursday night. The seats were added to each council in response to a petition circulated by nighttime students at the Graduate School of Business (GSB) requesting that...

Obama explores ’08 bid

By Justin Sink / January 19, 2007

Illinois Senator and U of C law professor Barack Obama took the first step toward a presidential run Tuesday, forming an exploratory committee that allows him to begin fundraising and building a campaign organization. Obama, elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, would become the first black president in U.S. history if he were to...

RSOs push to recall Council member

By Justin Sink / November 28, 2006

Student activists and progressive organizations on campus are speaking out against College Council Representative Kyle Lee and organizing a petition for his recall in the aftermath of a failed effort to impeach him. Lee’s conduct came under review after he wrote an allegedly homophobic e-mail to a fellow Council member. More than 100 students and...

College Council fails to impeach third-year member

By Justin Sink / November 17, 2006

[img id=”80115″ align=”alignleft”] The Student Government (SG) College Council (CC) narrowly failed to impeach former security committee chair and third-year Kyle Lee during an unprecedented meeting Thursday evening, in response to an allegedly homophobic e-mail sent to another CC member. The movement to impeach garnered eight votes, more than half of the council but two...

U of C courts Common App

By Justin Sink / November 14, 2006

[img id=”80109″ align=”alignleft”] The University of Chicago may switch to the Common Application for undergraduate admissions in an effort to increase and diversify the College applicant pool. The move to the Common Application would constitute a significant shift in admissions strategy for a university that prides itself on eccentricity. The Admissions Office currently uses the...

SG makes plans for new security commission

By Justin Sink / November 3, 2006

Student Government (SG) has plans to create a new security commission focused on improving campus safety, responding to the armed robbery of a student in the heart of campus in mid-October. This incident is the third robbery on the 5800 block of South University Avenue since August, according to the Chicago Police Department. Within a...

Students vent frustration over buses at meeting

By Justin Sink / October 27, 2006

About 50 Shoreland and Broadview residents and staff members complained about the new campus bus system to Housing and Facilities Services officials in a heated town hall meeting Wednesday night. The transportation office replaced last year’s lettered bus routes with more cost-efficient CTA buses during the daytime hours and separate late-night routes. Brian Shaw, director...

College Council winners announced

By Justin Sink / October 13, 2006

College Council elections concluded Thursday night, with candidates from the newly formed Penny Party winning a slim majority of seats. Only 1043 students cast ballots, down from 1220 last year, representing just over a fifth of the undergraduates in the College. “We were excited about how the election went, and that there will be some...

Council race heats up with Penny Party entrance

By Justin Sink / October 10, 2006

The creation of the Penny Party, a group with a unified platform and pooled campaigning resources, has added a twist to this year’s College Council (CC) elections, which are generally characterized by independent student candidates vying for seats to represent their class in Student Government (SG). SG is comprised of an Executive Slate and two...

New routes mean little use for LCD screens

By Justin Sink / October 6, 2006

[img id=”80069″ align=”alignleft”] The expensive LCD screen introduced last year to the lobby of the Reynolds Club is no longer serving its original purpose, after the transportation office changed the campus bus system. The screen was installed last year at a cost of nearly $6,000, according to David Courchaine, Student Government’s (SG) vice president for...

Argonne to remain in University’s control

By Justin Sink / September 14, 2006

The University secured a five-year Department of Energy (DOE) contract to retain control of Argonne National Laboratory, the prominent scientific center southwest of the city that it has managed since 1946. Argonne is home to some of the nation’s leading nuclear, alternative fuel, and particle physics research programs. The University considered keeping the lab a...

Council reports on top issues

By Justin Sink / June 2, 2006

The College Council (CC) found that its new year-long initiative to improve the areas of student life deemed most important by students had mixed success, as stated in a report released this week. The Council divided into “issue teams” focused on financial aid, meal plans, diversity, security, and transportation, each with the stated mission of...

Spartacists denounce admin’s ban of member

By Justin Sink / May 19, 2006

The Spartacus Youth Club (SYC) is protesting the University’s ban of Hyde Park resident Brian Stapleton, a 19-year-old SYC member, from the U of C campus. Stapleton, who does not attend the U of C, was arrested after participating in a demonstration in February at the Reynolds Club in which the protestors equated Marine Corps...

Rules Committee rejects complaint about new slate

By Justin Sink / May 12, 2006

An anonymous complaint was filed this week against A New Day, the winning slate of the recent Student Government (SG) elections, alleging that the slate violated election rules by switching vice presidential candidates after the start of the official petition process. Though the complaint was rejected, it demonstrates that resentment from the highly competitive campaign...

A New Day tops Full Slate Ahead in SG election

By Justin Sink / April 28, 2006

In an election notable for its extraordinarily high turnout, A New Day Student Government (SG) executive slate defeated Full Slate Ahead by 137 votes. Second-year Hollie Russon Gilman won the race for undergraduate liaison to the Board of Trustees, topping second-year Dan Kimerling by 36 votes. Anne Harrington will retain her position as the graduate...

Board examines alleged election violations

By Justin Sink / April 21, 2006

The Student Government (SG) Executive Slate elections heated up earlier this week, when A New Day presidential candidate Ian Muhlhauser filed a formal complaint against Full Slate Ahead presidential candidate Phil Caruso, stating that Caruso attempted to use intimidation to discourage Muhlhauser from running, and that Caruso violated election rules by campaigning before the official...

Election guide: The Moose Party

By Justin Sink / April 21, 2006

The Moose Party holds several distinctions in this year’s SG election—most notably, it is the only party to have run and lost in all of the past 12 elections and the only party to advocate transforming the A-Level into a brewery. “We want to change things, to make things better, as opposed to worse, because...

Election guide: Big American Party

By Justin Sink / April 21, 2006

Straddling the line between charade and satire, the members of the Big American Party have launched a campaign that hopes to highlight the frustration and resentment many students have toward SG by garnering votes for an executive slate that has promised both to “return the University to the gold standard” and “bridge the divide between...

Election Guide: Full Slate Ahead

By Justin Sink / April 21, 2006

Championing their prior leadership experience on Executive Slate, the Student Government Finance Committee, and South Asian Students Association, the candidates of Full Slate Ahead are campaigning on increasing the interaction between SG and the student body with initiatives designed to increase the visibility and accessibility of SG–funded events. Full Slate Ahead hopes to improve student...

Election guide: A New Day

By Justin Sink / April 21, 2006

Campaigning on a platform of improved campus life and institutional openness, the A New Day slate hopes to address student concerns about transportation, the cost of dining, and the allocation of money. With all slate members currently holding SG committee chairmanships, presidential candidate Ian Muhlhauser and vice presidential candidates Donny Copeland and David Courchaine said...

SGFC funding runs low

By Justin Sink / February 28, 2006

Despite promises of reform and restraint, the Student Government Finance Committee (SGFC) looks poised to run out of money by early spring quarter yet again, according to committee members. Registred Student Organizations (RSOs) planning events in the coming months have already begun to feel the pinch. A combination of factors—from SGFC receiving a smaller percentage...

New legislation in works for teens and drug use

By Justin Sink / February 24, 2006

The next year could see dramatic change in federal drug policy for students, as the Bush administration and Congress are considering legislation that would alter law concerning the use of narcotics by teens. The extent to which federal financial aid can be withheld for college students who have been convicted of a drug offense has...

Chicago city law curtails campus smoking policy

By Justin Sink / February 14, 2006

At the U of C, the tradition of between-class cigarette breaks may go the way of Big 10 football or camping out on the main quads to register for classes as the University begins to implement the City of Chicago’s recently passed Clean Indoor Air Ordinance. Donald Reaves, vice president for administration, detailed in an...

RSOs review SG’s performance

By Justin Sink / February 3, 2006

This is part two of a mid-year report on Student Government. Student Government (SG) has faced student criticism for its reputation as an exclusive, disorganized, and ineffectual organization. Yet while SG representatives say there has been serious headway made in increasing the visibility of SG accomplishments, sponsored activities, and involvement. These accomplishments include a new...

Envoy to Iraq Bremer talks in Law School class

By Justin Sink / January 27, 2006

Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, who served as the Presidential Envoy to Iraq and headed the transitional Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) established following the invasion in 2003, discussed his tenure and the future of Iraq Wednesday afternoon in a classroom at the Law School. In a speech that encompassed virtually every aspect of his government work,...

Front of Cobb entrenched as campus construction continues

By Justin Sink / January 20, 2006

Construction equipment and heavy machinery have joined the maze of temporary fencing, orange netting, and sandstone pavers that have occupied a substantial area of the central part of campus for weeks, as the project to renovate the main quads slowly progresses. In the latest phase of an ongoing effort by the Capital Planning Committee (CPC)...

Midway Review to provide nonpartisan discourse on varied topics

By Justin Sink / January 20, 2006

A new student-run, nonpartisan political magazine called the Midway Review will publish its first issue this quarter, aiming to carve a niche among University publications as a forum for writers looking for a nonconfrontational, yet not necessarily academic, forum for their political musings. Worried about a political atmosphere devolving toward partisan bickering and fanaticism, a...

Associate student director tapped for ORCSA

By Justin Sink / October 7, 2005

Jigna Shah, the former Student Life Coordinator at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University, has been named associate student director of student activities in the Office of the Reynolds Club and Student Activities (ORSCA). Shah’s responsibilities will include supervising ORSCA’s activities staff and working directly with the Council on University Programming,...