The Core

By Kat Glass / September 25, 2008

Kat explains The College's trademark gen ed requirements.

Shoreland

By Kat Glass / September 25, 2008

The dorm, a former luxury hotel, allegedly hosted the notorious Al Capone.

Shoreland

By Kat Glass / September 25, 2008

The dorm, a former luxury hotel, allegedly hosted the notorious Al Capone.

Max Palevsky

By Kat Glass / September 25, 2008

Bright colors!

Max Palevsky

By Kat Glass / September 25, 2008

Bright colors!

Fear factor

By Kat Glass / June 3, 2008

When University officials called an open meeting on November 19, the afternoon after graduate student Amadou Cisse was killed, they were still piecing together a response plan. Administrators hauled in several rows of chairs and some tissue boxes, presumably anticipating that this would be a time to reflect on the tragedy—the first student murder in 30 years..

No Maroon on 1/22

By Kat Glass / January 20, 2008

[img id=”80287″ align=”alignleft”] The Chicago Maroon will not have an issue on Tuesday, January 22 due to the University’s observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The next issue will be on Friday, January 25. In the meantime, keep up-to-date with the Maroon’s blogs (linked to the right).

Breaking News: Police may have suspect in Cisse slaying

By Kat Glass / November 28, 2007

The Chicago Police Department (CPD) has identified a male “person of interest” in connection with a robbery last Monday morning which took place about 15 minutes before University of Chicago graduate student Amadou Cisse was fatally shot. Though officials have not yet officially brought charges against the individual, one of the two robbery victims told...

Slain student was three weeks away from receiving his Ph.D.

By Kat Glass / November 20, 2007

After six years of hard study and a successful dissertation defense, chemistry graduate student Amadou Cisse was only three weeks away from receiving his Ph.D. As friends and colleagues mourned Cisse’s death on Monday, they fondly remembered his quiet gentleness. Bill McCartney, the director of International House, knew Cisse as a private person who preferred...

Dodgeball WAR at Max P.

By Kat Glass / November 16, 2007

There’s something about going back to our youth once we reach the long-sought-after independence of college. Cereal provides a solid dinner, afternoon naps are key to survival, and a good ol’ game of dodgeball is one way to while away the afternoon. What began as an O-Week activity quickly turned into a Wednesday night tradition...

Florian flushes fruit fly infestation

By Kat Glass / September 30, 2007

Caffé Florian was closed for five days in early September after officials from the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) found dozens of fruit flies in the kitchen and main dining area of the restaurant, a popular Hyde Park haunt for U of C students. After a customer complained about the flies, the CDPH visited...

Maroon is on hiatus

By Kat Glass / June 12, 2007

The year’s last issue of the Maroon came out on June 1. Check back with us in the fall when we return for Orientation. In the meantime, keep up-to-date on U of C happenings with the News Blog (link at right).

Hallway practices, makeshift balls help cricket make fans at U of C

By Kat Glass / June 1, 2007

When second-year Rohit Naimpally came to the U of C last fall, he was disappointed to find that his beloved sport was dead on campus. “I wandered around the hallways with my cricket bat,” he said. So Naimpally decided that, come second year, he would revitalize the cricket community on campus and bring the sport...

No rush to college with gap year

By Kat Glass / May 25, 2007

While most incoming U of C first-years will spend their summers poring over college course catalogs and making dorm room shopping lists, a small portion will be making different preparations. Between 30 and 40 admitted students in each class opt to take a gap year before coming to school, said Ted O’Neill, dean of College...

Sweat, blood, and cold beers drive women’s rugby

By Kat Glass / May 4, 2007

A cup of tea, a warm shower, or chocolate bars don’t exactly do the trick for third-year Meg Allison when she’s having a bad day. When Allison is stressed, all she needs is a good tackling practice with the rugby team. Allison is the hearty co-captain behind the U of C Women’s Rugby Football Club—a...

Students tackle public health issues with RSO

By Kat Glass / April 27, 2007

Emily Francis worries about things that the average U of C first-year student usually doesn’t consider. “If you see job openings somewhere, it’s like, ‘What client is going to fit with that?’ If you see [utility] rate hikes, it’s ‘Uh oh, I have tons of clients who are going to have to deal with that,’”...

Success a team effort for track

By Kat Glass / February 23, 2007

They’re the insults that makes the coaches and athletes cringe: “You’re not really a team sport.” “Track is about the individuals; you don’t do anything together.” Despite the variety of different events, track athletes form a team as much as soccer and football players. Now, with just over a week to go until the track...

Sports Shorts 2/13/07: Women’s tennis earns a split in Ohio

By Kat Glass / February 13, 2007

Taking on a pair of nationally ranked regional foes, women’s tennis earned a tough split and got a taste of the competition they’ll need to beat if they want to improve on last season’s success. Travelling to Ohio for a pair of weekend matches, the 14th-ranked Maroons fell 6–3 to 16th-ranked Denison but recovered to...

Sports Shorts 2/13/07: Nationally ranked squads top men’s tennis

By Kat Glass / February 13, 2007

Taking on a pair of nationally ranked teams, men’s tennis dropped both of its matches this weekend but still managed to put up strong performances across the board. Traveling to Ohio, the Maroons (1–3) were edged 5–4 by 17th-ranked Denison (1–0) Friday before falling 6–3 to 24th-ranked Kenyon (1–1) Saturday. Some solid outings by second-year...

Track and field in end-of-season form at Chicago duals

By Kat Glass / February 6, 2007

At the halfway mark of the indoor season, track and field took care of business at Henry Crown and brightened its UAA outlook. Battling top regional competition, the women’s side swept the Chicago Duals, ousting Beloit (114–40), Lawrence (109–43), North Park (109–35), Elmhurst (113–29), and narrowly edged out top-ranked North Central (82–81). The men also...

Diving records fall for swimming against DePauw

By Kat Glass / January 30, 2007

It looked like the tide had turned on Chicago swimming when the squads returned from winter break, but a solid effort against a highly competitive opponent showed the Maroons are still on course to meet their UAA and NCAA goals. Though this weekend’s dual meet against DePauw ended in a heartbreaking 150–144 loss for the...

Women in first after stinging Rochester

By Kat Glass / January 23, 2007

Despite getting off to an undefeated start and dominating their opponents through the season’s opening stages, women’s basketball still had something to prove going into their Sunday clash with second-ranked Rochester. For all they had accomplished, the Maroons had yet to face a team currently ranked in the top 25 and still had to prove...

Track and field takes its lumps in season opener

By Kat Glass / January 19, 2007

Though the final scores may seem to tell a different story, Saturday’s track and field season opener left the Maroons with legs sore but heads held high. Hosting powerhouse UW–Oshkosh, Chicago battled, but in the end, could not overcome the Titans. The visitors won by a sizeable margin, dominating the men 95.5–59.5 and slamming the...

Hotel Cassiopeia baffles with hollow symbolism

By Kat Glass / November 17, 2006

Court Theater’s Hotel Cassiopeia opens with a man sitting at a plain wooden desk, his back to the audience, left heel raised, fingers on his temple. Director Anne Bogart liked this image so much, in fact, that she put the actor on stage as the audience entered the theater. When the actor returns to the...

A chat with University President Robert Zimmer

By Kat Glass / October 31, 2006

Newly inaugurated President Robert Zimmer took some time to chat with the Maroon in an e-mail interview about the progress of the University, his first few months back on campus after serving as provost at Brown University, and town-gown relations. Chicago Maroon: You’ve returned to Chicago after four years away. Have you found any major...

U of C begins to improve on-campus accessibility

By Kat Glass / October 20, 2006

The University has started a long-term process of revamping the campus to be accessible for people with disabilities, following a mid-July settlement with the Department of Justice. The Justice Department initiated the lengthy review of campus facilities in early 2004 to ensure the University complies with regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The...

Correction: 10.17.06

By Kat Glass / October 17, 2006

The October 10 article, “Debate Society Snags Top Honors at Harvard Competition,” incorrectly stated that a 27 is a perfect score in a debate round. While 27 is considered the best score a college-level debater can receive, 30 is a perfect score.

Hutch Commons closes after gas leak

By Kat Glass / October 10, 2006

A gas leak outside of the Reynolds Club Saturday morning prompted University officials to close Hutchinson Commons while utility workers capped the gas line. Peoples Energy, the Chicago gas utility company, was installing a gas line underneath 57th Street near the Quadrangle Club when the leak occurred. “When the line struck an object, and then...

Third-year White, 21, dies

By Kat Glass / May 5, 2006

Trevor White, a third-year in the College whose passion for reading was almost as strong as his zest for making friends, died on April 26 from composite lymphoma at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City. He was 21. “Trevor was a shooting star,” said Northwestern University junior Matt Yalowitz, a close friend...

Board elects Brown provost as 13th U of C president

By Kat Glass / March 11, 2006

The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the nomination for Robert Zimmer, Brown University provost, to succeed Don Randel as the 13th president of the University at a board meeting Friday morning. “Today is about change, and change being a healthy and good thing, we move on to the Zimmer era,” said chair of the board...

Pair of glitches cuts Shoreland Internet

By Kat Glass / February 21, 2006

Shoreland Hall residents were blocked from the web from early Monday morning until midday when a failed circuit board and malfunctioning microwave back-up system blocked internet access to the dorm. At 1:48 a.m. Monday morning, a failed circuit board at the Dorchester switching office broke the internet connection to the Shoreland. The University leases the...

Housing reacts to Hitchcock incident

By Kat Glass / February 7, 2006

Responding to the anti-Semitic and racist remarks written on a Hitchcock House whiteboard two weeks ago, the Housing Office decided Friday to take strong disciplinary action by expelling one student from housing and the other from Hitchcock, according to the two students directly involved in the incident. A first-year resident of Hitchcock, who refused to...

Anti-Semitic statements found on Hitchcock dorm room whiteboard

By Kat Glass / January 27, 2006

On Wednesday night, an assistant resident head in Hitchcock House found “racist and anti-Semitic” comments written on a whiteboard outside the dorm room of two male first-years in the College, according to a prepared response by Steve Klass, dean of students in the College. Klass would not provide specific information about the contents of the...

Famous blues club hits Hyde Park on high note

By Kat Glass / November 22, 2005

The checkered stage was shining new and a red carpet graced the entrance, but the Checkerboard Lounge’s grand-opening fundraiser Friday sang a nostalgic tune. While organizers and performers expressed their hope that the new club would bring about a musical renaissance, they fondly remembered the golden era of the ’50s when the South Side of...

Former U of C student dead at 22

By Kat Glass / November 22, 2005

Matt Garber, 22, a former U of C student remembered by friends for his artistic talent, died November 7 at his father’s home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He committed suicide. Garber, who was born in Sacramento and spent most of his life in Oklahoma City, attended the University of Notre Dame for his freshmen year but...

Van carrying teenagers collides with two cars at Midway

By Kat Glass / November 18, 2005

A van carrying several teenagers back from choir practice collided with two other cars at Midway Plaisance Drive South and Dorchester Avenue at 9:19 p.m. Thursday night. Eight people suffered serious injuries, five were less seriously injured, and one person had minor injuries, according to Larry Langford, spokesperson for the Chicago Fire Department. “Nothing appears...

Attorney General visits Law School

By Kat Glass / November 11, 2005

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales criticized justices who cite foreign law in their opinions when he delivered a talk entitled “Foreign Law and Constitutional Interpretation” Wednesday afternoon at the U of C Law School. Gonzales centered his talk around issues of constitutionality, saying he feared that the practice of citing foreign law “may undermine the...

Young alumni throw fundraising soiree to up University ranking

By Kat Glass / November 11, 2005

When two U of C alumni saw their alma mater’s ranking in the most recent U.S. News and World Report slip to 15, they knew it was time for serious measures. Paul Grana and Pat Richards, who both graduated in 2003, called some friends, bought some alcohol, and threw a fundraising cocktail party last Saturday...

CPD targets students for drug suspicion

By Kat Glass / November 1, 2005

When an unmarked police car signaled her friend to pull over, Alexandra Jamali didn’t know what to expect. The plainclothes officers from two cars refused to give an explanation or provide ID, prompting Jamali and her friends to become increasingly worried. “I assumed that we were being scammed—that they were going to rob my car,”...

Change in leadership announced for UCSC

By Kat Glass / October 7, 2005

Wallace Goode, Jr., has been tapped to head the University Community Service Center (UCSC). The U of C is known territory for Goode, who grew up and currently lives minutes away in Woodlawn. Goode is arriving at the University already seasoned with his experience working for the City of Chicago. During his seven-year stint, Goode...

Café attendants come up with ploys to tempt tippers

By Kat Glass / June 3, 2005

Whether it is with creativity, flattery, or flat-out seduction, employees will do whatever they can to fill up that tip jar. But as it turns out, there does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to tipping at student cafes on campus. Depending on seniority, hourly wages at Cobb, Ex Libris, and Uncle Joe’s...

Ombudsperson turnover

By Kat Glass / June 3, 2005

President Don Randel tapped fourth-year graduate student Victor Muñiz-Fraticelli and third-year in the College Kirk Schmink as the 2005-2006 University Student Ombudsperson and the Associate Student Ombudsperson, respectively. Though these two salaried, part-time positions are under the Office of the President, the Office of the Student Ombudsperson is student-run and separate from the University administration....

Drunk van may come to those who wait

By Kat Glass / May 27, 2005

The late-night van service—nick-named the “drunk van” for its often-inebriated passengers—remains an object of consternation for those who ride it, despite the efforts of the Student Government Transportation Committee (SGTC). Results of a recent SGTC survey highlight the same concerns that student representatives discussed in a November meeting with the University of Chicago Police Department...

Crime Report

By Kat Glass / May 19, 2005

A man was shot twice at 2:55 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17, on Drexel Avenue between 54th and 55th streets. The victim died later at a hospital. After shooting the victim, the suspect fled the scene in a late-model, black, four-door Chrysler vehicle. Though police have not finished an investigation, initial evidence suggested that the...

First med school conference draws crowd

By Kat Glass / May 17, 2005

Undergrads aspiring to don white coats schmoozed with medical school admissions officers and current students at the first annual University of Chicago Medical School Conference. The Pre-Medical Students Association hosted representatives from 13 medical schools to talk to students on Monday afternoon in the BSLC lobby. Cassandra S. Flambouras, a health professions adviser, said the...

Student donates eggs for a cause, and some extra cash

By Kat Glass / May 13, 2005

It was more than the money that motivated Jen Littlefield to donate her eggs. For Littlefield, a fourth-year in the College, undergoing the procedure was a way of “giving back.” Littlefield, whose biological father was a sperm donor, did not learn that she was a child of collaborative reproduction until she was 19. She decided...

Levitt appears on Comedy Central

By Kat Glass / April 29, 2005

Raising the University of Chicago out of its dark, nerdy depths and into the limelight of pop culture, Steven Levitt, professor of economics, appeared on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show With Jon Stewart to talk about his book, Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything. Defending the title, Levitt explained, “I’m not...

Bart Mart loses power, recovers

By Kat Glass / April 22, 2005

The Maroon Market, also known as Bart Mart, had its power supply shut down unexpectedly on Tuesday afternoon, temporarily forcing students to find other means to satisfy their junk food cravings. An Aramark representative who declined to identify himself estimated that the power went out around 3:30 p.m. According to Cheryl Gutman, deputy dean of...

Juvenile attackers cause surge in Hyde Park crime

By Kat Glass / April 15, 2005

Forty people—generally men walking alone—have been attacked by groups of teenagers at various times of the day in Hyde Park since January 31, according to University administrators and the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD). The UCPD and the Chicago Police Department have jointly arrested 33 perpetrators who committed at least 13 of the assaults....

In the midst of B.A. season, fourth-years frantically work–or not

By Kat Glass / April 8, 2005

On Tuesday evening of first week, fourth-year Helen Zubieta had fewer than 10 days to wrap up the product of a year’s worth of travail—her senior B.A. paper. So it was understandable when, after shedding her coat and sitting down at a round wooden table at Uncle Joe’s, Zubieta politely inquired how long the interview...

Series of robberies strikes campus

By Kat Glass / February 25, 2005

A spate of five armed robberies or attempted robberies occurring near campus between February 9 and 20 has jeopardized student safety—especially for apartment dwellers living off campus. On February 21, the South East Chicago Commission (SECC) issued a crime pattern, meaning that specific, eyewitness details about the offenders link the five cases. The robberies and...

Escalante talks Latin America at I-House

By Kat Glass / February 25, 2005

On Tuesday night, Fernando Escalante, the Tinker Visiting Professor in history, addressed the relationship between the government and civic culture in his lecture, “The Weakness of the State in Latin America” to a packed room at the International House. Escalante introduced his talk with a major news event that occurred in Mexico City last November....

Sears Tower opens doors to tsunami relief

By Kat Glass / February 18, 2005

The Sears Tower will serve as the location for the first-ever Skyscraper Challenge, a charity event for South Asian tsunami victims, spearheaded by University of Chicago students. On Tuesday, officials from CB Richard Ellis, the management company of the tower, gave the go-ahead for the University to use one of the world’s tallest buildings to...

SCRS chatboards

By Kat Glass / February 15, 2005

The Student Counseling and Resource Service (SCRS) recently unveiled two new discussion boards specifically for community members to confidentially discuss two sensitive issues: eating disorders and academic difficulties. Elizabeth Steinhauer, a staff psychiatrist at SCRS and the monitor of the eating disorders website, hopes “that [the eating disorders board] will offer a source of support...

Bleeding money, 47th street Co-Op shuts doors

By Kat Glass / February 12, 2005

After five years in business, the 47th Street Co-Op closed on January 15th, forcing some students to walk a little farther for their organic veggies. The Co-Op board decided last October to shut down the store after struggling sales and hefty operating costs got the best of the flagging business. Carl Waggoner, general manager of...

24 Hour Playz

By Kat Glass / February 4, 2005

While you’re fast asleep on Friday night, a few University students will be frantically scribbling away at scripts by candlelight. Sleeping in on Saturday morning? A handful of bright-eyed actors will be up and ready to rehearse these masterpieces at the ungodly hour of 9:00 a.m. Without spending a dime, you can see Chicago students...

Crime Report

By Kat Glass / February 4, 2005

A robbery occurred at 5100 Dorchester Avenue on February 1, at 11:20 a.m. A man was walking north on Dorchester Avenue when he was struck in the head. He turned around and saw five teenagers, whom he thought were between 14 and 15 years old. One of them said, “Give me your money.” This offender...

MAB comedian to cheer up winter-weary campus

By Kat Glass / February 1, 2005

Contemplating an icy Chicago February does not bring smiles to most faces. The organizers on the Major Activities Board (MAB), however, think they might have panacea to those winter blues: a performance by Mitch Hedberg at Mandel Hall at 8 p.m. on February 13. After last year’s successful turnout for Margaret Cho, MAB decided to...

President Randel gets jiggy

By Kat Glass / January 28, 2005

Want to witness President of the University Don Randel doing a little song and dance? Quench your desire this weekend when the Quadrangle Club Revels, continuing a tradition that goes back to 1904, performs A Mob Musical: An Encomium to Clout and Cliché. Ted Cohen, professor in the philosophy department, and his wife Andy Austin...

Tsunami vigil-goers brave cold

By Kat Glass / January 18, 2005

Walking across the quads last night, you might have seen a huddle of about 20 students bundled up in coats to spread messages of hope for the people coping with the aftermath of the South Asian tsunami. The tone was positive, despite the tragedy it marked. “We’re here to show our care for those who...

Third-year students step out into real world, meet alumni

By Kat Glass / January 11, 2005

The business-casual shoes of more than 500 students shuffled through the Fairmont Hotel to mingle with Chicago alumni downtown last Saturday at the eighth annual Taking the Next Step, the University’s networking event for third-years. During panel discussions, a luncheon, and a dessert reception, the alumni advised students on career choices, graduate schools, and internship...

U of C gets serious about drunk van

By Kat Glass / November 21, 2004

Seasoned passengers of the late-night van are accustomed to its slow response time, unanswered phone line, and uncooperative drivers—much to the surprise of the UCPD, which runs the service. Communication gaps were apparent on Wednesday afternoon when members of the Student Government Transportation Committee (SGTC) had an informational meeting with Officer Jo Cathy Roberts, the...

For some students, CAPS fails to get the job done

By Kat Glass / November 16, 2004

With this year’s job search in full swing, Career Advising and Planning Services (CAPS), headed by Liz Michaels, is on a lot of fourth-years’ minds—for better or for worse. Though opinions vary, there is some disparity between the resources CAPS claims to offer and the reactions of students who have used CAPS. One Chicago student,...

Pardon me, is there a draft in here?

By Kat Glass / November 12, 2004

As students pull out winter coats and brace for another Chicago winter, they might finally find themselves doing something a bit seasonally overdue—closing their windows. To compensate for the blazingly hot dorm heating systems, some housing residents have kept their windows open well into November. Turning on the automated heating throughout the dorms is not...

New dorm may use B-J mess hall despite past problems

By Kat Glass / October 27, 2004

Though Vice President and Dean of Students Stephen Klass will soon present tentative plans to revamp the Burton-Judson (B-J) dining hall at Thursday’s trustees meeting, questions remain as to whether the old building is fit to serve a new dorm. “Our conceptual planning calls for a combination of renovation and expansion of the existing dining...

Filmmaker recreates Persepolis using simulations

By Kat Glass / October 24, 2004

Every detail matters for archeological filmmaker Farzin Rezaeian, whose new documentary was 2,500 years in the making. In Persepolis Recreated, Rezaeian switches between real-life images and computer simulations to create a complete interpretation of ancient Persepolis, which was destroyed by Alexander the Great in 450 B.C. To present details like the palace’s carpets and the...

Moral consistency matters to Abra Pollock, she says

By Kat Glass / October 17, 2004

A group of students gathered in the Reynolds Club at noon on Thursday to listen to Abra Pollock talk about her life philosophy. Pollock, a fourth-year in the College, spoke for the series, “What Matters to Me and Why,” in which students and faculty touch on their guiding principles. Consistent throughout Pollock’s talk was her...

I want my babyback Blues ‘n Ribs

By Kat Glass / October 17, 2004

All members of the University community are invited—free of charge—to enjoy blues and gobble food at the 17th annual Blues n’ Ribs Festival, sponsored by the Council on University Programming. The event will be held in Ida Noyes Hall on Friday from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. Willie Kent and the Gents, featuring Patricia Scott...

University furnishes johns for all kinds

By Kat Glass / October 12, 2004

Walking into a public bathroom does not induce anxiety for most people. But for some students and faculty members, using male or female-specific bathrooms prompts embarrassing questions and uncomfortable stares. Responding to requests from individuals and campus groups last winter, the University has since allocated 12 campus bathrooms as gender-neutral. After the Regenstein Library’s bathroom...