Smile Design Every Other Week
The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon
The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon
Smile Design Every Other Week
The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon
Stories and content by Michael Lipkin

University History

By Michael Lipkin / September 19, 2010
The history of the University of Chicago begins with a monumental failure. In the mid-1850s, a small Baptist college called the University of Chicago opened its doors near Burnham Park and almost immediately fell into financial disarray. As the years wore on, the school accrued vast debt and was partially destroyed by a fire. Forced...

The Zimmer Program

By Michael Lipkin / March 5, 2010
Before he was president, before he was provost at Brown University, before any of his administrative work, Robert Zimmer was a powerful mathematician who carved out a complex discipline that now bears his name: the Zimmer Program.

Admins to discuss A-level arrest today

By Michael Lipkin / March 2, 2010
Students have reacted strongly to the arrest, sending dozens of e-mails to various administrators and listhosts to spread awareness. According to Kim Goff-Crews, the Library Department and UCPD are conducting internal reviews of the incident, and a complaint has been filed with the UCPD over the arrest.

Alderman’s library a who’s who of Hyde Park

By Michael Lipkin / November 17, 2009
When former Hyde Park alderman Leon Despres died last year, he left behind over 1,500 books that showcase his intellectual breadth. Books on French literature, Chicago history, civil rights, legal history, and union activism follow his interests through the years, evidence of a life dedicated to Hyde Park and the University of Chicago.

The things they carried (out of the Shoreland)

By Michael Lipkin / October 6, 2009
Fifty or so students and bargain-hunters were allowed back into the Shoreland one last time Saturday afternoon to take whatever they could haul out of the former dorm, in preparation for MAC Property Management’s disposal of most of the historic hotel’s furniture..

Taking it to the Max

By Michael Lipkin / October 4, 2009
Tucker Max is upfront about why he made "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell," which he co-wrote and produced: He’s a narcissist on a power trip.

Justice Breyer speaks on Shakespeare and law

By Michael Lipkin / May 19, 2009
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer spoke to students, faculty, and staff in the Law School’s auditorium as part of a two-day conference on Shakespeare and the Law, with law professor Martha Nussbaum, appellate judge Richard Posner, and English professor Richard Strier..

SG election guide: YouChicago

By Michael Lipkin / April 21, 2009
Positioning themselves as this year’s most pragmatic slate, YouChicago promises to follow through with seemingly small platform ideas to improve student life on campus.

Nondorf to lead admissions office next year

By Michael Lipkin / April 3, 2009
“As an admissions office, you should never go to work at a school that you don’t have respect for and want to represent,” Nondorf said. “Very quickly you are able to articulate and even brag about what an amazing place it is.”

Goff-Crews outlines possible budget cuts

By Michael Lipkin / February 20, 2009
Vice President for Campus Life Kimberly Goff-Crews presented her department’s tentative budget cuts at a student forum Tuesday, proposing decreased funding for campus building maintenance, eliminating underutilized programs, cutting student jobs and most controversially, closing Reynolds Club on Sundays, a position she backed away from following student criticism.

As budgets tighten, new #173 route unlikely

By Michael Lipkin / January 23, 2009
The future of the new #173 route, proposed by third-year College Council (CC) representative Jarrod Wolf in consultation with the Transportation and Parking Office Director Brian Shaw, will not be decided until at least May and could be postponed indefinitely due to the project’s unexpectedly large costs, Shaw said.

Early applications to the College decrease by 15 percent

By Michael Lipkin / December 2, 2008
The College received 15 percent fewer early applications than it did during last year’s record-high, according to admissions office figures. Admissions officials attributed the decline to several factors, including the current fiscal crisis and the College’s increased selectivity, a potential deterrent to “casual applicants.”.

Latkes, hamantashen still polarizing after 62 years

By Michael Lipkin / November 26, 2008
Philosophy professor Ted Cohen presided over Tuesday’s 62nd—or was it 63rd?—annual Latke-Hamentash debate in Mandel Hall, a venerable U of C tradition which is known for bringing together professors from across disciplines to advocate for their favorite Jewish holiday foods..

Latkes, hamantashen still polarizing after 62 years

By Michael Lipkin / November 26, 2008
Philosophy professor Ted Cohen presided over Tuesday’s 62nd—or was it 63rd?—annual Latke-Hamentash debate in Mandel Hall, a venerable U of C tradition which is known for bringing together professors from across disciplines to advocate for their favorite Jewish holiday foods..

The Professor and the President

By Michael Lipkin / November 7, 2008
Former colleagues and students reflect on implications of Obama presidency - including Douglas Baird, Richard Epstein, Saul Levmore, Geoffrey Stone, Dennis Hutchinson, and Austan Goolsbee

The Professor and the President

By Michael Lipkin / November 7, 2008
Former colleagues and students reflect on implications of Obama presidency - including Douglas Baird, Richard Epstein, Saul Levmore, Geoffrey Stone, Dennis Hutchinson, and Austan Goolsbee

Econ institute retains augmented Friedman moniker

By Michael Lipkin / October 31, 2008
The Milton Friedman Institute’s name has been reconfigured as the Milton Friedman Institute for Research in Economics, according to Provost Thomas Rosenbaum, due in part to faculty opposition to the legacy of the Institute’s namesake at this month’s Faculty Senate meeting.

Fourth-year Asher Goldman found dead

By Michael Lipkin / September 22, 2008
Goldman, a philosophy major and music minor from Poquoson, VA, was remembered Sunday as a gifted musical composer whose passion and ability extended across musical genres and instruments.

The Way Things Work: The endowment

By Michael Lipkin / June 2, 2008
As the University's endowment has reached record levels of growth, it has come under increased scrutiny from all directions. In Washington, the Senate has considered placing caps on endowment spending for the richest institutions, while closer to home, graduate students on campus have called for more endowment dollars to be spent on their financial aid. What is an endowment, and how does it work?.

U of C buys Harper Court for $6.5 million

By Michael Lipkin / May 16, 2008
[img id=”80620″ align=”alignleft”] As part of its ongoing effort to jump-start the redevelopment of 53rd Street, the University has bought Harper Court from the Harper Court Arts Council for $6.5 million, the administration announced Monday. Harper Court, a shopping center on South Harper Avenue between East 53rd and East 52nd Streets with 23 stores and...

Crime Report: 5-9-08

By Michael Lipkin / May 9, 2008
May 4, 2:00 a.m. — A male victim reported that while walking on the 5100 block of South Engleside Avenue toward his parked car, he was approached from behind by a male offender who pressed a hard object into the victim’s back. “This is a stickup. Gimme all you have,” the offender said, according to...

University to switch insurance providers

By Michael Lipkin / May 6, 2008
The University will be switching student health insurance providers next year, the Student Health Insurance Review Committee (SHIRC) announced last week. The move will lower overall costs for students, although the change will not be as broad as SHIRC had initially hoped. Since 1999, students without preexisting healthcare coverage have bought a co-insurance plan from...

Crime Report 5-6-08

By Michael Lipkin / May 6, 2008
May 2, 5:39 p.m.—A male offender entered a cleaners’ on the 1700 block of East 55th Street and sprayed the person on duty behind the counter with mace. He then proceeded to open the cash register, take an undetermined amount of currency, and flee the building. A witness stated that another male in a vehicle...

Robert Downey, Jr., fights, smites, and lives again

By Michael Lipkin / May 6, 2008
Screw the iPhone. The latest toy on every geek’s wish list is sure to be the iMan. Trotting out one of its less well known characters—Spider-Man and the Hulk are so done—Marvel presents a surprisingly faithful screen adaptation of the Iron Man story that succeeds in an area where most other comic-book movies fail. Tony...

Chicago Tribune reporter to lead U of C news office

By Michael Lipkin / April 29, 2008
The University of Chicago has appointed Chicago Tribune journalist Steven Kloehn as News Office director, effective May 27. Kloehn is currently a deputy metro editor at the Tribune following a two-decade-long career in the field. The News Office is the primary media relations office of the University and is responsible for interacting with media outlets,...

One Campus wins SG election in landslide

By Michael Lipkin / April 25, 2008
One Campus was declared the winner of Student Government (SG) executive slate elections last night, handily beating Connect Four, their closest competitors. The executive slate is comprised of SG president, vice president for administration, and vice president for student affairs. The race for undergraduate liaison to the Board of Trustees was highly competitive, with four...

SG Guide: One Campus

By Michael Lipkin / April 22, 2008
[img id=”80519″ align=”alignleft”] Claiming to have the greatest knowledge of the political workings of the University, both inside Student Government (SG) and out, One Campus has cast itself as the most experienced campaign with the clearest vision in incorporating graduate students into the political environment on campus. Led by third-year and current VP for Student...

SG Guide: Moose Party

By Michael Lipkin / April 22, 2008
[img id=”80513″ align=”alignleft”] Student Government’s perennial underdog slate, the Moose Party, is trying its luck for the 14th consecutive year, running on its longstanding campaign promise of free beer. The slate, composed of members of the Delta Upsilon (DU) fraternity, is just as committed as ever to creating a stark contrast between themselves and their...

Crime report – 4-22-08

By Michael Lipkin / April 22, 2008
April 18, 9:10 p.m.—A male resident of the 5700 block of South University reported that at 6:00 p.m. he left his room locked and secured, but upon his return he observed pry marks on the door. Upon entering he found a window in his room partially open. An Apple MacBook laptop and a black and...

Crime Report 4-15-08

By Michael Lipkin / April 14, 2008
April 12, 7:30 p.m.—A male victim reported that after cashing a check at a currency exchange on the 1500 block of East 53rd Street, he was approached by a male offender. “Give me the money. If you don’t, I will shoot you,” the offender said, according to the victim. The victim did not see a...

SG candidates gear up for hotly contested elections

By Michael Lipkin / April 11, 2008
Campaigns for Student Government (SG), College Council (CC), and Executive Slate are shaping up to be among the most competitive in recent memory, with hotly contested races in nearly every category. SG comprises an Executive slate, as well as two assemblies, one representing graduate students and the other representing undergraduates, and two liasons to the...

U of C acceptance rate hits record low

By Michael Lipkin / April 8, 2008
[img id=”80455″ align=”alignleft”] Undergraduate admission to the University of Chicago is the most competitive it has ever been, according to statistics released Friday, a phenomenon administrators attributed to recent shake-ups in admission and financial-aid policies at highly selective universities nationwide. This year, a record-high 12,418 students applied to the College, a 19.3-percent increase from last...

Provost defends grad aid decision, says funding is a priority

By Michael Lipkin / March 10, 2008
Provost Thomas Rosenbaum spoke to an audience of roughly 60 graduate students yesterday for the first time since the December release of the Provost’s Working Group Report, which outlined the University’s new proposals for graduate financial-aid packages. In his response to student concerns about the Graduate Aid Initiative’s exclusion of current students, Rosenbaum cited the...

University complies with Senate request for endowment report

By Michael Lipkin / March 4, 2008
University administrators supplied the Senate Finance Committee with detailed information about its financial-aid and endowment policies last Monday in response to a written request from the committee. The request is the latest in a series of steps the committee has undertaken to investigate the possibility of government regulation of University spending. Requests for information were...

Crime Report 3-4-08

By Michael Lipkin / March 4, 2008
March 2, 4:04 p.m.—A witness observed two males kicking in a basement door on the 4000 block of Lake Park Avenue and notified the police. Both UCPD and CPD officers responded to the robbery in progress and were able to take both offenders into custody on the second floor of the residence. Clyde Morrow, 24,...

H.P. weighs Harper Court development

By Michael Lipkin / February 29, 2008
The Hyde Park–Kenwood Community Conference (HPKCC), a neighborhood civic organization, launched several initiatives this week to solicit input on the upcoming redevelopment of Harper Court. The group has contacted local designers to conceptualize a developed Court, and created a survey at the behest of Alderman Toni Preckwinkle to gauge Hyde Park residents’ opinions on the...
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