discourse - The Chicago Maroon

America all dried up

by Crystal Tsoi

The looming danger of a water-depleted America is unacceptable for University of Arizona law professor Robert Glennon.

Sacred history of elephants isn't being recognized, scholar says

by Adam Shuboy

The “nature of the elephant–human relationship and its change over time [is the most] scientifically pragmatic and culturally appropriate ways of conserving elephants," Indian Institute of Science Chair Dr. Raman Sukumar said.

Science, tech valued in White House

by Willy Hu

Holdren, who also serves as the director of the White House Office and Technology Policy, stressed the mutual dependence of the different departments within the Obama administration.

Emily Lo

Jane Goodall brings ape activism to campus

by Adam Janofsky

Goodall described her conservation work with animals and her work with degraded forests in central Africa.

In talk, columnist probes Americans' "Beijing Olympics opening ceremony" image of China

by Elie Fuchs-Gosse

Atlantic columnist JamesFallows argued that Americans overstress political freedom in China. "To know China mainly by the arrests of dissidents is like knowing the U.S. mainly by Guantanamo," he said.

Camille van Horne

Free, not clear: panels discuss pitfalls of academic freedom

by Al Gaspari

It’s a good thing for New York Times columnist Stanley Fish that the University is so dedicated to academic freedom.

Music professor talks composition

by Ellen Dunn

Shulamit Ran, the second woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in music, spoke in this year's Ryerson lecture.

Julia Silverman

Economics professors and bloggers Becker and Posner, live

by Leland Bybee

"The world would be better off if people were much smaller," Judge Richard Posner said in discussing airlines that charge obese passengers for two seats.

Faithful or no, couples misunderstand monogamy, scholar says

by Leland Bybee

"My research showed a great variety in the way couples view cheating," said anthropologist Katherine Frank, a scholar-in-residence at American University during a talk Saturday.

Students rally to "Take Back the Night" from sexual assault

by Ellen Dunn

The event, organized by the University's chapter of the National Organization for Women, featured speakers on sexual assault, a moment of silence for assault survivors, and a march through campus.

The pompousness of prescriptivism

by Andrew Thornton

There is no point in following grammatical rules purely for their own sake

Darren Leow

Rothschild illuminates life of Bengali slave girl

by Crystal Tsoi

Rothschild’s research into the correspondence and legal documents regarding the life of the young woman have provided insights into the political discourse of the young woman's master, John Johnston.

NIH director talks science research, without the boring bits

by Crystal Tsoi

Collins, the director of the National Institute of Health (NIH), focused on unconventional approaches to science this Saturday at Northwestern University.

Shane Coughlan

Amartya Sen on campus

by The Maroon Staff

Amartya Sen spoke in Swift Hall Tuesday.

Inquistion edicts shaped Crypto-Judaism, Gitlitz says

by Carolanne Fried

Jews in 15th century Spain turned to edicts from the Inquisition to learn about their faith, Gitlitz said.

Stone speaks on role as law clerk during Roe v. Wade

by Crystal Tsoi

Stone, who observed firsthand a more personal side of the Justices, said the ruling was especially difficult for Brennan.

Emily Lo

In talk, Gates tackles poverty, disease

by Michael Lipkin

Bill Gates had a big question on his mind Tuesday night: Are the world's brightest minds working on its most important problems?

Biologist and curator picks out the fungus among us

by Crystal Tsoi

Chicago soil is especially well suited to fungi, but urbanization has led to decreasing amounts of nitrogen in the soil, Evolutionary Biologist and Field Museum curator Gregory Mueller said.

Principles of duckspeak

by Greg Gabrellas

As political vocabulary shrinks, nuance goes with it

Camille van Horne

Rasmussen: NATO needs more flexibility

by Asher Klein

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen argued for a more flexible, more engaged NATO as the end of the mission in Afghanistan comes into view

Darren Leow

Durbin warns of China's rising economy

by Al Gaspari

Durbin saw his experiences from a recent visit to Ethiopia as exemplary of China’s success in the international economy.

Hyde Parkers toast City Council vote that declares Chicago one of the fairest (traders) of them all

by Kayley Ingalls

Fifteen Fair Trade supporters celebrated the passing of a Chicago Fair Trade Resolution with fair trade coffee, chocolate, and a talk Saturday.

Shane Coughlan

Former Treasury secretary describes first days after crisis

by Adam Janofsky

“We have an outmoded, outdated regulatory system in this country that needs to be fixed,” former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Tuesday

Eric Guo

America still important in Middle East peace, panelists say

by Hannah Fine

On trip through U.S. college campuses, two Middle East policy experts are encouraging moderation and support for a two-state solution brokered by the United States.

Camille van Horne

Nobel winner: Efficient market hypothesis powerful, but wrong

by Boryana Levterova

“This crisis has provided numerous examples of markets that cannot be described as efficient in any reasonable way,” he said.

Obama not as different from Bush as he seems, law professor says

by Kelly Zhang

The Obama administration continued detaining and deporting non-citizens with little evidence of wrongdoing, Huq said.

Author says China's work in Africa misunderstood

by Kayley Ingalls

In the West, China’s industrial expansion into Africa is often portrayed as dangerous, but Deborah Brautigam said China’s influence could be a beneficial alternative to conventional aid

Shane Coughlan

South African judge lectures on same-sex marriage

by Brittany Birberick

The court ruled that the ban on same-sex marriage was a violation of the South African constitution.

Matt Bogen

Illinois governor candidates debate at Booth School

by Adam Janofsky

Candidates from the Libertarian, Green, Constitution, Independent, and Republican parties were present at the debate hosted by Free and Equal, an organization dedicated to improving ballot access laws.

Darren Leow

Panel traces roots of Congo rebellion

by Gabe Valley

The rebel conflict in Congo, perpetuated by an illegal weapons trade, has become forgotten in the West, panelists said Wednesday.

LGBT activist explains trouble of coming out in old-age

by Boryana Levterova

Prominent gay rights and women’s rights activist Amber Hollibaugh raised concerns about the lack of services for elderly LGBT people in a talk at the Center for Race and Gender Studies Monday.

“Neurolaw” conference questions role of science in criminal trials

by alicia sanchez ramirez

In the past few years, neuroscience has shown up more in legal proceedings, due in part to the rise of the neuroscience field in the 1990s, or “the decade of the brain,” moderator Brent Garland said.

Punish politicians through elections, not trials, prof says

by Boryana Levterova

Losing elections is punishment enough for political leaders who make mistakes, making it unnecessary to put them on trial, Michael Walzer said in this year’s Dewey lecture in Law and Philosophy Wednesday.

Shane Coughlan

MLK was realist and idealist, prof says

by Will Sims

“[King was] not a starry-eyed dreamer, but a political realist,” said Harris-Lacewell, a former U of C political science professor.

Students to raise money for Gaza victims this month

by Boryana Levterova

A part of Gaza Commemoration Month, SJP-organized events include fund raising for a United Nations relief agency, a "justice café," and a lecture by a prominent Palestinian-American academic.

Human values, not GDPs, should drive policy, Nussbaum says

by Gabe Valley

"A crude number isn't good enough," philosophy and law professor Martha Nussbaum said to an audience in the Gleacher Center.

Sustainability director puts green in greenbacks

by Andrew Shih

Flanagan: Environmentally-friendly programs don't have to cost more than their traditional counterparts

Sexologist alum remembers Kinsey

by alicia sanchez ramirez

"Kinsey opened the door for me,” Gagnon said.

Alex Gleckman

University honors Katie Couric at annual ball for fighting cancer

by Shelby Williams

The University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation honored Katie Couric for her involvement in fighting cancer at the 43rd annual Cancer Ball at the Four Seasons Hotel downtown Saturday.

Julia Silverman

Israel politician encourages students to embrace identity

by Christina Pillsbury

Former Israel politician and author Natan Sharansky called for a strong Jewish identity and universal human rights at a speech at Ida Noyes Monday.

Alex Gleckman

Obama campaign manager talks strategy

by Asher Klein

David Plouffe, on tour for his book The Audacity to Win, looked back on what has been called one of the best-run presidential bids in American history.

Darren Leow

Lotta asks students to reconsider communism

by Aviva Rosman

Lotta criticized current scholarship on revolutions in Russia and China, and presented a favorable analysis of Chairman Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution.

Camille van Horne

Panelists discuss Iranian revolutions, past and present

by Amy Myers

The panel, hosted by the Platypus Society, was structured around a single question: Was the establishment of the Islamic Republic a tragedy for the Left?

Alex Gleckman

Zinn and Zirin urge activism

by Adam Janofsky

A People’s History of the United States author Howard Zinn urged a crowded Mandel Hall to take action against injustice in a conversation about social activism Saturday.

Darren Leow

Media neglects Middle East coverage aside from bombings and violence, journalist says

by Will Sims

Front-page stories about suicide bombings and sectarian violence leave little room for accurate depictions of the Middle East in American newspapers, journalist Neil MacFarquhar said Thursday at the International House.

At bicentennial Darwin symposium, topics adapted to the times

by Tiffany Young

“This conference will display the current status of evolutionary theory today,” Richards said.

Feast your mind on Faust, says Wellbery at Humanities Day

by Adam Janofsky

Now in its 31st year, the mission of Humanities Day is to make scholars and their research accessible to the general public. According to Wellbery, Faust was the perfect subject for the address because the character appears in so many adaptations, and connects to every aspect of the humanities.

Humanities Day lecture: Poor translations influenced linguistic development of colonies of European colonization

by Amy Myers

The struggle for economic dominance during European colonization mirrors the spread of European languages, linguistics professor Salikoko Mufwene said in a Humanities Day lecture.

Nickel and Dimed author decries peppy approach to recovery

by Brittany Birberick

Ehrenreich questioned the expectation of a constant upbeat attitude.

Daniel Sellon

Prof talks gun policy, economics of crime

by Adam Janofsky

Professor of Public Policy Jens Ludwig explained his role in curbing gun-related homicides and advocated bringing statistics into policy programs.

Dan Dry

Zimmer’s e-mail on Olmert offends some students

by Michael Lipkin

Several students said they were offended and belittled by the e-mail, and that the e-mail singled out protesters in an unnecessarily public message.

80 listeners drawn to Augustine lecture

by Christina Pillsbury

When it came time for questions at the end, the crowd was slow to respond, but eventually White fielded a few questions about the world in which Augustine wrote.

Student spreads gospel of heavenly fried chicken

by Laura Cain

After opening with a poem about Lee’s love for Harold’s Chicken, Lee, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) outreach coordinator, said choosing to drink doesn’t mean turning your back on being Christian. “Drinking is okay. Jesus drank,” he said. A close reading of the Bible, Lee said, reveals Jesus’s love of alcohol. “Jesus does a Kimbark run [in the Bible], bought some drinks for his homies,” he joked.

Shane Coughlan

Bolton calls Obama's foreign policy "post-American"

by Al Gaspari

Bolton criticized Obama's foreign policy in the nine months of his administration. "His post-American policy is in plain view. When combined with weakness and indecision, this is a potentially toxic combination in areas around the world," Bolton said. To Bolton, a post-American views America as just another country in the world. “[Obama]'s above all that patriotism stuff that all those working people feel when they wave their flags,” he said.

Darren Leow

Jeers stifle Olmert's speech

by Burke Frank

As protesters heckled inside the Reynolds Club and out, the Former Israeli Prime Minister gave a speech meant to last only 20 minutes. It took one-and-a-half hours.

Journalist outlines Obama’s greatest upcoming challenges at Gala keynote

by Ella Christoph

Sanger: Mismanagement of Iraq kept Bush from “honestly addressing” growing nuclear problem in Iran.

Conservative pundit: Bush's foreign policy lives on in Obama White House

by Shelby Williams

Heritage Foundation defense expert James Carafano says that the Obama administration has essentially taken Bush's Iraq pullout plan and added a few details.

Rowley: Work-life balance difficult for women in medicine

by Claire B. Salling

Professor Janet Rowley, a pioneer in leukemia research and one of three women in her medical school class of 65 students, spoke on the challenges women face when entering the medical field.

Prof: Lack of social connections, not proximity, lead to loneliness

by Stacey Kirkpatrick

Neuroscience professor John Cacioppo, presented his findings on human loneliness and the need for social relations Wednesday in Max Palevsky Cinema.

Sex as 14th-century spiritual experience discussed

by Claire B. Salling

Constance Furey, associate professor of theology at Indiana University, focused on the role of sexual mystical texts in the history of European Christianity during a talk Thursday in Swift Hall.  

NYU prof analyzes power of photography

by Carolanne Fried

Although the conceptual differences between the artists presented remain largely unresolved, professor Ulrich Baer stressed the use of photography in finding answers. “Photography is particularly important to investigate these questions,” he said.

Foreclosure panel praises city’s efforts to stabilize “condo hells”

by Crystal Tsoi

Along with discussions on the city’s plans to spend the $55 million, the panel also addressed the question of how to prevent home foreclosure.

Professor: Nazis used humans fat to make soap

by Holly Lawson

Acknowledging the production of such soap has sometimes been considered merely one of many Holocaust rumors, professor Bożena Shallcross combined recent scientific evidence and analysis to prove that it did occur.

Sherrie Xie

Cato Institute director criticizes interventionist U.S. policy

by Maria Mauriello

Preble explained that U.S. policy since the Cold War has favored interventionism to deter rivals and provide for U.S. safety. “We are the world's policeman,” he said, “and this was by design.”

Funk pioneer’s role discussed

by Nahid Gardezi

Scot Brown, associate professor of history at UCLA, focused on the innovative techniques of Roger Troutman, a key figure in bringing national recognition to funk music with his "talk box style."

Writer urges queer progress

by Ayesha Siddiqi

Cherrie Moraga, a feminist activist and writer, spoke on “chicana” queer consciousness at Ida Noyes’ Cloister Hall Friday.

Sherrie Xie

Pipes refutes war on terror ideology, decries radical Muslims

by Nahid Gardezi

Former U of C lecturer and controversial Middle East commentator Daniel Pipes pointed to radical Muslims rather than terrorists as America’s true enemies in a talk Wednesday, contrary to the war-on-terror rhetoric espoused by academics and governments.

Div school hosts theology conference

by Jonathan Lai

“The purpose of this conference is to open reflection and not to package it in nice rhetorical boxes,” professor William Schweiker said. “We are embarking on a journey rather than arriving at a destination.”

Talk discusses Gaza’s “reality”

by Jonathan Lai

“This is a human disaster for Palestine. This is a moral disaster for Israel,” Gaza relief worker Mads Gilbert said.

Matt Bogen

Becker warns of demographic shifts due to falling fertility rates

by Erin Robertson

Calling the trends a “modern demographic revolution,” Becker stressed the possible economic ramifications of the observed decline in fertility rates across all global regions.

Eric Guo

Huerta urges students to make the most of their activism by rallying in non-blue states

by Ella Christoph

She brushed aside worries about illegal immigrants “borrowing” Social Security numbers and not paying taxes; Mexican immigrants, she said, are sustaining the Social Security system.

Shahzad Ahsan

Gender Studies exhibit explores campus co-eds from founding to present

by Lokchi Lam

“If you said to someone, ‘Did you know that the U of C had a very prominent Home Ec department until the ’50s?’, people would laugh.”

Law professors question Gitmo closing

by Nora Sorena Casey

While many civil liberties activists are celebrating the closure of Guantanamo Bay, the implications actually fairly limited, according to two Law School professors.

Chris Salata

Bill Ayers speaks to student conference, advocates “moral life” of an activist

by Asher Klein

Ayers and a panel of Chicago activists addressed the challenges facing activists and the benefits of collaboration.

Professor explores influence of Hollywood on Zora Neale Hurston’s work at FSC talk

by Burke Frank

"Hollywood’s voracious appetite for stories led them actively to pursue African-American narratives, but just as surely to deracinate them or in the end to reject them."

Professors debate Obama’s influence on minority political involvement

by Jim Santel

Professor: Obama may consolidate power of black elites, eschewing radical change for other demographics

Pastor-preacher details science-faith dichotomy

by Claire B. Salling

Science and religion “share in a common quest for truth,” he said, and each has gifts it can give the other.

Chris Salata

University, city host global science conference

by Louise Lerner

University co-sponsored a meeting of world-renowned scientists this week, co-chaired by President Robert Zimmer. The event included presentations and posters illustrating U of C research in everything from physics to linguistics, behavioral ecology, and genetics.

Chris Salata

Rev. Wright speech on interfaith relations draws contentious questions

by Michael Lipkin

Wright returned to Hyde Park decrying America's ignorance of minority cultures and religions, often returning to the good Samaritan parable's message--love thy neighbor.

Prof lauds U of C’s early integration

by Chase Weldon

The achievements of black students and faculty at the University of Chicago were as part of an ongoing exhibit charting gradual academic and social integration through the mid-twentieth century at the University.

Darwin's birthday celebrated in Rockefeller

by Claire B. Salling

Professor Russell H. Tuttle delivered a sermon Sunday in honor of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of his most famous publication. similar service was held fifty years ago.

Jeremy Martin

Schindler's List survivor speaks at I-House

by Anna Tenuta

“The way to remember the Holocaust—the way I remember it—is one person at a time,” survivor Leon Leyson said.

Experts advocate for greater public school funding at MLK week panel

by Katy Rossing

A panel of public education experts discussed funding for Illinois schools on Thursday, during the final event of the University’s week dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr.

Shahzad Ahsan

Swastika flag and name-calling mar Gaza panel

by Rachel Cromidas

Gaza panel organizer: Altercation and offensive flag distract from the real political debate

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