NEWS | Metropolis owner profile|
PAGE 4
CLOSER LOOK | Getting home for the
holidays | PAGE 10
SPORTS| Men’s soccer, women’s
volleyball season recaps | PAGE 18
STAFF EDITORIAL
Ferguson grand jury decision
OPINION | PAGE 7
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Goodman brings Christmas
classic to life
A&E | PAGE 12
LOYOLA PHOENIX
W E D N E S D A Y, D E C E M B E R 3 , 2 0 1 4
VO L U M E 4 6 | I S S U E 1 4 |
T H E AWA R D - W I N N I N G S T U D E N T N E W S P A P E R O F L O Y O L A U N I V E R S I T Y C H I C A G O
Ellen Bauch//The Phoenix
Fake ID raids bust Loyola students
BY GRACE RUNKEL
grunkel@luc.edu
On Thursday, Nov. 20 the Illinois
Secretary of State Police conducted
two age-verification checks at bars in
Rogers Park. By the end of the night,
45 Loyola students were caught in
possession of fraudulent, or fake, IDs,
according to investigator sergeant
Thomas Ferraro.
The first check of the night was
at the Pumping Company, located at
6157 N. Broadway, where 12 students
were caught with fake IDs.
However, when Ferraro and the
three other Illinois Secretary of State
police officers arrived at Bar 63,
located at 6341 N Broadway, they saw
significantly more underage students.
The officers caught 33 people with
fake IDs, but Ferraro estimated twice
A close look at Loyola’s
new athletic director
BY JAKE MAZANKE
jmazanke@luc.edu
On Nov. 12, Loyola’s Athletic
Department announced that Steve
Watson would replace interim Athletic
Director Susan Malisch, who has held
that position since March of this year
when former director M. Grace Calhoun
left for the University of Pennsylvania.
Watson is currently the athletic
director at St. Bonaventure University
in New York, where he has worked for
eight years. Prior to St. Bonaventure, he
worked in the marketing and operations
departments at Eastern Michigan
University and the University of Dayton.
Watson’s career in athletics began
in college, when he played basketball
for Rutgers and Bowling Green State
University.
After college, he took his basketball
career abroad, playing in Europe and
Asia for six years.
At St. Bonaventure, Watson was
responsible for hiring men’s basketball
coach Mark Schmidt, who turned the
Bonnies’ program around. Under his
direction, the men’s basketball team
won its first Atlantic 10 conference
championship and earned an NCAA
tournament berth.
Watson places an emphasis on
academics, and during his time with
the Bonnies the program earned its best
Academic Progress Rates.
Watson is currently visiting Loyola,
and The Phoenix had a chance to sit
down and speak with him about his
career and his plans for the university’s
Athletic Department.
Loyola P hoenix : What was
your path to becoming an athletic
administrator?
Steve Watson: I had a great
experience as a student-athlete and I
felt like I could have a positive impact on
student-athletes in the future. I wanted
to stay associated with athletics. It’s been
a big part of my life, and the college
athletics scene was what I was looking
for. I was pretty much raised on a college
campus and I feel like it is a great to raise
a family. The best role models for my kids
are student-athletes and I have raised my
family in the same atmosphere that I was
in. It has been a big part of my life, and
like I said the positive impact that I can
have on student-athletes is a big part of
why I do what I do.
SEE AD | PAGE 18
as many underage drinkers were
initially present.
“People were flying out the doors
and there was only so much we could
do,” he said. “Those are alarming
numbers. That’s a busy night.”
Finding such a high number of
fake identifications in one location
is not common, but easier access to
vendors and lax bouncers at different
bars make underaged students in bars
more prevalent.
Ferraro and Loyola’s Associate
Dean of Students Kenechukwu Mmeje
said that, today, students have easier
access to vendors that sell fraudulent
IDs, and both link this to the unusual
number of students seen at Bar 63.
“Nowadays you can go to any
host of websites and order in batch
quantities fraudulent IDs. They’re
mailed to you so there’s not much
effort that’s required,” said Mmeje.
While the IDs can be convincing,
Ferraro said his officers and trained
bouncers can still distinguish between
the real and fake IDs.
“There’s a huge amount coming out
of China.They’re good, but they aren’t
infallible,” Ferraro said. “We obviously
know what we’re looking for.”
SEE FAKE ID | PAGE 5
Hitting the right keys
Senior pianist set to release second album
BY ALEXANDRA JONKER
ajonker@luc.edu
than words. Because of this motivation,
he continued to take lessons up until his
sophomore year of high school.
“My own compositions have been
in the works ever since that first note,”
he said. “I have always had an urge to
express my thoughts and ideas in a
certain rhythm — a rhythm in which
words could never fully satisfy.”
In this age of digital music, our ears
are constantly exposed to EDM and
dubstep, making it hard to believe that
any instrumental music is alive in the
world today. But there is — you just
have to know where to find it. Luckily,
your search is short, because right here
at Loyola, there’s senior international
business major Kevin Koprowski.
Having trained as a jazz pianist since
“My own compositions
the third grade, his initial piano-playing
have been in the works
trajectory was like most other kids’.
ever since that first note. I
He went through the usual frustrations
have always had an urge to
that come with mastering a difficult
express my thoughts and
art, wanting to quit piano altogether
multiple times. But he had his reasons ideas in a certain rhythm —
a rhythm in which words could
for sticking with the instrument.
never fully satisfy.”
“I knew that I had something
different to share,” said Koprowski. “I
Kevin Koprowski
would mess around on keyboards and
international studies major, 21
pianos any chance I had — after music
class, after church and anywhere I saw
In high school, when music became
that signature row of black and whites.” a serious aspiration, Koprowski
He has composed his own works released his first album, Stillness,
since third grade, realizing that music which gained him recognition in his
was an opportunity to speak to people Milwaukee community and helped him
through a medium that is more powerful to earn first place in his high school’s
“
talent show his senior year.
Recently, however, he has been
working on his second release, set to
come out in January. Titled EXIIST,
the album features all original pieces
recorded live by Koprowski without
any rehearsals, sheet music or specific
plans — essentially freestyle. In fact,
you will never find him with sheet music
of any kind; Koprowski always tries to
play spur of the moment. He does this
with the incentive to better understand
every moment and find life’s “hidden
blessings,” creating what he describes as
the soundtrack to his life.
“My creations are rooted deeply in
my emotion and understanding of the
world you and I live in,” he said. “Nothing
is as real and authentic as when I sit down
in front of those ivories with a blank
page in my head. I live in the moment;
therefore, I play in the moment.”
That authenticity is a large part of
his creative process. He’ll usually play a
few notes or chords and run with what
sounds good to him at that time. This
process can take as little as three minutes
or as long as a half hour.
SEE PIANIST | PAGE 14
2 DECEMBER 3, 2014 | LOYOLA PHOENIX
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
It’s a Tuesday night and the only lights on at Loyola’s
School of Communication come from the newsroom
of The Phoenix. Inside, a handful of editors finish up
the pages of yet another issue of the paper, scheduled
to hit the stands the following day. They are students
from various career paths, some in journalism, some
in political science, some in biochemistry — they all
represent student media.
This week they’re working on the last issue of the
semester, the “season finale” that closes up one story
and teases to the next one, to another semester of hard
work. It’s been a semester packed with stories making
headlines in Loyola, Chicago and the world, and they
are seasoned now in breaking down the complex facts
to you, the readers who continue to pick up the paper
while waiting for the shuttle, grabbing something to eat
at the Damen Student Center or preparing for a long
night of studying in the IC.
This semester has had many highs and lows. We
started strong with a move-in issue welcoming students
to Loyola and the Rogers Park neighborhood, followed
by hard-hitting pieces that garnered the attention of Chicago
media to our work: the suspension of a fraternity on campus,
the crime index in our community, the proliferation of
spiders and more.We went out and asked you your opinion
on the new quad, we were there when the new finals
schedule rolled out and we broke the finding of a missing
student earlier this semester.
We were in the stands of Gentile Arena getting the
latest plays and scores of our teams. We were in the pews
of Madonna della Strada getting video of the new bells
that marked the completion of the chapel after 75 years of
work.We were there, stepping on the newly planted sod of
the West Quad and glued to our computers when the new
athletic director was announced.
Our writers have been everywhere, from local joints to
concert venues to the offices of university administrators,
asking the hard questions, explaining the complex stories
happening around us. We’ve walked the extra mile with
you, from the sunny late summer days to the bitter cold
winter nights.We’ve all done it together.
It’s a wrap for The Phoenix this semester and we’re going
out in full swing, bringing you the top stories. It’s been a
long, event-packed semester, and even if the presses stop for
a month, we’ll continue to keep you up-to-date with our
website and social media throughout break. Don’t forget to
check us out online and keep rising with The Phoenix this
winter, next semester and beyond.
ESTHER D. CASTILLEJO
Editor-in-Chief
@estherdcast
SECURITY
NOTEBOOK
Compiled from Campus Safety Reports
Times represent when incidents were reported, not necessarily when they occurred.
Nov. 24, 3:02 p.m.
1 Monday,
A fake ID was found in the lost and found in Cudahy Library.
Nov. 24, 7:01 p.m.
2 Monday,
A student reported that an unknown person opened an envelope sent to her
and removed its contents.
Nov. 24, 9:59 p.m.
3 Monday,
A fake ID was found in the lost and found in Damen Student Center.
4 A fake ID was found in the lost and found in Cudahy Library.
Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2:01 a.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 25, 3:34 p.m.
5 Two individuals were arrested after being found smoking marijuana in a
vehicle. A search of the vehicle resulted in officers finding 231 grams of
marijuana.
Dec. 1, 7:04 a.m.
6 Monday,
A person not affiliated with Loyola was found sleeping in a hall of Grenada
Center and was issued a trespassing warning and escorted off campus.
Security
Notebook Map
Check out where this
week’s security notebook
incidents occurred. Numbers
correspond to above.
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news editor
assistant news editor
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closer look editor
A&E editor
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ac ng opinion editor
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NEWS | DECEMBER 3, 2014
CTA cracks
down on
UPass usage
erfor s car verification
chec s to li it revenue loss fro
frau ulent use
Ellen Bauch // The Phoenix
BY MARY BYRNE
mbyrne3@luc.edu
Borrowing UPasses may no
longer be an option for students
trying to save their friends and
family a few dollars.
To ensure that free and reduced-fare cards are used by the
rightful card owners, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)
is performing card-verification checks before riders pass
through turnstiles. CTA President Forrest Claypool said in
a November press release the
checks involve verifying that the
photo on the card matches the
face of the ride.
“We take any incident of
fraud seriously and are taking steps to protect innocent
customers from being taken
advantage of, as well as protecting all other fare-paying
customers from having to subsidize improper use of these
programs,” Claypool said in
the release.
Free and reduced-fare card
programs include seniors, people
with disabilities and UPass users,
according to the CTA. The checks
are meant to reduce fraudulent
use of train cards and guarantee
that the people using the cards
qualify for them.
Beginning in October, the
CTA started checking cards
with photo identification at all
railway stations throughout Chicago and the suburbs. As a result
of these checks, 1,800 fraudulent free and reduced-fare ride
cards were collected, which
amounted to an estimated revenue loss of $2.8 million dollars
for the CTA.
The checks have been met
with mixed reviews from
Loyola students. While some
understood the logic behind
the checks, they were frustrated by the interruption in
their commute.
Sophomore Maria Riegel
said she knows of a lot of students who borrow the cards
of other Loyola students when
family and friends come to visit. It’s a trend among students,
she said.
Riegel had her UPass
checked at the Chicago Red
Line station in the middle of
November. Officers stopped
her and asked her to show her
UPass before passing through
the turnstiles.
“I was really surprised that
they were checking,” said Riegel. “I never thought they
would actually check.”
Junior Brendan Creamer
had his UPass checked before
passing through the turnstiles
of the Loyola Red Line stop.
He was in a rush to get to class
on the Water Tower Campus,
he said.
“There were two officers
who stopped me and asked to
see my ID,” said the 21-year-old
marketing major. “I was kind of
pissed off and annoyed because
I was rushing off to my 9:20
class, but it really only took
like five seconds. Even though
I've got my own UPass it's still
scary and intimidating."
Jimmy Kurzawa, 20, said
he hasn’t been stopped yet by
the CTA.
“It’s annoying when you’re in
a rush to catch the train,” said
the junior film and production
major. “But it makes sense because we’re basically stealing
from the train.”
Not all students agree with
the checks, though. Emina
Hadzik is frustrated with the
new measure the CTA is taking.
“It’s absolute nonsense. CTA
are only just now doing their jobs
when people have been cheating the system all along,” said
Hadzik, 19, referencing people
she has seen jump over or under
the turnstiles.
“For the amount of money
we’re paying we shouldn’t have
to deal with [UPass checks],”
said the sophomore visual communications major. She added
that it’s unfair that riders without photo identification aren’t
being checked.
Reigel, however, said that
as someone who lost her UPass
last year, she supports the CTA
verification checks.
She added that with these
checks in place, it might have
been possible for her card to
have been found in the hands of
another rider.
Have an eye for news?
The Phoenix is
looking for
News Contributors!
Interested? Contact
Grace Runkel at
grunkel@luc.edu
3
4 DECEMBER 3, 2014 | NEWS
Mary Byrne // The Phoenix
Jeff Dreyfuss and his son Tony Dreyfuss opened the doors of Metropolis Coffee Company on Granville Avenue in 2003. Since then, the cafe has become a regular spot for Rogers Park residents and Loyola students.
Metropolis owner blends language, coffee
BY MARY BYRNE
mbyrne3@luc.edu
To some, he’s an old friend
with a shared passion for coffee
and conversation. To others, he’s
just another coffee shop regular
–– pouring over a language textbook at one of Metropolis Coffee
Company’s mismatched tables,
taking the occasional break to
chat with neighbors or sip his
black coffee.
As he chats with customers
–– addressing many by name
and offering a wide smile to students as they rush to finish their
first espresso of the day –– Jeff
Dreyfuss fits right in the mix of
people who are at the cafe for
work or pleasure. But for all
that he contributes to the early morning and late afternoon
buzz of coffee shop chatter, he is
more than just one of Metropolis’ repeat customers.
In fact, Dreyfuss is one of the
two men behind Metropolis, the
coffee shop that fuels the coffee
addiction of anyone who’s ever
stopped by for a morning cup of
joe. With his son Tony, Dreyfuss
opened the doors of Metropolis at 1039 W. Granville Ave. ––
one block south of Loyola’s Lake
Shore Campus –– in 2003.
“We took a chance, a big
chance,” said Dreyfuss. “Other
coffee companies had opened in
trendy places, like Wicker Park
and Lincoln Square… And then
it was like, ‘Hey, Loyola’s near-
by,’” he said, adding that Metropolis also served as a contrast to
the rundown condition of the
neighborhood when the business
first opened.
Tony said he considers his and
Dreyfuss’ father-son relationship
“non-conventional.” He explained
that even before they got into
business together, the two were
always on equal to one another.
Tony described his father as
paradoxical. Dreyfuss is a concert-level flutist, but wears
wrestling pants and clogs to the
opera; he’s a member of a secret, back-alley ping-pong club
in Chinatown, but loves to drive
expensive sports cars, Tony said.
In other ways, he’s very regimented, Tony added. For example, he’s taken a two to three
hour nap every day for as long as
Tony can remember.
Though Dreyfuss is no longer Metropolis’ master roaster
or working behind the counter
at the register –– a short-lived
position because of his reputation for long conversations with
customers –– he’s still involved
in top-level decision making.
But when Dreyfuss isn’t using his time to make some of
the company’s biggest decisions,
he’s doing what he might consider the next best thing: studying languages. In addition to
English, Dreyfuss knows 11 languages, he said, and speaks four
of them –– Spanish, Indonesian,
Japanese and Italian –– relative-
ly fluently. He also speaks Polish, French, Russian, German,
Arabic and Portuguese at varying degrees of fluency.
“I love not understanding a
word. I think to learn a language,
you have to be a clown,” Dreyfuss said. “You have to not find it
terrible to have people laughing
at you and not immediately responding with, ‘what a fool I am.’
You have to want more of that.”
His most recent challenges
have been Turkish and Korean.
“I’m learning Turkish right
now because I want to go to Turkey and I want to talk to people
and laugh, and not just find where
the bathroom is,” he said, adding
that he is currently in the process
of teaching himself Korean for a
business trip to South Korea.
“I want to be able to at least
read and know what I’m looking at,” he said. “Knowing a few
phrases is fun for me.”
Dreyfuss doesn’t just learn
languages for business, though.
Often, he is drawn to a language simply by being around
a person or a group of people
who speak it.
“I love learning languages,” he
said. “I enjoy the process of trying
to figure stuff out. Languages bring
a lot of that pleasure to me, of trying to figure things out. It’s sort of
like good confusion in a way.”
His first experience learning a
language happened while he was
in the Peace Corps avoiding the
Vietnam War, he said. He never
took the language exam for the
Peace Corps, which meant that
he earned a zero in his “ability to
learn language.”
“If there’s one thing I can do
in life, it’s learning languages,”
he said, laughing. “So in their infinite wisdom, they sent me to an
English-speaking country.”
Or so they thought.
He arrived to the island of
Saint Lucia in the Caribbean
to find that nobody spoke English. They spoke Haitian-Creole, he said, which is similar to
French-Creole. That was his first
experience learning a new language through immersion.
Dreyfuss and his wife opened
the Wisconsin English Second
Language Institute in Madison,
Wisconsin, for foreign students,
journalists, government workers, officials and anybody looking
to learn the language. In 1998,
after 16 years of ownership, they
sold the school and moved to Seattle, where he took a position
teaching Indonesian language
and culture at the University of
Washington.
It was in Seattle that he befriended the master roaster of a local coffee
shop and first began the art of cupping, or coffee tasting, he said.
On a whim, the father and son
team purchased a coffee roaster at Coffee Fest, a coffee trade
show in Seattle, and brought it to
Chicago where they would open
a coffee shop a few years later.
Since Dreyfuss quit his teach-
ing job in Seattle to open Metropolis, he’s found that his love
for coffee and languages have
gone hand-in-hand.
“My languages help a lot, I
think,” Dreyfuss said. “I speak
a lot of the coffee languages well enough that I can stay
at somebody’s house and feel
around … I can find out things
that have nothing to do with
coffee, but yet they do have to
do with coffee.”
He explained that knowing
the languages of the communities
where Metropolis buys its coffee
beans helps him to understand
the levels of context around the
coffee –– the social background
of the community and the sustainability of coffee growing in
places such as St. Agustin, Huila
in Colombia, the Yirgacheffe region in Ethiopia or Antiqua Valley in Guatemala. Quality of life,
from the farmers to the customers, and sustainability in all respects, are central to the mission
of Metropolis.
Dreyfuss is complex, Tony
said, but his most notable quality is his ability to create connections with everyone he meets.
“There’s really nobody in the
world [who is] anything like him.
He’s unique,” Tony said. “He has
this gift where anyone he’s talking
to, [he makes them] feel really
special. I think that’s maybe the
coolest thing about working with
him –– seeing the way he connects
with people.”
NEWS | DECEMBER 3, 2014
5
PHOENIX 101
FINALS 101
Winter break is almost here, but first students must get through
finals week. Luckily, there is still time to perfect study habits and
avoid cramming in order to ace those final exams.
Are group study sessions a good idea?
Group study sessions can be a
great way to review topics with
your classmates. They are most effective when everyone has already
studied on their own and can discuss the topics more in-depth.
Just be careful not to get off topic and turn study time into social
time. If you know you won’t be
able to focus in a group, it might
be best to study by yourself.
However, quizzing is one of the
best ways to test your memory, ac-
cording to the American Psychological Association. Pairing up with
a friend from class or your roommate to review key concepts will
help you make sure you remember
information for your exam.
Where are the
places to study?
best
mation Commons will be busier
than normal during the week of exams, so students looking for a calm
environment should search elsewhere. Off-campus coffee shops or
open classrooms are alternatives to
the hectic IC.
Alberto Qperello// Wikimedia Commons
University of Illinois. This means
students stop processing their notes
because they stop paying attention to
them, said the study’s leader Alejandro Llera. Two- to three-hour study
sessions are more effective than a day
spent in the library.
Should I spend the How should I spend my
study breaks?
For finals week, the best place whole week studying?
to study is somewhere you haven’t been going all semester. Altering your study space can help
improve memory and retention,
according to the New York Times.
Campus libraries and the Infor-
No. Over-studying for a test can
almost be as bad as not studying at
all. Study sessions that span over several hours actually cause someone’s
“attentional resources” to plummet,
according to a 2008 study by the
Exercising is a great way to
spend breaks. Moving around burns
the bottled-up energy you have
from a day of studying, and is a great
stress reliever. Students can also attend the Finals Breakfast, during
which professors serve breakfast to
their students for free. This semester the breakfast is expected to take
place on Dec. 9, from 9:30 p.m. to
11 p.m throughout Damen Student
Center and the Centennial Forum
Student Union on the Lake Shore
Campus and from 9 p.m. to 10:30
p.m. at Kasbeer Hall in the Corboy
Law Center on the Water Tower
Campus (WTC).
Campus Recreation at the
WTC Fitness Center will also offer “Candlelight Yoga” Sunday Dec.
7 to de-stress and recharge from
the first week of finals at 8 p.m.
FAKE ID: 45 students arrested in Rogers Park checks
continued from page 1
Citations are typically given
on the street outside of the business, but due to the large number
of students present and the cold
weather in the November bust,
Ferraro requested assistance
from Loyola’s Campus Safety
to transport the students somewhere indoors.
“It was freezing cold out. I
wanted to get them to a warm,
safe place off the street,” he said.
Although Loyola’s Chief of
Police and Director of Campus
Safety Thomas Murray was notified by Ferraro earlier that day
that checks would occur, transporting the students to Campus
Safety’s offices was Loyola’s only
involvement in the operation.
Generally, the university has
no involvement in scheduling or
carrying out raids in bars around
Loyola’s campuses.
All 45 students caught in November were arrested and charged
with a Class A misdemeanor: the
unlawful possession of fraudulent IDs. With this charge, judges
can set bail at $1,500 and require
10 percent of the payment to be
made in cash.
However, none of the students charged that night were
required to pay. By promising to
appear in court, Ferraro said the
students could avoid their bail.
“That’s a courtesy we extended to everyone we caught at the
Pumping Company and Bar 63
that night,” he said.
Once in court, Ferraro said
judges typically issue 40 hours of
community service. If these hours
are completed within three months,
the charges can be dropped from
the offender’s record.
However, Loyola students
must also face university consequences. Mmeje said students
may have to pay a $250 fine each,
depending on their prior offenses. Consequences like these are
part of Loyola’s efforts to keep
students safe, he said.
“When we talk about the safety of our students, obviously there
are the larger environmental factors that we try to address, but also
the decisions our students make on
a personal level that impact their
personal safety,” Mmeje said.
Getting caught with a fake
ID is a Class A Misdemeanor
so what does that mean?
1 If you’re caught with a fake ID — it doesn’t matter
if you were trying to use it or not — you can face
up to a one-year driver’s license suspension.
2
If you’re convicted of having or using a fake ID,
you can spend one to three years in prison, pay
a minimum fine of $500 and/or complete 40
hours of community service.
3 Fake ID posession or use charges come up
when students apply to master’s programs, internship and jobs. It’s easy for potential employers to find the old charges.
6 DECEMBER 3, 2014 | NEWS
It’s beginning to look
a lot like Christmas
BY MATTHEW RACCHINI AND
GRACE RUNKEL
mracchini@luc.edu, grunkel@luc.edu
As the weather gets colder, students start to walk a little faster on
the way to class. However, there are
some familiar faces on campus that
are in no rush to get to their destination: the three wise men.
For more than 10 years, the trio
has trekked westward from Lake
Michigan to the Nativity in front
of Mundelein Center, moving closer to their destination by just a few
yards per week.
The three wise men and the
Nativity aren’t the only signs of
the holiday season on campus,
though. Since mid-November,
grounds workers with the Division of Facilities Department have
worked to decorate the campus in
time for Christmas.
Loyola’s director of Environmental Services Bill Curtin has taken the
leading role in the decoration set-up
for more than eight years and said
the Nativity is still his favorite piece.
The decorations on campus
have not changed much during
Curtin’s time at Loyola. Except
for the trees and garland on lamp
posts, he said most of the decorations are reused every year.
Changes to the design are typically made whenever new buildings
or projects are finished.
“There may be something added
when new buildings are built.When
new buildings come on we look at
what would be appropriate for that
location.There may be slight changes, but not many,” said Curtin.
Some of the changes this year
include lights on trees at St. Ignatius Community Plaza and around
the West Quad. These lights, like
the others seen around campus,
are LEDs. After a four-year transition, Curtin said all the Christmas
lights have been replaced with energy-saving bulbs.
“They last a lot longer and they
use very little electricity. They are
very visible,” Curtin said.
Students such as sophomore
Alekya Prathivadi have welcomed
the decorations.
“I love Christmas lights on trees
… I think they look really nice on
campus,” said the 19-year-old biology major. “I do wish they would put
[lights] up on more trees because
I’ve only really seen them on half
of the West Quad and the little strip
on Kenmore, but even the few that
they have look very nice.”
Other students appreciate the
modesty of the decorations, including junior Rachyl Shanker.
“I think they’re at a good level,”
the 20-year-old molecular biology
major said. “They get everyone in
the holiday spirit without [excessively promoting] one religion.”
The students who are most
grateful for the decorations are
those that will remain near campus
during Christmas break, said senior
Bradley Dabdoub.
“I really appreciate the fact that
they put them up there. I know a lot
of students don’t necessarily have
somewhere else that they go over
Christmas break. They hang around
campus or have an apartment,” the
26-year-old international studies
and economics double major said.
“For them it means a lot because
it kind of brings out the Christmas
spirit on campus for people that aren’t going to go home.”
Come the first two weeks of January, the three wise men will make
another journey. This time the destination will be 6317 N. Broadway
–– Loyola’s mailroom and warehouse. Afterwards, for 11 months
all the decorations will sit in storage,
waiting patiently to come out and
deck Loyola’s halls once again.
Photos by Ellen Bauch // The Phoenix
Top: Trees that surround the new West Quad are wrapped in lights in celebration of the holiday season. Middle: The west
entrance is lit up and decorated with Christmas trees and wreaths, greeting Loyolans and visitors as they enter campus. Bottom:
Damen Student Center’s Information Desk joins in the holiday spirit with an assortment of decorations dispersed through the
whole building.
OPINION | DECEMBER 3, 2014
7
OPINION
Grand jury decision shows bias
STAFF EDITORIAL
Racial prejudice is alive and well in the justice system. To say the contrary would indicate you either ignorantly believe racism is a
thing of the past or you’ve been living under
a rock.
Nothing amplifies racism and injustice
more than what recently took place in Ferguson, Missouri, on Monday, Nov. 24. A
grand jury, which had been deliberating for
months, found no cause to indict Officer Darren Wilson for the killing of unarmed Michael
Brown, an 18-year-old black teenager. An indictment is when a person is formally charged
with a crime.
No cause.
If the grand jury could not find a single
cause to charge Wilson, then the prosecution
utterly failed at its job. While this is a state
case, out of more than 160,000 federal cases prosecutors chose to pursue from 20092010, a grand jury decided not to indict only
11 times, according to a report by the Washington Post.
The reason the decision not to indict happens so rarely is because the prosecutor and
jurors only have to find “probable cause” that
the defendant committed a crime. Probable
cause doesn’t prove the person is guilty of the
crime. It merely determines that the person
could possibly have committed the crime. In
this particular case, the grand jury had to find
probable cause that Wilson shot Brown without a legitimate fear for his own life.
With that in mind, County Prosecutor
Robert McCulloch completely butchered the
grand jury hearings, either because of personal bias or sheer ineptitude. There is some
inclination to believe the first, as several of
McCulloch’s close relatives worked for the
St. Louis Police Department.
In fact, his own father was shot and killed in
the line of duty by a black man who had stolen
his gun, according to The Intercept, an online
publication created by First Look Media.
But despite the clear personal ties to the
case, the requests from Brown’s family attorney for a special prosecutor to take over
were denied.
And so the butchery commenced.
Instead of only providing evidence that
Wilson committed a crime, which is entirely
within the prosecutor’s rights in a grand jury
setting, McCulloch decided to dump all the
evidence on the jurors at once and let them
come to their own conclusion.
What’s more, the prosecution let Wilson
take the stand for more than four hours with
minimal cross-examination.This is particularly
peculiar, as defendants don’t typically testify in
grand jury proceedings. They are not allowed
to have their attorney present and are therefore usually subject to harsh cross-examination
from the prosecution. Instead,Wilson was free
to give his version of the incident with minimal
questioning from McCulloch and his two fellow prosecutors.
Benjamin Crump, one of the attorneys
representing Brown’s family, said that “a
first-year law student would have done a
Neil Cooler//Flickr
The erguson grand ury’s decision to not indict
better job” cross-examining Wilson than
McCulloch did.
While a first-year law student might be
an exaggeration, though not an extreme one,
most competent practicing attorneys could
have highlighted certain evidence that would
indicate there was probable cause that Wilson
shot Brown without fear for his own safety.
The photos taken of Wilson’s injuries at
the hospital after the incident show extremely minimal bruising. The skin appears flushed
in places, but that is all. This doesn’t seem to
align with Wilson’s original claim that Brown
“had punched and scratched him repeatedly,
leaving swelling on his face and cuts on his
neck,” as reported by the New York Times.
The apparent lack of even moderate injuries
in contrast to what Wilson claimed to be a
potentially “fatal” attack would have been
enough to constitute probable cause that Wilson didn’t have reason to fear for his life.
Though there was some validity to McCulloch’s claim that some of the testimonies
from various witnesses conflicted with each
other and that some witnesses changed their
stories once they were under oath, 16 witnesses did say that Brown surrendered, with
his hands raised in some sort of fashion, according to research by PBS Newshour.
The prosecution instead decided to disregard much of the testimonies of these witnesses
and highlighted the story of Witness No. 10 ––
one of only two people who explicitly denied
Brown’s hands were raised –– who agreed with
Wilson that Brown was running full charge at
him when he was firing his weapon.
This is the prosecuting attorney. Not the
defense attorney. Yet McCulloch seemed to
be indicting his own client, Brown.
If he were interested in indicting Wilson,
McCulloch could have focused the grand jury
only on the testimony of Dorian Johnson,
THE PHOENIX
EDITORIAL BOARD
cer arren ilson has spar ed protests across the country, such as this one in ashington,
who was with Brown through the entire incident. Johnson was adamant that it was Wilson
who instigated the confrontation and grabbed
Brown from inside the vehicle, according to
the evidence released to the public. His version
of the events tells the story of a police officer
using intimidation tactics that needlessly escalated a situation, not of a police officer fighting
for survival. Johnson’s testimony would have
been enough to constitute probable cause that
Wilson didn’t have reason to fear for his life.
But the prosecution wasn’t interested in
Johnson’s testimony.
The prosecution wasn’t interested in the
fact that, despite Wilson’s claim that he “felt
like a 5-year-old holding onto Hulk Hogan,”
the two men were actually somewhat similar
in size (Brown was 6’4”, 292 pounds; Wilson
is 6’4”, 210 pounds).
It wasn’t interested in the fact that Wilson
was more than 140 feet away from Brown when
he struck the 18-year-old with the first volley of
bullets, according to the evidence released.This
was contrary to the distance of 35 feet the Ferguson Police Department initially claimed.
It wasn’t interested in these facts that
would constitute probable cause that Wilson
didn’t have reason to fear for his life.
McCulloch and his fellow attorneys
weren’t interested in these facts because they
weren’t interested in indicting Wilson.
The prosecution was way more keen on
portraying Brown as a young black thug fresh
off robbing a convenience store while high
than as the unarmed victim of a police shooting. The prosecution was, in fact, trying to
prove the guilt of the person it was supposed
to be protecting.
While stealing cigarillos and pushing the
store owner were far from exemplary conduct, Brown’s actions on that August day
were by no means punishable by death. Yet
the prosecution’s unfathomable mishandling
of the grand jury proceedings didn’t even allow an indictment of Wilson, making it impossible for an actual trial to take place, let
alone justice for Brown’s needless and avoidable death.
The Phoenix Editorial Board believes that
all this is the result of McCulloch’s unwavering support of the local police, which is a microcosm of the favorable view of policing by
the justice system across the nation, despite
its alarming violence.
In direct contrast to the idea that indictments are normally a trivial matter that was
mentioned above, police are rarely charged in
shooting incidents. In Dallas, there were 81
cases involving police shootings from 20082012. Only one officer was indicted, according to Ben Casselman of FiveThirtyEight, a
statistical analytics site.
That officers are not even being indicted,
let alone convicted, when there were an outrageous 1,217 deaths by police shooting from
2010-2012 according to a report by ProPublica, raises an eyebrow.
That officers are not being indicted when
32 out of every one million black men are
killed in police shootings in the U.S. while just
one out of one million white men is killed in
the same scenario, according to the same study,
is indicative of the downright racial prejudice
present in this nation’s justice system.
Unfortunately, Michael Brown won’t be
even close to the last case where black people’s rights are deemed lesser than whites’.
Until racial prejudice no longer runs rampant
in America’s courtrooms, the justice system
in this country will remain broken.
Justice was not achieved in the case of
Michael Brown, and The Phoenix Editorial
Board stands with the peaceful protestors in
Ferguson and across the nation.
Esther Castillejo Dominic Ciolli Ariahna Black Grace Runkel
Ashley Iannantone Bridget Murphy Joaquin Carrig Elizabeth Greiwe
8
DECEMBER 3, 2014 | OPINION
Executive action a step in the right direction
BY MEGAN SHANNON
mshannon2@luc.edu
President Barack Obama’s executive
action on immigration has sparked debate
nationwide. Media and political critic
backlash have exploded over this action,
allowing the content of the decision to
hide behind the political drama.
Obama was seriously hindered in what
action he could take, and yet the resulting changes are promising. Staying within his legal boundaries, Obama created
several new provisions that greatly benefit undocumented immigrants, student
visa holders and temporary workers. Although these are positive changes for immigration that expand the scope of our
immigration system, there are several
problems that remain prevalent.
Any decision that grants deferred action is just that, a process of deferred action with no possible gateway to citizenship available. Congress is the only one
with the power to change that, and the
current GOP-controlled Congress will
not address that issue anytime soon. Additionally the next president, or any president farther down the line, could easily
reverse this executive action. Obama’s
executive action grants temporary relief
for a broken immigration system, but it
remains to be seen how long this little
Band-Aid can cover a gaping wound.
Critics claim that Obama has misused
his presidential power in what some consider an unconstitutional decision. In
Neil Cooler//Flickr
n e ecu ve order has the force of law, but does not need to be approved by ongress
reality, Obama is simply increasing the
scope of the practice of prosecutorial
discretion, which was a common tool in
the American immigration system long
before this announcement. Prosecutorial
discretion is the power to legally prosecute what is deemed most important, in
this case as determined by Obama.
Essentially he is saying that undocumented people in the United States who
obey the laws and pay taxes will be temporarily overlooked in prosecutions or
deportations. Obama has charged Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
to focus on prosecuting those who have
committed crimes or not paid taxes while
in the United States, claiming that this is
the most efficient and beneficial use of
American resources. This prioritization
of deporting felons, not families, goes
into effect immediately and also includes
instructions for Customs and Border Protection and ICE to begin screening individuals in their custody who may qualify
for this new provision.
In addition to refocusing prosecution,
Obama has extended Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals (DACA) by removing
the eligibility age cap and extending the
renewal period to three-year increments.
The date of entry requirement, however,
has been pushed up from June 15, 2007
to Jan. 1, 2010.
While immigration advocates were
hopeful that deferred action would be
extended to the parents of DACA recipients, the executive action orders a new
provision only available to certain parents
of U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. These parents must meet certain
eligibility requirements, as well as pass a
background check and pay all outstanding taxes. They will then be granted temporary status and allowed their chance
to “play by the rules,” according to the
White House website.
In a half-hearted effort to soothe angry
Republicans, Obama has also promised
to crack down on illegal immigration by
continuing to deploy more resources and
strengthen the enforcement at the southern border. Officers are also directed to
focus their energies on individuals who
have recently crossed the border, in order
to stem the flow of people entering the
country illegally.
Besides addressing undocumented immigrants, the executive action also took a
stab at soothing big corporations and advocates of increased access for highly skilled
immigrants. The new policies aim at improving the immigration process for science, technology, engineering and mathematics workers and other highly qualified
workers seeking employment-based immigration. The policy memo that announced these particular changes calls
this a “modernization” of the immigrant
visa process, tasking U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services with several new
policies that will be fully explained later.
One extremely beneficial change allows
for college students present in the United States on student visas to extend their
stay by an additional 12 months post-grad,
while engaging in some sort of experience-related program or job.
Positive changes are a step in the right
direction; however, it remains to be seen
how much backlash and resistance these
new rules will meet. Can we trust our
immigration system to enforce these new
policies and use prosecutorial discretion
to relieve the strain on families? I hope
that the answer is yes and that the next
two years show the nation the benefits of
expanding immigration.
Megan Shannon is a contributing columnist
Accusations of pinkwashing are deceptive
BY NOGA BARPAL
nbarpal@luc.edu
It’s June 29, 2014 in Chicago, and the
annual Chicago Pride Parade is in full swing.
It’s a sea of color, cheers and laughter as
750,000 people join the celebration. After
the parade, revelers flock to Boystown for a
great night of dancing and partying.
Now let’s travel a couple weeks further
back in time to June 13. The location is
no longer Chicago, but the scene is nearly
identical. We are now in Israel at Tel Aviv
Pride Week. Once again, we are surrounded by drag queens, rainbow flags and sequined dresses. With more than 100,000
people in attendance, this is the largest gay
pride parade in the Middle East.
But Israel doesn’t just host an annual parade. It offers a safe haven for the
LGBTQIA community, a place where everyone is equal under the law and in the
minds of the people. In fact, it is against the
law to discriminate based on gender identity or sexual orientation in Israel.
LGBTQIA individuals openly serve
in both the government and the military,
where they are fully protected by the law.
Furthermore, queer couples have full adoption and inheritance rights and, although Israel adheres to the strictest form of Jewish
law by prohibiting gay marriage, the country recognizes common-law marriages and
same-sex marriages performed abroad.
On Wednesday, Dec. 3 Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) is hosting an event
called “The Politics of Being Fabulous in
the Holy Land,” asserting that Israel uses
its gay rights as a means to divert attention
from other political issues (a term known as
“pinkwashing”). If this doesn’t sound absurd
to you already, let me present an analogy.
Claiming Israel uses gay rights to hide
supposed human rights abuses is like saying
that states in the U.S. only grant marriage
equality to cover up their corrupt state legislatures.Yet no one would make that claim
here in the United States, so why should it
apply to Israel?
In reality, Israel is surrounded by
Arab countries where openly gay people are subject to beatings, imprison-
ment and sometimes death. And when
LGBTQIA individuals, including Palestinians, seek refuge, it is Israel that frees
them from persecution.
Even within the ranks of progressive
countries, Israel still holds one of the best
track records for LGBTQIA rights. Why?
Because Israel is striving toward equality
of all peoples. Because Israel recognizes the
value of every individual. Because it’s the
right thing to do.
Noga Barpal is a contributing columnist
Ted Eytan// i imedia ommons
The sraeli city of Tel viv is host to the largest gay pride event in the Middle East, with more than
,
par cipants at the
event
PHOTO BRIEFS | DECEMBER 3, 2014
9
PHOTO BRIEFS
ri ht li hts an uffy sno
ay e the ost o vious indicators that Christmas is right around the corner, but you can’t overlook the retail tools that gain
a large amount of attention in a busy city such as
Chicago: window displays. The amount of time and
care put into holiday-themed displays is not only unparalleled, but also successful, as a walk down Michigan Avenue transforms into a walk through the North
Pole. The next time you’re downtown, don’t be afraid
to peer into the festive displays with some excitement
like you’re a child straight out of A Christmas Story.
BY ELLEN BAUCH | ebauch@luc.edu
1-2,10: Dylan’s Candy Bar on Michigan Avenue boasts colorful, sugar-inspired decor. 3: To no one’s surprise, Frozen was the subject of choice for the window display at the Disney
Store on Michigan Avenue. 4, 7-8, 12: Macy’s on State Street takes the prize for the most elaborate window displays, complete with animation. 6. Cartier on Michigan Avenue features
an elegant holiday jewelry display. 9, 11: Anthropologie on Chicago Avenue appropriately shows an abundance of birds enjoying a winter atmosphere. 13. Cole Haan on Michigan
Avenue displays a plethora of oversized, snowy wreaths.
10 DECEMBER 3, 2014 | CLOSER LOOK
Getting
HOME FOR THE
ELIZABETH GREIWE | egreiwe@luc.edu
HOLIDAYS
Holiday travel can be hell. After finals, the last thing you want to deal with is
Chicago’s long lines, travel delays and terrible weather. The city’s busiest airport, O’Hare International Airport, was recently rated the worst U.S. airport
during the winter according to Hopper, a flight data site. Some 42 percent of
O’Hare flights are delayed in the winter. With that in mind, The PHOENIX pulled
from a mix of hard-won experiences, friends’ advice and tips from some Redditors to help you get home in one piece this winter break.
O’HARE
SCHEDULE YOUR FLIGHT BEFORE NOON IF POSSIBLE
Chicago’s notoriously bad weather causes a lot of flight delays,
and delays only snowball. If you nab an early flight, you’re less
likely to get stranded in the airport for hours on end.
ARRIVE EARLY
They’re not kidding about the two hours before your flight
thing — especially if you’re flying Spirit. Around the holidays,
lines at O’Hare are insane. If you’re taking the Blue Line out to
O’Hare, make sure to get to the Loyola stop three and a half
hours before your flight takes off.
GET PICKED UP IN DEPARTURES
If you’re having someone pick you up from O’Hare when you
get back from break, agree to meet in the departures area rather than arrivals. Arrivals gets swamped with cars, and airport
employees are constantly shepherding drivers out of there. Departures is much calmer and drivers can park for longer. This
works better at night.
MIDWAY
GRAB A CHEAP BREAKFAST
Potbelly’s at Midway serves breakfast for $3.99. That’s not a
bad price for airport food, and you won’t feel as terrible as you
would going to McDonald’s. Go ahead and slap some giardiniera on an egg, sausage and cheese sandwich. That’ll kickstart
your morning.
STAY TO THE RIGHT
If you stay to the far right in the security line, you’ll often get
pushed into the pre-check line and fly through security. It
doesn’t always work, but you’ll be standing in line anyway, so
might as well try.
BRING A WATER BOTTLE
Both Midway and O’Hare have easy water bottle refill stations,
like Loyola’s. Bring your own and save yourself the $3 you’d
spend on a plastic water bottle at one of the kiosks.
DON’T TAKE UBER OR LYFT
FIND THE TORTA
While the services are allowed to drop passengers off at airports, they can’t pick them up there. If you want to take either Uber or Lyft, you have to take the Orange Line (or Blue
if you’re at O’Hare) one stop toward the city and set that as
your pickup location.
GET DRINKS TO GO
Buy a USB battery pack and use it as a portable charger for
your phone. They’ll run you about $15 on Amazon or at Marshall’s, but if you’re stuck in Midway without an outlet in sight,
you’ll at least be able to charge your phone.
Rick Bayless’ restaurant Tortas Frontera has locations in terminals 1, 3 and 5. The airport restaurant serves up a mean torta (a
Mexican sandwich) and has power outlets at all the bar seats.
Plus, it opens at 6 a.m.
If you’re 21 or older, you can sometimes ask for beer in a to-go
cup at airport bars. You’re free to drink it throughout O’Hare
— just don’t try to bring it on the plane with you. You’ll cause
delays and nobody will like you.
BRING YOUR POWER WITH YOU
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LOYOLA’S NEW SHUTTLE SERVICE
For $20 you can take Loyola’s new Loyola Limited express service to and from Midway or O’Hare. The service is first-come,
first-serve. You can reserve your ticket on loyolalimitedexpress.com. Your forearms will thank you for not taking the El.
CLOSER LOOK | DECEMBER 3, 2014
MEGABUS
BUY YOUR TICKET EARLY
Unlike plane tickets, bus ticket prices don’t really move up and
down day-to-day. They only go up. The earlier you buy them,
the cheaper they will be.
STAND AT THE END OF THE LINE
AMTRAK
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE WI-FI
Train rides tend to be long, so take advantage of the Wi-Fi to
get work done or catch up on your favorite TV shows. It almost
as if you never left your dorm room. Just don’t forget to bring
a pair of earbuds.
FIND THE DINING CAR
Once you see your bus at the corner of Jackson Boulevard and
Canal Street, everyone will try to rush on. But it’s easier to get
your luggage once you arrive at your destination if you hang
back a little before boarding the bus. That way, your luggage
will be on top of the pile.
Not every train will have one, but if there is a dining car, find
it and eat there at least once. Eating while traveling across the
country at a rapid pace will make you feel like you’ve reached
the height of civilization.
BRING YOUR OWN LUNCH
BRING YOUR OWN BED
Especially if you’re taking the bus to the nether regions of Minnesota, Iowa or Indiana, you’re going to want something to
munch on. Eight hours is a long time without food. The buses
often will pull over at a rest stop, but the only food available is
likely to be a Wendy’s or a Burger King. You’re better off bringing some of your own food.
DON’T EXPECT TO SLEEP
It’s a bus, not a cruise liner. Odds are your seat is going to be uncomfortable, the woman sitting next to you will be blasting Rihanna and the 10-year-old behind you won’t stop kicking your
chair. Bring a book, a movie or some soundproof headphones.
It’s going to be a long ride.
EAT SAFE THE DAY BEFORE
Like the ham sandwich or grilled cheese kind of safe. You don’t
want have anything that could upset your stomach. A cramped
space and a small, smelly bathroom does not welcome any
kind of stomach bug. You don’t need your fellow bus riders
knowing all your secrets.
Neither the seats nor the beds are very comfortable. If you can,
bring along a pillow and a blanket to help you get some shut
eye before you get home.
STRETCH YOUR LEGS
Train seats have more room around them than plane or bus
seats. Plus, you can walk around while the train is in motion.
Major bonus for those who have a hard time sitting through a
flight or bus trip.
DON’T BE LATE
The trains wait for no one. No. One.
11
12 DECEMBER 3, 2014 | A&E
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The work behind A Christmas Carol
BY LAYNE HILLESLAND
lhillesland@luc.edu
We know the story. Charles
Dickens’ A Christmas Carol has been
bringing us various “bah humbugs”
for more than 150 years. The story
has also been recurring at Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn St.)
for the last 35 years. The theater’s
current production of A Christmas
Carol is now playing on the Albert
Stage until Dec. 28.
The Phoenix spoke with
Goodman’s casting director,
Adam Belcuore, over the phone
about the casting process for A
Christmas Carol and what audiences can expect this year.
“Some of [the actors] roll over
into the next year and sometimes we
will replace people,” said Belcuore.
“If they’re unavailable, then they get
replaced or if we want to make an
artistic change they get replaced.”
For the production, each actor
plays multiple parts, such as Joe
Foust who plays the ghost of Jacob
Marley as well as Old Joe. Because
of this, Belcuore said that he needs
to look for actors who have “a certain malleability to their work.”
On top of having a wide range of
talents, Belcuore also looks for a
diverse set of actors.
“We like to represent our community at large and all of its many
facets, so we look for diversity in
terms of casting — in both gender
and ethnicity,” he said.
For this year, Belcuore ex-
plained that about half of the cast is
new, including the characters of the
Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present
and Future (Patrick Andrews, Lisa
Gaye Dixon and J. Salome Martinez). However, actor Larry Yando,
who plays the infamous Ebenezer
Scrooge, will be performing the
role for his eighth year in a row.
Along with Scrooge and
the ghosts, A Christmas Carol
wouldn’t be complete without
a cast of children who bring the
holiday spirit alive.
“The process for casting children
is a little bit more extensive,” Belcuore said. “We always do an open
call every year to allow kids from
across the community to come
down and audition for the play.”
Yet casting children requires a
different approach. Belcuore said
the challenge with children is that
since they’re so young, it’s difficult
to evaluate them. Belcuore instead
has to look for natural performing
abilities from the young actors.
“You can’t really apply the same
set of criteria as an adult has,” he
said. “You kind of have to look for an
innate talent or an instinct for performing that you can spot and then
trust that you can direct them and
mold them into the role you need.”
On top of the challenge of casting children, Belcuore also had to
determine his cast based off of vocal
talent. This performance isn’t a full
musical, but it does have music in
it, which requires some singing and
dancing abilities from the actors.
Chickpea
in the
Photo courtesy of Goodman Theatre
A Christmas Carol runs through Dec. 28 at Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn St.). Tickets cost $31-101.
“Basically, when [actors]
come in to audition we ask them
to sing at the first call,” he said.
“We don’t need every actor to
be an amazing singer, but we do
at least need a few voices here
and there that we can showcase
or that can support the group
as a whole. Although we may
not need glorious voices, we do
need them to keep pitch.”
Belcuore has been working for
Goodman for more than 11 years,
as either the casting or artistic director for many of Goodman’s
productions. His years working
in theater have helped him form
a lengthy process for spotting the
talent he needs.
A lot of the process comes from
remaining in contact with the director of each production and
coming up with what they want
each character to be like.
“I don’t cast the play in terms of
my own desires. I cast it in terms of
the director’s desires,” Belcuore said.
“I basically prod and poke at the director’s imagination … then I take
good notes and assimilate that to my
knowledge in the acting community.”
Whether it’s finding the perfect
Scrooge or the best cast of children,
Belcuore has a big task with casting
City Holiday
rangement of vegetables that serves
around four to five people, depending on everyone’s appetite. No matter what the holiday is, this dish will
pair well with any meal.
BY ADDIE MARTANOVIC
amartanovic@luc.edu
While numerous people are focused on eating delicious food this
holiday season, they tend to throw
the concept of nutrition out the
window. However, just because we
are celebrating with loved ones, it
doesn’t necessarily mean we have to
toss our healthy lifestyles behind us.
Of course, I will be reaching for
a second serving of sweet potatoes
and green beans, but who says they
need to be filled with a ton of sugar and butter? During family parties
and dinners, I try to focus on finding
recipes that bring together some of
my favorite fruits and vegetables that
are simple to prepare, without compromising satisfaction or flavor.
For this year’s Thanksgiving, I
incorporated some of my favorite
healthy dishes with my family’s
regular creamed mashed potatoes and sugar-filled cranberry
sauce. I ended up finding all of
my recipes on Pinterest, including a vegan green bean casserole
with a creamy cashew sauce and
a whole grain stuffing filled with
figs. When my family sat down
to eat together, no one could tell
that the stuffing was whole grain
or the casserole was vegan. With
just a few swaps, these dishes left
my family happily stuffed. I used
vegetable stock, organic dried
fruits and olive oil in these dishes
instead of butter and cream.
Out of the three dishes I made,
the roasted vegetable salad (originally from chef Elizabeth Stark of
BrooklynSupper.net) was the biggest
hit. This salad is easy to prepare for
students who are on a limited budget or short on time. Within about a
half hour, you can have a beautiful ar-
Roasted vegetable salad with
toasted pumpkin seeds (adapted from BrooklynSupper.net)
• olive oil, salt and pepper
• 1 bunch (around 7 to 9) carrots, peeled
• 1 bunch (at least 3) beets
• 1 bunch rainbow swiss chard
• 1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
and bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Blanch (a quick boil) carrots in the
boiling water for two minutes and the
beets for nine.Wash off each separately and make sure the skins of the beets
are removed (either slip or peel off).
Cut carrots into halves and beets
into quarters/cubes (if you can, arrange them on separate baking sheets
so the colors don’t bleed).
Drizzle 1-2 teaspoons of olive
oil and sea salt and pepper to taste
onto the vegetables and cook for
for most of Goodman’s productions. A Christmas Carol, however,
gives him the opportunity to experiment with his cast of characters
as well as how to portray Dickens’
classic Christmas novel.
“What I think is essential in
terms of telling the story well
[are] the qualities [and] energies
… that you sort of feel instinctually or [that are] necessary to tell
the story well,” he said.
A Christmas Carol runs through
Dec. 28 at Goodman Theatre (170
N. Dearborn St.). Tickets cost
$31-101 and are available for purchase at goodmantheatre.org.
Salad
15-20 minutes, flipping halfway
through.
Arrange the chard leaves on another baking pan and coat with a
light drizzle of olive oil. Place in
the oven for five minutes until the
leaves soften up.
While the leaves and vegetables
are in the oven, pour the sunflower
seeds into a saucepan with a teaspoon of olive oil. Heat until the
seeds start to pop, remove from
the heat and set aside to cool.
Arrange the swiss chard onto
a serving platter with the carrots
and beets dispersed on top.
Lastly, sprinkle the pumpkin
seeds, add a touch of salt and pepper and dig in!
With the right amount of olive
oil and sea salt, this colorful salad
is perfect without any dressing
— it would take away from the
flavor of the tender vegetables.
Serve this up for your family at
the next holiday get together and
you’ll be sure to wow them with
a nutritious dish that doesn’t sacrifice taste.
A&E | DECEMBER 3, 2014
13
Alex Clare greets fans after great performance
BY PHIL DAVIS
idavis1@luc.edu
It was a cold, blistery night (even for Chicago) when fans began lining up at the Metro
(3730 N. Clark St.) on Nov. 18. I can’t speak for
anyone else but I know one of the first thoughts
in my mind was “what the heck am I doing here,
I’m going to freeze to death.” Luckily the line
quickly started to shuffle into the venue and the
people piled in. Once inside, any doubts I had
were quickly squashed by Alex Clare. The British singer-songwriter whose music is influenced
by electronic/dance and rock, quietly came
onstage with his band and then delivered a loud
and heart-pounding show to fans.
Clare, whose hit “Too Close” invaded radio
waves back in 2012, delivered a thrilling Chicago
show. While currently touring in support of his
sophomore album Three Hearts, which dropped
earlier this year, the setlist was a fairly even mix of
songs from both Three Hearts and his debut album
In the Lateness of the Hour (2011).
The show began at a moderate pace with
“Never Let You Go” from Three Hearts. The
recorded version of the song features a strong
blend of drums, keyboard and trumpets. Unfortunately, since Clare’s band did not include
a trumpeter at the live show, those sounds,
along with many of the electronic sounds,
were produced onstage by a DJ. Any instance
where an instrument is replaced with a recording is of course disappointing, but at the
same time there are limitations with a small
traveling band. Either way, it wasn’t too much
of a drawback.
Regardless, the band and Clare sounded
great together. “Never Let You Go” is a not a
bad song, but it did not do much to get the
crowd amped up early on in the show. It is fairly
upbeat and has a positive sound to it, but a song
such as “Up All Night” from In the Lateness of the
Hour would’ve received a better response to
open up with due to its electrifying guitar riffs
at the beginning of the song.
However, Clare’s drummer and keyboardist
were phenomenal — especially the keyboardist,
who had a setup of about four or five keyboards that
he switched between throughout the setlist. Each
of the keyboards produced different sounds, so he
would use a different one depending on the song.
Clare’s powerful voice shone through the
band’s music most of the time, but every so often
his voice was drowned out by his band whenever
the music got too loud.This was definitely a drawback because Clare has a fantastic voice. During
the peak moments of some of the songs when I
wanted to hear his voice, all I heard was his band.
After “Never Let You Go,” Clare performed
“Hummingbird,” also from his first album. It was
then that the moderately sized crowd became
noticeably more energized. This was most likely
because the song is more electronic-based, featuring a heavy bass line with some keyboards on top,
which seemed to make the crowd want to dance.
In the Lateness of the Hour garnered a lot more
attention from critics due to its unique sound
compared to Clare’s more recent release Three
Hearts. Clare’s debut album was a strong blend
of rock vocals with electronic music, whereas his
new release has almost no electronic elements.
The crowd responded more to songs from his
first album because it was the one that made most
fall in love with Clare’s music in the first place.
Three Hearts isn’t a bad album; it just sounds
very different with its purely rock-based sound.
The songs are filled with drums and guitar instead of synthesizers and dubstep. With that in
mind, praise should be given to Clare. Even
though the songs from his two albums sound
Courtesy of Vic Mensa / Facebook
Rapper Vic Mensa performed in front of a large crowd at the Metro (3730 N. Clark St.) last Friday.
Vic Mensa holds hometown show
BY TIM NAGLE
tnagle@luc.edu
Over the past few years, the Chicago music
scene has seen a wave of young hip-hop artists
transcend from local stardom to the national stage. One of the brightest up-and-coming
artists is 21-year-old Vic Mensa, who played
a sold-out homecoming show at the Metro
(3730 N. Clark St.) on Friday, Nov. 28.
Mensa’s soul and acid jazz-influenced
sound, similar to that of Chance the Rapper and Mick Jenkins, has created a lot
of buzz in Chicago. Another genre that
has taken hip-hop by storm is the drill
wave. Drill music, created by South Side
rappers such as Lil Herb, SD and Fredo Santana, rap gangster-inspired lyrics
over trap and electronic style beats.
While the two styles of hip-hop differ from
each other, they both have produced some of
the biggest rising artists in hip-hop.
Mensa’s headlining performance was
one of the most hyped shows scheduled in
Chicago this fall. The South Side native was
originally the lead singer of the jazz and
blues group Kids These Days, which formed
when the members attended WhitneyYoung
High School in 2009.
The group broke up in 2013 and Mensa embarked on his solo career as a rapper.
His debut mixtape Innanetape landed him
a spot on the 2014 freshmen list from hiphop magazine XXL. Fellow Chicago rappers
Chance the Rapper, Lil Bibby and Lil Durk
joined Mensa on the list of some of the best
newcomers in the genre.
Mensa’s diverse musical background has
made him into the well-rounded artist he is today.
His style is hard to categorize because
he constantly crosses genres. He combines
singing and rapping over soul, jazz, blues and
house beats.
In his song “Orange Soda,” Mensa shows
one of his many talents by confidently rapping
over a soothing blues beat. He shows another
side of his musical ability when he harmonically sings over deep-house, electronic beats,
such as with the Disclosure-sounding instrumental on “Down On My Luck.”
very different, he and his band still managed to
perform a cohesive and well-rounded show.
Though the DJ produced a lot of the electronic elements at the show, many of the electronic elements were also reproduced with
live instruments. For example, the bassist performed many of the bass lines for the electronic
songs. These had the same melody as the original songs, but the bass wasn’t as deep or pronounced as on the original songs.
Clare’s band replaced other electronic elements with guitar. This combined sound produced a cool vibe, especially during the songs
“I Love You,” “Up All Night” and “Relax My Beloved,” all of which are from In the Lateness of the
Hour. This remixed sound provided a new take on
the songs while still remaining true to the style of
the original studio recording.
For the encore, Clare performed “Too
Close,” his biggest hit. Almost everyone in the
crowd who was already a fan was looking forward to this song all night, and sure enough, he
delivered big time.
From the second the song began, the
crowd was hyped up. The dubstep elements
got the concert-goers dancing, and Clare’s infectious vocals had many of the fans singing
at the top of their lungs. “Too Close” was the
best possible song to have chosen for the finale of an already great show.
The show ended after the encore. Clare
quickly thanked the audience and made a fast
exit to the side of the stage, which seemed a bit
abrupt.The fans were still cheering, but he did
not take any extra time to soak it in like most
artists do at the end of a show.
It wasn’t until I was making my way out
of the venue that I realized why he did so.
Clare had rushed from the stage to the exit
in order to greet every fan on their way out
Courtesy of Dan Medhurst
and wish them a good night. He was even
willing to sign autographs and take pictures. To me, that is the mark of a true artist. Clare took the time to genuinely show
his appreciation for his fans and to build a
personal relationship with them.
After giving a top-notch performance filled
with amazing musicianship and sincere kindness, Alex Clare gets my utmost respect and
admiration, both for his music and his personality. Somebody would’ve had to have a really
horrible day to walk out of The Metro that
night with negative feelings. If anyone wasn’t
already a fan, they sure became one after such
an incredible show.
14 DECEMBER 3, 2014 | A&E
Loyola’s own jazz pianist, web designer, mural painter
Continued from page
“It is quite simple how I
create a new song,” Koprowski
said. “I simply play a chord or
a pattern of notes that sounds
foreign to me, and I run with
it. I run as far as I can… because I know that as long as
the black and white keys work
alongside one another in unison, there is bound to be a
beautiful and colorful result.”
In addition to his originals, Koprowski also has a
number of recorded piano
covers. Popular songs such
as “Let It Go,” “Radioactive”
and a Bon Iver/Bob Marley
mashup are some of his favorites to perform.
On any given day, you
might find this young musician in a Mundelein practice
room or one of the beautiful
small c hapels on campus,
pounding away on a piano.
But he also dedicates time
to g raffiti ar t, which he has
tle of vice president of marketing for the store. He is
responsible for the design
of the website, pizza boxes
and the soon-to-be-installed
shuttle bus advertisements.
Adding to his portfolio is the
new mural he painted for the
Chainlinks’ storefront.
“The opportunities that I
have been given through Loyola
Limited, [the student-run
company that owns Chainlinks
and Felice’s], have been such
blessings that I can’t help but
reinvest my artistic talents into
[them],” Koprowski said.
As for the future, Koprowski plans to pursue
what he feels is his purpose:
playing piano. He hopes to
get his name out by beginning to frequent piano bars
Courtesy of Kevin Koprowski
and lounges across Chicago
Senior Kevin Koprowski has been playing the jazz piano since the third grade.
after his graduation in May.
Big-picture aspirations inbeen practicing for eight than class notes.”
clude
international cruise
year s. He admits that his
Stopping by Felice’s, you
ship
entertaining
to put his
notebooks are “full of more might also catch a glimpse of
international
business
degree
car toons and graffiti murals Koprowski. He holds the ti-
to use and musical festival
production.
His advice to the young
creators promotes individuality — a trait that he seems to
hold throughout his own musical career.
“Once you respect your
existence and know that you
are blessed to be you, you
can find a creative outlet
anywhere you look,” he said.
“Keep feeding the open mind
that breathes individuality
into your soul.”
With such a colorful mind
and creative existence, Koprowski seems to be on the
road to achieving one, if not
all, of his dreams with his new
album, EXIIST.
His last album, Stillness, and
dozens of additional songs are
all available on his SoundCloud
(https://soundcloud.com/
kevin-koprowski). You can also
type in “Kevin Koprowski” on
YouTube to watch his works of
art come to life.
Rise with The PHOENIX
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A&E | DECEMBER 3, 2014
Shake Shack
15
Courtesy of shakeshack.com
Shake Shack’s menu features a variety of burgers, hot dogs, french fries and desserts. The restaurant also features frozen custard, shack-made lemonade and dog treats such as “Pooch-ini.”
New York-based restaurant takes on Windy City, complete with great burgers and long lines
BY REGINA MERRILL
rmerrill@luc.edu
Because my Facebook feed
was cluttered with posts about
the opening of the popular burger chain Shake Shack in Chicago,
I decided that I should see what
all the fuss was about. The chain
started in New York in 2004, but
the Chicago location (66 E. Ohio
St.) just opened in River North
on Nov. 4. I went there the weekend after it opened, and the line
was still halfway down the block.
Hoping that it would be worth the
wait, my friends and I hesitantly
joined the line.
To our delight, Shake Shack was
clearly prepared to handle a big
crowd. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the line moved
quickly — it was about 20 minutes
from the time we got there until
when we placed our order. After
we ordered, we were each given
buzzers to notify us when our food
was ready, which turned out to be
just 10 minutes later.
Shake Shack keeps its menu
relatively simple when it comes to
burgers. Aside from a classic hamburger ($3.95) or cheeseburger
($4.95), it offers two special items:
the smoke shack burger ($6.45),
which has bacon, chopped cherry
peppers and the chain’s signature
shack sauce, and the ‘shroom burger ($6.90). I chose the ‘shroom
burger because a portobello mushroom stuffed with two types of
cheese (muenster and cheddar)
then fried and topped with lettuce,
tomato and shack sauce sounded
too good to pass up. If you want
to get all of that on top of a beef
patty, it’ll cost you $9.15. When I
ordered, the cashier warned me to
be careful when I first bit into it,
because they deep fry the cheesestuffed mushroom, so the cheese
can get pretty hot.
Fries do not come included
with the burgers, so I ordered the
classic crinkle cut fries ($2.90) to
go along with mine. You can also
order cheese fries for an extra dollar, which one of my friends did,
but he noted the fries were good
enough to stand on their own.
When I received my order, I
listened to the cashier’s warning
and carefully bit into my burger,
which thankfully did not burn my
mouth. The two types of cheese
really stood out, the smoothness
of the cheddar and the sharp flavor of the muenster made an excellent combination.
My only complaint was that the
shack sauce, which seems to be
some sort of spiced mayonnaise,
was overpowered by the cheese, so
I couldn’t really tell that it was on
my burger.
The general consensus of my
group was that the burgers were
a good size, not so large as to be
difficult to hold, but big enough to
be satisfying. Everyone also agreed
that what made Shake Shack better
than an average burger joint was
the quality of the hamburger meat.
It was a thick patty that was tender
and juicy. It tasted fresh — not like
an over-processed disc someone
had pulled out of the freezer.
My friend who ordered the
smoke shack burger really enjoyed it, noting that the bacon
was thick and the smokiness was a
nice complement to the burger. I
tried a bite and thought the spiciness of the cherry peppers was a
little overwhelming.
To wrap up my meal, I ordered
the shack attack concrete ($4.30
for a single). This frozen custard
feat has five different types of
chocolate in it: chocolate custard
mixed with fudge sauce, chocolate
truffle cookie dough (which tasted
more like fudgy brownie batter,
but that’s not a complaint), Vosges
black salt caramel chocolate and
chocolate sprinkles. The frozen
custard menu offers chocolate, vanilla and a flavor of the day to be
served in whatever milkshake or
concrete concoction you can come
up with.
What I appreciated about Shake
Shack is that the restaurant makes
an effort to integrate local Chicago
culture into its menu. It features a
“Shack-cago” dog ($4.00), Shake
Shack’s take on the classic Chicago
dog. It also has the salted carame“L”
custard ($4.30 for a single) — a
vanilla custard mixed with banana
and a Glazed and Infused salted
caramel old fashioned doughnut.
Items like these make the restaurant feel personal to the city, and
not just like another franchise.
If you enjoy trying new restaurants around Chicago, Shake Shack
is a fun place to go with friends because it can support a big crowd,
offers fast service and serves a
quality burger. Hopefully some
of the hype has died down so you
won’t have to wait too long. But
even if there is a line, know that it’s
worth the wait.
Bands to catch before semester comes to a close
BY KRISTEN TORRES
ktorres1@luc.edu
The semester is coming to a
close, and there’s only one plausible way to celebrate its end: moving and grooving to an awesome
band (or three), of course.
Whether Chicago-based or
from across the pond, talented
music acts are gracing our city
before we head back to our hometowns for the holidays to ring in
the new year. Catch one of these
shows, relax and let the relief wash
over you, because another semester is almost over.
28 North at the Red Line
Tap (7006 N. Glenwood Ave.)
Dec. 11 | $7 advance, $10 day of |
Doors open at 8 p.m.
28 North is everything a classic
rock band should be: a group producing albums with timeless lyrics and vocals that rejoice in the
power of music.
The band has an addicting familiarity that has garnered attention from all around the nation.
Dive into the power of a real
rock band and experience the
hip-shaking, head-bobbing craze
of one of the country’s most
up-and-coming rock bands in a
neighborhood venue. Supporting
bands for the night include alternative rock act Nick Caster and
The Pryzmatics.
The Wild Family at
Subterranean (2011 W. North
Ave.) Dec. 12 | $10 | Doors
open at 8 p.m.
The Wild Family gave the
indie-folk genre a whole new
meaning with its self-titled debut album, The Wild Family, which
dropped in February. Filled with
guitar-plucking, soulful vocals
and mind-soothing harmonic melodies, The Wild Family is
creeping out of the depths of Chicago’s endless music scene.
Sounding like the love child of
indie rock bands Mumford and
Sons and Neutral Milk Hotel, The
Wild Family blends the greatest aspects of timely acoustic songs with
the upbeat rhythm of bluegrass to
produce sing-along hits. Supporting acts for the night include rock
bands James and the Drifters and
the Jiggawatts.
The Bribes at the Hideout
(1354 W. Wabansia Ave.) Dec. 19 |
$10 | Doors open at 9 p.m.
Spend a night in the world of
The Bribes — an eerie, daunting and imaginative place,
where blues-rock tops all and
a certain type of genre-bending lyrical prowess prevails. The
Chicago-based band has been
playing its mood-shifting music
all around the city since 2011
and continues to be known for
its electric guitar and dark vocals. Join the trio as it continues to spark raging blues-crazed
madness everywhere it goes. The
band can be seen, playing with
supporting rock acts Bubbles
Brown and Natalie Grace Alford.
Knuckle Puck at the Met-
ro (3730 N. Clark St.) Dec. 27 |
$18 advance, $20 day of | Doors
open at 5 p.m.
Local pop-punk favorite
Knuckle Puck announced its next
show, rounding out the year at the
Metro. The date will also feature
Tinley Park punk-rock boys Real
Friends with supporting poppunk acts Front Porch Step and
Light Years.
Celebrate the end of the year
with all the angst you can handle. Knuckle Puck manages to
mix all the young adult struggles
it can muster up into its lyrics,
complemented by fast, beating
drums and infectiously good vocals — enough to make even the
Courtesy of Alt Press
Knuckle Puck will be at the Metro Dec. 27 along with Front Porch Step.
saddest of individuals feel that
much more at peace.
American Football at
the Bottom Lounge (1375 W. Lake
St.) Dec. 30 | $25 | Doors open
at 8 p.m.
If you’ve yet to see the elusive
soft-rock band American Football
live, then now is your chance.
The three-piece band made up
of Mike Kinsella (vocals), Steve
Holmes (guitar) and Steve Lamos (drums), gained fame for
its melancholic lyrics and fragile
rhythmic percussion that became
characteristic of its indie rock
sound. The trio has released one
self-titled album since it first got
together in 1998, and has rarely
toured over the past 16 years. But
the hiatus is about to end — the
band makes its Windy City debut
at the end of December.
JEFF the brotherhood at
The Empty Bottle (1035 N. Western Ave.) Dec. 31 | $25 | Doors
open at 9 p.m.
Come party with psychedelic
garage-rock band JEFF the brotherhood and ring in the new year
with the manic Tennessee duo.
Brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall
are playing at The Empty Bottle
and taking the stage with their
new, self-produced EP of covers,
titled Dig the Classics (2014). The
high-energy punk band has gained
critical acclaim from outlets such
as Rolling Stone, Spin and Pitchfork for its dedication to a hard
rock and full-throttle approach to
live performances.
16 DECEMBER 3, 2014 | A&E
The Phoenix sits down with Mockingjay star
BY LAYNE HILLESLAND
lhillesland@luc.edu
The first of book of Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games trilogy was released
in 2008. Two more books and a nearly complete movie series later, the
dystopian trilogy has received worldwide fame. Jennifer Lawrence plays
the protagonist, Katniss, alongside
Josh Hutcherson (Peeta) and Liam
Hemsworth (Gale) who pine for Katniss’ love. While each of these actors
has a long resume, The Hunger Games
served as a breakout performance for
Willow Shields, who plays Katniss’
younger sister, Primrose Everdeen.
The Phoenix sat down with
Shields to discuss her budding career, the cast of The Hunger Games
that she has grown to love during
the film’s production and her plans
for the future.
At 14 years old, Shields is like
any other young teen who reads
many young adult novels.
“I usually read a lot of teen novels that come out because I’m a big
fan. Recently I’ve been trying to
find more sophisticated novels that
are harder to read,” she said.
But not every 14-year-old appears in blockbuster films with
A-list actors. On top of her acting
career, Shields spends her time being home-schooled, hanging out
with friends and thinking about
her future.
“I work on set, as well as do four
hours a day of school,” Shields said.
“When I’m not working on a film,
I do the regular amount of school
just like everybody else, and I have
friends that are home-schooled that
I hang out with.”
Originally from New Mexico,
Shields first landed her role for The
Hunger Games when she was 10 years
old. She still lives in New Mexico
with her parents and two siblings,
but moves to Los Angeles part time
when she’s working on a film.
“[Landing the role of Prim] was
an interesting process,” Shields said.
“I guess [the producers] couldn’t
find anyone in LA they liked, so
they started looking everywhere
and asking people to send in audition tapes. So I taped something and
sent it in. It was the scene with Jen
and [me] saying goodbye –– a very
emotional scene.”
Her callback for the role in LA
also went very well, as the director
and producers told her she got the
part while she was still in the audition room.
“[The director and producer]
said I don’t have to worry about
auditioning anymore because I
have the role, which was surprising
because I felt like it was perfect,”
Shields said. “That was a moment
when [everything] just worked —
and I guess they saw that. I guess it
doesn’t happen often that you get a
part in the audition room.”
Shields is currently wrapping
up with the second half of the final
part of the trilogy, Mockingjay II.
The first part of the film was released Nov. 21.
“I think Prim’s character has
evolved a lot,” Shields said. “She
starts off as this really young girl
that’s kind of scared of this world
she lives in and you see her in
Catching Fire starting to discover
who she is and the fact that she
wants to become a doctor.”
Since the first two movies are
set in the Hunger Games arenas,
Prim didn’t appear in as many
scenes since she was at home,
watching Katniss participate in the
games. As the third movie moves
into a time of war, Katniss takes on
the Capital with characters from
districts 12 and 13 by her side.
“You see in Mockingjay that
[Prim] finds a lot of strength in
herself that she didn’t know she
had,” Shields said. “She obviously
gets that from Katniss and she kind
of is able to help Katniss a lot in
Mockingjay, which is an interesting
dynamic to see … because you
see Katniss falling apart and asking
Prim for advice and help. [Katniss]
knows her sister is smart enough
and now strong enough to answer
those questions.”
According to Shields, working
on these movies for four years has
helped her gain a lot of experience
as an actor, especially learning
from some of the biggest names in
the business.
“When I first started these films
it was just for fun and I never really
knew if I wanted to do it as a career
— and now I’m sure of that,” she
said. “I’ve learned a lot about acting through this experience with
working with people like Jennifer
Lawrence, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman… all these
A-list actors that are just so incredible to witness work. You never
dream to see these Oscar winners
work right before you, in person.”
The series of movies will wrap up
Courtesy of Lionsgate Entertainment
Mockingjay Part I was released Nov. 21, with Part II set to come out in 2015.
in 2015, having taken fans and viewers through a futuristic dystopia with
a female lead character. For Shields,
this series is not only relatable but
also sends a strong message about
women’s empowerment.
“The story is also about one girl
who is trying to save everybody.
[This series is] amongst some others that has brought a woman to
the screen, and she’s very strong
and I totally respect that. I think
that’s great — that one woman can
change the world,” she said.
Surfing YouTube’s educational channels
BY MATT BOEY
mboey@luc.edu
Changing a tire? Twentieth
Century literature? Dark matter? There’s a YouTube channel
for that, along with anything
else you can imagine.
Although it hosts some of
the most absurd content on
the Internet, YouTube also has
enough educational and informative content to rival Wikipedia. Including digital tutors
and self-help guides, many
of its videos can be great resources for brushing up on
exam material, exploring new
and potential fields of study or
even getting advice for dealing
with the various responsibilities of adulthood. With that in
mind, here a few suggestions
to get started:
Crash Course
One of the most subscribed
to educational YouTube channels (with more than 2.4
million subscribers), “Crash
Course” has videos for seemingly everything scholastically
related. The channel started
with a grant from Google in
2012, and is run by the brotherly duo of Hank and John
Green, the latter of whom
is the author of The Fault in
Our Stars. The videos are condensed,
information-heavy
lectures that cover a variety of
humanities and sciences, from
world history to psychology
and chemistry.
Each video caps at around 10
to 15 minutes and gives a fairly
in-depth treatment of the topic in question. With their expansive library of videos continually growing, this channel
is a great tool for reviewing
for class, or introducing yourself into a new subject.
Wisecrack
For a hilarious analysis of classic literature, look no further
than the channel “Wisecrack,”
home to the show Thug Notes.
Hosted by Virginia comedian
Greg Edwards under the character name Sparky Sweets Ph.D,
the show discusses novels such
as 1984, Dracula and The Grapes
of Wrath in a comedic fashion
that breaks down complicated
books into “street” lingo. Each
video consists of a summary and
an insightful analysis, expertly
combining both tongue-in-cheek
comedy and education.
How To Adult
Struggling to transition to
adulthood? You’re not alone.
There is digital help from a
not-so-cleverly named channel
“How To Adult.” Produced by
the Green brothers of “Crash
Course” and hosted by Internet personalities Emma Mills
and Mike Martin, this channel sets out to fulfill its title
by giving tips and providing
steps to complete tasks that
many young adults struggle
with or have not done before.
These tasks include filing taxes, changing a tire, opening a
bank account or managing your
credit/debit card. Though not
all videos may seem to be relevant now, they are hands-on
dummies’ guides to those simple questions that you may be
too embarrassed to ask.
Science Channels
The world is full of science
nerds, and YouTube is no exception. There is a plethora of
channels that deal with a variety of scientific topics and
questions, both hypothetical
and practical.
These videos deal with everything from breaking the speed of
Courtesy of “Crash Course”
YouTube show “Crash Course” features educational cartoon videos.
light, whether or not you should
run in the rain to avoid being
wet or how social media changes the way our brains work.
These types of channels include
“Vsauce,” “AsapSCIENCE,” “SciShow,” “MinutePhysics” and
“Veritasium,” amongst many
others. From these sites, you
should be able to answer any
crazy question you have ever
had about the possibilities or the
achievements of science.
Mental Floss
For all your mindless trivia
info, look no further than the
database of funny and seemingly useless information that
is the channel “Mental Floss.”
With new videos every Mon-
day, Wednesday and Friday, the
channel formats each video as a
list, covering a variety a topics
such as common mispronunciations, facts about Mr. Rogers,
bizarre college classes and idiom
origins. Hosted by a myriad of
Internet personalities such as
Hannah Hart, John Green and
Elliot Morgan, this channel is a
go-to source for any trivia aficionado or hardcore trivia team.
At times a black hole of cat
videos and Internet trolls, YouTube is also the best place to
study Stephen Hawking and aggressive psychology. It’s a massive public classroom for the
digital world with enrollment
being only a click away.
SPORTS | DECEMBER 3, 2014
17
SPORTS
Old game needs new players
BY BRIDGET MURPHY
bmurphy3@luc.edu
“I’m not sexist but it’s nearly
impossible to listen to a woman
talk about football on ESPN.”
“I’m not sexist, but women
please stop tweeting about football,
we don’t tweet about cooking.”
I’m not sexist, but I don’t really think these male Twitter users know what the word “sexism”
means. Sexism is defined as prejudice, stereotyping or discrimination
against someone on the basis of gender. Both of these tweets are sexist.
Though these tweets are blatantly sexist, women in sports
and sports journalism find themselves facing much more subtle
microaggressions and structural
barriers to finding lasting success
in the profession.
In many industries, strides
have been made to aid women in breaking the glass ceiling.
The sports world –– particularly
sports journalism –– has fallen
behind in promoting success for
women in the field.
NPR did a segment on women in sports journalism when ESPNW columnist Jane McManus
was invited to the ESPN roundtable discussion about NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s press
conference concerning former Ravens player Ray Rice. At this press
Open$0urce// Wikimedia Commons
Erin Andrews is one of the most accomplished female sports reporters today, working for both ESPN and Fox Sports.
conference, Rice was suspended
indefinitely from the NFL after
a video was released that showed
him beating his then-fiancee.
McManus had extensively covered domestic abuse in her time
as a columnist for ESPNW, but
she was still surprised she was
given a seat at the table to discuss
the decision, she told NPR.
“There was a seat at the table
for me, and I was aware that that
was a big deal to have a seat at the
table and to be involved in that
conversation,” she said.
Also in the NPR segment were
clips from Fox Sports reporter Katie
Nolan, who made a YouTube video in
response to Goodell’s decision.
“Women in sports television
are allowed to read headlines, patrol sidelines and generally facili-
tate conversation for their male
colleagues,” she said. “It’s time for
the conversation to change, or at
least who’s in the conversation.”
Diversity in the conversation
is something that can only add to
sports reporting rather than detract from it.
“It’s not an admission of inequality to say that women see
things differently sometimes,”
said Sally Jenkins, sports reporter for the Washington Post. “We
have different sensibilities; we
have different experiences. This
lame sort of sameness is boring.
It doesn’t serve your audience.
It doesn’t lead to provocative
questions. It leads to … blind
spots. “
These blind spots may end up
hurting the NFL’s bottom line.
I’ll let you be the judge
BY NADER ISSA
nissa1@luc.edu
I’m the guy with the rare
name (Nader literally means
rare in Arabic) who used to have
an Afro. I’m the guy who loves
— but really hates — Chicago sports. I’m the guy who’s
the new assistant editor of The
Phoenix Sports Section.
As Aloe Blacc would say, “I’m the
man, I’m the man, I’m the man.”
I won’t bore you with the details of my journey to where I am
now, because that isn’t important.
What is important is what I will
do for The Phoenix and its readers
now and in the future.
I like to think of myself as an
examiner –– someone who asks
questions on behalf of the public
until the truth is evident.
I like to think of myself as
open-minded –– someone who
will take anything and everything into consideration before
passing judgment.
I like to think of myself as ruthless –– someone who will only
accept the best work from himself
and those around him.
With all that said, a lot of
people like to think many things
about themselves. I’ll let you be
the real judge about me so you
can unveil who I really am in the
coming days, weeks, months and
hopefully years.
All I can do is convince you
that I am worthy of filling the
enormous shoes that Sports Editor Bridget Murphy will be
leaving when she goes to Rome,
where she’ll be studying abroad
next semester.
Channeling my innerYoda when
it comes to fulfilling this seemingly
insurmountable task, there is one
thing that comes to mind: “Do or
do not. There is no try.”
If there’s one thing that I’m
certain of, it’s that I will be taking
Yoda’s advice to heart and committing myself fully to replacing the
magnificent Bridget.
“BMurph,” as we call her, has
been as stable an editor as The
Phoenix could have hoped for. She
was a mentor when someone needed mentoring, a supporter when
things weren’t going the right way
and a reliable person who was always true to her word. All of that
masks her one and only flaw: being
a Detroit sports fan.
As difficult as it will be to fill
such a large hole that Bridget will
leave in the staff, we’ll have no
time to miss her. Ranging from Esther Castillejo, our editor-in-chief,
down to me, the new guy with
the rare name, we expect nothing
short of excellence.
According to Businessweek
and Equiby.com, female viewership of the NFL is growing faster
than male viewership. In a way,
this means that continued growth
for the NFL depends on maintaining this increase in women fans.
But how can it expect to do this
when thus far the only women
that fans see as a part of the NFL
are cheerleaders, who struggle to
make even a living wage?
Though after the Rice scandal
ESPN “raised visibility of female
reporters,” according to NPR,
women are scarcely seen outside
of “supporting roles” for their
male colleagues.
Microaggressions and structural barriers aren’t only found at
ESPN, though.
I, a woman, have been on the
sports section staff of The Phoenix for two and a half years, nearly
all of my time at Loyola. I was on
the staff that covered the transition to a new conference, the athletic director leaving and a volleyball national championship.
Yet not once in my memory (or
in my current inbox) have I been
contacted when someone at the
university has had a question or issue with the writing. It’s always my
male colleagues who are contacted
about the section.
Additionally, in meetings with
university administrators, questions are directed at my male
colleagues. It usually takes my
co-worker allowing me to add
to his answer or me interrupting
someone before I can speak.
Though some others who were
involved in these meetings may
disagree with my interpretation
of the events, this is the way that
I feel. Others have also reaffirmed
these feelings.
In this, my last column as
sports editor for The Phoenix,
I don’t want to leave readers
thinking I have not enjoyed my
time with the paper or that this
column is meant to gripe about
my own woes.
However, I do want to leave
this position better than I found it
for any women in the future who
should step into it.
My aim in choosing this as
my last topic to write about is to
let people know that women in
sports and sports journalism are
not a fad. The women who are in
this business or who want to be
in this business are ready to be
a part of the conversation. It’s
others who need to quiet down
and listen.
Homeward Bound
Courtesy of David Joseph Photography
er a crushing
loss to o
Michigan tate niversity, the men’s bas et
ball team beat niversity of Te as an ntonio
and ent tate niversity
in convincing fashion ophomore Milton oyle scored a season high
points against an ntonio, while senior hris an Thomas led all scorers against
ent tate with points The amblers return home to play Tulane niversity
ednesday, ec in oseph Gen le rena
18 DECEMBER 3, 2014 | SPORTS
Q&A: New Athletic Director Steve Watson
continued from page
Loyola Phoenix: How does
your experience as a professional
athlete affect you as an athletic director?
Steve Watson: It gave me
international experience and allowed me to see another part of
the world. It was a great experience for my family and me. It really made me appreciate what we
have in America, and it made me
appreciate the opportunities that
we have here and take for granted
a little bit. My daughter was born
overseas. She was born in France.
She was 2 years old when we were
living in Taiwan, and at that point
we realized that we wanted to raise
our family in the States. She was
starting to talk, and the Taiwanese
kids she talked to had no idea what
she was saying. We felt like at that
point, it was time to come back
to the States and get a little more
rooted and start our family in the
States. At that point I knew that
college athletics was the path that
I wanted to go down. I had experienced the professional side and
really felt like college athletics was
the way that I wanted to go. I had
really wanted to stay involved with
athletics, like I had said before.
I felt like with college athletics,
I could have a greater impact on
people and that’s where it led me.
LP:What drew you to Loyola,
as a school and as an athletic program, and what made you want to
come here?
SW: It’s a great school, [and] I
was very impressed with the leadership in President [Rev.] Garanzini. I had a fantastic meeting with
him, and it’s in Chicago. [It’s] a great
school with an Athletic Department
with a lot of potential competing in
the Missouri Valley Conference. All
those things were very attractive
to me and the family. Chicago is a
great city.You have a great school in
a great city with a lot of great people, and that was a combination that
I wanted to be a part of.
LP: What from your experiences at St. Bonaventure do you look
to bring to Loyola?
SW: I have been an athletic
director for eight years and did it
at a high level. I was in the Atlantic 10, which is a conference that
I think is comparable to the Missouri Valley, and we have had some
success there in a lot of our sports.
I think I have a little bit of a unique
background in that I have experience with things on the external
side, like fundraising, marketing
and promotions, but then also was
on the other side of it internal-
ly. I was in facility management,
game operations and that sort of
thing. I think I have a well-rounded background. I was a former
student-athlete, played Division I
athletics, played professionally and
I think I relate really well to coaches.While I am young for an athletic
director, I am young but experienced. That helps me relate to student-athletes. I have the credibility
of playing not just Division I but
also professionally, and I think that
helps relate to our coaches and our
student-athletes.
LP: Do you look to make any
changes coming into the Loyola
Athletic Department?
SW: Right now I am just doing
a lot of listening and assessing, and
I am trying to figure out which key
opens which door. Once I get my
bearings and start to get a feel for
things, we might start doing things
a little differently. Right now, my
main focus is just to listen and to
assess what is going on in the department.
LP: Coming to a Jesuit university, do you look to bring some of
the Jesuit values into the Athletic
Department?
SW: That was a big draw to
me, [Loyola] being a Jesuit, private
Catholic school. I spent eight years
at St. Bonaventure and the things
that are important to me are the
same things that are important to
a place like Loyola. It’s more than
just wins and losses and graduating
kids. Looking at the holistic education, service and giving back, all
those are things that are important
at a place like Loyola. Those are the
things I bring and that I have experience with. Like I said, it is more
than just winning and losing. It is a
lot bigger than that. Those are the
things that are important to me
and my family as well.
LP: You have talked a lot about
Photo courtesy of oyola thle cs
how important family is to you. teve atson is coming to oyola a er
Do you look to bring a family-ori- an eight year s nt as the athle c direcented approach to Loyola athletics? tor for t Bondaventure in ew or
SW: I mentioned before I feel family aspect.
LP: Anything else to say before
like I raised my family on a college campus. I was also raised on we wrap up here?
SW: I am just excited. I am
a college campus. What you see
at St. Bonaventure is spouses, sig- here from Monday to Friday this
nificant others and kids running week. I’ll be back for good and
around the Reilly Center — that really starting to dig my heel in
is our basketball facility — there starting in January. I am excited.
[are] kids everywhere. I love that I have had a couple of great days,
and encourage that. Coaches and met some wonderful people and
administrators in our business put I am excited to roll up my sleeves
a lot of time into it and it is not just and get going. I haven’t met many
a profession; it is a lifestyle. Your of the student-athletes yet. I am
family has to be a part of it, and I excited to meet some of the stuencourage that. We will do things dent-athletes and the teams and
to bring the families and people get to know them a little better.
together at our events. That part The people have been great and I
of it is really important, the whole am excited to start.
What you’ll miss over winter break
S
M
14
T
15
W
16
22
Men’s BB vs Texas
Tech @ Las Vegas
28
29
17
F
18
Men’s BB vs
Abilene Christian @
home
Women’s BB vs
DePaul @ home
Last day of finals
21
T
23
20
Women’s BB @
Dartmouth
24
25
26
27
31
Jan 1
2
3
Men’s BB vs Boise
State & Houston @
Las Vegas (televised)
30
4
5
6
11
12
13
Men’s BB @ UNI
(televised)
Women’s BB vs
Northern Iowa
@ home
First day of class
19
Men’s BB vs
Southern Utah
@ home
7
Men’s BB @
Evansville (televised)
14
Men’s VB vs Windsor
@ home
(exhibition)
Women’s BB vs
Drake @ home
Women’s BB @ UIC Men’s BB vs Bradley
@ home
Men’s BB vs Wichita
State @ home
(televised)
Women’s BB @
Indiana State
S
Women’s BB @
Evansville
8
15
9
Men’s VB vs BYU
@ Palo Alto
16
10
Men’s VB vs Stanford
@ Palo Alto
17
SPORTS | DECEMBER 3, 2014
19
Promising season comes up just short
BY MADELINE KENNEY
mkenney1@luc.edu
This past season marked the first time
Loyola’s men’s soccer team had a winning record (8-6-5) since its NCAA tournament appearance in 2008, when it finished its season
with a 14-6-4 record.
This season was also the first time the Ramblers went unbeaten at home (6-0-2) since their
2005-2006 season. According to junior Daniel
Hare and freshman Elliot Collier, this season
can be used as a building block.
“We compared it to Missouri State who had
nine seniors and we only had three seniors,” Collier said. “So this was Missouri State’s year to go to
the NCAA tournament and their year to do well.
While us on the other hand, this is our building
year. We have a lot of new and talented freshmen.
Head Coach Neil Jones spoke highly of the
team’s performance this past season, recognizing that the Ramblers accomplished most of the
goals they set prior to the season.
“Some of our goals were a winning record,
being unbeaten at home and winning a significant game,” said Jones. “We ended the season
with a winning record. We didn’t lose a single home game, which even some of the best
teams in the nation find it hard to go unbeaten
at home. And we beat No. 20 Northwestern,
which anytime you beat a Big Ten Conference
team and a top-25 team, it is a significant win.”
But the Ramblers fell short of their ultimate
goal of winning the Missouri Valley Conference
(MVC) championship title and advancing on to
the NCAA tournament after their lost to Missouri State in the semi-finals, 2-0.
Although Loyola appeared to have had a
more successful season than in the past few
years, the Ramblers still faced some challenging
Courtesy of Steve Woltmann
The men’s soccer team is loo ing to build o this year’s success as it moves into its third year in the M
adversity throughout the fall.
One of those challenges was losing some of
the team due to injuries, according to senior
forward Brian Bement.
“Zach Brown, one of our seniors, tore his
ACL in preseason, and another senior, Andrew
Raymonds, had a concussion that put him out
for the beginning of the season,” said Bement.
“Then Ryan Howe, one of our captains and
starters, was out after he tore his ACL six games
into the season. So overcoming those injuries
was a challenge, but all-in-all we did well.”
Hare agreed with Bement that the loss
of Howe, a junior midfielder, affected their
team immensely.
“[Howe’s injury] was difficult for us because
[he] is one of our captains and is a leader on and
off the field,” Hare said. “When he went down,
I think everyone on the team including the
coaches took a step back and wondered how we
were going to be able to bounce back from this.
Fortunately, our guys on the bench stepped up
and contributed on the field.”
Some freshmen who stepped up to the
plate were Collier, Brody Kraussel and Kyle
Thomson. The three first-years received MVC
All-Freshman Team status, and Thomson also
received the MVC Freshman of the Year award.
Compared to teams in the past, this year’s team
is set apart by its strong defensive presence on the
field. Hare said that the experienced players in the
back line assisted the defense’s improvement.
“The biggest improvement in our defense
was putting two upperclassmen center backs in
the middle with Brian Lunar and Eric Schoendorf,” Hare said. “I think that in the years past
our center back positions haven’t really been unified, but this year we had good leaders and good
soccer players. Our goalie, Tim Dobrowolski, did
really well this year as well. He didn’t have the best
performances in the years past, but this year he really stepped up and came in big.”
Dobrowolski had 59 saves on the season,
only allowing a total of 15 goals. The junior
netminder’s strong performance did not go
unnoticed by the MVC, as he received MVC
Goalkeeper of the Year honors and was named
First Team All-MVC.
Hare recognizes that in the off-season, the
team members need to work on getting better
at their individual positions in order to make
better decisions and prevent mistakes during
the games. He also believes the team needs to
put itself in a more attacking mindset.
“We were playing not to lose rather than
playing to win,” Hare said. “After the season
ended, we talked about it and we realized maybe we defended a little too much in the sense
that we didn’t try to get forward as many times
as we should have and we didn’t take advantage
of our counter-attacking opportunities. In the
future, we need to play to win rather than protecting the scoreboard.”
During the off-season, the team looks to
improve its abilities to create and take advantage of its offensive opportunities.
Jones said that the coaching staff is committed to developing its current players and training them during spring training and incorporating its new freshman recruits into the system as
quickly as possible in August.
Collier is looking forward to the program’s
next few years, saying this season was only the
beginning of what is to come, and the coaching
staff and other players are ready to put in the
work during the off-season and are optimistic
for the years to come.
“The next four years looks really bright for
us,” Collier said.
Transition year sets Ramblers up for next season
BY EMILY BROWN AND BRIDGET MURPHY
ebrown10@luc.edu, bmurphy3@luc.edu
Loyola’s women’s volleyball season
came to a close after the team lost to the
University of Northern Iowa 3-1 on Nov.
22. The Ramblers finished their season
9-19 in their second year in the Missouri
Valley Conference (MVC). Finishing seventh in the MVC out of 10 total teams with
a 5-13 conference record.
The Ramblers didn’t have much success at home this season, going 2-7 at
Gentile Arena and recording a 7-12 record on the road.
“I think it didn’t go numbers-wise as
well as we wanted it to, but I definitely think that we learned a lot throughout
the process,” said sophomore outside hitter Morgan Reardon. “I think we learned
a lot about each other as a team and things
that we’re going to have to work on going
into this off-season.”
In their second year in the MVC, the
Ramblers again missed making the conference tournament. However, Reardon said
she feels as though this season was a step
forward for the team in the new conference.
“I think that we felt a lot more comfortable this season,” she said. “Last year
we were kind of feeling out who were the
good teams, who’s going to be the teams
we should beat every time, kind of stuff
like that. So I think it gave us an opportunity this year to focus more on ourselves
rather than our opponent.”
Reardon led the Ramblers and remained
among the top three players in the MVC
in kills and points per game the entire sea-
son. She finished the season with 392 kills
— third in the MVC — averaging 3.77
kills per set. Reardon also averaged 4.28
points per set, which ranked third in the
MVC. She also finished second on the team
with 270 total digs.
This season she posted 30 or more kills
in two matches and tallied a career-high
32 at Drake on Sept. 20. This number tied
her for third on Loyola’s all-time single
match list.
Freshman setter Caroline Holt was also a
leader in MVC stats, ranking second in the conference in assists, averaging 11.09 each set.
“As a personal goal, that was [my] and
Morgan’s goal to have good stats, but
I think team-wise that just shows how
much potential we have and this year it
didn’t quite click,” said Holt. “We were
all kind of new, but this next year I think,
especially in the spring, that’s when we
can work on that.”
Many other Ramblers finished the season ranked in the top 12 in MVC standings
in several categories.
Middle hitter Libby Bresser was ninth
in hitting percentage with .288 and 11th
in blocks per set with .86, while sophomore middle blocker Sami Hansen ranked
11th in service aces with .24 per set. Junior libero Stephanie Kinane finished
eighth in the MVC with an average of
4.10 digs each set.
The volleyball team is graduating three
seniors: Bresser, right side hitter Laura
Purcell and outside hitter Mary Kate Styler. However, the Ramblers are welcoming
a large freshman class next fall.
“We do have a lot of freshmen coming in,”
Courtesy of Steve Woltmann
The women’s volleyball team hopes to put this season behind it and start fresh ne t year
Holt said. “Not having [the seniors] will kind
of stink, but … we have a lot of our team
coming back. It should go well.”
In the spring, the team will work in the
weight room to become stronger and in the
gym to improve fundamentals.
“The spring is more about getting stronger and working on skills we … didn’t have
time to work on [in the fall] because we had
to win games,” Reardon said.
Both Holt and Reardon agreed that
the most crucial part about the off-season
is having more experience playing with
their teammates.
“When you play with each other longer, it’s easier to know, ‘Oh, she’s going
to get that ball,’ or ‘I know she’s going
to set that ball,’” she said. “It’s becoming
more comfortable with these new people
you’ve only played with for a year. The
more playing we can do together, the better we’re going to get.”
With this season over, the team is looking forward to working in the off-season and
improving for next fall.
“I’m really proud of everyone, how we
worked through our struggles this year,”
Holt said. “I’m excited for next year.”
20
DECEMBER 3, 2014 | LOYOLA PHOENIX