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The Chicago Maroon
Uncommon Interview: Center for Effective Government Democracy Fellow Jennifer Pahlka
Jennifer Pahlka is former White House Deputy Chief Technology Officer and founder of Code for America. She is also a 2023 Democracy Fellow for the Center for Effective Government (CEG), a think tank housed in the Harris School of Public Policy which aims to strengthen institutions of democracy and improve the capability of the government to solve public problems. The Maroon sat down with Pahlka to learn more about her.
Sisterhood and Feminism in Court Theater’s “Antigone”
On February 25, the Court Theater presented director Gabrielle Randle-Bent’s production of Sophocles’s Antigone. On one hand, the loose interpretation of the classic Greek tragedy is disorienting from the outset by the extreme divergence of this production from Sophocles’s original text. On the other hand, the play is, in my opinion, one of the rare cases where a modern rendition of classic theater doesn’t completely miss the mark.
Olivia Rodrigo Spills Her GUTS
Instead of the usual guys hawking shooters out of giant coolers, there were women standing behind tables littered with sparkly gel pens. Turning a tight corner, I was nearly overrun by a horde of nine-year-olds decked out in shades of pale purple. Two mothers flanked the group, heads on a swivel. I wondered how the two chaperones had been picked—did the mothers set up a boxing ring or draw straws? The line for booze was either going to be really short or really long.
Event-Planning App Lynkr Wins Record $160,000 in College New Venture Challenge Funding
On March 1, the team behind social event-planning app Lynkr won the 12th annual College New Venture Challenge (CNVC), a competition where undergraduate-led startups can win funding from the University’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The app allows students to plan and invite fellow students to parties and...
Stopping by The Paper Kites’s Roadhouse
Amidst Saint Patrick’s Day festivities, fans of folk-rock band The Paper Kites streamed into Thalia Hall. In anticipation of the band’s entrance—or, perhaps, as a byproduct of the weekend’s excess of Guinness—the venue was abuzz. March 17 was particularly special for The Paper Kites. This was the last show on the North American leg of the “At the Roadhouse” tour, and The Paper Kites would soon be setting off for the other side of the Pacific without their accompanying band. The show proved an incredible sendoff for The Paper Kites as they showcased their enduring musical talent, camaraderie, and passion.
Email Outage Disrupts Weekend
On Sunday, students, professors, and other members of the University community experienced difficulty accessing their UChicago Outlook accounts. For most of the day, the University’s IT status page said that Outlook services were experiencing “major disruptions.” A notice on the page said that problems began at around 10:30 a.m. and that users who tried to send emails to affected accounts were receiving error messages.
PrideArts Stages “Shakespeare’s R&J”
It’s hard to add an original spin to Shakespeare, much less to a play as famous as Romeo and Juliet. From the dozens of movies sharing the title to musicals like West Side Story and even to pop songs like “Love Story,” Romeo and Juliet is as over adapted as they come. The audience always knows what to expect with this teenage romance. I, for one, was actually slightly disappointed when I read the play in middle school: isn’t this just a tale about two hormonal teenagers? I gave the two star-crossed lovers a second chance in high school, but the text left me unimpressed once more. It was only with PrideArts’ production that I finally got it.
Special Series: Undergraduate Student Government, E1
On the first episode of a new mini-series covering Undergraduate Student Government (USG) here on campus, Jake talks to USG President Jefferson Lind about his experience in the role. They discuss upcoming changes to the Lyft program, the University’s financial malaise, and diminishing RSO funding, as well as how USG fits into that puzzle.
73. Moments Lost in Time
Pravan Chakravarthy is a third-year in the College studying physics and linguistics, and serves as head crossword editor and deputy podcast editor for The Maroon. Some notable contributions he has made in these roles include co-running the inaugural UChicago Crossword Puzzle Tournament (October 2022), hosting the Maroon Weekly’s 100th episode (March 2023), and writing a puzzle for the Maroon-Daily Northwestern joint issue (June 2023). Though he is relatively new to podcasting (having started only in his second year), he has been constructing crosswords since high school, with published work in the Los Angeles Times, the Universal Crossword, and the American Values Crossword Club. Outside of these pursuits, he enjoys running, making music, and reading.
GSU-UE Members Ratify First-Ever Contract with University
Between March 25 and 28, members of Graduate Students United–United Electrical (GSU-UE) voted to ratify the union’s first-ever contract with the University. Ninety percent of GSU-UE members participated in the vote, with 97 percent voting in support, according to the union’s website. The newly ratified contract came into force on March 28 immediately after the vote and is tentatively set to be effective until March 2027.
Skilled Trades Workers Ratify New Contract With University
Members of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73, the union representing skilled facilities workers on campus, ratified a new contract with the University on March 12. The agreement came after protracted negotiations that lasted four months after the union’s previous contract expired. SEIU leaders had raised concerns about persistent...
Talking Alchemy, Southern Gothicism, and Coyotes with Dylan LeBlanc
Dylan LeBlanc is finding himself. The singer-songwriter released Coyote in October 2023, a 13-song record detailing the story of a fictional man on the run discovering his identity amidst strife. LeBlanc is currently on a world tour, telling Coyote’s story from Chicago to Royal Tunbridge Wells. The artist has played with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, First Aid Kit, and The Civil Wars. Now, he’s learning to balance artistry with family. The Maroon Senior Arts Writer Harmonie Ramsden sat down with Dylan LeBlanc to discuss his touring record, inspirations, and plans for the future.
Ricky Montgomery, A One-Man Performance
I squeezed to the front of the Vic Theatre, cradling my camera in my arms as an explanation and an apology. The opener, Noah Floersch, had just closed his set with “Ghost of Chicago,” a catchy indie tune that went viral on TikTok last spring. On stage, Floersch admitted that he had never been to Chicago at the time of the song’s writing. Despite the song having nothing to do with Chicago, the audience appreciated the attention. The early-twenties, social media–oriented crowd, was as riled up as you can be at an indie-pop show on a Tuesday night.
Everyone Wants to Know Molly!
The band took their places around the stage, a groovy bass starting up as the audience turned toward the door to Schubas Tavern, waiting for their star to appear. Heralded by a waft of cold air and a chorus of cheers, Molly Grace strode into the venue and ascended the steps onto the stage. As the door snapped shut behind her, we caught a glimpse of snow falling onto the quiet outside street. It was a February blizzard after a week of sunny skies, but Molly was going to turn the temperature back up.
Journalist Kara Swisher Discusses New Book and the Inconvenient Truths of Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley tech journalist Kara Swisher discussed her new book Burn Book: A Tech Love Story with Atlantic political writer Mark Leibovich at an Institute of Politics (IOP) event held at Bond Chapel on March 21. Burn Book is both a memoir and a behind-the-scenes narrative of Swisher’s years observing...
Harris Student Government is Broken
As a student pursuing a Master of Science in Computational Analysis and Public Policy (MSCAPP) at the Harris School of Public Policy, I’ve held a deep sense of pride in Harris’s mission to train the future generation of policy leaders ever since I received my admissions call. However, recent events within the Harris School’s sole student-led governing body, Harris Student Government (HSG), have left me feeling disillusioned and disconnected from the leadership that is meant to represent us.
Grub, Not Hub: Losing Social Connection at Hutchinson Commons
This year, on the first night of Saturday Night Meal Swipes, I got so confused by the Grubhub app that I gave up and ate scraps off of a friend’s takeaway box. But finding determination through my hunger, and upon being handheld through the ordering process by a Grubhub spokesperson, the workers and I discovered that not only was I the evening’s last patron but the 1000th. There was an amused outburst as the workers closing up for the night overheard. Employees clapped for a successful first night with the new system, with 1,000 being a nice round and high number to end on. A UChicago Dining spokesperson asked for a photo, positioning me with my tofu poke bowl, a Grubhub utensil kit, and a stiff french fry plushy that the manager had found in the back—my makeshift prize.
University Discusses Intolerance, Harassment in 2023 Campus Climate Survey during Town Hall
Provost Katherine Baicker, Vice Provost of Diversity & Inclusion Waldo E. Johnson, and Assistant Provost for Institutional Analysis William Greenland held a virtual town hall on Monday to discuss the results of the 2023 Campus Climate Survey. Baicker opened with a brief summary of the results from the survey. The...
ChatGPT vs. the UChicago Core
“In the hallowed halls of the University of Chicago, where intellectual prowess reigns supreme, an unexpected companion has emerged in the pursuit of academic excellence: ChatGPT. As students navigate the labyrinth of scholarly pursuits, this digital oracle has proven to be more than a mere tool; it’s a confidant, a sounding board, and an indispensable ally in the quest for eloquence,” ChatGPT wrote.
A Double Whiplash
Six months ago, Whiplash was my favorite movie. Whiplash was sweaty Miles Teller gripping at bloodstained drumsticks. It was J.K Simmons looming over hi-hat cymbals and launching chairs. All the rushing and dragging and jazzy rhythms and dissonances thrummed against the TV screen, syncing my pulse to the four-four beat that Miles could never get quite right. But that’s where it all remained once the credits played, contained behind the TV screen, allowing me to walk away having deemed Whiplash my favorite movie and nothing more. Even Google concurs: when you type “Whiplash” into the search bar, “2014 Film” appears, and that’s it—there’s no desire to scroll down.
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