This document summarizes and critiques the rising cost of tuition at DePaul University. It notes that DePaul is heavily dependent on tuition revenue and has increased tuition by 2.5% annually for the past three years. The author questions how efficiently the university allocates its resources, as enrollment has decreased. An analysis found disproportionate hiring of professional staff over faculty and large pay increases for some top administrators. The author argues tuition money should be used to support students and the university's mission, not expensive new buildings or high coaching salaries. Students need a voice in decisions around rising costs and resource allocation.
This document summarizes and critiques the rising cost of tuition at DePaul University. It notes that DePaul is heavily dependent on tuition revenue and has increased tuition by 2.5% annually for the past three years. The author questions how efficiently the university allocates its resources, as enrollment has decreased. An analysis found disproportionate hiring of professional staff over faculty and large pay increases for some top administrators. The author argues tuition money should be used to support students and the university's mission, not expensive new buildings or high coaching salaries. Students need a voice in decisions around rising costs and resource allocation.
This document summarizes and critiques the rising cost of tuition at DePaul University. It notes that DePaul is heavily dependent on tuition revenue and has increased tuition by 2.5% annually for the past three years. The author questions how efficiently the university allocates its resources, as enrollment has decreased. An analysis found disproportionate hiring of professional staff over faculty and large pay increases for some top administrators. The author argues tuition money should be used to support students and the university's mission, not expensive new buildings or high coaching salaries. Students need a voice in decisions around rising costs and resource allocation.
IN THIS ISSUE... PAGE 2 GOT TUITION? NOT FOREVER. SOMEONE TELL THE PRESIDENT PAGE 4 VAGINA MONOLOGUES: A REVIEW PAGE 5 ALUMNI IN ACTION PAGE 6 Q&A WITH DR. SHIERA MALIK PAGE 7 A MOVEMENT BEYOND TWO MOMENTS PAGE 8 MISSING THE POINT: SETTLEMENT OF $1.25 BILLION FROM MORGAN STANLEY FAILS TO ADDRESS A LARGER ISSUE PAGE 9 INT STUDENT CONFERENCE MLK STUDENT ESSAY CONTEST PAGE 10 INT SPRING QUARTER COURSE OFFERINGS THE WEDLOCK: A REVIEW PAGE 11 STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: YULIYA RALKO CONFERENCE CONGRATS! VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2014 When this quarter started almost ten weeks ago, we could have not anticipated such an eventful beginning to the year. We have certainly learned how to cope with unpredictability as we say goodbye to a winter full of extreme weather, icy commutes, and canceled classes. Now, a new wave of protests and upheaval has swept the world. From Venezuela to Ukraine, Bosnia, and Thailand, situations and realities on the ground are constantly evolving. At INTerrupted Silence, we encourage you to engage with these dynamic conicts as you strive to deepen your understanding of their contexts and complexities. Yet, even when things are uncertain and ever-changing, we know the promise of Spring and its blooming owers never fails to give us something positive to look forward to. It is important to reect on where we have been, where we are, and where we hope to go. In many ways, this newsletter is meant to help jumpstart this process of reection. Nedas and Christinas reviews of cultural experiences and Emilys piece written in light of the passing of Nelson Mandela, invite us to revisit our histories to better understand how the past and our current realities connect. Through Danas eye- opening assessment of our universitys nancial decisions and Kyles critique of insufcient legal action following the 2008 economic crisis, we are reminded of the necessity of relentless action to challenge systemic injustice. Finally, Yuliyas piece, Elenas interview with Dr. Malik, and the advice of our alumni encourage us to embrace the opportunities the future holds and to open ourselves to new perspectives and encounters. We hope you take this with you as we witness how these global events and conicts unfold. Cheers! INTERRUPTEDSILENCE 2 ACTIVELY ENGAGED INTELLECTUALS ~ INTELLECTUALLY ENGAGED ACTIVISTS VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2014 GOT TUITION? NOT FOREVER! SOMEONE TELL THE PRESIDENT! By: Dana Jabri DePaul University, as a private, Catholic, urban, and Vincentian institution, has an important reputation and image that it needs to cultivate, just like any other university. This image is constructed in hopes that the university continuously increases its enrollment from one academic year to the next. DePaul is a heavily tuition-driven institution which means that, unlike a school like Harvard University that receives billions of dollars in endowments, it depends entirely on student tuition for revenue. In 2012-2013, DePauls endowment funds only consi sted of 1% of a total revenue of approximately 560 million dollars. In light of this model, DePaul has continuously increased tuition by 2.5% for the past three years. As a student at DePaul, I refuse to support the continuation of this model in the future. There must be ways for the administration to bring students, faculty, and staff together to have frank conversations on possible solutions and the future of this institution. As students, staff, or faculty, we should know that when enrollment drops, even if it is by a fraction, consequences are inevitable. An expected domino effect of hiring freezes, departmental budget cuts, and increased tuition are set in place to keep things under control. So, you may ask, what is the purpose of all of this? As students, it is our role to ask the big questions, especially if enrollment is decreasing and the universitys revenue is not increasing. How do we know if the university is utilizing its resources efciently? Or perhaps efciently enough to continue to provide students and staff with the necessary support to ensure that the universitys reputation bounces back and brings enrollment up again? The university has continuously distributed and allocated resources and revenue to renovate and build infrastructure. This has transformed DePaul into an institution that is modern while operating in a corporate fashion. While the university prides itself on its Vincentian mission, I ask: What would St. Vincent do? I Spy: The Investment Trend Unfortunately, in order to notice that misused and falling revenues has been an on-going issue, one needs to be around the people who are having these conversations the higher-ups, like Don Pope Davis the former Provost, David Kalsbeek the Senior Vice President of Enrollment Management & Marketing (EM&M), and the Student Government Association, just to name a few. The real questions are how accessible have these administrators been to students and how do they get to hear our suggestions? At this university the proper forum would be SGA, but that would still leave SGA to be the liaison between the administration and the student body. This was my precise call to action. Spring quarter of my sophomore year I ran for the College of Liberal Art & Social Sciences SGA Senator chair, hoping it would allow me to leverage a new network of students and give me access to university administrators and ofcials. From my experience thus far, this has been true but not every student can sit on SGA. I am fortunate enough to participate in SGAs meetings as a voting member where I can voice my concerns, but the degrees of separation between students and administrators seem to only get wider. This means that, as students, we have to get our hands a bit dirty in order to gather, collect, and synthesi ze the necessary i nfor mati on to understand why tuition rates continue to increase, and why our university has not been attracting more students. After spending some time looking into the universitys publicly accessible nancial budget, I noticed two important trends: the increase of new hires and the dramatic hike in compensation rates of the top-paid positions at this university. For the rst trend, DePauls Institutional Research & Market Analytics (IRMA) analysis shows that new hiring at DePaul rose by 20% between the scal years of 2007 and 2012. Most importantly, t he al l ocat i on of new hi res has been disproportionate between professional staff and faculty. Full-time faculty hires increased by slightly less than 11%, while professional staff increased by over 25%. To my dismay, the Board of Trustees decided to nancially support the ofce of EM&M by allocating the largest number of ACTIVELY ENGAGED INTELLECTUALS ~ INTELLECTUALLY ENGAGED ACTIVISTS 3 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2014 to this department. A 62% growth in positions in this unit has led it to house over 300 employees, making it the second largest unit in the university in terms of employee numbers. The second trend I noticed is the continuous increase in compensation to some of the top-paid professional staff. An analysis of some of these positions overall salary from year to year is quite shocking. Take for an example, the newly hired mens basketball coach, Oliver Purnell, who replaced Gerald Wainwright. Wainwrights total compensati on i n the academi c year of 2009-2010 was $656,086. Purnells total compensati on i n the academi c year of 2010-2011 was over three times as large: $2,192,385. This analysis suggests that, if DePaul is truly committed to scal sustainability, it should reconsider where it is allocating its limited resources. The Future of our Tuition: Where is it going? I can reect as a current DePaul student and student worker, that I made the conscious decision to attend DePaul because of its mission and academic program. I did not choose to attend DePaul because of an advertised brochure or pamphlet that presented colorful yet sterile information. I also did not come to DePaul so that my tuition money could be used to fund a 70 million dollar investment in a new Events Center. As students, we need to let administrators know that we are not satised with the way that our tuition money is being used. It should not be hard for a student who is pursuing a career in academia, the liberal arts elds, or any eld for that matter, to nd research scholarships. We are constantly told that there are no university resources to help students pay for lodging expenses to present at international conferences, or for funds that help increase resources to support our professors (like more subscriptions to research databases). Why is DePaul not providing more tools for students to grow academically? My experience as an activist has taught me that asking questions is never enough. We have the facts. It is time that we begin organizing ourselves. Whether that may mean starting letter- writing campaigns or nding alternatives to getting access to the resources we deem necessary. Being able to collect and analyze the data presented in this article has made things crystal clear for me. The poet Amir Sulaiman said in his poem Heavens Falling, But Ill tell you a secret. That power is mine and that power is yours. But they fed you a lie, and said all of that power is somewhere up in the sky. Somewhere up in the sky. Thats why I told them liars the sky is mine. When I hear stories of students struggling to pay tuition and working hard not to pull out extra loans, I am reminded of the strength in their sacrices. And for this struggle, I will continue to advocate for truth and justice for student voices need to be heard. 4 ACTIVELY ENGAGED INTELLECTUALS ~ INTELLECTUALLY ENGAGED ACTIVISTS Despite the discomfort of hearing vagina over and over again, it was hard not to laugh at the absurdity and the truth of what was being presented. This theme of nding humor through our discomfort continued throughout the various monologues, which were all performed by fully cl ot hed women. The Vagi na Monologues was rst written by Eve Ensler in 1996, and various additions and adjustments have been made since. All of the monologues are based on stories of different women who came to know their womanhood t h r o u g h t h e i r v a g i n a . Th e monologues explore the mystery and satisfaction of discovering ones own vagina, the journey to loving and respecting ones vagina, and how to not rely on a man for pleasure, which was l oudl y appl auded by the predominantly female audience. More s ober i ng per f or mances describe how violence enacted upon the vagina is used as an instrument of domination in the context of war, and discuss the vagina as the site of psychological trauma as a result of domestic abuses. The uninching detail and intimate discussion of the vagina occasionally made me uncomfortable, even as a woman. I could not help but notice, as I looked around in slight distress, that my feelings seemed to be magnied tenfold for the small percentage of males in the audience. Some men were sunk way down in their seats with their arms crossed over their chests, while others gave their friends incredulous looks. Doubtless, it must have been difcult for males who live in a patriarchal society to be confronted with untold stories, both good and bad, of what it means to be a woman. But it was heartening to see that, although few, men were thereeven if it was just to support a friend or girlfriend. This got me thinking, what could have possibly sparked their interest in something so boldly titled The Vagina Monologues, a play that seems to be geared towards a female audience? I found an answer to this question during a very powerful moment towards the end of the play as one of the actresses, about to perform her monologue, asked all victims of sexual violence to stand. The room remained still and quiet as several people stood. Then, she asked those with relatives or friends who were victims of sexual violence to stand as well. It was shocking to see how the number of people standing grew exponentially. Finally, she asked those committed to help end sexual violence to stand. That night every seat in Cortelyou Commons had been lled, and every person was now standing. The actress looked at the audience and said: This is for you. This is how I realized that the answer to my question was simple: it is not only important for women to embrace and love womanhood, but it is also important for men to do so as well. At the end of the performance, the actresses announced that The Vagina Monologues will continue to be performed across the world until violence against women is no longer a reality. The Vagina Monologues strives t o hel p er as e t he s t i gma of e mb r a c i n g f e mi n i n i t y a n d womanhood, whi ch are bot h seemingly encompassed through the vagina. The levels of discomfort that are felt during these monologues should be regarded positively, and are probably intentional. It forces the audience to be engaged with their emotions and to relate as a woman, or to relate to women. The Vagina Monologues thus succeed in provoking a discomfort that encourages people to truly absorb the power and importance of these women's stories. VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2014 A REVIEW: THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES By Christina Campbell What is The Vagina Monologues? The name is slightly off-putting who actually wants to discuss vaginas? Most people I talk to h a v e n o i d e a o f t h e monologues content and put forth different theories of what they actual l y entai l . The Vagina Monologues made a brief appearance in popular culture in an episode of Family Guy in which a pair of bare legs topped off by a vagina sits on a stool and does standup. Having never seen this episode, I was not even armed with the bizarre notion of what I was getting myself into when I agreed to go see the play. Vagina. Vagin-uh. Vuh-gin- uh. Vagina? Vagina. These were the opening words of the r s t mo no l o g ue, whi c h uncomfortably continued for another minute or two with different emphases on the word. The audience giggled, perhaps f eel i ng t hat t he monologue, consisting only of the word vagina, had gone on t o o l o n g. Th e a c t r e s s performing this monologue earnestly stated that no matter how many times you say it and no mat t er t he emphasi s, vagina still ends up sounding unpleasant and like a surgical instrument. ACTIVELY ENGAGED INTELLECTUALS ~ INTELLECTUALLY ENGAGED ACTIVISTS 5 What do you currently do? I am a Junior Associate at a communications strategy rm in Washington D.C. - ASGK Public Strategies. I work with a brilliant team on crisis communications, media relations and strategic public affairs campaigns. Couldn't imagine myself anywhere else. What did you do after graduating from DePaul? I worked as an intern for Obama for America at campaign headquarters in Chicago, while freaking out about ever nding a job that I'd love. Were you involved in any other departments, organizations, or activities while at DePaul? I was an intern at Open Books - a used bookstore that uses prots to run literacy programs for elementary schools throughout the city. I also founded the rock climbing club at DePaul. Why did you choose INT as your major, and what was your favorite aspect of the major? Like most, I didn't know what I was getting into when I choose INT. I most enjoyed that it was an unexpected lesson in learning how the media ticks. How has being a former INT major helped you in your professional life? I work on the ip side of International Studies. The machine we all learned to critique, is now a crazy, critical part of my work. Watching the press with the eye of a former INT student informs how I think, how I write, and how I present information for campaigns that spread new ideas using the media. What was the most useful skill you learned as an INT student? Writing is a skill that everyone, in every profession, uses more frequently than any factoid or history lesson. International Studies taught me to digest information and present it in a way that others can use to inform themselves. Good writing can make or break it. What advice do you have to offer to students as they work through their studies? Write. Write. Write. What advice do you have for INT seniors who are getting ready to enter the job market or pursue graduate degrees? DO NOT take a job you don't love. Your brilliant minds are worth using on work that drives and fullls you. Are there any other thoughts or advice you would like to share? Play the hand you are dealt to the best of your ability. You got this! ALUMNI IN ACTION: TANIA ZAPARANIUK By: Gabriela Polo VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2014 ALUMNI IN ACTION: DREW EDWARDS By: Emily Deering What do you currently do? During my time at DePaul, I co-founded a small nonprot organi zat i on named Pangea Educational Development. PED is an NGO dedicated to providing sustainable access and quality education in 3 regions of Uganda. Since graduating, I have taken up a position in Uganda where I now serve as our Director of International Operations. I oversee the development of all local staff, resource acquisition for projects, and host volunteers who come to dedicate their time to our mission. Why did you choose INT as your major, and what was your favorite aspect of the major? I chose to study INT because I love to read. Kidding, but I have learned to love it. I really chose INT because its challenging and dynamic curriculum set a foundation for understanding the world and how I could be a conscious and effective actor within it, regardless of what eld of endeavor I chose. How has being a former INT major helped you in your professional life? My studies in INT have helped me bridge the gap between essential theory and the application of real world circumstances in order to put the work I now do in context. Without that critical understanding, I would simply be another ignorant do-gooder. I believe what our organization is doing in Uganda is different than anything else being done around education in Uganda, and it was all developed during my time at DePaul. What was the most useful skill you learned as an INT student? This probably comes as a great surprise to all INT majors, but the greatest skill I learned was to write effectively. While I usually struggled to enjoy the challenge of writing multiple 20-40 page research paper each quarter, it prepared me to write much longer reports. INT develops the intellectual capacity to intake multiple layers and perspectives of information and respond effectively towards action. I would say I use that skill everyday. What advice do you have to offer? My advice to current and future INT majors would be to make your assignments real and meaningful but, more than anything, to get out and learn by doing while you are in school. The most important thing for my personal development and for any employer taking you serious, is being able to answer the question, "What real world experience do you have that others don't?" Everyone in any eld has read books. Develop both your interests and what you have to offer while you are in the DePaul community. It's rich with opportunities if you look around enough. 6 ACTIVELY ENGAGED INTELLECTUALS ~ INTELLECTUALLY ENGAGED ACTIVISTS Q&A with Dr. Shiera Malik By: Elena Becerril VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2014 After deciding to interview a faculty member for my article, I sat there wondering who I would choose. Being entirely new to the INT department, I still was intimidated by every faculty member (even those who I had yet to meet). After much thought, I decided to interview my current INT 202 professor, Dr. Malik. Dr. Malik completed her undergraduate degree in Political Science at UIC and received a Masters in Peace Studies and a PhD in Political Science from Trinity College in Dublin. Many of us, in one way or another, are familiar with our professors academic life, so I decided to target Dr. Maliks personal hobbies and interests for this interview. I hope this article helps you realize that, although intimidating at times, our professors are just like us in many ways. Enjoy! Where were you born? I was born in Chicago. Your prole indicates that you studied in UIC and later received a Masters in Peace Studies and a PhD in Political Science from Trinity College in Dublin. What led you to choose these programs? I was initially interested in International Studies and International Law, but then I realized I did not want to be in debt. I picked Peace Studies because it allowed me to do what I wanted to do in post-colonial theory. As a student at UIC, what were some of the things you would do for fun? As a student at UIC I worked 40 hours a week in Caf Florian located in Hyde Park. Dublin or Chicago? Dublin, because you can walk everywhere! Of all the courses you teach, which one is your favorite one? Why? Post-colonialism since it connects to my own research. Who is your favorite author? Emile Zola. I really like her book Ladies Paradise. It is about the development of the rst department store in Paris and how it changed the social relations of power in the city. What type of music do you like? Do you have any favorite artists? I like an eclectic range of music from the early 1980s punk to mid-20 th century blues. I really like Nina Simone, Joy Division, and New Order. Where have you traveled? Do you have a favorite country, if so why is it your favorite? I lived in Lebanon, the United States, Saudi Arabia and England, all before the age of 18. Out of all the countries I have lived in, I would say I liked England the most because I had an easier way of life. What are some of your favorite movies/ doc ume nt a ri e s ? Do y ou ha ve a ny recommendations for INT students? My all-time favorite movie is Moonstruck. Some movies I would recommend to INT students would be Dirty Pretty Things, Revolutionary Road, The Black Power Mix Tape, and the Spook Who Sat by the Door. What is some advice you would give current INT students? It is important to not only read for what you know, but to read to expand your knowledge. ACTIVELY ENGAGED INTELLECTUALS ~ INTELLECTUALLY ENGAGED ACTIVISTS 7 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2014 A Movement Beyond Two Moments In light of the extensive media coverage following Nelson Mandelas death, I decided to rehash an old pr oj e c t of mi ne t hat explored the American Anti- apartheid Movement as s i t uat e d be t we e n t wo moments: the Sharpeville Massacre and Mandelas release from prison. These two events were inuential in the framing of the American Anti-apartheid Movement internationally, and were imperative to its eventual continuation into the 1990s. However, the American Anti-apartheid Movement is consistently analyzed within the borders of these two events and the larger context surrounding the movement is often abandoned. This movement should be analyzed as more than just an international intervention for human rights and equality in postcolonial nations, but also as a U.S. struggle for identity and place. As a movement that had to renounce the systemic oppression of a foreign government while also facing systematic oppression from the government they were trying to operate under, the American Anti-apartheid Movement fought for the equality and identity of both those under the apartheid regime and those protesting against it. The Afri kkans word aparthei d, meani ng apartness, was politicized in the twentieth century and came to denote a legally enforced policy to promote the political, social and cultural separation of racially dened communities for the exclusive benet of one of those communities. The apartheid regime in South Africa was formally in power from 1948 to 1992, but the conditions of an apartheid regime had been developing for centuries. The context in which the apartheid regime came into existence was the result of years of racial and ethnic discrimination and segregation. The resulting exclusion was more than just linguistic exclusion. It was also politicized and physicalized through the physical separation of blacks from the small white population and through gerrymandering. In 1991, Prexy Nesbitt, the Chicago Field Representative of the American Committee on Africa (ACOA), stated that the social and political climate of the United States mirrored the struggles that the people of South Africa faced. She explained, The racial dynamics of Chicago are similar to South Africa. When you get the bus on State St. going north or south you are watching South Africa in operation. For Nesbitt, the success of the mobilizations of the American Anti-apartheid Movement was made possible by an organic linkage resulting from an American public that understood oppression and could relate to it. For example, the ACOA would be handing out leaets on the street to people who had just been denied a lease because of the redlining processes in Chicago. The movement used the experiences of communities in Chicago to build support for an international issue. This made the experience of people in South Africa politically and socially relevant to people living in the US. In Movement Matters: American Antiapartheid Activism and the Rise of Multicultural Politics, David Hoesetter argues that it was this precise climate that brought the South African apartheid movement to the United States in the 1960s. For Hoesetter, the Sharpeville Massacre and the state of emergency in which South Africa found itself provided a stark reminder of the racial apocalypse that America might face if nonviolence failed to bring about peaceful change. The reality in South Africa foreshadowed a potential future of US racial relations. Hoesetter argues that, in this sense, the movement could no longer simply be a movement of solidarity, but was appropriated by the government to curb any threat of violence at home. By taking an anti-apartheid stance, the United States sought to gain respect and bolster a national identity surrounding a moral mandate for human rights without actually having to deal with the problems in its own backyard. This argument is problematic in that it puts the awakening and momentum of the movement on the shoulders of the state and excludes the role of the people in their own intervention. In Territories of Difference: Place, Movements, Life, Redes, Arturo Escobar suggests that social movements offer a space for the production of alternative knowledges. Escobar argues that it is in this space that claim-making occurs and that history, geography and politics become linked. It is important to perceive the American Anti-apartheid Movement as more than just a movement aligned with changes in foreign policy and instead to consider the role the movement had in empowering communities and politicizing new organizers. The American Anti-Apartheid movement was a space in which a new identity was being formed. The movement as a form of intervention opened a new space for the creation of identity that emerged from decades of oppression and segregation. It was not simply a movement of alliance with another country, but also solidarity in the purest form of the word: a uni on or fel l owshi p ari si ng from common responsibilities, common struggles and common possibilities. by Emily Deering 8 ACTIVELY ENGAGED INTELLECTUALS ~ INTELLECTUALLY ENGAGED ACTIVISTS VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2014 The 2008 nancial crisis had devastating global repercussions that affected not only tax-paying U.S. citizens, but people from developing nations who relied he av i l y o n f o r e i g n d i r e c t investment. However, the stock market now looks better than ever as it continues on its ascent to new heights. It recently witnessed its highest one-day gain earlier this year, which may leave many to believe that the 2008 global recession is safely in the rear view mirror.This celebratory effort, however, is entirely premature. What remains is a need to hold high-level executives responsible for the damages they caused. Morgan Stanley, a multinational investment bank, recently settled a lawsuit in which it agreed to pay out $1.25 billion from its hand in selling dubious mortgage-backed securities tied to the gl obal nancial crisis. This lawsuit was led by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Only six days after the news of Morgan Stanl ey' s settl ement, a non- governmental group called Better Markets sued the U.S. Justice Department for wrongly handling a similarly settled case in November of 2013 against JP Morgan. Dennis Kelleher, the executive for Better Markets, pointed out that the Justice Department cannot act as the prosecutor, jury, and the judge against one of the most politically connected banks on Wall Street. Without settling this in front of a jury and judge in a courtroom, the important details of the case can be easily concealed. Kelleher argued that the $13 bi l l i on settlement against the nancial giant failed to address which specic laws were violated, the amount in damages from investors, or even the names of individuals who were held responsible. This is hardly the type of justice that this country was hoping would come out of Washington, especially during a time when the issue of gover nment t rans parency i s particularly necessary. However, a more pertinent question to ask is why have none of the high-level executives from these banks faced prosecution? While there are many plausible scenari os for why hi gh-l evel executives from the Wall Street banks have not been prosecuted, some are less convincing than others. When Attorney General Eric Holder was asked to speak on this issue, he provided the excuse that such prosecutions, will have a negative impact on the national economy, perhaps even the world economy. Holders claim does not justify why the nancial bankers and investment rms that caused the largest nancial collapse since the Great Depression have not been held accountable for their actions. For the past 30 years, there has been a fundamental shift from prosecuting high-level executives to only prosecuting the companies or institutions as a whole. This presents a moral dilemma, in which prosecuti ng a company may directl y or indirectl y punish employees or shareholders who may very well not have been involved. This dramatic shift has occurred because prosecutors want to save time and resources. It is just easier for them; no one wants to endure long investigations. In the end, short-ter m l awsuits are p r e f e r a b l e t o p r o l o n g e d investigations. This is a systemic issue, and one that needs to be addressed before it is too late. The future value of prosecuting high-level executives or e v e n f o r me r e x e c u t i v e s undoubt edl y out wei ghs any present-value benet in prosecuting the company or institution as a whole. While there are preventative and internal measures enforced in these institutions or companies after a lawsuit, these are ctitious and short-term band-aids that fail at covering up the gaping wound in the nancial sector. The Department of Justice should tackle these criminals of the nance industry in the same fashion that prosecutors would go after drug lords. This strategy begins at the grassroots level and t hes e l engt hy i nves t i gat i ons eventually climb upwards until the leading gure has been held responsible. This method has been successful in the recent high-prole arrests of Mexican drug leaders. While the individuals on Wall Street may not have been involved in the bloodshed of thousands as a result of drug wars, the devastating impact of their actions in the U.S. and the global economy should be taken just as seriously. This new type of incentive for prosecutors to go after companies and institutions with short-term lawsuits sharply resembles the overall tendencies of businesses within the economy to maximize share-holder value and short-term prots. Both situations undoubtedly favor the short-term success over the entire future sustainability of the country. Unfortunately, the judicial system has a ve year limitation for prosecuting high-level ofcials after the 2008 crisis. It is not surprising then, that much of the general public feels as though Wall Street will be let off the hook for their behavior once again. While Better Markets is fearlessly taking on the powerful Wall Street nancial banks, the FHFA has taken a step in the wrong direction. For all those affected from the criminal activities that were carried out by Wall Street, this settlement against Morgan Stanley missed the point. Missing the point: Settlement of $1.25 billion from Morgan Stanley fails to address a larger issue by Kyle Wagner ACTIVELY ENGAGED INTELLECTUALS ~ INTELLECTUALLY ENGAGED ACTIVISTS 9 In "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break the Silence" (1967), Martin Luther King calls for an anti-racist and internationalist response to oppression in its various guises. Taking King's Vietnam speech as a starting point, this essay contest asks students to consider what such a speech might look like today. See http://las.depaul.edu/int/Events/StudentEssayContest/index.asp for important submission and formatting guidelines. Email Susan Dirr at sdirr1@depaul.edu with questions. ANNOUNCING: Martin Luther King Jr. Student Essay Contest ! Cash prizes for best undergraduate and graduate papers! DEADLINE: APRIL 1st by 5pm The International Studies Programs at DePaul & University of Illinois at Chicago invite you to the 2014 annual student conference to be held on Thursday, April 24th, 2014 at DePaul University. The theme of this years conference is Critical Perspectives on Technology and Information in an International Context. The conference seeks to create a space for critical, interdisciplinary dialogue on international issues relating to the social impact of technologies and the increased prevalence and dependence on data and information. 10 ACTIVELY ENGAGED INTELLECTUALS ~ INTELLECTUALLY ENGAGED ACTIVISTS VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2014 2014 S pring Q uarter C lass L ist INT 340 European Area Studies: Spain & Portugal |Kara Dempsey |TuTh 1:00pm-2:30pm INT 368 Topics in Global Culture: Culture and Inequality |Larisa Kurtovic |W 6:00pm-9:15pm INT 364 Topics in International Political Economy: Race, Sex and Difference |Heidi Nast |Tu 6:00pm-9:15pm INT 374 Topics in International Organizations: European Union # |Erik Tillman |MW 1:00pm-2:30pm
INT 388 Special Topics in International
Studies: Middle East-Latin American Relations | John Karam |MW 2:40pm-4:10pm INT 388 Special Topics in International Studies: Postcolonial Theory & International Relations | Shiera Malik |MW 4:20am-5:50pm INT 360 Development/Anti-Development: Critical Development Theory # | Antonio Morales-Pita |Th 6:00-9:15pm INT 368 Topics in Global Culture: The Black Atlantic # | Daniel McNeil |MW 4:20pm-5:50pm INT 371 International Environmental Politics # | Gil Gott |M 6:00pm-9:15pm INT 388 Special Topics in International Studies: Sustainable Urbanism # | Cecil Brownlow |TuTh 11:20am-12:50pm The Wedlock: A Review This February, the 24 th Annual Festival of Films from Iran premiered at the Gene Siskel Film Center downtown. From February 7 th to 28 th the theater showcased seven Iranian lms, many of them debuting for the rst time in North America. Many of the lms were originally banned in Iran because their scandalous subject matter broke censorship laws. Two of director Ruhollah Hejazi's lms were included in the festival. Both of these lms were about adultery, marital issues, and premarital sex. One of them, The Wedlock (Zendegi-e Moshtarak-e Aghaye Mahmoodi va Banoo), features award-winning actress Taraneh Alidoosti as Sanaz, a woman caught in the middle of a misunderstood generational gap s p a n n i n g h e r d e c e a s e d grandmother, her older husband, her traditional aunt and uncle, and their impressionable teenager, Negin. Ideologies clash when Sanaz arrives to renovate her aunt's house and a series of eavesdropping and name-calling wi d e n s t h e g a p b e t we e n independent, modern Sanaz and her traditional aunt. They openly discuss premarital sex and a woman's place in the household, all while young Negin, attached to her cellphone, blasts Katy Perry from her bedroom. The Wedlock uses this traditional family conict to display the changing politics of Iranian society. The ambiguous ending and sometimes confusing subtitles made for a generally underwhelming experience, but t he l m i s i mpor t ant f or exemplifying a clear shift in Iranian cinema in recent years. Increasingly, Iranian lms portray political protest in a society frustrated with the success of various Arab Spring movements and the failure of its own. Because the lms were completed before the recent renewed diplomacy bet ween t he US and Iran regardi ng nucl ear program cutbacks, perhaps next years f es t i val wi l l i l l us t r at e t he international atmosphere with less cynicism and more hope. by Neda Tolooli ACTIVELY ENGAGED INTELLECTUALS ~ INTELLECTUALLY ENGAGED ACTIVISTS 11 STUDENT SPOTLIGHT YULIYA RALKO Last fall, I lived in Madrid, Spain as part of the DePaul study abroad program. In three short months, Madrid became one of my favorite cities. It is difcult to describe my study abroad experience because every moment was so great. Another DePaul student and I stayed with a host family together. The other DePaul students in the program were helpful and friendly. Given that we spent a lot of time together, we were all good friends by the end of the trip. Interestingly enough, my trip to Spain not only introduced me to Spanish culture, but to many other cultures as well. This was because the majority of my classes were lled with students from all over the world including China, Turkey, India, Rus s i a, Japan, and Nor way. Considering the wide range of nati onal i ti es and backgrounds, everyone got along pretty well. I am still connected with my friends from class who are still studying in Spain, and many of them were very sad that I left at the end of the quarter. People warned me about the culture shock I would experience while a b r o a d bu t , s u r p r i s i ng l y, I experienced very little of it. At rst I was shy to use my Spanish, but over time I adjusted and became more comfortable. I was amazed at how quickly I adapted to my new environment and, in fact, I felt at home in Madrid. Madrids subway system, which I loved, is well developed and allowed me to explore the city, which was a major part of my experience in Spain. In the rst couple of days, I explored Madrids famous landmarks like El Sol (the downtown main square), Gran Via (one of main streets for shopping), and Palacio Real (The Royal Palace). However, the city has a lot more to offer than just the famous sights. It has great museums like Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza, and Reina Soa, as well as smaller ones like Museo Cerralbo and the Museo Nacional de Romanticismo, and a v a r i e t y o f c h u r c h e s , r o y a l monasteries, and parks. One park even has a real Egyptian temple. Madrid has great weather, amazing sunsets, and many other hidden gems, and walking through the city never failed to make me feel relaxed and accomplished. While abroad, I also traveled to other Spanish cities including Granada, Sa l a ma nc a , Ba r c e l o na , Sa n Sebastian, and Toledo. Each city was special and unique. My favorite thing to do in these cities was to walk along the charming small streets of their old neighborhoods. Many of these streets were so small that, when a car actually came through, pedestrians needed to stand very close to the wall in order to not get hit by it. Additionally, I traveled to some cities outside of Spain. I went to Paris, Copenhagen, and Rome. My favorite one was Copenhagen, where I came to experience the greatest culture shock of my entire trip. This city is very expensive, but it is totally worth it. In the three days I was there, I saw all types of weather, visited palaces and other monuments, and wandered through the citys downtown area. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. I also loved Rome, mainly because of all its hi s t or y. The Vat i can Ci t y i s captivating and Saint Peters Church is very beautiful. I actually spent a whole day in The Vatican City and still was not able to see all there was to see. Rome surprised me in a lot of ways because I did not expect the large amount of old buildings and structures, which were full of history and ancient culture. It i s hard to put i nto words everything I experienced during my trip. I must say that this program was worth the time and money and, in general, study abroad offers a great opportunity to go see the world we always read about in INT courses. If you have already participated in study abroad, you likely agree with me. If you have not, I encourage you to consider it, as it will radically change your life and outlook in every possible way. VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 WINTER 2014 Conference Congratulations The newsletter committee would like to recognize and congratulate the undergraduate students who have been accepted to present at local and international academic conferences. We know you will be great representatives of the type of scholars our department cultivates. Human Development Conference MPSA Conference CASID Conference Vierelina Fernndez Vierelina Fernndez Emily Deering Keavy McFadden Salma Ghalyoun Vierelina Fernndez # Gabriela Polo# # # # Amelia Hussein# # # Miriam Keep # # # # # # Keavy McFadden # # # # # # Gabriela Polo 12 Brought to you by the D epartment of I nternational S tudies 990 West Fullerton, Suite 4100 Chicago, IL 60614 & ~ The Newsletter Committee ~ Follow INT online at: http://on.fb.me/XSNJKf @DePaulINTadv http://interruptedsilencedepaul.blogspot.com/ Get involved with Interrupted Silence next quarter! Look for an announcement via intstuds in the Spring Elena Becerril Christina Campbell Emily Deering Vierelina Fernndez Dana Jabri Keavy McFadden Gabriela Polo Yuliya Ralko Neda Tolooli Kyle Wagner