Wednesday, August 28, 2013 VOLUME 32 / NUMBER 1 www.uicnews.uic.edu facebook.com/uicnews twitter.com/uicnews NEWS UIC youtube.com/uicmedia For the community of the University of Illinois at Chicago Photo: Roberta Dupuis-Devlin First-year students gather in a sea of red T-shirts as they pose for a class photo after UIC Convocation Sunday in the UIC Pavilion. Nearly 5,000 students and their families were greeted at the eighth-annual celebration. Welcome to UIC - nice to see you! INSIDE: Profile / Quotable 2 | Campus News 4 | Calendar 10 | Student Voice 11 | Police 14 | Sports 12 Elvin Chan values teamwork, Spark in the Park brings house, Boxes, bags and cartons of ramen New contract makes Mike Dee especially in a dragon boat hip hop to campus noodles: must be Move-In Day! longest-running coach More on page 2 More on page 3 More on page 5 More on page 16 2 UIC NEWS I www.uicnews.uic.edu I AUGUST 28, 2013 profile Send profile ideas to Gary Wisby, [email protected] Elvin Chan believes in the power of teamwork By Gary Wisby Elvin Chan keeps the UIC folks who paddle a dragon boat afloat. Chan, assistant director of the Asian American Resource and Cultural Center, has been manager of the Pyro Paddlers since the team formed in 2008. “The opportunity came to me as part of my work with our community outreach programs, connecting students, faculty and staff with the Asian community in Chicago,” he said. The colorful wooden boats, carved to look like dragons, carry 21 people, 18 of them paddlers. The others are a drummer, who pounds a drum to set the pace for paddlers; a flag catcher, perched atop the front of the boat to grab a flag at race’s end to time the boat’s run; and an official of the American Dragon Boat Association, who sits in the stern and steers. UIC is a member of the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, through the Office of External Affairs. Chinatown hosts the granddaddy of all local dragon boat races — the Chicago Dragon Boat Race for Literacy, staged annually in Ping Tom Park — and back in ’08, UIC was invited to field a team of paddlers. Chan put out the call to students, faculty, staff and alumni, and the Pyro Paddlers were off to the races. It’s a perfect name for the team, considering that UIC sports teams are the Flames and the school mascot is Sparky D. Dragon. Photo: Joshua Clark In their first competition, the paddlers finished 17th out Elvin Chan, assistant director of the Asian American Resource and Cultural Center, manages the Pyro Paddlers, UIC’s dragon boat racing team. of 28 teams. In 2011, the team won first place in its division The team has competed at races on the Fox River in St. Charles and the Chicago River in the city’s Chinatown neighborhood. at the Pride of the Fox Riverfest in St. Charles. They were moved up to first division and this year placed “You need to find a pace that is sustainable,” he said. “If He joined the Northwestern Undergraduate Leadership seventh. you push too hard, the team starts breaking out of sync. You Program, then worked for the Chicago-based Asian “Some paddlers said, ‘Maybe if we paddled slower, we can be beaten by a team that is individually weaker, but more Community Online Network. could be in the easier division and bring home a trophy,’ but coordinated.” Chan became a founding staff member of the UIC Asian that was said mostly in jest,” Chan said. In Chan’s work at the Asian American Resource and American center in 2005. He’s since evolved from assistant As team manager, “I’m in charge of communication with Cultural Center, “half my job is taking care of administrative to the director to assistant director. the paddlers, recruitment, getting the team signed up for functions — keeping the office running,” he said. Chan’s wife, Joanna Su, works in a federally funded races, scheduling practices and carpooling,” Chan said. “The other half is community outreach and campus home visiting program that serves at-risk families in six He drives paddlers to races in a UIC van and takes care of outreach programs,” helping students connect with Chicago’s communities across the state. refreshments and lunches. Asian community and Asian groups at UIC. They live in Rogers Park with their 3-year-old daughter, “I try to provide the team history and institutional Chan grew up in the Buffalo, N.Y., suburb of Erin. memory,” he said, adding that he has been needed in the boat Williamsville. He studied aerospace engineering at the Chan spends five or six hours a week mountain- and only twice, filling in as drummer and flag catcher. University of Buffalo (bachelor’s degree) and University of road biking. About once a month, at his home, he and Team co-captains this year are undergrad Kevin Chiem Texas at Austin (master’s). friends play Settlers of Catan or other strategy-based board and graduate student Jenny Korn. He worked for NASA in Houston from 1994 to 1996, games. “I break impasses,” Chan said. when he decided to change careers, earning a second master’s “People who know me call me a foodie,” he said. “I’m The two interlinked essentials of a good dragon boat race — in higher education administration — at Northwestern always chasing down culinary exploits in Chicago.” are pace and coordination, Chan said. University in 1997. [email protected] quotable “How neat is it to give people the power to appreciate “We cannot expect our kids to thrive emotionally and “It causes chronic pain and causes brain-injury, post- the world around them and the biodiversity that academically when they’re living in a culture where concussion-type symptoms. You and I can filter out surrounds them?” maybe everyone is armed or everyone lives in fear distractions and still focus. One of the things we see all the time. We’ve got to work for common sense with lightning and electric[-shock] patients is that Steve Sullivan, Ph.D. candidate in biological sciences and regulations and to curb this violence.” ability is scraped off.” director of Project Squirrel, on why the study enlists “citizen scientists” to observe squirrels, Aug. 21 Chicago Tribune Sheela Raja, psychologist and clinical assistant professor Mary Ann Cooper, professor emeritus of emergency of pediatric dentistry, on how kids can overcome their medicine, on people who have been struck by lightning, worries about beginning a new school year, Aug. 22 CBS 2 Aug. 15 Washington Post AUGUST 28, 2013 I UIC NEWS I www.uicnews.uic.edu 3 Spark in the Park highlights hip hop By Matt O’Connor UIC fans of hip hop and house music — get ready! This year’s Spark in the Park, UIC’s free back-to-school concert for faculty, staff and students, will feature Kendrick Lamar, Chicago native Chance The Rapper, Frankie Knuckles and GRiZ, along with UIC student opening act J. Larroc. There are no tickets on sale for the fourth annual event — entrance is with valid UIC i-card only. Gates open at 3 p.m. for the Sept. 5 show at Harrison Field, corner of Harrison Detroit “trip-hop” artist GRiZ and Halsted streets. Early arrivals get a free Spark in the Park rally towel. “It’s a good way for students to come out and have fun,” said Sabika Haq, a freshman in political science. “I like the idea of them being free. I mean, who doesn’t like free concerts?” said Dan Hernandez, a senior in pre-med and Latino studies. Two of the performers — Lamar and Chance The Rapper — appeared at Lollapalooza last month. “I’m excited about Kendrick Lamar! I’m a fan, so it’s ex- citing, and plus we get to rub it in other schools’ faces,” said Dhwani Patel, a sophomore in biological sciences. Kendrick Lamar played the Lollapalooza main stage recently. Lamar’s successful album “good kid, m.A.A.d. city” landed the Compton rapper on the main stage at the Grant Park festival. South Side artist Chance The Rapper has been gaining Frankie Knuckles, “Godfather J. Larroc, a.k.a. Jesus Corral, popularity since the release of his mix tape “Acid Rap.” of House Music” the student opening act Chance (Chancelor Bennett) worked on his first mix tape, “10 Day,” during a 10-day suspension in his senior year at Jones College Prep. of Blues and the Congress Theatre. “I’m excited for Chance The Rapper and Kendrick Lamar. “I’m very thankful for the UIC community for selecting I saw Chance last year and he was really good,” said Xavier me to start off the night of tremendous music,” he said. Torres-Valdovinos, a senior in communication. Spark in the Park is sponsored by Campus Programs in DJ and music producer Frankie Knuckles, known as “The collaboration with the UIC Pavilion and UIC Radio. Previous Godfather of House Music,” and Detroit “trip-hop” artist performers have included Childish Gambino, Santigold, Lupe GRiZ round out the Spark in the Park lineup. Fiasco and Kid Cudi. “I’m pretty excited to take the stage alongside all these “Last year’s performers were very good. I actually now great acts,” said Larroc, who was selected by online student listen to Childish Gambino because of Spark in the Park,” said vote to open the show. Alondra Dorado, a sophomore in biological sciences. Known as Jesus Corral in the classroom, where he’s a [email protected] second-year graduate student in architecture, Larroc consid- — Humaa Siddiqi and Britney Musial contributed to this ers himself an electronic/house artist.