ACTIVELY ENGAGED INTELLECTUALS ~ INTELLECTUALLY ENGAGED ACTIVISTS 1

FROM YOUR EDITORS

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
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&
~ The Newsletter Committee ~
Follow INT online at:
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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