While political pundits debate whether a former Law School lecturer is too University of Chicago to be president of the United States, the U of C focuses on—what else?—what it means to be U of C.

This past spring, New York Times columnist David Brooks, AB’83, recited one of his favorite stories about Barack Obama for a packed audience of Alumni Weekend–goers. Late one evening in April 2007, in the midst of a phone interview with the candidate—who, tired and cranky, was still on the Senate floor—Brooks found himself getting nowhere with questions about foreign-aid programs in Africa.

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Is Jack Tucker, PhD’72, a professional bowler? That’s what his classmates have been reading in the Magazine’s “Alumni News” section for years. As his (much embellished) essay makes clear, the truth can get lost in pursuit of the score.

I’m one of those not-so-unique individuals who got his doctorate from the University of Chicago but never managed to find a career in the life of the mind. The year, 1972, turned out to be a terrible one to face the job market in Eastern European social history. Maybe I didn’t know how to market myself effectively.

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Researchers argue that it’s time to see beyond the “myth of the pristine forest”—to gain a truer understanding of humankind’s interactions with the natural landscape.

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We invite members of the University of Chicago community to share your thoughts about former Law School lecturer Barack Obama's historic election as the 44th president of the United States. We welcome your messages of congratulation, stories about your election-day experiences, and thoughts about what this means for the future of our University, our city, our nation, and our world.

Discussions are moderated.

Related links:
Election day on campus
Dispatch from a student poll worker
Elemental Obama