How we photographed University of Chicago students rallying in wake of sexual assault reports
This week’s top photo comes from Visual Journalist Candace Dane Chambers.
What makes this photo important?
This month, the University of Chicago community has been rocked by two cases of reported sexual assault at fraternity houses. One incident occurred in February at Alpha Delta Phi, and the other took place just weeks ago at the off campus Alpha Epsilon Pi house. These reports emerged in the midst of an already tense national debate about collegiate sexual violence, spurred by the recent revelation of Cornell University’s perceived mishandling of an alleged frat house gang rape in 2024.
UChicago students are now calling on administrators to improve its assault prevention and survivor support programs. At a Wednesday night rally, national advocates came together with student organizers to stand in solidarity with victims and propose new policies for a safer campus.
How I got this photo:
The rally began at 6 p.m., so I was shooting outdoors after sunset, which is always a struggle. Thankfully, the local TV crews were also on the scene with their large LED lights pointed at the podium. I piggybacked off their lighting to capture each speaker and any faces in the crowd that the light spilled onto. I spotted senior student Jack Huber standing on the front line of ralliers. I was initially standing directly across from him, and after capturing a few wide shots head on, I walked around the media set up to shoot from inside the crowd. I stood flush with the front line and crouched down to shoot up on Huber. Only his face and sign were lit, so I dropped my ISO and allowed all the surrounding elements to fall into shadow. That helped preserve the details on the two main focal points — his expression and the call to "EXPEL HIM."
Technical details:
- Equipment: Canon EOS R5 with an RF 28-70mm f/2L lens
- Focal length: 50mm
- Aperture: f/2
- Exposure: 1/100
- ISO: 1250
Plus, 15 more photos from Sun-Times and WBEZ photographers from this week in news:
Family members and mourners watch Wednesday as authorities investigate near 145th Street and Cooper Avenue after an FBI agent fatally shot 22-year-old Chadwick Clark inside a home in south suburban Dixmoor. Clark was killed just two days after an off-duty FBI agent fatally shot another man who was allegedly firing into a crowd in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood.
Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
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