The Daily Northwestern — May 10, 2021

Serving the University and Evanston since 1881

The Daily Northwestern Monday, May 10, 2021 8 SPORTS/Scane

3 CAMPUS/Dean Kelly Mayo

2 CITY/10th Ward Lit

Scane leads NU to Big Ten Tournament title

Graduate student advocacy groups reflect on progress made, demands unmet under Dean Mayo

EPL launches literary magazine 10th Ward Lit

High 46 Low 41

Sen. Fine proposes health care legislation State Sen. Laura Fine introduces bills on mental health care

By KATRINA PHAM

the daily northwestern @katrinapham_

In an effort to expand access to mental health care in Illinois, state Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) has introduced multiple pieces of legislation proposing an increase in accessibility to mental health care.

Fine’s efforts include the Access to Basic Mental Health Information Act and an amendment to the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act. Both pieces of legislation passed the Illinois Senate and now sit in the Illinois House of Representatives.

Fine said she decided to focus the legislation on mental health care because struggles with mental wellness are often stigmatized, and care is not always easy to find.

“People shouldn’t be embarrassed to say they have a mental health issue,” Fine said. “These pieces of legislation say it’s okay to need help.”

The network adequacy amendment would require insurers to

» See MENTAL HEALTH, page 6

Nick Francis/Daily Senior Staffer

Organizers posted signs around The Rock, advocating for increased representation of women within University leadership. Over 200 people marched from The Rock to University President Morton Schapiro’s residence.

NU community protests Polisky promotion Following hiring selection, NU faculty and students picket in front of Schapiro’s house

By YUNKYO KIM and NICK FRANCIS

daily senior staffers @yunkyomoonk, @ nick24francis

Over 200 Northwestern faculty, staff, students, alumni and

Evanston community members marched Friday to protest the appointment of Mike Polisky as the University’s next athletic director.

Faculty members, who organized the protest and signed a Wednesday letter, gave

speeches at The Rock, before attendees walked up Sheridan Road to picket in front of University President Morton Schapiro’s house.

The protest was the culmination of calls for the University to reconsider Polisky’s

appointment and conduct an investigation into his time at NU. Polisky was named a defendant in a federal sexual harassment case filed by a member of the cheerleading team in January. Members of the cheerleading team also

alleged that Polisky improperly addressed anti-Black racism in an investigation published by The Daily.

Organizers and attendees shouted, “Believe

» See PICKET, page 6

NUCNC holds abolitionist noise demonstration City to In solidarity with cheerleaders, NU Community Not Cops occupy Norris University Center hold in person parade

By JACQUELYNE GERMAIN and MAIA SPOTO

the daily northwestern @jacquygermain, @maia_spoto

Ringing cowbells, clanging pots, pans and bowls and playing music from speakers, about 75 students gathered on the steps of Deering Library Saturday to protest in solidarity with Northwestern cheerleaders and for police abolition.

The NU Community Not Cops action came just a day after NU and Evanston community members marched to University President Morton Schapiro’s house to protest the appointment of Mike Polisky as the University’s next athletic director.

Polisky was named as a defendant in a sexual harassment case filed in January by a member of NU’s cheerleading team, and members of the team also claimed in a February Daily investigation that Polisky did not appropriately respond

Recycle Me

to anti-Black racism.

“We know that in order to be committed to the level of safety and community care we are demanding of the University, it would require them to center the needs of those who are victims of gender- and sexualitybased violence,” an NUCNC organizer said. “Center survivors in abolition.”

There were no police officers in the direct vicinity of the protesters, who remained on campus as they walked from Deering to Norris University Center.

Two unmarked Evanston Police Department vehicles were present by Foster-Walker Complex at the start of the action.

Saturday marked 337 days since NUCNC and affi liated organizations sent a petition to University administration demanding divestment from policing and investment in lifegiving institutions for Black students. May 3 also marks the 53rd anniversary of the start of the Bursar’s Office Takeover,

in which Black students held a 38-hour demonstration after administrators didn’t meet their demands in response to discriminatory campus policies.

Once the protestors reached Norris, they approached the first floor by Norbucks, gathering around the common area in front of the television. Protestors made noise hitting pots and pans, ringing cowbells and playing music.

“Despite surface-level claims and buzzwords, the University is showing with their actions that they are not committed to any meaningful level of care and support,” an organizer said.

“When will they care about us?”

After speaking, organizers thanked the Norbucks staff and headed to the ground floor, circled the area and stopped by MOD. An organizer said NUCNC also stands in solidarity with international organizers in Palestine and Colombia, adding that the movement to dismantle

Hendricks gears up for Juneteenth Parade

By WENDY KLUNK

the daily northwestern @wklunk Nick Francis/Daily Senior Staffer

heard about the mistreatment of cheerleaders was at an NUCNC march at Ryan Field.

At the October 2020 protest, a speaker stepped up to the microphone to discuss the

Kemone Hendricks, founder of Evanston Present and Future is organizing Evanston’s first in-person Juneteenth Parade, which she said will bring the community together to celebrate “America’s real freedom day.”

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery,

» See NOISE DEMO, page 6

» See JUNETEENTH, page 6

Students hit metal pots with wooden spoons. At a Saturday noise demonstration in the wake of Mike Polisky’s promotion, Northwestern Community Not Cops called for abolition centering survivors.

oppressive structures exists beyond campus.

The group then moved to the lawn behind Norris, where an organizer read a statement from an anonymous NUCNC member who said the first time many community members

INSIDE: Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Opinion 4 | Classifieds & Puzzles 6 | Sports 8

2

MONDAY, MAY 10, 2021

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

AROUND TOWN

City library launches literary magazine 10th Ward Lit

By ISABEL FUNK

the daily northwestern @isabeldfunk

When Evanston Public Library branch assistant Kellye Fleming noticed many of her friends were trying new artistic projects during the pandemic, she was inspired to start 10th Ward Lit, a library literary magazine.

“A lot of people around me were taking up different creative hobbies to take up their time, or to entertain their children,” Fleming said. “Creative outlets are very important, especially in times of stress, and I think they can be very bonding.”

Fleming proposed the idea for 10th Ward Lit, a digital library publication, to EPL last August, and now serves as its editor in chief. 10th Ward Lit is currently accepting poems, short fiction, photographs and illustrations for its first issue, The Coronavirus Issue, which is scheduled to publish in June.

Fleming said she chose the name 10th Ward Lit as a way to create a space for residents of all nine wards to express their creativity.

“I want people to realize that their neighbors are hidden artists, and that they themselves are hidden artists,” Fleming said.

As part of the publication’s goal to provide an inclusive platform for residents, EPL branch assistant Beatriz Echeverria joined 10th Ward Lit as a co-editor to provide Spanish translation.

Fleming said including multiple languages in the magazine is important because she did not

Evanston Township High School partners with city to host vaccine clinic Evanston Township High School will host a vaccination clinic on its campus in partnership with the city’s Health and Human Services department on May 22, according to an email from the school.

Individuals ages 16 and older can receive their

Daily file photo by Owen Stidman

Editor in chief Kellye Fleming said she chose the name 10th Ward Lit as a way to provide a communal space for residents of all nine wards to share their artwork.

want to limit creators by making them translate their art out of their native language.

Echeverria helped translate 10th Ward Lit’s website and submission form, and said it’s essential to make all members of the community feel welcome to contribute to the magazine. The

inclusion of multiple languages has also added new layers to the submission process.

“When you translate into Spanish, you have to be very mindful of the pronouns and you have to be gender neutral, because words have gender in Spanish,” Echeverria said. “So in this case, we tried

first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on May 22.

They will receive their second dose on June 12.

The clinic will take place across from the school in Parking Lot 1 on Dodge Avenue.

ETHS began optional hybrid instruction last month after more than a year of online classes.

Around 1,720 students have opted into the hybrid instruction, and around 2,000 have continued to learn remote-only.

As of May 6, ETHS has reported 16 positive COVID-19 cases among students and three cases

among teachers since April 2, according to the school’s coronavirus dashboard.

At a school board meeting last month, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Pete Bavis said the district is implementing physical wellness measures. Classrooms are arranged so all desks face the same direction and are spaced at least six feet apart, and traffic cones line the hallway to create two distinct lanes for travel, according to Bavis.

Those 16 and older who live or work in Evanston should fill out the city’s vaccine interest form,

jiffy lube SIGNATURE SERVICE® OIL CHANGE

NU students, faculty and staff show your Wildcard & receive $10 OFF oil change With this coupon. Coupon Code NW1

WE NOW DO TUNE-UPS, TIRES & BRAKES! jiffy lube • 1941 W. Dempster, Evanston (just west of Dodge) 847-328-5222 • Mon-Fri 8-6, Sat 8-5, Sun 10-4

TWITTER @thedailynu

FOR THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS FOLLOW US ON

FACEBOOK thedailynorthwestern

to be very mindful of the way we refer to people that would be sending their work.”

As of now, Fleming said the magazine plans to publish virtually.

Halka, the exhibits and creative programming library assistant, is also a co-editor of the magazine. Ze said ze hopes 10th Ward Lit can be a place to support local artists and help them find resources and build community networking.

“We kind of want it to be a platform for people who’ve been part of historically silenced communities or groups that are not not always part of a dominant narrative to be able to share themselves and have a good platform to do that,” Halka said.

The upcoming issue invites Evanston residents to share artwork that highlights what they have lost and gained during the pandemic. Fleming said she gets “giddy” every time they receive a submission and is excited to see the final product.

10th Ward Lit will hold an event to celebrate the publication of the first issue, either virtually or outside, Fleming said.

She said she hopes the imaginary “10th Ward” can be a collaborative space belonging to all residents for art experimentation and sharing.

“When we talk about art, a lot of people think you have to be published to call yourself an artist, (or) you have to get your artwork in a gallery to call yourself a painter,” Fleming said. “But I think if you’re just putting paint to canvas or words on paper, then you’re already an artist, you’re already a writer.” isabelfunk2024@u.northwestern.edu which is also available in Spanish. Individuals who are homebound and unable to attend a vaccination event should fill out the city’s in-home vaccination form. The Health and Human Services department will notify residents as soon as a vaccine is available for them.

Residents can also make vaccination appointments through NorthShore University HealthSystem and Erie Family Health.

— Delaney Nelson

What’s the most convenient way to reach the NU community?

YOU’RE READING IT! Advertise iN

The Daily Northwestern For more info, contact the Ad Office at 847.491.7206 or email spc-compshop@northwestern.edu or visit www.dailynorthwestern.com/advertising

WEBSITE dailynorthwestern.com

MONDAY, MAY 10, 2021

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

3

ON CAMPUS

Graduate students reflect on Mayo’s term

www.dailynorthwestern.com

By MAIA PANDEY

eic@dailynorthwestern.com

the daily northwestern @maiapandey

When Ph.D. student Sarah Peko-Spicer came to Northwestern in 2015, she worried about finding community as one of two Black graduate students in the statistics department. But the transition was not as difficult as she had anticipated, Peko-Spicer said.

“I remember finding this really thriving community of Black graduate students who were well supported by The Graduate School,” she said. “Many of us felt like TGS was a place that was really highlighting the successes of historically excluded students and constantly making space to celebrate them.”

Peko-Spicer attributed this environment, in part, to the work of former dean Dwight McBride, who left TGS in 2017 to become Emory University’s provost.

Teresa Woodruff succeeded McBride, before stepping down during the 2019-20 school year. Dean Kelly Mayo, who has been at NU since 1985, then took over as interim dean and was appointed to the post permanently as of May 1. For some graduate student activists, his appointment is a promising change.

The environment of TGS shifted under Woodruff, Peko-Spicer said, prompting student backlash and eventually her resignation.

During Woodruff’s tenure, TGS reduced funding to the Queer Pride Graduate Student Association by 25 percent and did not solicit donations for Black Graduate Student Association, which reduced its budget by 42 percent. The school also discontinued Black History Month programming.

In Fall 2019, Peko-Spicer joined members of TGS to form CoalitionNU, a group advocating for graduate students of marginalized identities. The collective sent an anonymous letter to administrators laying out their demands, which included Woodruff’s removal as dean.

Along with cutting funding to affinity groups and events, the letter claimed Woodruff ignored graduate student-led advocacy efforts.

“Through Dean Woodruff’s tenure, TGS has placed greater burden on underrepresented graduate students to navigate inaccessible and inequitable campus environments and has shirked responsibility

The Daily Northwestern

Editor in Chief Sneha Dey

General Manager Stacia Campbell

stacia@dailynorthwestern.com

Holly and John Madigan Newsroom Phone | 847.491.3222 Campus desk

campus@dailynorthwestern.com

City desk

city@dailynorthwestern.com

Sports desk

sports@dailynorthwestern.com Daily file photo by Catherine Buchaniec

Rebecca Crown Center, home of The Graduate School. Kelly Mayo assumed the post of TGS dean permanently on May 1.

in perpetuating harm,” the letter said.

CoalitionNU has met with Mayo on a nearmonthly basis since he began his term as interim dean, a significant improvement from Woodruff’s tenure, Peko-Spicer said. Still, their demands mostly hinge on increased funding, and TGS does not usually have the budget to address them, she added.

Northwestern University Graduate Workers, a student-led group pushing for the unionization of graduate students, has not seen as significant a shift in their interactions with Mayo as opposed to Woodruff, NUGW communications coordinator Benjamin Zucker said.

The University does not recognize the graduate students’ union, so NUGW has never formally met with Mayo or any other senior administrators, they added.

“Plenty of us have respect for Dean Mayo and understand that he came into the interim position in an extremely challenging time,” Zucker said. “That being, we have not found anything that he has done to be in any way characteristically different of the broader administrative response (to NUGW).”

Ph.D. student Andrew Hull, NUGW unity committee chair and former co-chair, said while Mayo has

never officially met with NUGW, the dean’s approach to Graduate Leadership and Advocacy Council and Northwestern University COVID-19 Committee meetings have been promising.

“Many of the people who are in those meetings are NUGW members, and a lot of the survey data and research that provides these student leaders’ best arguments comes from NUGW,” Hull said. “The impression that a lot of people get when they interact with Dean Mayo is that he’s somebody who really does care a lot about grad students.”

Mayo has been especially receptive to presentations about why graduate students should be granted a universal, one-year funding extension in light of the pandemic, Hull said.

As permanent dean, Mayo can use his influence to advocate for graduate students among other senior administrators, Hull added.

“I really hope that TGS becomes an advocate for grad workers to other sectors of the university — to the Board of Trustees or to the president of the University,” Hull said. “I think Kelly Mayo is the type of person who would be able to introduce that change.” maiapandey@u.northwestern.edu

Ad Office | 847.491.7206

spc-compshop@northwestern.edu

The Daily Northwestern is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, except vacation periods and two weeks preceding them and once during August, by Students Publishing Co., Inc. of Northwestern University, 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208; 847491-7206.

First copy of The Daily is free, additional copies are 50 cents. All material published herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is Copyright 2020 The Daily Northwestern and protected under the “work made for hire” and “periodical publication” clauses of copyright law.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Daily Northwestern, 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208. Subscriptions are $175 for the academic year. The Daily Northwestern is not responsible for more than one incorrect ad insertion. All display ad corrections must be received by 3 p.m. one day prior to when the ad is run.

Check out

DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM for breaking news

The UPS Store For all your packaging and shipping needs.

Shipping out for Summer Break?

For news, updates and campus photography, follow The Daily on Instagram:

@thedailynu

SHIPPING STORAGE Services Services Small stuff. Large stuff.

UPS ships it all.

INTERNATIONAL, TOO

Short term. Long term.

Packing, Shipping & Moving Supplies

FREE Insurance

FREE PICK-UP available (first $100)

NO REGISTRATION FEES! For more info and to sign up online: www.chicagolandshipping.com

Northwestern Special: Show your Wildcard or mention this ad for

10% Off UPS SHIPPING 847-869-3000 Visit us in downtown Evanston

1555 Sherman Ave.

Hours: M-F 9-6, Sat. 10-5, Sun. 12-4

4 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

MONDAY, MAY 10, 2021

OPINION

Join the online conversation at www.dailynorthwestern.com

The U.S. has a responsibility to vaccinate the world STERLING ORTIZ

COLUMNIST

I am aware of the bounties of privileges I have as a student at a top-10-ranked university in this country with my loving household, wonderful multicultural fraternity, and twin Hungarian and Puerto Rican heritages.

In early April, I got my second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, another privilege.

When appointments at the United Center opened to broader Cook County, I snatched up the first opportunity I could. While I admit I don’t feel any new 5G connection or a sudden German understanding, I believe I’ve gotten something greater: strong protection against COVID-19.

I am happy to join the other 43 percent of Americans and majority of Northwestern students and staff in receiving at least one dose of the vaccine. We who have been vaccinated were both very motivated and very lucky to live in a country with plenty to go around.

However, the United States is in a new stage of vaccination. Instead of demand outpacing supply, the nation now has more vaccines than people to take them. The time is now

for the federal government to vaccinate the world.

We can see the supply of vaccines outpaces demand from the rolling seven-day average of U.S. vaccinations. A week ago, numbers enthusiasts marveled at over 3 million doses on that average. Now we are left to glance at an average of “only” about 2.7 million doses a week.

Local and state governments have been trying to find ways to vaccinate the unwilling or shy.

West Virginia, an early leader in vaccinating adults, offers a $100 retroactive savings bond for young people who get the shot. New York City, a current leader in vaccinating adults, offers vaccines below a giant blue whale in the American Museum Of Natural History.

When looking at countries that administered over one million vaccine doses, the United States ranks No. 4 in the proportion of the population given a dose, behind Israel, Bhutan and the United Kingdom, and ahead of Chile.

This country’s place at the top is lonely.

Many more countries, from Argentina to Albania, are vaccinating at a much slower rate. India and Brazil are currently in the throes of an incredible coronavirus wave that rivals Lombardy, Italy at the beginning of 2020. New COVID-19 variants appear every so often, from areas hard-hit from the virus, like South Africa and Los Angeles, and none

of them evade any vaccine — so far.

While Americans catch our breath after vaccination, we must remember to extend the ladder below us. Because around the world, this pandemic is not even close to being done. The Economist projected in January that, while North America and most of Europe will finish vaccinations in late 2021, some countries won’t be fully vaccinated until early 2023.

I would like to echo the words of a Nuyorican’s George Washington: “Winning was easy, young man. Governing’s harder.” As the wealthiest country in the history of the world, with excellent access to three vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson’s) with two more awaiting approval (Oxford/ AstraZeneca and Novavax), it is time to vaccinate the world. President Joe Biden has tiptoed around this effort in his first 100 days by promising in March to donate 4 million AstraZeneca doses to Canada and Mexico.

He also promised a few days ago to eventually distribute 60 million AstraZeneca doses to India and other countries, as well.

Those promises are laudable, but timid. In my eyes, the U.S. should trade in its military’s guns for needles and use our bases worldwide as Meccas of vaccination. I know this is possible because I witnessed this first-hand, twice, when the National Guard dropped doses in

veins at the United Center in Chicago. Biden should keep invoking the Defense Production Act to manufacture these life-saving vaccines and distribute them to countries in need until the pandemic is over globally. If the companies involved, like Pfizer, complain for a want of money, then give Monopoly bags filled with cash. We’ll get the cash back innumerable times over from trade, not loans, with newly-vaccinated countries.

We do not have to accept a future where poor and historically terrorized countries suffer from COVID-19, while wealthy countries live lavish with vaccines. We can choose to live in a world where every country sees an end to this pandemic soon, with the U.S. vanguard of worldwide vaccinations. The last time Americans engaged in a successful worldwide blitz was Coca-Cola hunting the former Soviet Union for new consumers.

With that same spirit, for a much greater human cause, we can see a worldwide end to COVID-19 in time for Christmas.

Sterling Ortiz is a SESP junior. He can be contacted at sterlingortiz2022@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern. com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.

Girlboss feminism is harmful. Mocking it may be too.

LILY NEVO

COLUMNIST

Any Gen Z-er on social media has probably seen the phrase “gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss.” It’s the 2021 parody of “live, laugh, love” and social media’s snappy callout of White feminist productivity culture.

The term “girlboss” was coined by Sophia Amoruso, founder of the fast-fashion brand Nasty Gal, in her 2014 memoir “#GIRLBOSS”.

Rather than dismantling the structures that have enabled White male supremacy, “#GIRLBOSS” taught women how to beat men at their own game. It also conveniently allowed women to rebrand their capitalist pursuits as gender equality activism.

“I entered adulthood believing that capitalism was a scam, but I’ve instead found that it’s a kind of alchemy,” Amoruso wrote in her book. “You combine hard work, creativity, and self-determination, and things start to happen.”

I’ve written before about the danger of this kind of “If she can do it, why can’t you?” backhanded empowerment, as it fails to account for the support systems that facilitate an upper

The Daily Northwestern Volume 144, Issue 10 Editor in Chief Sneha Dey Managing Editors Jacob Fulton Isabelle Sarraf Sophia Scanlan Haley Fuller

Opinion Editors Kenny Allen Alex Chun Assistant Opinion Editor Aidan Ocampo

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR may be sent to 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, via fax at 847-491-9905, via e-mail to opinion@ dailynorthwestern.com or by dropping a letter in the box outside The Daily office.

Letters have the following requirements: • Should be typed and double-spaced • Should include the author’s name, signature, school, class and phone number.

• Should be fewer than 300 words They will be checked for authenticity and may be edited for length, clarity, style and grammar.

Letters, columns and cartoons contain the opinion of the authors, not Students Publishing Co. Inc. Submissions signed by more than three people must include at least one and no more than three names designated to represent the group.

middle class White woman’s success.

To claim that hard work alone got Amoruso to where she is now ignores the labor that propelled Nasty Gal to success. Just one year after the “#GIRLBOSS” release, four employees sued Nasty Gal for laying them off right before maternity or paternity leave. I don’t need to dwell on the irony of a self-proclaimed feminist discriminating against pregnant women in the workplace, but this serves as a prime example of how girlboss feminism exists to uplift one woman at the expense of many others.

In June 2020, reports of unsafe working conditions and insufficient pay in factories that supply Boohoo, Nasty Gal’s parent company, emerged. The report revealed that the factory did not follow social distancing guidelines and workers were expected to continue working even after testing positive for COVID-19. Additionally, the workers were paid as little at $4.40 an hour.

Such allegations are not uncommon in women-owned companies. Kylie Jenner has been accused of refusing to pay workers. Audrey Gelman, founder of The Wing, a women-only workspace — and, by definition, a girlboss hub — mistreated employees of color and failed to deliver promised $500 grants under the “Employee Relief Fund” in Spring 2020. Miki Agrawal, founder of Thinx, resigned as CEO of the company after she was accused of sexual

harassment.

This is not to say that all female entrepreneurs will create toxic working environments or that women can only become successful through exploitation. I also want to be careful of labelling any successful woman as power-hungry, because that trope certainly does just as much harm to the feminist movement as the girlboss mentality itself. But there is a line between economic mobility and success built on the oppression of others, which girlboss feminism clearly crosses.

To be successful under capitalism often means squandering another’s opportunity to thrive. If #girlboss equates success with productivity and conflates feminism with capitalism, then it is no feminist movement at all. Feminism advocates for equality by uplifting all women. It does not advocate, for example, that there be an equal number of female exploitative CEOs as there are male exploitative CEOs. In other words, feminism advocates for structural change, not a change working within the structure itself. For women to abuse others in the same way that men always have is not equality or empowerment, is harm.

However, there is also a difference between holding an individual accountable and making harmful generalized assumptions based on a couple people’s actions. The social media girlboss critique, though rooted in a clearly legitimate

problem, has evolved from calling out indisputably hypocritical women to instead demonizing women’s success as a whole.

Sarcastically calling any woman who takes initiative a “girlboss” inexplicitly undermines her power and mocks her ambition. Though explicitly misogynistic language is rarely employed, the fact that a synonym for successful woman has become one of the most popular insults reveals that internalized misogyny plagues even those who claim to be the strongest proponents of intersectional feminism. Simply put, calling out girlbosses for upholding the patriarchy is misogynistic in its own right.

The girlboss conundrum is entrenched in capitalism. If every successful person in a capitalist society inherently subjugates another, then is it even possible for true gender equality to be realized? Acknowledging that capitalism is at the root of this problem requires an admission of everyone’s personal stake in its perpetuation. So, for now, women will just have to take the blame.

Lily Nevo is a Weinberg freshman. She can be contacted at lilynevo2024@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern. com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.

MONDAY, MAY 10, 2021

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

5

Petition urges University to reconsider Polisky selection

By YUNKYO KIM and SOPHIA SCANLAN

daily senior staffers @yunkyomoonk, @sophia_scanlan

Days after Mike Polisky was announced as Northwestern’s next athletic director, hundreds of community members have signed a Thursday petition demanding an independent investigation of his time at NU. Former cheerleader Erika Carter (SESP ‘18) posted the petition, which had about 550 signatures as of Thursday night. The petition came after some community controversy around Polisky’s appointment due to his handling of complaints about harassment and discrimination.

In January, Weinberg senior Hayden Richardson filed a federal lawsuit that named Polisky as a defendant. The lawsuit alleged that Polisky did not allow Richardson to meet with former Athletic Director Jim Phillips about complaints regarding sexual exploitation of cheerleaders, and accused her of “fabricating evidence.” In a February Daily investigation, sources also claimed that Polisky did not adequately handle allegations of racial discrimination within the

cheerleading program.

The petition urges the University to release the findings of an independent investigation “as to whether Polisky acted lawfully and with integrity when responding to cheerleader complaints.”

Carter, who was featured in The Daily’s investigation, said she created the petition because she feels the hire goes against NU’s promises for social justice commitments. The petition cited University President Morton Schapiro’s June 2020 announcement of the University’s commitment to racial and social justice.

“I think that (the University) is doing it for publicity,” Carter said. “I think they’re doing it for donors.

I think they’re doing it to attract diverse students, but honestly this promotion… it’s a complete contradiction.”

In a Thursday message to the community, Schapiro said he interviewed seven of the athletic director candidates. He added that the University used an independent investigator to analyze concerns.

The University should reconsider Polisky’s appointment by conducting an independent investigation on the cheerleaders’ claims, Carter said. If the investigation confirms culpability, she said he should

be fired from NU entirely.

Carter said she hopes people don’t lose sight of the fact that the athletic director oversees all sports and not just cheerleading.

“Polisky getting promoted isn’t really just an affront to cheerleaders,” Carter said. “There are bigger repercussions… I think it was deeper than just the cheerleaders being affected.”

The petition also comes a day after six NU women faculty members penned an open letter to Provost Kathleen Hagerty expressing frustrations with the University’s appointment of Polisky.

Political science Prof. Elizabeth Shakman Hurd, who signed in the open letter, also added her name to Carter’s petition.

Given the University’s announcements about social justice commitments, Hurd said the Polisky selection is “public humiliation.” Even though the faculty are not directly involved in athletics themselves, she said she still wants to hold NU accountable.

“We just care about the students, and we care about the University’s reputation and we care that the University actually puts its money where its mouth is,” Hurd said. “And so to see this — it is actually just

disgusting.”

NU had an opportunity to make an athletic director appointment symbolic of its promises to prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion, Hurd added. She said she wants the University to hire a new candidate for the position who is more in line with NU’s proclaimed commitments to justice.

A current cheerleader, who asked to remain anonymous due to fear of repercussions, also signed the petition.

She said the decision is especially important to BIPOC members of the cheerleading program. She added that the cheerleaders deserve an explanation about why the University selected Polisky over other recommended candidates — two of whom were women of color.

“I’m hoping that they at least take some time to consider their decision,” the cheerleader said. “There should at least be more thought and effort really put into what they are doing. Even if not that — acknowledge our concerns.” yunkyokim2022@u.northwestern.edu sophiascanlan2022@u.northwestern.edu

APIDA Staff Affinity Group challenges invincibility

By CAROLINE BREW

the daily northwestern

When assistant director of Multicultural Student Affairs Christine Munteanu co-founded the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Staff Affinity Group in 2018, only 10 to 15 people attended each meeting.

Now, the group has 170 members.

ASAG is open to all Northwestern staff members who self-identify as part of the APIDA, or Asian Pacific Islander Desi American, community. The group seeks to build a sense of community and support institutional racial and social justice initiatives by representing APIDA perspectives and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

Munteanu said the group began when staff realized that Asian Americans were left out of an initiative meant to support staff of color, because Asian Americans are considered an overrepresented group at NU. “ASAG was founded to challenge that invincibility

and exclusion of Asian Americans from initiatives for staff of color,” Munteanu said, “as well as to challenge the thinking around being underrepresented and think more about marginalization and experience rather than just numbers.”

For Munteanu, ASAG has provided the opportunity to connect with APIDA staff members from different departments and schools. She describes the group’s events as “a big extended family gathering.”

Center for Awareness, Response, and Education assistant director of Prevention and Masculine Engagement Saed Hill and Kellogg School of Management’s Information Technology project manager lead Faiza Riaz-Faisal are the group’s current co-chairs. The pair said they attribute ASAG’s growth to “word of mouth.”

“We’re just doing outreach, whether it’s staff, students, faculty, whoever — this is open to all,” Riaz-Faisal said. “People are liking the group, and they’re coming to our events, so we’re seeing a lot of news faces there.”

ASAG’s events include human resources and resume workshops, book discussions and “Quali-Tea

Time” — an event series which gives APIDA staff the opportunity to catch up and connect with each other over tea.

As the group has grown in size, Hill said there is more “intentional relationship building,” as members have grown more familiar with each other.

ASAG also hosted healing spaces through Zoom for staff in response to the recent rise in anti-Asian hate crimes. Riaz-Faisal said these spaces allowed staff members to listen to each other and process their own feelings. Depending on how many people showed up to each session, the group sometimes split off into breakout rooms to maintain an intimate setting.

Hill said the purpose of these spaces was for people to “come together with no agenda” and facilitate healing.

“Part of what we’re realizing in these spaces is the importance of naming what anti-Asian hate and racism has looked like for us as a community,” Hill said. “We talked a lot about acknowledging the importance of anti-Asian history. What’s going on now is not actually

new and we’ve been experiencing this for a long time, but now it’s at the forefront.”

Hill and Riaz-Faisal acknowledged the University’s statement that addressed the increase in hate crimes, but said ASAG members were looking for more direct contact with administrators. One such example, they said, could be having NU leadership attend the events and healing spaces.

The co-chairs said they look forward to celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with the group. ASAG is hosting storytelling events throughout May to celebrate and discuss APIDA heritage.

“You don’t know what you need until it’s provided for you, and I think that’s been really true for me,” Hill said. “I didn’t realize I wasn’t fully breathing into who I am and what my identity is until I came to this group.

This has given me a space to unpack and examine that safely in an affirming way.” carolinebrew2024@u.northwestern.edu

Take NU with you, wherever you go.

Sign up for The Daily's email list to get the headlines in your inbox.

The Daily Northwestern

Email Newsletter Sign up at: dailynorthwestern.com/email FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS

TWITTER & INSTAGRAM: @thedailynu FACEBOOK: thedailynorthwestern

6 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

MONDAY, MAY 10, 2021

PICKET

From page 1

cheerleaders,” among other slogans advocating for equity and transparency. Mayor-elect Daniel Biss was among those who attended.

Throughout the march, at least five police vehicles, including one unmarked car, blocked off sections of the street so organizers could march unabridged. At least four officers were present.

In front of the gates of Schapiro’s house, two people were stationed for security purposes. It was unclear whether Schapiro was home.

Speaking to protesters, former Erika Carter (SESP ‘18) said the University has failed its Black and female athletes in selecting Polisky as athletic director. Carter created a petition Thursday that has since received over 1,100 signatures as of Saturday evening.

“Polisky had a duty to protect and support

MENTAL HEALTH From page 1

provide more timely and proximate access to treatment, meaning Cook County residents would not have to travel more than 30 minutes or 30 miles to access care. After requesting an appointment, Illinois residents would not have to wait more than 10 business days to see a provider.

It would also allow those in need of mental health care to go to out-of-network locations for care without paying an out-of-network copay if there is no available in-network provider.

The information access bill would allow an individual’s family members to receive information regarding their loved ones’ care at their doctor’s discretion.

Susan Resko, CEO and president of the Josselyn Center, said she is grateful this legislation is being introduced and that steps are being taken to normalize

JUNETEENTH From page 1

honoring the date federal troops arrived in Texas on June 19, 1865 and brought news of freedom to America’s remaining slaves. The Emancipation Proclamation had been issued over two years prior, but the order to free slaves wasn’t followed in parts of the deep South.

Hendricks had planned to host Evanston’s first Juneteenth Parade last year, but celebrations moved online due to COVID-19.

Evanston’s Juneteenth Parade activities will include speeches, dance performances by the 2021 Juneteenth Creative Dance Team and food trucks at Twiggs Park. The parade will start at the Levy Senior Center and end at the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center.

Hecky Powell will be posthumously honored as Grand Marshal of the parade in honor of his efforts to bring Juneteenth to Evanston. Powell

Black athletes and female cheerleaders and he failed miserably,” Carter said in her speech. “This is the man that Northwestern has just elected to lead the athletic department.”

As an alumna and multigenerational Evanston resident, Carter said she deeply struggled when she heard news of Polisky’s selection. She and various other students and alumni were affected by his leadership in the athletic department, she said.

“Northwestern firmly supports vigorous debate and the free expression of ideas — abiding principles that are fundamental for our University,” University spokesperson Jon Yates said.

Biss, who was among protesters walking from The Rock to Schapiro’s house, said he attended the march because the relationship between Evanston and NU is important. That relationship includes shared values of accountability and racial equity, he said.

“The decision to make this appointment was a mistake, and they should rescind it,” Biss told The Daily.

NU and Evanston and “owe it to each other” to hold one another accountable, Biss said. A part of that, he added, is reversing the appointment.

SESP junior and Associated Student Government President Christian Wade also attended the march. He said the decision to promote Polisky was in “complete disregard” of students’ safety.

“I thought it was important to show up in support,” Wade said. “(At) this University, students hold the power.”

Wade said the University should immediately renounce Polisky’s hiring, and officially issue a statement of apology. He added that he thinks NU should “reopen” the search committee to hire a new athletic director.

Concluding the event, political science Prof.

Elizabeth Shakman Hurd said she believed the

mental health struggles. However, she said there is still work to be done in making the legislation more beneficial to those who need mental health care.

“Finding the right wording that would achieve the goals of the bill, while not violating patients’ rights is a very fine line to walk, and takes time,” Resko said.

The Access to Basic Mental Health Information Act, for example, contains sections that can violate patients’ rights to privacy, Resko said. She said sharing personal information about a patient’s mental health can violate their privacy. However, Resko said she is looking forward to working with Fine in the future to perfect the bill.

Josefina Alvarez, board president of Mental Health America of the North Shore, said increasing access to mental health care is essential.

Throughout the last year, Alvarez said living in a pandemic has caused more people to face mental health struggles and many have not been able to receive proper care.

“People are not getting the treatment that they need,” Alvarez said. “If people don’t get access to mental health care, we know that they’re going to get worse, and the problems are going to get worse.”

Resko said over the past year, the Josselyn Center has hired 40 new staff members in response to a dramatic increase in people coming to the clinic for mental health services. The center has served almost 1,400 new people in the last year.

Fine said allowing more people to receive mental health care is essential, especially because it is a common struggle.

“Who can say that they don’t know of anybody, a friend or family member who suffered from a mental health issue?” Fine said. “Part of a successful outcome is being able to have the tools that you need to reach that outcome.”

debuted the Juneteenth Strawberry soda at Hecky’s Barbecue in 2015 to honor his great grandfather who was born into slavery in Missouri.

Powell — a longtime Evanston resident who committed his life to bettering the community, supporting youth and running a beloved barbecue staple — died last May due to COVID-19 complications.

Hendricks said she thought it was “absolutely fitting” that Powell will receive the title.

“I honestly don’t even foresee anyone else claiming the Grand Marshal of the Juneteenth parade except (Powell),” she said.

Hendricks is currently collaborating with local Black-owned businesses to fundraise and raise awareness for the Juneteenth celebrations.

Gabrielle J. Walker, owner and founder of 4 Suns Fresh Juice, sold Black Lives Matter merchandise at a 4 Suns pop-up shop and gave proceeds to the Juneteenth Parade. From now until the end of June, customers can also ask to make any drink a “Juneteenth drink,” and 19 percent of the sale will go

toward funding for the Juneteenth Parade.

Walker said she is committed to helping Black people and people of color through her business, and wants to pay it forward for those “doing the good work” to strengthen the community.

“I’m a Black woman, and I know the history of Juneteenth,” Walker said. “I just wanted to commit to doing one part to help (Hendricks) get the initiative pushed forward to help people learn more about this day.”

YoFresh Yogurt Cafe also hosted a pop-up shop in partnership with Hendricks, and is selling unique Juneteenth treats, including a strawberry float.

Hendricks said it’s important White people get involved with Juneteenth. Black people, she said, should profit off of the holiday, and White people should be the consumers.

Evanston resident Pernilla Peterson took her son and his friends to YoFresh to buy Black Lives Matter merchandise, including masks, wristbands and earrings, and to enjoy frozen yogurt.

turnout of the march was positive.

“People obviously care a lot about Northwestern, and about the future of this University, and want us to move forward and not backward,” Hurd told The Daily.

Carter, whose Thursday petition compared Schapiro’s public commitments for social justice with the allegations against Polisky’s, echoed the professors’ response to the appointment.

She emphasized that the march wasn’t just about the athletic department. Instead, the concerns organizers shared should permeate the NU community as a whole.

“This is not about me, it’s not solely about cheerleaders,” Carter said in her speech. “It’s about Black athletes, it’s about the future of Northwestern.” yunkyokim2022@u.northwestern.edu nickfrancis2024@u.northwestern.edu

NOISE DEMO From page 1

racism they experienced within NU Athletics, the NUCNC member said in the statement.

The response that followed, they said, demonstrated how NUCNC actions have created a space where students feel safe discussing the violence they’ve faced at the University.

“We’ve been reflecting on how … folks have been modeling at actions what communities of care look like,” the NUCNC member said. “The fact that everyone validated this person, followed up with this person and checked on them shows that we protect each other. The school doesn’t.” jacquelynegermain2023@u.northwestern.edu maiaspoto2023@u.northwestern.edu

katrinapham2024@u.northwestern.edu

“It’s just really, really important for us White people to educate ourselves a little more, take a more active stance, and just be antiracist,” she said.

“Make a point to go out and support. ” C&W Market and Ice Cream Parlor will host a pop-up shop to fundraise for the parade on May 15. PALMHOUSE will also hold a fundraising event on May 22, which will feature food from Soul & Smoke.

Hendricks hopes the parade will provide a space for all people to celebrate Juneteenth and support Black success and joy in the community.

“I’m really excited to see our Black youth, brown youth, (and) White youth really know what Juneteenth is and take this with them throughout their lives,” Hendricks said. “‘I’m excited to really drive a message across to Black businesses and Black people in Evanston… that this is a hallmark holiday for the Black community to take on its shoulder.” wendyklunk2024@u.northwestern.edu

DAILY PUZZLES & CLASSIFIEDS • HELP WANTED • FOR RENT • FOR SALE Classified Ads

For Rent

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN is not responsible for more than one incorrect insertion of an ad. Corrections must be received by 10am on the day before ad runs again, call 847-4917206. All Classifieds must be paid in advance and are not accepted over the phone. To run online, ad must run in print on same day. The Daily does not knowingly accept misleading or false ads and does not guarantee any ad or claim, or endorse any advertised product or service. Please use caution when answering ads, especially when sending money.

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN is not responsible for more than one incorrect insertion of an ad. Corrections must be received by 10am on the day before ad runs again, call 847-4917206. All Classifieds must be paid in advance and are not accepted over the phone. To run online, ad must run in print on same day. The Daily does not knowingly accept misleading or false ads and does not guarantee any ad or claim, or endorse any advertised product or service. Please use caution when answering ads, especially when sending money.

It is the policy of The Daily Northwestern to accept housing advertising only from those whose housing is available without discrimination with respect to sexual orientation, race, creed or national origin. The presumption is therefore, that any housing listing appearing here is non-discriminatory.

HELP WANTED ADS are accepted only from advertisers who are equal opportunity employers. The presumption, therefore, is that all positions offered here are available to qualified persons without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, handicap, or veteran status.

Help Wanted

Available

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

Post a Classified!

Now anyone can post and manage a classified ad.

Go to: DailyNorthwestern. com/classifieds Questions?

Call 847-491-7206

Join the yearbook team!

We create the printed volume that chronicles a year at Northwestern. No yearbook experience necessary. Interested?

Email: syllabus@ northwestern.edu

Thursday’s Puzzle Solved

DAILY SUDOKU Complete the grid so each ROW, COLUMN and 3-by-3 BOX (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9.

For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk SOLUTION TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

ORDER YOUR

2021 NU SYLLABUS

YEARBOOK SENIORS, IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO RESERVE YOUR COPY AT nusyllabus.com/order

05/10/21

Level: 1 2 3 4

© 2021 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

DAILY CROSSWORD

MONDAY, MAY 10, 2021

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

7

Local art showcase highlights youth experiences

By SAMANTHA AGUILAR

daily senior staffer @samanthaagu1lar

When Jayda Cochrane, an eighth grader at Chute Middle School, was assigned a quarantineinspired project in her media arts class, she wanted to capture the struggles she had with mental health during the pandemic.

On May 1, their art piece was presented to the public at the Resilient Evanston Youth Showcase — called “REYS of Sunshine” — at Open Studio Project’s Gallery 901 in Evanston.

The exhibit, sponsored by Evanston Cradle to Career, Young Evanston Artists and Open Studio Project, featured art by youth and for youth about racial trauma, healing and life during the COVID19 pandemic.

Cochrane, whose piece features a pair of crying eyes, wanted to portray anger, stress and other emotions in her art, she said. The purple bags under the eyes and the green tears are meant to depict a “tired and sickening” feeling, and the blue and gray hues are meant to look sad, they said.

The showcase was the first time she had shared an emotional piece with others. Cochrane said they feared others would perceive her as “weird” after sharing their art because of its “sad and scary” nature.

“It helped to finally get what I was feeling out on paper,” Cochrane said. “I could finally get off my chest how I was feeling about the world at the moment.”

Sylvie Smith , a seventh grader at Nichols Middle School, also had doubts about sharing their art

Illinois to ease COVID-19 restrictions on May 14th, plan to fully reopen in June Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday that Illinois will loosen COVID-19 restrictions on May 14 as part of a “bridge phase” before the state fully reopens on June 11.

The transitional phase beginning next week allows gyms, theaters, spectator events, zoos, offices, retail, museums and amusement parks to open at 60

Samantha Aguilar/Daily Senior Staffer

Jayda Cochrane, Chute Middle School eighth grader, stands in front of her artwork at the Resilient Evanston Youth art showcase.

at a public gallery.

Smith said they were excited but nervous when their media arts teacher asked if they wanted to submit artwork. With some encouragement from friends, Smith said they decided to “put themself out there.”

Their photos tell a nine-part story about getting dressed in the morning — a process they said

displays the confusion they’ve had about their gender identity. Smith said the photos with a dress and a suit represent their gradual identification toward their masculine side and away from their feminine side.

“The piece was me putting on a dress and trying to feel happy in the dress, but it just didn’t quite feel right,” Smith said. “Then I put on a suit and I

percent capacity. Many of these places were capped at 25 to 50 percent of their capacity in Phase 4.

“The light we see at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and brighter as more people get vaccinated,” Pritzker said.

Pritzker’s office said the complete transition to Phase 5, which is a complete reopening, will happen after 50 percent of residents aged 16 and older have been vaccinated and the number of positive cases and hospitalizations stay steady or decrease during a 28-day monitoring period.

As of Thursday, almost 56 percent of Illinois residents have already received at least one dose of

the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Evanston is nearing the governor’s 50 percent threshold, with 76 percent of all residents having received at least one shot and 48 percent being fully vaccinated.

The Thursday announcement came as COVID19 vaccines are becoming widely available in Illinois. On the same day, CVS Pharmacy announced it will join other vaccine providers in the state, including Walgreens, Walmart and Cook County in offering walk-in vaccine appointments.

Chicago Department of Public Health

felt a lot happier.”

The photo story also expresses their love for fashion that emerged during the pandemic.

Shopping less often during quarantine made them put more thought into picking pieces and assembling outfits, Smith said.

“I realized when I put certain pieces together, I felt really happy,” they said. “Having an outfit that makes me feel really confident has been a real help on my self-esteem during covid.”

Smith said they want to pursue photography and mixed media arts in high school and continue to incorporate fashion and clothes they love into their life in a way that makes them feel “amazing.”

Evanston Township High School sophomore Hanna Lindroth, served on a committee to plan the showcase for two years. The event was originally planned to be a dinner, complete with live performances and art, but the committee had to restructure when the pandemic began, Lindroth said.

The event went through so many phases of planning before and during the pandemic that Lindroth said she did not know what the showcase was going to look like until opening, she said.

Lindroth performed a monologue at the opening of the event. As an actress, she said art has always been a passion and coping mechanism. She said the art at the showcase exceeded all of her expectations in the way it touches on a variety of topics and highlights the experiences of Evanston youth.

“It’s part of a larger effort to recognize youth and support them,” Lindroth said. “I know what it feels like to suffer in silence and take it out with your art.” samanthaaguilar2023@u.northwestern.edu Commissioner Allison Arwady added that some 12 to15-year-olds may also be fully vaccinated by June. The Federal Drug Administration is expected to authorize the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for the age group next week.

However, even as Illinois prepares for a full reopening at the start of summer, Pritzker said residents should anticipate wearing masks while in public spaces. The state will continue to follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s mask-wearing guidelines.

ORDER YOUR 2021 NU SYLLABUS

YEARBOOK SENIORS, IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO RESERVE YOUR COPY AT

nusyllabus.com/order

— Andrew Myers

SPORTS

Monday, May 10, 2021

@DailyNU_Sports

THE SCANE TRAIN

How Izzy Scane went from the backyards of Michigan to front and center in the Big Ten

By CHARLOTTE VARNES

the daily northwestern @charvarnes11

Eight minutes into the 2021 Big Ten Tournament title game, Northwestern stared down its largest deficit of the season. The No. 2 Wildcats trailed then-No. 13 Maryland by four goals and needed a momentum shift.

There to provide it was junior attacker Izzy Scane.

She closed out the first half with three straight goals and finished the period with four. By the end of the game, she had scored nine times, just short of her career-high and program record of ten. More than that, she helped NU secure its second Big Ten Tournament title in program history.

Scane was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and Big Ten Attacker of the Year after that game, adding to an extraordinary resume from her 2021 season including five Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week nods and a nomination for the Tewaaraton Award, given annually to the top college lacrosse player.

“She’s as complete a player as the women’s game has ever seen,” Greg Courter, Scane’s high school coach, said. Courter said Scane is as strong a defender as she is an attacker.

Few players in NCAA women’s lacrosse history have recorded a season like Scane has this year. She leads the NCAA with 81 goals, on pace to break the association’s single-season record.

She also leads the country in goals per

“Even when she’s not having her best day, she will find ways to impact the team in a positive way.

She’s become a real leader for our program.”

- KELLY AMONTE HILLER game, points and points per game.

Scane has already become one of the most dominant players in Northwestern history — and that’s no small feat when playing for a team with seven national titles.

She holds the program’s single-game goal record and is just six tallies away from breaking the Cats’ single-season record of 86. And she has no plans of slowing down.

“She’s grown into consistency,” coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said. “Even when she’s not having her best day, she will find ways to impact the team in a positive way. And (she) still finds ways to score goals and make things happen. She’s become a real leader for our program.” ♦ ♦ ♦

The first time Scane picked up a lacrosse stick was in sixth grade. Previously a

Northwestern beats Ohio State to remain undefeated Northwestern is dancing.

The No. 2 Wildcats (13-0, 11-0 Big Ten) received the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the 2021 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship during Sunday’s Selection Show. NU was an automatic tournament qualifier after securing the Big Ten Tournament title on Sunday May 2.

The Cats will host the first and second rounds of the tournament in Evanston, with Stanford and Denver competing at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium on Friday. The winner of that matchup will

competitive gymnast, she said she was drawn to “being able to work together with other people in a fast-paced game.”

There were no local girls’ lacrosse camps when she started playing, so she attended boys camps with her brother James. Soon, her younger brothers Cormac and Griffin picked up the sport, too. The siblings grew up competing against each other, practicing their skills in their backyard.

“That definitely sparked some passion, watching my older brother start playing,” Izzy said. “Then I started playing, and once it became a family affair it was kind of full steam ahead from there.”

A group of lacrosse players gather together on the green field.

However, the Scanes were competitive long before they picked up lacrosse. Izzy’s parents, Patricia and Joe, met as studentathletes at Grand Valley State University and instilled a love of sports and competition in their children from a young age.

“Since our kids were young, we would play wiffle ball in the backyard and (the) kids would set up competitions like miniOlympics with the neighbors,” Patricia Scane said. “The kids have always done athletics and always loved them.”

She said she couldn’t overstate what sports gave her family, saying they have brought a lot of positivity to their lives.

James said the constant competition, especially during backyard lacrosse sessions, impacted Izzy’s playing style.

“She got aggressive,” James Scane said.

“She had to be aggressive, playing in the backyard with three brothers, and she just kind of took that into her game in the women’s game.” ♦ ♦ ♦

From the moment she started playing lacrosse, Izzy Scane dreamed of attending Northwestern.

When the Cats recorded their most recent national championship in 2012, she said they were the “dream team” all young lacrosse players aspired to play for. NU’s academics and proximity to her hometown of Clarkston, Mich. stood out to her alongside the team’s national success.

“At that time, they were just so, so dominant,” Izzy Scane said. “It was impossible to not see them as the dominant program in the country.”

During a sixth grade project on career development, Patricia Scane said her daughter had to research a college and write them a letter. Naturally, Izzy Scane picked Northwestern, not only writing a letter to the institution, but also to Amonte Hiller, saying she would one day play for the Cats.

Izzy Scane’s mom said she was initially skeptical of her daughter’s hopes. Michigan isn’t a state known for producing Division I lacrosse recruits, and Northwestern was the best of the best.

“You don’t tell them, ‘it’ll never happen,’ but you go ‘that’s not likely to happen,’” Patricia Scane said. “It’s like saying you’re going to be a baseball player and play for face NU at noon on Sunday.

The Cats are no stranger to the NCAA Championship. This is the 17th consecutive time NU has made the tournament and 22nd in program history. During the past 17 runs, the Cats have captured the national title seven times – all under the helm of coach Kelly Amonte Hiller.

NU has been led by junior attacker Izzy Scane, who ranks first not just in the program, but also nationally in goals, goals per game, points and points per game. She is supported by senior attacker Lauren Gilbert, and graduate student attacker Sammy Mueller.

The Cats’ defense has played a big role this season as well. Junior goalkeeper Madison Doucette has made 90 saves this season, achieving a .407 save percentage.

Graphic by Meher Yeda, photo by Kelsey Carroll

the Detroit Tigers.”

While lacrosse is spreading nationwide, it remains anchored in hotbeds such as Baltimore, Philadelphia and Long Island.

However, some of the sport’s newest leaders — Syracuse’s Megan Carney, Boston College’s Charlotte North and Izzy Scane — are from non-traditional areas like the South and Midwest. Several of NU’s top players, including senior attacker Lauren Gilbert, senior midfielder Brennan Dwyer and graduate student midfielder Lindsey McKone all come from non-hotbeds as well, like Illinois, Texas and Oregon.

Courter said Izzy Scane’s Michigan roots make her talent “that much more impressive.” He said it takes a “rare player” to go on to play Division I lacrosse from southeastern Michigan.

“For someone to come out of this area and not only play for a program as fantastic as Northwestern, but be a leader and the leading scorer for that program, is incredible,” Courter said. “It speaks volumes about what (Scane) has done.”

Izzy Scane said being from Michigan has been a “chip on her shoulder” and pushed her not to settle with being the best in her town, but the best she can possibly be. She was determined to see her plans through.

She joined a local travel program, the Detroit Lacrosse Club, and was soon playing out of her age group. She watched all the lacrosse she could and kept a journal of different plays and game information. She began attending camps and tournaments all over the country and she started playing for Mass Elite, a club program out of Boston, to strengthen her skills.

It was all part of an effort to get to Northwestern, and it worked. By midway through her freshman year of high school, she was a Northwestern commit.

“I was full steam ahead on Northwestern from when I started playing lacrosse, and Senior defender Ally Palermo and junior midfielder Allie Berkery have recorded double-digit numbers in ground balls and caused turnovers.

Several NU players have received national and conference recognition in 2021.

Scane was named the Big Ten Attacker of the Year. Additionally, Scane, Gilbert and graduate student attacker Lindsey McKone were all named nominees for the Tewaaraton Award, a recognition annually given to the top player in college lacrosse.

NU looks poised to make yet another tournament run, achieving its strongest start since 2009 with a perfect 14-0 record. The Cats also lead the nation in scoring offense, points per game and draw controls per game.

— Charlotte Varnes

luckily it panned out once I got older,” Izzy Scane said. “It was exactly what I was looking for and thankfully they wanted me as much as I wanted them.” ♦ ♦ ♦

Izzy Scane’s journey to Northwestern wasn’t seamless, however. During the summer ahead of her freshman year, she was cut from the U-19 U.S. women’s national team training squad – a team coached by Amonte Hiller.

After getting the news, Izzy Scane said she spoke with Courter to figure out the best way to move forward. Courter said he was “heartbroken” when he heard, especially since several of Izzy Scane’s future teammates at Northwestern made the cut.

He made sure to encourage her to stay confident and work hard at practice, telling her that “‘everyone will know you should have been on that team.’”

Izzy Scane said she took his advice, calling

“Awards only mean so much. You just want to get to the end of the season and win a national championship with your best friends.”

- IZZY SCANE it a “turning point” in her game. She practiced often during the rest of the summer and played hard during NU’s fall ball games.

Shortly after, Amonte Hiller put her back on the team. She said the initial decision wasn’t made “in a bubble,” and Izzy Scane was very close to making it. Amonte

Cats Corner: It’s Izzy Scane’s world and we’re all just living in it Northwestern lacrosse player Izzy Scane has had the season of a lifetime. In the latest episode of Cats Corner, Assistant Sports Editor Charlotte Varnes sat down with Scane, her family and her coaches to learn more about the person behind the player and what her journey to Northwestern was like. This episode is full of fun facts, too. Did you know that she used to be a competitive

Hiller said she was “phenomenal right from the get-go” during her freshman fall, encouraging her to reinstate her.

“I told my staff ‘I’m gonna be tracking this and sending film, but this kid can play,’” Amonte Hiller said.

Izzy Scane went on to help the U.S. U-19 team win gold in Ontario, Canada the following summer, tying for most goals on the U.S. squad and receiving All-World honors. ♦ ♦ ♦

As the Cats look to the 2021 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship, Izzy Scane has one central plan.

“The goal, obviously, is to be the best team in the country,” Izzy Scane said.

Ranked second nationally and undefeated so far, NU looks poised to make a run this year. The Cats have the nation’s top scoring offense and rank first in draw controls per game.

Patricia Scane said winning a national championship for NU has been Izzy Scane’s “primary goal in life.” In fact, there’s a cup in the Scanes’ kitchen with the words “win a national championship 2021” written on it. She said it’s been “incredible” to see her daughter have the same goal from sixth grade until now.

Even as Izzy Scane receives national attention from the Tewaaraton committee, her focus remains on her team. She said being one of the 25 finalists for the Tewaaraton Award has been a “dream come true,” but the main thing on her mind is winning another title for the Cats.

“Awards only mean so much,” Izzy Scane said. “You just want to get to the end of the season and win a national championship with your best friends.” charlottevarnes2024@u.northwestern.edu gymnast, or that all of her brothers play lacrosse?

— Charlotte Varnes

Scan the QR code with your phone camera to listen to this episode of Cats Corner and learn more about Scane and her success.