The Daily Northwestern — Oct. 6, 2021

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Serving the Northwestern and Evanston communities since 1881

The Daily Northwestern Wednesday, October 6, 2021

DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM 3 CAMPUS/Hudson

Northwestern’s only geography professor celebrates 50 year anniversary of teaching

4 A&E/Hopinka

Block exhibit showcases Indigenous resistance

Find us online @thedailynu

A&E

8 SPORTS/Field Hockey

Wildcats stay positive after loss to Penn State

High 69 Low 65

WILLOW to headline Blowout Raveena joins as opener in annual A&O-hosted event

unionized workers, shared her story to an audience of 35 students. Workers met for negotiations with Compass earlier in the day, after the company pulled out of its first agreed

Meet me at our spot, WILLOW — and that spot is Welsh-Ryan Arena on Oct. 9 for Blowout. A&O Productions announced Monday that its annual Blowout will feature singer and songwriter Raveena as an opener followed by WILLOW as the headliner. The event will begin at 8 p.m., and tickets and transportation are free for Northwestern students. Raveena is an R&B singer, producer and director. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Raveena ties her South Asian identity into her music, including through the title of her first EP, “Shanti.” Since then, she has released multiple singles and her debut album, “Lucid,” most recently dropping her single “Tweety” this year. WILLOW, the 20-year-old daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, has been working in the music industry for years. Mixing R&B, pop-punk and emo genres, WILLOW’s latest album “Lately I Feel Everything” blends introspective lyrics with ethereal melodies and features singers like Travis Barker and Avril Lavigne. WILLOW’s appearance at Blowout comes just two years after her brother, Jaden Smith, headlined the show. A&O posted teasers of the artists with silhouettes on

» See DINING, page 6

» See BLOWOUT, page 6

Nick Francis/Daily Senior Staffer

About 35 students gather in the University Christian Ministry and listen to Valentina Espinosa share her story after 17 years working at Northwestern. According to Espinosa, a strike is increasingly likely as the union’s demands go unheard by Compass Group.

As dining negotiations begin, strike looms NU worker discusses recent strike authorization by Compass workers at NU By NICK FRANCIS

daily senior staffer @nick24francis

Valentina Espinosa just started her 17th year working as a housekeeper at

Northwestern’s James Allen Center, now subcontracted under Compass Group. She is a single mother of a daughter who uses hearing aids and is in therapy, neither of which Medicaid covers. She makes $14.76 per hour. The health conditions Medicaid does cover will also

vanish once her daughter turns 18, and Espinosa does not receive health insurance through Compass. In a Tuesday town hall hosted by University Christian Ministry and cosponsored by Students Organizing for Labor Rights, Espinosa, one of many

Human Services City responds to lakefront allegations talks affordability Councilmembers apologize for city’s handling of sexual harassment Subcommittee to address housing displacement By ILANA AROUGHETI

daily senior staffer @ilana_arougheti

Committee meeting Monday night. The subcommittee’s intent is to offset the ongoing threat of gentrification to future and continued home ownership among residents, Burns said — particularly in the city’s historically Black 5th Ward. Gentrification and housing accessibility in this area has been a hotly contested subject in community discussions and City Council public comment sessions during the last few weeks and months. Most recently, the issues have engulfed discussions of a proposed Tax Increment Financing district which would divert property tax revenue

Mayor Daniel Biss and Ald. Bobby Burns (5th) proposed the creation of a Here To Stay subcommittee that would encourage housing retention in Evanston, especially in the 5th Ward. The subcommittee would support a number of programs and policies geared toward more affordable home ownership. Burns explained the proposal at a Human Services » See HUMAN SERVICES, page 6

Serving the University and Evanston since 1881

By JORJA SIEMONS

daily senior staffer @jorjasiemons

than a year after more than 50 employees sent a petition to the city detailing allegations of abuse toward lakefront employees, who were primarily underage girls. A July WBEZ investigation made this information public, prompting the suspension of Head of Human Resources Jennifer Lin. The investigation contributed to the resignation of previous City Manager Erika Storlie and inspired backlash regarding Interim City Manager Kelley Gandurski’s appointment, given her alleged involvement in the investigation as well. But many residents have continuously called for more

Mayor Daniel Biss read a formal apology Monday night on behalf of City Council regarding the city’s response to allegations of sexual harassment and abuse among lakefront staff. “We are committed to preventing the sexism, sexual harassment, assault, racism and discrimination you experienced,” Biss said. “We apologize for workplace culture, the law of sexual harassment to occur, and we’re sorry that you had to experience oppressive, uncomfortable and dangerous behavior.” The apology comes more » See LAKEFRONT APOLOGY, page 6

Nick Francis/Daily Senior Staffer

Mayor Daniel Biss. Biss read a formal apology Monday night addressing the city’s response to allegations of abuse among lakefront staff.

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


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