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City Council discusses issues in 2022 budget Council dove into Robert Crown, understaffing By LUCIA BARNUM and JORJA SIEMONS
the daily northwestern @jorjasiemons, @luciabarnum_
Maia Pandey/Daily Senior Staffer
Indigenous community members paint a banner that they will carry in a procession later this month. Tuesday’s event was the eighth annual commemoration of the Sand Creek Massacre.
Sand Creek Massacre remembered
Eighth annual commemoration part of MSA programming series By MAIA PANDEY
daily senior staffer @maiapandey
Community members gathered Tuesday to participate in traditional Indigenous making activities in remembrance of the Sand Creek Massacre. The event in Deering Library marked the eighth annual
commemoration of the massacre. It is one of three pieces of programming Northwestern is hosting this month to honor the victims of the massacre. On Nov. 29, 1864, U.S. Army members killed more than 200 Cheyenne and Arapaho people in Kiowa County, Colorado — one of the most violent attacks against Indigenous people in the country’s history. NU founder
Student Alliance member Isabella Twocrow, a SESP junior, said she appreciated. In the past, the anniversary events have been geared toward educating the NU community about the massacre. However, Twocrow, a member of the HoChunk Nation, said this left little space for the Indigenous
John Evans was governor of Colorado at the time. In 2014, the University released a report stating that Evans had no direct involvement in the massacre, but a separate University of Denver report deemed him “deeply culpable” for the tragedy. The making activities were a departure from previous years’ programming — which Native American and Indigenous
» See SAND CREEK, page 6
City Council discussed the 2022 proposed budget Monday night, diving into hot-button issues like Robert Crown Community Center maintenance costs, citywide understaffing and beach payments for Evanston residents. Here’s how the conversation shook out.
Filing vacant city positions The city grapples with a staffing shortage — last year, 29 positions were held vacant. But many councilmembers pressed against using money from the American Rescue Plan Act to fund new city employees. The additional $43 million from ARPA is a one-time add — it will not be available for next year’s budget. As a result, councilmembers expressed caution about hiring for new jobs without looking at a multi-year budget projection.
“We don’t want to put ourselves in the position of having to lay off staff in a few years because there’s not enough revenue,” Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th) said. “If that’s the case, we’re talking about probably a tax increase unless we can find savings elsewhere ... and that requires a deeper discussion than I think we’re willing to have tonight.” W hen Ald. Devon Reid (8th) asked for a list of prioritized positions to fill in 2022, interim City Manager Kelley Gandurski said it was like asking her which of her children she likes the least. All of the jobs in question are important to the upkeep of the city, she said, and need to be filled as soon as fiscally possible. “I just need the council to understand that we are stretched at the maximum capacity at this point,” Gandurski said. “And that’s not something I would readily say.”
Maintaining R ob ert Crown Community Center City Council members debated whether the cost of
» See COUNCIL, page 6
NU Dissenters Prairie Joe’s closes after 30 years fights militarism Beloved Evanston restaurant also featured art gallery with local work Group of students demand trustees divest from war By ISABEL FUNK
daily senior staffer @isabeldfunk
Six Northwestern students gathered early the morning of Oct. 27 to post flyers around the Technological Institute and the Donald P. Jacobs Center. They also hung a banner across The Arch. The flyers condemned two Board of Trustees members
— Dennis Muilenburg, the former CEO of Boeing, and Phebe Novakovic, the current CEO of General Dynamics. The banner read: “DIVEST or DEATH: WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?” The students are part of NU Dissenters, a group of students that formed in winter 2020 and revived in September by a SESP sophomore and a Medill junior, who chose to remain anonymous because of safety concerns. Their mission is to “stigmatize” war and persuade the University to divest from warmaking institutions and invest in life-giving institutions.
» See DISSENTERS, page 6
By ALEXIS SCHWARTZ
the daily northwestern
After 30 years of business, beloved Evanston restaurant Prairie Joe’s closed on Oct. 28. The iconic locale opened in 1991, when owner Aydin Dincer bought an old snack shop and diner called Jordan’s and renamed it Prairie Joe’s. Most of the old clientele stayed through the transition, and gradually Dincer decided to modernize the restaurant for the next stage of its life. “I saw the whole space as my easel to do what I wanted,” Dincer said. “It was like a script that I was writing for 30 years.”
Located on the corner of Prairie Avenue and Central Street, Prairie Joe’s was not only an eclectic breakfast and lunch eatery known for its casseroles and soups, but also a gallery for its owner and other local artists’ art. During the Farewell Open House, a final event hosted by the restaurant as a goodbye to the community last week, fans of Prairie Joe’s poured in to see the wall-to-wall artwork for sale. At the event, Dincer also sold artifacts from around the diner, including menus, salt and pepper shakers and even a booth. “Prairie Joe’s just has a very different atmosphere, a very different vibe, and there isn’t anywhere else in Evanston that is like that,” said Nina
Jack Austin/Daily Senior Staffer
Prairie Joe’s storefront. After 30 years of business, the restaurant closed in October.
Kavin, a regular patron of the restaurant. “This is just the way Aydin and Aydin’s family made it. It was just a very special place.”
Prairie Joe’s became a fixture of the community, providing a constant
» See PRARIE JOE’S, page 6
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THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021
AROUND TOWN
Chicago-Main Newsstand curates diverse magazines By JACK AUSTIN
daily senior staffer @jackaustinnews
Over the past few decades, news has gone digital. Outlets and readers across the country have switched to websites and social media to get their information. But sitting at the corner of Chicago Avenue and Main Street, an old-fashioned newsstand stays standing, selling print newspapers and magazines. Chicago-Main Newsstand started as a wooden shack selling newspapers in the 1930s. Over the years, it began offering papers from around the country. It continues that tradition today, Operator Joe Angelastri said. “We have always tried to bring newspapers and
magazines (to customers). Our mission is to provide the widest selection we can get,” Angelastri said. “It is not as big as it used to be, but it is still bigger than anybody else’s.” Angelastri began operating the newsstand in 2001 after the building was left vacant between 1993 and 2000. The city bought the property in 1999 with the intention of restoring the newsstand, according to Angelastri. Under Angelastri, Chicago-Main Newsstand offers one of the greatest selections of magazines in the Chicago area, drawing customers from as far as Michigan and Indiana. Among its many unique offerings are art, fashion and political magazines. Cathy Davidson, a frequent customer, said she visits the shop to buy British magazines like House & Garden. “(I) used to live in England for 10 years,”
Davidson said. “We can’t get them anywhere else.” The shop also offers several newspapers like The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Chicago Sun-Times, but the majority of its stock consists of magazines. Manager Eric Ismond, who became a staff member in 2002 out of a love for magazines. According to him, the Internet essentially killed off the out-of-town paper segment of the business. “We try to carry every magazine that is available,” Ismond said. “In most cases, we are pretty successful at that.” Caryl Carlsen, an artist who grew up in Evanston, said she appreciates the location and vintage exterior of the store. Carlsen regularly checks the art sections for inspiration. “This is just a unique place. They have everything (including) international magazines. I’m an artist, so I like to look at that stuff,” Carlsen said.
“It’s always mind-blowing how much they have and the resources it offers.” Angelastri also operates another newsstand location in Chicago: City News Cafe. That site has been open since 1978, but Angelastri says the Evanston shop sees more customers due to its proximity to public transportation and higher neighborhood density. During the pandemic and in general, Angelastri and Ismond said they appreciated steady support from the Evanston community. Specifically, Angelastri was impressed with the amount of people who want to stick with print news. “We appreciate the people in Evanston who support the old-style newsstand,” Angelastri said. “In most communities in America, you couldn’t have that.” jonathanaustin2023@u.northwestern.edu
Jack Austin/Daily Senior Staffer
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021
3
ON CAMPUS
Club sports return to Northwestern
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By FIONA ROACH
eic@dailynorthwestern.com
the daily northwestern @fionaroach03
After being limited for more than a year due to the pandemic, Northwestern club sports are back in full force. NU offers 38 club sports, ranging from soccer to spikeball. In the 2020-21 academic year, NU’s COVID-19 guidelines required these teams to limit the number of participants and wear masks while practicing. Some club sports, like swimming and tennis, resumed practice a few times a week last spring. Club rowing resumed in winter 2021, but the team was unable to practice in the water until this quarter. For some athletes, the lack of traditional practice and games led to a loss of skill. Communication sophomore Maggie Stanton, who plays for the women’s club soccer team, said she didn’t completely remember certain rules, including what constitutes being offsides or fouling another player. Stanton also felt that the quarter system adds an extra challenge to the team, as they do not have as much time to practice together and build team chemistry before the season starts as their competitors do. “Our team is made the first week of school and then competition starts the next week. It’s kind of hard when other teams have been playing together for a month,” Stanton said. Despite this, Stanton said the team has bonded through going to practice and traveling to meets throughout the Midwest. Medill junior Andrea Hancock, captain of the women’s crew team, said she was unsure how the team would perform at competitions this school year, given how long it had been without traditional games. “We had spent so long indoors on the rowing machines, and we knew those times well, but we didn’t really understand what we were going to look like as a team on the water,” Hancock said. Following a travel hiatus last year, the club crew team has already posted a strong performance at
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A member of the sailing team. Club sports have resumed regular practices after a COVID-19 hiatus.
the Head of The Charles Regatta in Boston, with the women’s team coming in 13th. McCormick senior Alexander Jimenez, men’s crew team captain, said the regatta in Boston was much bigger than their usual races held in the Midwest. After not being able to play last year, many students are enthusiastic to get back into their sports. Weinberg sophomore Lucy Hederick, a member of the club tennis team, said many more students tried out this year than last year. She attributed the increased demand to the lack of available activities
over quarantine. For Jimenez, the return of club sports is about much more than just competition. It also means spending time with friends and teammates again. The crew team returned to practice last year, but he said it wasn’t the same level of connection with his teammates as in years prior. “Crew is a big part of my social life on campus,” Jimenez said. “It’s been a big part of my college experience.”
Wildcat Crossword
"Room and Board" Wed. 11/3/21
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fionaroach2025@u.northwestern.edu
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by Macey Goldstein
“Room and Board”
Welcome to The Daily's student-created crossword puzzle. Come back every Wednesday during fall quarter for a new crossword. Answers on page 7.
DOWN 1 Crunch targets 2 Type of party that's hosted on a computer 3 Lounge 4 Abba's "___ the Music Speak" 5 Yes or no emphasizer 6 Words with least or first 7 Proof of uniqueness backed by blockchain tech. 8 Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour, e.g. 9 Loads 10 Clue weapon 11 Fetus' predecessor 12 Tina's sister on "Bob's Burgers" 13 * "The Office" actress Ellie 21 Popular feature at the top of a website 23 Arrows, for Legolas 24 Gentleman caller 25 Opposing 27 Pair 28 "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, ___, Very Bad Day" 30 Obvious choice 32 Air___ (rentals site) 34 Battleship exclamation 35 Possessive pronoun 37 Metra line with a stop on Davis St. 39 American Red Cross and Teach for America, e.g. (Abbr.) 40 "___ Enchanted" 41 Spotted 43 Administers, as a vaccine 44 First thing you hear at the orchestra 45 Granny 47 * Fred who hosted a children's TV show 48 Public perception 49 "___ a doornail" 54 Planet about 93 million miles from the Sun 55 Vengeful attitude 58 ___ Grey 59 Broom, for "Wicked" 61 Excrement 64 Burnham and Jackson 65 Org. that awarded Taylor Swift Entertainer of the Year in 2011 66 Sarcastic laugh syllable 67 Where this clue is, compared to other clues
ACROSS 1 * Actress Janney 8 Card game 11 Antlered animal 14 Officer at a trial 15 Judge in Simpson's case 16 A Stooge 17 Treat disdainfully 18 Third onomatopoeia in an improv game 19 Do-nothing 20 ___ Aviv 21 Lion's locks 22 Cemetery acronym 23 Lawyers' org. 26 * Senior community leader 28 Org. whose companies were worth $30.1 trillion as of 2018 29 Word no longer allowed on single occupancy restrooms under Evanston's city code 31 German conjunction 32 Heckler 33 Euler's field 34 With 42-Across, what each of the starred clues are 36 "Certainement!" 38 Some steak orders 42 See 34-Across 46 Stare at 47 Pensive sculptor 50 Magic org. 51 Ration (out) 52 Store sign 53 * Producer Quincy 56 ___ Bernardino 57 Video game named after a felony (Abbr.) 58 Northwestern's Julia Falinska's event 60 Yelp, e.g. 62 ___ Mubarak 63 Circle segment 64 Type of bun for Bat 17's K-2 Burger 68 Color TV pioneer 69 Spoil 70 Footstool 71 Draft org. 72 Records 73 * Astronaut Alan, who was fifth to the Moon
4 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
creator tells all By LAYA NEELAKANDAN
daily senior staffer @laya_neel
For Katie Rich (Weinberg ’05), a parody Twitter account was the source of inspiration for her new animated Netflix series, “Chicago Party Aunt.” “It was crazy to take something that was just jokes on Twitter and turn it into a real-life human being,” Rich said. “But I love creating a world from a character perspective.” Rich, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, was involved in theatre as a student at Northwestern. Upon graduation, she joined The Second City, an improvisational comedy troupe, something she said she had always wanted to do. After three years with Second City, Rich joined Saturday Night Live as a writer for seven years, primarily working on “Weekend Update.” Now, she is the co-creator and executive producer of “Chicago Party Aunt,” which premiered on Sept. 17. The idea behind “Chicago Party Aunt” came from a Twitter account created by one of Rich’s friends, mocking the stereotype of an older relative who is always in the mood for a party. The show follows Diane Dunbrowski, a “hard-partying relic,” and her teenage nephew, Daniel, who moves in with her, as they both navigate the world with each other’s help. Rich said she focuses on finding a character’s “wound” when envisioning a storyline. Finding the reasoning behind why they go about life the way they do is the starting point for her, she said. “In Diane’s case, it’s that fear of being irrelevant — of becoming one of those ‘invisible’ older women,” Rich said. “And once you know that, the amount of stories you can tell are endless.” “Chicago Party Aunt” was Rich’s first animated show, causing a learning curve. That learning curve was also compounded by COVID-19, which disrupted the team’s creative process. Over 80% of the show was created remotely, but she said it provided an escape from reality when the world outside became isolating. Rich is currently working on the second half of season one of “Chicago Party Aunt” and just finished creating a Super Bowl commercial. She also said she is in the process of developing a new animated series. One of Rich’s close friends, Susan Messing (Communication ’86), said she admires Rich’s conviction in all that she does. “I admire her humor, her loyalty … I admire everything about her,” Messing said. “She also has that ability to take a joke and turn it into a fully realized sitcom, which is what she did.” Another of Rich’s friends, Pete Schultz, echoed Messing’s sentiments. Schultz is the head writer for “Weekend Update” on SNL and said he met Rich when she joined their writing team on the recommendation of cast member Cecily Strong, who was Rich’s former understudy at Second City. While most of the other writers would work quietly on their projects, Schultz said Rich always brought energy and joy to the writers’ room.
A&E arts & entertainment
“Chicago Party Aunt”
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021
“Beyond being very funny and having the best laugh … Katie was a performer first and has a very effervescent personality,” Schultz said. “If you are in a shell, she’s not going to let you stay there, which I really appreciated. She brought the whole staff closer together, and we spent a lot more time talking as a group once she came on board.” Schultz said he is in the process of watching “Chicago Party Aunt,” calling it “the essence of Katie” because of the show’s energy, creativity and personality. Ultimately, Rich said she loves doing what she does and the variety that comes with each day of her job. “Every day is different, and that really keeps me going,” Rich said. “I also have had the good fortune to always be a part of a team. Even at SNL, I worked primarily on Weekend Update, so we had our little show within a show. And what we can create as a team is infinitely better than what we can create on our own.” laya@u.northwestern.edu
Photo courtesy of Annabel Forman
Bienen is back: First in-person performance in 21 months By KATHERINE MCDONNELL
the daily northwestern @katherinemcd33
After 21 months of masked classes and virtual performances, the Bienen School of Music is back on stage. For many students, this return marks the first live performance in their college careers. Baroque Music Ensemble conductor and Bienen lecturer Stephen Alltop said the return to in-person concerts and classes will largely change how ensembles perform. “The audience is essential to the musicians,” Alltop said. “They add an energy you can’t really get in virtual or pre-recorded performances.” In place of live performances during the past year, Alltop’s ensemble had to remain masked and distanced with six cameras capturing audio and video, which Alltop said he later edited together to create pre-recorded performances.
For Alltop, getting to go back to conducting a live ensemble helps him create a stronger sound. “I can just be a regular conductor,” Alltop said. “I can influence the sound and try to inspire them.” SESP and Bienen sophomore Anna Chen agreed the return to in-person performances has been largely beneficial for the students. Having never before performed live in a collegiate setting, the bassoon player said performing with the Chamber Orchestra was exciting for both students and audience members. “All of us haven’t really performed for two years, so this performance was kind of a first for a lot of people,” Chen said. “It was a lot of fun to get playing again, especially in front of a live audience.” Nélianne Warner, Chen’s friend and an audience member at last Thursday’s Chamber Orchestra performance, said seeing performances live changed the feeling of the concert.
The Weinberg sophomore never had the chance to see live collegiate performances last year, so she said she found the quality of the performance to be better than expected. “This was the first in-person performance I’ve been to for Bienen and it was really good,” Warner said. “Anna and all the musicians did a great job, and the concert hall was better than I had expected.” Despite most students feeling excited about the return to in-person performances, sophomore Naomi Aires, a member of Chamber Orchestra majoring in cello performance, pointed out some drawbacks to live performances. Live streaming performances last year meant Aires’ family could watch her concerts. But, overall, she said live performances remain her preference. While the livestream was convenient for her family, she said COVID-19 inhibited their goals, leading to both pros and cons.
Aires said the pandemic brought about restrictions in practice spaces that made finding time to practice alone more difficult. Unlike last year, Aires now has the time and freedom to use practice rooms alone. She said this, coupled with a live audience, raises the quality of the musicians’ work. “As a performer, you get more of an adrenaline rush when you can see the audience,” Aires said. “There’s a general sense of excitement and engagement you get with in-person performances that changes how you play — it can be hard to describe.” Despite some drawbacks relating to livestreaming, Aires said many Bienen musicians are excited to be back on stage and are looking forward to the Chamber Orchestra’s future work. “Come to our concerts,” Aires said. “Having you there changes how we play.” katherinemcdonnell2025@u.northwestern.edu
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021
5
From Chicago to Sundance, Ratcliffe talks career By ALYCE BROWN
the daily northwestern @alycebrownn
When imagining her future as a young girl, Jacinda Ratcliffe (Communication ’15) saw dance. Long before she was performing in venues across the country, the 28-year-old Virginia native fell in love with the art form from a young age — and had the talent to back up her passion. “My first ballet teacher, when I was maybe eight or nine, one day (told me) after class, ‘You could do this professionally,’” Ratcliffe said. After graduating from Northwestern, Ratcliffe trained on scholarship at the now-closed Lou Conte Dance Studio, out of which the renowned Hubbard Street Dance Chicago company originally grew. While she said finding her footing in the industry both during and after her training was difficult at times, her passion pulled her through. “It just always felt like my field and where I was meant to be,” Ratcliffe said. “And I think that’s what kept me going through those years of rejection.” One of her most notable successes was her performance at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018. There, she performed a piece titled “Frankenstein AI: A Monster Made by Many,” which was an installation in Sundance’s “New Frontier” exhibition category. In the piece, Ratcliffe played the role of artificial intelligence discovering human emotion. An AI
formulated movement directions for her by combining surveyed audience emotions, feeding them into her ear to make her dance reflect the AI processing the emotions. Now, Ratcliffe dances as an ensemble member at the Chicago-based dance-theatre company Lucky Plush Productions and as a dancer at Winifred Haun & Dancers modern dance company. Lucky Plush, a company that blends dance, theatre and comedy, allows her to combine her love for both theatre and dance. “We’re allowed to play, and that makes it fun and unique,” Ratcliffe said. “Every show is slightly different, and that’s okay and celebrated.” Meghann Wilkinson (Communication ’03), who dances alongside Ratcliffe at Lucky Plush, said that in an environment where members continually have to rely on each other, Ratcliffe’s dependability and creativity shine through. “We need each other to show up, and Jacinda really shows up in her energy and in her willingness to take risks and be creative,” Wilkinson said. “(She) has a great creative brain, and she has a great sensibility for play. She’s not afraid to try things out.” In addition to her work at both dance companies, Ratcliffe’s creative schedule also includes serving as a faculty member at the Actors Gymnasium, the manager of the Chicago Movement Collective and an occasional gig choreographer for shows and music videos. Nothing in the performing arts industry comes
Photo courtesy of Michelle Reid
Jacinda Ratcliffe (Communication ’15) dances in a recent production with the Winifred Haun & Dancers company.
easily, however. There were years after graduation when Ratcliffe said she slept through the day to be able to both dance and bartend to make ends meet. Her kindness has played a role in her success in the industry, according to Collin Quinn Rice (Communication ’15), a college friend and occasional postgraduate collaborator of Ratcliffe’s. “Specifically in Chicago, there is a lot to be said about just being a very nice person and being pleasant to work with,” they said. “Jacinda fits the bill of just being an
amazing person to collaborate with.” Looking to the future, Ratcliffe will tour the country with Lucky Plush intermittently throughout the winter, spring and early summer, and she also hopes to build her acting portfolio. Her main goal, however, is to simply be onstage. “In terms of the future, I’m open,” Ratcliffe said. “As long as I get to keep performing.” alycebrown2025@u.northwestern.edu
Cherie Lockett crafts historically inspired ceramics By JOCELYN CLARKE
the daily northwestern @jocie_mintz
When Cherie Lockett throws wet clay on a wheel, she thinks of it as meditation — putting
her entire mind and body into shaping each piece. “Centering (the pottery) requires a really cool vibe — a stillness,” she said. “That takes a lot of practice.” Lockett, a former health care professional, has been creating pottery in Evanston for more than 30 years. Initially, she took ceramics classes at
Photo courtesy of Cherie Lockett
Potter Cherie Lockett surrounded by her ceramic creations, which reflect Indigenous art throughout history. Lockett has created pottery in Evanston for three decades.
Evanston Art Center, but she now practices at Lillstreet Art Center and in her home. Though Lockett has been crafting ceramics in Evanston for more than three decades, she has made and studied art since childhood. She grew up in a family that cherished art and began creating pottery as a child in her neighbor’s backyard, she said. Each time she travels to a new town or country, the first thing she seeks out is the art museums, she added. “Art is integrated into the history and politics of us all,” Lockett said. “It’s integrated into who we are as human beings.” For inspiration, Lockett looks to cave paintings and Indigenous art throughout history. She said she wants her art to reflect the fact that everyone comes from the same ancestors. Lockett said she is fascinated by early art techniques and drawings of animals, so she explores the drawings seen in historical sites such as the Lascaux Cave in France. In her pottery, she uses clay to replicate the essence of those ancient skills. In order to best replicate cave paintings, Lockett uses a soda-firing technique to finish her pieces. While soda firing is more unpredictable than traditional firing techniques, Lockett said she prefers this method because it best mirrors what she has seen in caves. Barbara Grunewald, a fellow ceramicist and
close friend of Lockett’s, also frequently utilizes soda firing in her pottery. The process is relatively random, but Grunewald said a potter can use different glazes and clay to control the appearance of the final product. “With soda firing, you never know what you’re going to get. Sometimes it’s fabulous, and sometimes it’s not,” Grunewald said. “But the results, when it’s beautiful, are amazing.” Some of Lockett’s pieces have been exhibited through Evanston Made, and a photograph of one of her firings was published in the book “500 Raku.” Other works can be found in her home or friends’ residences. Cecelia Mitchell, another Evanston potter, owns a ceramic pitcher of a rooster and a frog-shaped jar crafted by Lockett. Lockett, Grunewald and Mitchell are all members of the Midwest Clay Guild, one of the oldest ceramics cooperatives in the United States. Mitchell said she appreciates Lockett’s work because it’s so different from her own. Lockett’s soda-firing process gives her pieces a historical and interesting look, Mitchell said. “People’s artwork is a reflection of their personality and their thinking,” Mitchell said. “And Cherie is one of the most well-traveled and interesting people I’ve ever met.” jocelynmintz2025@u.northwestern.edu
New Chinese theatre group EighthDay to premiere show By LAYA NEELAKANDAN
daily senior staffer @laya_neel
Communication junior Jonyca Jiao saw a gap in inclusivity across Northwestern’s theatre department. So this year, she decided to fill it. “I don’t see a lot of Chinese or East Asian stories represented on Northwestern’s campus, so this can be our first step to bring something we are proud of, a part of our culture and history, and show diversity in all in theatre,” Jiao said. Jiao is the founder of EighthDay Theatre Club, a new theatre organization which focuses on Chinese theatre and storytelling. EighthDay is the first theatre group in NU’s history to do so, she said. The concept for EighthDay came about when Jiao and her other Chinese friends, who are not theatre majors, expressed a desire to participate in a theatre environment that was less competitive and valued their identities. This club allows them to not only immerse themselves in theatre but also celebrate their heritage, Jiao said. EighthDay will premiere its first show, “Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land,” Thursday through Saturday in Alvina Krause Studio, located in Annie May Swift Hall. The performances will have a runtime of 80 minutes and begin at 7:30 p.m. each night, with an additional matinee on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are free for students, but attendees must register in advance. The show follows two groups, one dealing with love, loss and romance, and the other adventuring into fantasy while holding onto hope. Ultimately, both intertwine at the end. “It’s sort of like a comedy, but you can see the sorrow
in that pain,” Jiao said. “This story tells that when we see humor, there’s a deeper layer — we see pain, but also a happy side that exists in that pain.” Communication freshman Steven Yao, who plays the lead role, said his character’s story centers around how he is in love with a girl in Shanghai, but the two lost touch when he moved to Taiwan. When they finally find each other again after 40 years, they realize they have both been living in Taiwan all along, creating their own lives. Yao said he got involved with EighthDay after Jiao, who is directing the play, reached out to him, as he wanted to combine theatre with his native tongue. “It’s a place where we can come together and just forget about all the stress, routine and academics and all
the pressure that we have as a student and just have fun,” Yao said. “It builds a community for Chinese students to express our voices and advocate for our culture.” The entire play will be in Mandarin Chinese, Jiao explained. While EighthDay will also perform in English in the future, Jiao said she wanted the Chinese community on campus to feel welcomed and included. The group will also invite non-Chinese speakers to watch the show, understanding everything through body language instead of words. For Communication junior Peining Jia, the show’s producer and stage manager, this is the first theatre production she has been involved in at NU. As a Radio/ Television/Film major, Jia said she enjoyed finding how producing differs between film and theatre. While
she has flexibility and time producing a film, she said theatre is all about the performance in the moment, leading to a different producing technique. Jia said she became involved in the show when her roommate auditioned. She had always wanted to be involved in theatre, so she said this was the perfect opportunity. “There’s a lot of different types of media or performances of different countries and cultures, but so far, I haven’t seen Northwestern having something that is really Chinese,” Jia said. “This is a really good chance for us to promote our Chinese culture, and I’m really glad to be involved.” laya@u.northwestern.edu
arts & entertainment Editor Laya Neelakandan Assistant Editor Diego Ramos-Bechara Designer Fiona Wang
Photo courtesy of Jonyca Jiao
The cast of “Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land” rehearses. The show is put on by a new Chinese theatre group called EighthDay Theatre Club.
Staff Katherine McDonnell Jocelyn Mintz Jacinda Ratcliffe
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THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021
SAND CREEK
COUNCIL
community to process and heal together. “We didn’t really have much time to mourn the massacre and mourn the mothers, the children, the elders that were lost at the massacre,” Twocrow said. “Having a making like this feels a lot better, and it feels less performative.” During the event, attendees created a banner, crafted personalized buttons, made tobacco prayer ties and painted pieces of birch bark. The bark pieces were left over from artist Wayne Valliere’s project last month building and launching a canoe on the shores of Lake Michigan. Multicultural Student Affairs, NAISA and the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion are co-hosting the triad of events. For the other two events, they have made “Only the Mountains,” a short documentary on the massacre commissioned by NU, publicly available. On Nov. 20, community members will take part in a bonfire and a procession carrying the banner students painted Tuesday with an image inspired by the film. MSA Assistant Director Aaron Golding, a member of the Seneca Nation, said the number of events also distinguishes this year’s commemoration from past years. The University has previously only hosted a single event for the anniversary, he said. “The material’s pretty heavy, and it’s hard to talk about,” Golding said. “We wanted to create more opportunities for people to engage (who) maybe missed out when it was just one event.” The Sand Creek anniversary events will be interspersed with a month of MSA programming for Native American Heritage Month. However, Director of Native American and Indigenous Affairs Jasmine Gurneau said the commemoration series has distinct goals from the more celebratory and social events the rest of the month. Gurneau, a member of the Oneida and Menominee nations, said she encourages the larger NU community to engage with both sets of programming. “We’re hoping that this reflection process will help folks to think about what it means to be connected to a place and how they came to be to a place and what their responsibility is,” Gurneau. NAISA member and SESP senior Isabel St. Arnold said she first learned about the massacre as a freshman and has attended the commemoration events every year since. Grappling with this history and NU’s involvement was difficult as an Indigenous student, said St. Arnold, a member of the Keweenaw Bay and Ojibwe tribes. Like Twocrow, St. Arnold said processing alongside other Native American and Indigenous community members has been healing. “It’s important to me as an Indigenous student on campus that we’re forcing Northwestern as an institution to reckon with this history and to recognize it and to acknowledge it,” Twocrow said.
new staff at the Crown Center should come out of the maintenance fund for the building or out of the 2022 city budget. The Crown Maintenance Fund has received $175,000 annually from the city since 2020 and is slated to receive another $175,000 this year. The 2022 proposed budget would distribute approximately $378,000 in additional funds specifically for new staff. Ald. Clare Kelly (1st) said because new staff are mostly maintenance roles, the maintenance fund should cover the positions. “Our residents have shouldered such an enormous expense already on this center,” Kelly said. “If we can avoid layering more expense … we should avoid it.” After the former community center was shut down due to lack of consistent, preventative maintenance, the maintenance fund was a major selling point for donors when fundraising for the Crown Center, Ald. Eleanor Revelle (7th) said. Some councilmembers were unsure that staffing would be an appropriate use of the fund from the donors’ perspectives. Other councilmembers did not support using the maintenance fund for staffing costs because it could make future maintenance more difficult down the line. Ald. Cicely Fleming (9th) said the initial projected budget for the Crown Center should have foreseen current staffing shortages. “The fact that we need two or three more staff because the building is taking more effort to run just shows that we had a huge miss somewhere,” Fleming said.
From page 1
beaches. In a memo, Director of Parks and Recreation Lawrence Hemingway presented two options for moving forward: retain the current policy of three days a week free-of-charge or allow all beaches to be free for the entire season. According to Hemingway, the former option would reduce revenue by $200,000 and the latter by $650,000 to $750,000. While councilmembers did not reach consensus regarding which option the 2022 budget should reflect, they did brainstorm ways to address revenue shortfalls. Kelly suggested launching a public relations campaign encouraging Evanston residents to donate money for beach access if they have the means. She said her constituents want to keep the beaches free and “would love to support that.” Ald. Melissa Wynne (3rd) shared the sentiment, saying that every year when she buys beach tokens, she buys double the amount her family needs as a donation. According to Hemingway, the city keeps track of these donations, which can be as much as $15,000 a year. To qualify for free tokens under the city’s proposed plan, Reid said he worries beachgoers may be required to register their residential status upon entry. He warned against that possibility, saying the potential requirement could create additional barriers to beach access and may put a burden on city staff. “I think we can do an honor system, particularly with a pilot program,” Reid said. “If things don’t work out, we can troubleshoot from there.” Wynne disagreed and emphasized pursuing this system would risk revenue loss from Chicago residents or residents of other towns. She suggested people should show attendants their driver’s license or gas bill to enter. While the city currently has an agreement with the Skokie government that enables Skokie residents to pay for beach tokens at the same rate as Evanston residents, people from other places must pay to access beaches. Hemingway said he wants to create a system that works for residents and does not create conflict, as oftentimes, beach attendants are
16-year-old children. Mayor Daniel Biss said he welcomes sitting at the table with Skokie officials to create a mutually beneficial agreement.
and comfortable place for people to go, Kavin said. Dincer announced the restaurant’s closure on its Facebook page in September. More than 100 people commented on the post to show their support for Dincer’s family and love of the restaurant. Nolan Winkler, who grew up steps away from Prairie Joe’s, said that he and his family would play “I Spy” among the paintings and knicknacks while waiting for their food.
“(Prairie Joe’s) has been so special and an integral part of the Central Street community,” Winkler said. Unlike many other restaurants that have closed in the past year, Dincer said the restaurant did not close due to COVID-19 related issues. While he felt humbled by customers’ appreciation, he said he needed to retire because his work was very time-consuming. “The decision to close was based mostly on family obligations,” Dincer said. “The intensity of what I do to myself is pretty high, so I want to go in another direction and have more time.” For fans of Dincer’s artwork, the closing of Prairie
Joe’s is not the end. He said he hopes to open a gallery for his art and find somewhere to continue selling his famed casseroles and soups. As for the diner space itself, Dincer has announced a new owner will be taking over the restaurant, though he has yet to say who it will be. He said he feels confident the new owner will keep a similar theme with some new updates, much like Dincer did 30 years ago. “It’ll be a new beginning,” Dincer said. “It’ll be a new life.”
Four hours later, the sophomore said someone had taken the banner down. NU Dissenters also attempted to enter a Sept. 22 Board of Trustees meeting. The Medill junior said UP was called about a “noise complaint” when the group knocked on the door and read its demands that the Board of Trustees divest from militarism and death. University spokesperson Jon Yates told The Daily the University hasn’t received demands from the group yet. Officers who responded to the Oct. 27 gathering followed University procedures, Yates said. He added that NU encourages free speech and asks protestors to adhere to the University’s demonstration policy. NU Dissenters’ actions last week were part of a national Divest from Death Week of Action hosted by the national Dissenters organization, which has developed over the last few years. Three Chicago-based organizers co-direct Dissenters, which builds teams of young people focused on advocating for divestment from militarism and supports university chapters across the United States.
After Wednesday’s actions, the SESP sophomore said NU Dissenters received interest from six more students. Building a base of youth leaders is one of its goals, she added. She said she’s seen a positive response on campus overall, but some students “were ripping down the flyers.” NU Dissenters said it’s focused on demanding the University divest from five main “war-profiteering” companies: Raytheon Technologies, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Boeing and Lockheed Martin. After NU Dissenters was initially created, members of the group realized many of its goals aligned with NU Community Not Cops, and the organizations merged, according to a SESP senior who originally helped found NU Dissenters. They said too many resources go toward war rather than life-giving institutions. “Seeing how our world is facing a climate catastrophe and knowing that the U.S. military is one of the largest — if not the largest — single polluter, there’s
so many connections between militarism and the environment and racial injustice and gender injustice and classism,” the senior said. The national organization of Dissenters offers a Demilitarize Organizing Fellowship for Black, Indigenous and people of color college students. The SESP sophomore said she applied to be a fellow because she considers herself a student of abolition. The Medill junior said she sees one of NU Dissenters’ main goals as reframing the narrative around war and shifting students’ perspectives on it. “We’re not just worried about ‘destroying’ things — we want to rebuild something new,” the Medill junior said. “Dissenters is a movement that is rooted in love. It’s all coming from a place of wanting to care for each other, for us to feel accountable to each other, for us to stand in solidarity with those all across the world who are being affected by U.S. imperialism and colonialism and war.”
From page 1
maiapandey@u.northwestern.edu
DISSENTERS From page 1
“War-profiteering companies and the war industry have stolen and robbed so much from us including our safety, our security, the Earth,” the SESP sophomore said. “Right now, war is not stigmatized. It’s praised ... It’s romanticized and sensationalized all the time in the media, as well as film.” NU’s branch of Dissenters is calling on the University to invest in support for students. The possibilities are endless, the sophomore said, and some specific goals could include funding stipends for lowerincome students and upgrading campus facilities and infrastructure. The sophomore added that Dissenters stands against surveillance and policing on campus. As the students hung the banner, the sophomore said University Police officers pulled up in a police vehicle and began “harassing” the students, so the students dispersed.
Extending free access to city beaches Councilmembers were in favor Monday night of extending free access to Evanston beaches into the 2022 fiscal year. The council moved in May to make all city beaches free to residents every Saturday, Sunday and Monday of the 2021 beach season. The pilot program launched in response to community advocacy against token sales, given the system’s history of barring Black residents from
PRARIE JOE’S From page 1
Funding school crossing guards City Council discussed whether to fund school crossing guards for Evanston Township High School District 202, Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and several local private schools in the 2022 budget. Reid pointed out parts of District 65 do not fall within Evanston city limits and said the city shouldn’t fund crossing guards for that reason. Many councilmembers also said the city should not pay for private school crossing guards. The consensus, as Mayor Biss articulated, was that councilmembers find it appropriate to pay for crossing guards through the end of the school year. The city would then begin to phase the crossing guards out of its budget, instead letting individual school districts cover the cost.
Creating a dedicated climate action fund Nieuwsma also suggested the council create a dedicated fund for the Climate Action and Resilience Plan, which sets a goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. He emphasized having a discreet fund with distinct sources of revenue for CARP, such as the tax revenue the city receives from natural gas and electricity sales. Nieuwsma said having ongoing, predictable revenue would allow the council to plan CARPrelated projects well past ARPA’s deadline and constraints. Revelle seconded Nieuwsma’s suggestion. “I think it would be very helpful to be able to know that we were regularly seeing money going into that fund,” Revelle said. Next Monday, the council will host its second public budget hearing. The 2022 budget must be approved by Dec. 31. jorjasiemons2024@u.northwestern.edu, luciabarnum2024@u.northwestern.edu
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The legend of the Spirit Leader and the Grynder By LAYA NEELAKANDAN
daily senior staffer @laya_neel
If you’ve ever been to a Northwestern football game, you’ve likely seen two people in the marching band section standing on high platforms, perhaps throwing a chicken to each other or growling when the team is on defense. You’re looking at Northwestern University Marching Band’s Spirit Leader and Grynder, also known respectively as Weinberg junior Hannah Zimmerman and Medill junior Coop Daley. Zimmerman and Daley function as energizers for the band and the student section during gamedays. Although they’re both regular members of the band, playing flute and tuba respectively, their roles on gameday look quite different. As the Spirit Leader and Grynder, the pair’s main job is to hype up the crowd, with the Spirit Leader doing “Hear Ye” chants and the Grynder doing “Grynds,” which consist of slam poetry in Daley’s case. While the Spirit Leader is a position for which people audition, the previous Grynder appoints their successor into
the role. “We’re not special members of the band,” Daley said. “We’re just an extension of the band — we don’t want to be differentiating ourselves.” Gameday preparations revolve around “Spirit Sessions” after Thursday night rehearsals, during which the duo prepares an activity-filled session to energize the band before the game. During these sessions, Daley said he and Zimmerman perform bits and chants, incorporating the band into their performances, to get them excited about the game. “We plan out a presentation or mad libs, but it’s generally just a chance for the band to interact in a way that isn’t structured,” Zimmerman said. “We interact with each other and also get excited about the game even if our chances aren’t looking good.” The Spirit Leader and Grynder are known for their characteristic attire each game. The two said they didn’t know much about football before assuming their roles. But now, they know quite a bit more, starting with NU’s win at the Rose Bowl in 1949, the reason behind their wearing jersey No. 49 every game. They also wear hats with distinct pins on them, with each subsequent Spirit Leader and Grynder adding their own special touch to the hat. With buttons like “don’t just be a number” — because NUMB members are called NUMBers — both hats carry years of prestige and memories. “I like how much history it has,” Zimmerman said. “They fall off all the time, especially while we’re doing pushups (after a touchdown). They’ve been through a lot.” During games, Zimmerman and Daley perform chants and poems to keep the crowd hyped, even during losses. Zimmerman said her favorite cheer is after first downs, when they shout, “What time is it? It’s time to move the chains. Whoosh!” Daley said he enjoys “shredding,” a duty performed by the Grynder. He pulls from a sack filled with prompts for comedy bits, and one of them includes getting an apple during halftime and “shredding” the apple in 10 seconds by eating down to the core and then breaking it in half — a tradition he said the band loves.
The two also throw a chicken to each other when a flag is thrown, do pushups on the field after a touchdown, growl when on defense and much more. “We carry on a huge number of traditions that we just saw our freshman year,” Daley said. “Some have a history dating back to the ’70s, but some of them are super new and still in development, so it’s super fun to keep those going and see them evolve over time.” To ensure the energy is as high as possible on gameday, Daley and Zimmerman keep their chants secret, even from each other, until right before the game. They said they work off of each other to figure out the best ideas and bits for both the band and the crowd. Both students said it’s vital to be able to project their voices during games to reach as many people as possible in the stands. Because their energy is essential once the game starts, Daley and Zimmerman also hype up the band before opening the game. The two students also work with a third member, the Geek, who is a student known as the “band nerd.” This year’s Geek is McCormick senior Chima Aharanwa, who does the “calculus cheer” during games, a cheer that includes math puns. The two said they can always run an idea by him for logistical reasons, as he is on leadership as well. Both Daley and Zimmerman also spoke highly of NUMB’s alumni network, including game announcer and former Spirit Leader Pete Friedmann. “There’s very much a camaraderie that comes with being in this group … You’re out marching in the cold or the wet for hours at a time, but at the same time, you’re yelling about how maybe this is the week you’ll see one of the biggest upsets in college football history,” Daley said. “I really like being a person that can facilitate that type of bonding.” Ultimately, both students said they love what they do because of the joy it brings to everyone around them. While this is Zimmerman’s second year as Spirit Leader after a season of Zoom spirit sessions, this is Daley’s first year as Grynder. Zimmerman said she loves the opportunity to be creative and make people laugh.
“I love the opportunity to take a bleak-looking situation and get people to laugh about it or make people more excited during rehearsal, and also just give the band a chance to spend time and laugh together as a community rather than a team marching together,” Zimmerman said. Daley echoed her sentiments, saying he loves to engage with everyone outside of a professional setting and bring them together. Daley and Zimmerman said they work well together as Grynder and Spirit Leader, ultimately culminating in successful, energizing chants for both the band and student section on gamedays. “Our work styles go together really well,” Daley said. “She welcomes in the band, and I punch them through at the end.” laya@u.northwestern.edu
Carroll: Chicago Blackhawks should select new captain By GABRIELA CARROLL
daily senior staffer @gablcarroll
Content warning: This article contains mention of sexual assault. Less than a week ago, the Chicago Blackhawks released an investigation into the handling of a reported sexual assault of a then-anonymous player perpetrated by video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010 just prior to the team’s Stanley Cup win.
In a The Sports Network interview with Rick Westhead, the player was later revealed to be the Blackhawks’ 2008 first-round draft pick Kyle Beach. Since then, general manager Stan Bowman, senior vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac and former head coach Joel Quenneville, have all lost their jobs or resigned due to their mishandling of Beach’s original report. John McDonough, then-team president, made the final decision to wait before reporting the allegations to human resources until after the Stanley Cup win. He was fired in April 2020 due to the
Graphic by Angeli Mittal. Photo by Joshua Hoffman.
United Center, home of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. This past week, the organization released an investigation this week into the handling of a reported sexual assault in 2010.
team’s poor on-ice performance. Just two players remain from the 2010 Stanley Cup winning Blackhawks team — franchise icons Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. For more than a decade, Toews has been praised as the standard for leadership in the NHL. “Captain Serious” led the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup wins after being named captain at 20 years old in 2008. There’s lingering uncertainty over how much information the players on the 2010 Blackhawks team had about Aldrich sexually assaulting Beach, who at the time was a “Black Ace,” a prospect called up to be with the team in the playoffs. While Beach stated that everyone in the locker room knew, Kane said he only found out recently. Toews, however, publicly stated that he knew at the training camp that preceded the 2010-11 season, where Beach said he had been called derogatory words and asked about “his boyfriend Brad” by some of his teammates. As captain, why did Toews not step in or offer support to Beach? This is someone who is supposedly one of the best leaders in the league. Making sure your players don’t face harassment from teammates is not a high bar to clear. Lest you think, “Oh, he was just 22 years old, he shouldn’t have been expected to handle these difficult situations,” it gets worse. Toews spoke to the media on Thursday, two days after the report was released and Bowman and MacIsaac were fired. This also followed Beach revealing that he was the anonymous John Doe. “Stan and Al, make any argument you want, they’re not directly complicit in what happened,” Toews said. ”Regardless of mistakes that may have been made, for someone like Stan, who has done so much for the Blackhawks, and Al as well, to lose everything that they care about and their livelihoods, I don’t understand how that makes it go away, to just delete them from existence and (say), ‘That’s it, we’ll never hear from them again.’ I have a lot of respect for them as people. They’re good people.” This isn’t all he said, and I recommend watching the entire news conference, because pretty much all of it is appalling. Toews, regarded as one
of the best leaders in the sport, refused to even acknowledge that firing the executives involved in the cover-up was the right move. Toews may not have played a role in the coverup, and Aldrich sexually assaulting Beach may not have been Toews’ fault. But prior to these allegations surfacing, no one would have thought the harassment or use of derogatory language would happen in Toews’ locker room. Toews said it himself in his news conference when asked about it: “That doesn’t happen in Chicago.” Evidently, it does. Before this week, Toews was beloved and upheld in hockey as a role model to virtually everyone. Even after the report was released, a significant number of fans, and not just Blackhawks fans, defended him and his role in how Beach was treated. Blackhawks alternate captain Alex DeBrincat, who was 12 years old in 2010, gave a far better statement and said he hopes the team can “not move on from it, but learn from it and come together as a team and make sure that doesn’t happen again.” Even Kane gave an even more resonant statement. Despite saying Bowman was a “great man” who “did a lot for (him) personally” in his original comments on Thursday, he apologized Monday night for “(putting his) personal experience with management ahead of the way Kyle was treated by them.” Toews hasn’t faced the media since he gave the Thursday statement. He’s the only member of the Blackhawks leadership group in 2010 who is still with the team, and no one from management remains. Can the Blackhawks and the city of Chicago move forward if Toews is still captain? The two years left on his contract at $10.5 million with a full no-move clause means he’ll almost certainly remain a Blackhawk. But to make lasting organizational change, it’s time for new leaders to step forward, and for Toews to step aside. gabrielacarroll2023@u.northwestern.edu