The Daily Northwestern DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
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Mariam Gomaa/Daily Senior Staffer
MOVING FORWARD Michelle Obama, President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Jill Biden join the crowd’s cheers from the stage at McCormick Place after the president’s acceptance speech. Obama spoke to thousands early this morning after Republican candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney conceded the race.
Democrats dominate races
Obama secures key states, reelection victory over Republican Romney By patrick svitek
daily senior staffer
CHICAGO — President Barack Obama defeated former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney on Tuesday to secure a second term that he vowed to pursue with the same resolve that catapulted him to the White House four years ago. Promising that the “best is yet to come,” Obama told exhilarated supporters early this morning that they have made him a better leader and are sending him back to the White House “more determined, more inspired than ever.” “Tonight, despite all the hardship we’ve been through, despite all the frustrations of Washington, I’ve never been more hopeful about out future,” Obama said in his Election Night remarks. “And I ask you to sustain that hope.” Obama locked up more than 300 electoral votes, edging Romney by better-than-expected margins in most swing states and delivering a knockout punch in crucial Ohio. Obama said he had called Romney to congratulate him on a hard-fought race and is “look(ing) forward to sitting down” with his onetime foe to hash out the country’s problems. At his Boston headquarters, Romney told crestfallen supporters that he hopes Obama will be “successful in guiding our nation”
“I so wish that I had been able to fulfill your hopes to lead the country in a different direction, but the nation chose another leader. And so Ann and I join with you to earnestly pray for him and this great nation,” Romney said. Although Obama’s victory speech echoed of the hope-and-change mantra that first launched him to political stardom, Tuesday’s watch party at McCormick Place was a far cry from 2008’s jubilant rally at Grant Park. The ticket event included several thousand Obama campaign volunteers, many of whom contributed countless hours in the final days of the election season. Four years ago, an estimated 240,000 Obama faithfuls flooded Grant Park to hear the first black president declare victory. Today, Obama was more than aware of how times have changed. “As it has for more than two centuries, progress will come in fits and starts,” he said. “It’s not always a straight line.” At about 10:15 p.m., thousands of Obama supporters at the convention center began brimming with raucous applause as news outlets projected an Obama win in the battleground state of Ohio. Moments later, NBC News called the presidential contest for the incumbent. Several hours later, Obama took the stage at McCormick Place to thunderous clapping. “Tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward,” Obama said. “It moves forward because of you.”
Ill. voters lean Democratic in local, national elections By Susan Du
daily senior staffer
U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), State Sen. Daniel Biss (D-Skokie) and State Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston) all won by a wide margin Tuesday night against Republican challengers Timothy Wolfe, Glenn Farkas and Eric Lieberman. Debra Shore, commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, was also re-elected. As the wins became apparent, cheers erupted from local Democrats at the candidates’ joint watch party at Evanston’s Prairie Moon. Biss, formerly a state representative, will fill the senate vacancy left by Jeffrey Schoenberg (D-Evanston). Incumbents Schakowsky and Gabel retained their posts, the former collecting 66 percent of the vote and the latter 62.4 percent with 97 percent of precincts reporting. Schakowsky left early in the night to join crowds at McCormick Place in Chicago — but not before predicting her win. “I’m hoping that you’re going to have a great celebration, I want to tell you,” Schakowsky said
patricksvitek2014@u.northwestern.edu
to local supporters. “I appreciate you so much and I’m very hopeful that my election is going to go just fine. I owe you all of that.” Gabel attributed her lead early in the night to the campaign efforts of supporters, noting that the Democratic Party of Evanston helped knock on 37,000 doors. “There’s a lot to do in Springfield, as you all know,” Gabel said in anticipation of her work ahead. “And we are here to represent the people so we are really looking forward to working with all of you.” Evanston voters overwhelmingly opposed unlimited political contributions from corporations in response to a referendum asking whether U.S. Congress should pass a bill allowing the federal government and states to impose restrictions. Eighty-two percent voted for the referendum question and 17 percent in opposition, with 50 of 53 precincts reporting. The state referendum question of whether to amend the Illinois Constitution to require a three-fifths majority vote of governing bodies in order to increase benefits under a public pension system was split more evenly, with 55.8 percent voting in favor and 44.2 percent opposed. Designed to address the state’s daunting unfunded pension liability — $83 billion — the amendment has been met with resistance from unions. shijundu@gmail.com
More election coverage inside >>
City organizers look to expand gun buyback program By Susan du
daily senior staffer
With the city’s gun buyback event officially scheduled for Dec. 15, the initiative’s fund has reached a total of $19,050, including a $10,000 donation from Northwestern. Citizens concerned about local
gun violence proposed this summer the idea of holding a buyback to decrease the amount of firearms in the community. The organizational efforts were expedited following the Sept. 22 shooting death of Evanston Township High School freshman Dajae Coleman. Recently released details of the December event specify that it will
Serving the University and Evanston since 1881
be held at Christ Temple Missionary Baptist Church, 1711 Simpson St. It will be an “amnesty-based” buyback, meaning those turning in weapons, ammunition, clips and magazines will not be consequently subject to police action. There is a two-gun limit per participant, and reimbursements will be paid in cash. Participants must be Evanston residents,
and guns must be operational but unloaded. Evanston Police haven’t released an official price for guns, but Cmdr. Jay Parrott and West Evanston Strategic Team co-chair Carolyn Murray both indicated that an approximate rate is $100 per firearm. The expectation for the program is a harvest of about 100 to 200 guns, making
the potential total cost of the event $1,000 to $2,000 and leaving at most $18,050 unaccounted for. Murray, who pitched the idea of a gun buyback program to Ald. Delores Holmes (5th) this summer, said organizers have discussed utilizing the extra funds to hold additional » See guns, page 7
INSIDE Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Forum 6 | Sports 8
2 NEWS | the daily northwestern wednesday, november 7, 2012
Around Town Construction affects Ridge Avenue traffic
As construction of a new eight-story apartment complex continues, various parts of Ridge Avenue have been experiencing closures or lane changes. Seventeen17 is planned for the construction site at 1717 Ridge Ave. The 175 unit luxury apartment complex is nearing is spring 2013 completion goal, but may continue to affect Ridge Avenue traffic throughout construction. Plans for the complex include the addition of a courtyard, pool, lounge and recreational center. The architect for Seventeen17 is Chicago firm Booth Hansen. The company was brought on to design Seventeen17 after previous plans for the condominium complex halted during construction. The complete building will feature the use of glass, steel and brick for a modern feel, and glass corners will expand residential views of the city. Seventeen17 will aim for LEED Silver standing, according to Booth Hansen plans. On Thursday, Ridge Avenue was reduced to one lane in each direction north of its Church Street intersection. The same intersection was affected in June when a tower crane was
erected. At that time, the northbound lanes of Ridge Avenue at Church Street were completely closed.
Anti-violence initiatives posted for comment
Discussion of proposals gathered from a community anti-violence meeting held last month have now been moved online at www. engageevanston.org, where residents can comment or post additional ideas for promoting peace in Evanston. Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl held a public forum on anti-violence initiatives last month, drawing more than 400 participants who split into small groups and brainstormed a list of 16 proposals addressing youth violence. That list has been published online along with additional ideas later posted by Engage Evanston participants. The forum and subsequent community mobilization to address and cease local violence derived from the Sept. 22 shooting death of Evanston Township High School freshman Dajae Coleman. Coleman was walking home from a party with a group of friends when a local man allegedly mistook them for another group of youths with whom he had an argument
Police Blotter Cosmetics worth hundreds of dollars stolen from Evanston CVS
A CVS employee reported Sunday that an unknown man and woman took 15 cosmetic items, then left the store without paying. The alleged retailed theft occurred at the CVS at 3333 Central St. The entire incident was captured on video. The man was described to be 30 to 45 years of age and the woman about 35 to 45 years of age with shoulder-length, sandy-colored hair. The total estimated value for the 15 items is about $440, Evanston Police Cmdr. Jay Parrott said.
Brick thrown at Chicago resident’s car
A 30-year-old Chicago resident reported witnessing a juvenile throwing a concrete brick through his car window at about 9:30 a.m. Monday. The incident occurred in the 1100 block of Washington Street, Parrott said. The victim reported that he knows the juvenile and does not want police to follow up on the matter. The damaged vehicle is a 2007 Chrysler, Parrott said. — Ina Yang
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earlier in the evening and shot at them, Evanston Police Cmdr. Jay Parrott said. Coleman was shot while trying to run away with his friends. EPD charged Wesley Woodson III, 20, with first-degree murder and aggravated discharge of a firearm in connection to the Coleman case. As part of a city-wide anti-violence campaign, forums at ETHS will be held to discuss school and community safety. The city also announced that the long-awaited gunbuyback program will be held Dec. 15. EPD anticipates that the buyback program will succeed in rounding up about 100 firearms, mostly from law-abiding people. However, any reduction in guns will decrease gun accident rates as well as the likelihood of firearms being stolen and used in crimes, Parrott said. Initiatives brainstormed by residents and later posted on the Engage Evanston website include creating an atmosphere of responsibility and respect, creating more safe places for youth, holding community dinners, revising curfew law, creating mentorship programs, giving all ETHS students the chance to participate in summer apprenticeships and raising awareness of current programs. — Susan Du
Setting the record straight In a Tuesday story about a whistleblower case at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, several quotes were misattributed to attorney Mitch Kreindler. The plaintiff in the whistelblowing case will not receive 30 percent of recovered money from the suit. In the same story, a statement about Northwestern’s involvement in the suit was inappropriately credited to hospital spokeswoman Kris Lathan. The Daily regrets the errors.
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wednesday, november 7, 2012
On Campus Festival highlights goals for new Bienen institute By connor samuelson
the daily northwestern
To inaugurate the newly established Institute for New Music, Northwestern’s Bienen School of Music is hosting a festival this month featuring the work of contemporary composer John Cage. The John Cage Festival, running Nov. 15 to 17, will feature performances of Cage’s music and a two-day symposium discussing how the composer has affected “new” music. The festival marks the first major event organized through the Institute for New Music, which was established this quarter. “John Cage was influential in every area of contemporary art,” said Hans Thomalla, a Bienen professor and co-director of the new institute. “Everybody knows about Cage, whether they were in art, music or film.” “New music” refers to pieces written by living composers. Because students studying western classical music sometimes find it hard to relate to these compositions, the Institute for New Music will give
more analytic attention to new music. As a key component of Bienen’s 2012 strategic plan, the Institute for New Music will expand NU’s overall presence in contemporary music performance and scholarship. This expansion will distinguish Bienen from other top-tier music schools around the country and will help connect NU students and researchers to new music, Bienen Dean Toni-Marie Montgomery said. Thomalla said this institute will make NU one of the main American centers for new music, in both performance and research. “As a famous research university with a fantastic music library, we also have a fantastic conservatory,” he said. “The idea of the Institute was to bring these two aspects together.” The institute will foster discussion on the role that new music plays in pop culture and at Bienen by bringing scholars in residence to campus. As part of contemporary music, the institute will offer research on popular music such as electronic music made on laptops. Part of NU’s extensive modern music collection,
the John Cage selection includes some of the composer’s scores, correspondences, notes and seven original songs by The Beatles, Montgomery said. In celebration of Cage’s 100th birthday, University Library is displaying some of his scores and personal items. The multimedia exhibit, “Sound and Silence,” drawn from items Cage donated to NU in the 1970s, can be viewed at the library through Fall Quarter. This institute’s focus on new music will open up possible partnerships as students and faculty discuss how popular music converges with other academic interests, Montgomery said. Montgomery said the institute will also draw interest from the greater Chicago area, which has a large audience for new music. “I want the institute to be recognized not only on this campus but also by our peers especially in Chicago,” Montgomery said. Jenna Lyle is in her third year studying for her doctorate in composition. She said the institute will create a broader awareness of musical culture. “New music is what is taking art into the future,”
she said. “Being aware of what is going on will help us stay in touch and think critically about what is happening in current art.” The institute will also help music students keep up with recent composition trends. The average classical music student should think more holistically about his or her career, she said. “Unless you are specifically doing 17th-century music history, it would be narrow-minded to get a career in music without being aware of what is happening in your own time,” Lyle said. “This is an opportunity for students to invest in what is happening now and learn what role they play in contributing to their own art and culture.” Lyle said she is happy with the way school officials are focusing the institute. “The administration are talking a lot and reaching out to the people around them for inspiration,” Lyle said. “They are working hard to build a foundation of discourse and that should be what (the Institute) is built on.” connorsamuelson2015@u.northwestern.edu
Women’s networking group aims for ‘broad’ campus reach By mckenzie maxson
the daily northwestern
With an increase in membership from last year, Northwestern’s chapter of 85 Broads, the global networking group for women, is now expanding efforts to promote its brand on campus. NU’s chapter currently has a total of 149 members. SESP sophomore Nikki Adler, the group’s vice president of membership, said 46 out of 78 applicants were accepted into the group this year. 85 Broads at Northwestern is a chapter of a global network. On NU’s campus, it focuses on connecting inspiring, empowering and connecting women from many different fields through their common
interest in the organization. 85 Broads is tentatively planning a panel for Nov. 15. “85 Broads at NU is in the phase of growing, and we know we have a bumpy road ahead of us,” said Weinberg junior Sunny Lee, the group’s vice president of marketing. “We definitely want to have more events and make sure that members of our organization have strong connections with each other.” The NU chapter is self-sufficient and studentrun but is also able to work a lot with professional networks in Chicago and the chapter there, a connection that is very important to the 85 Broads executive board, Adler said. “In addition to adding new members, it’s also important that we now have a really solid alumni base,” said 85 Broads president Haley Rucker, a SESP
senior. “I think it was really a commitment from the past few years’ executive board’s dedication and motivation toward marketing that attracted more people.” The group usually hosts two events per quarter, ranging from internship conferences to panels of successful women from many different fields. It also has an internal mentorship program, which focuses on matching underclassmen with upperclassmen who share similar interests or career goals and can help them throughout their time at NU. “Just a few weeks ago, we had an event at the Celtic Knot that was just a mingling for our girls to get to know each other after recruitment was over,” Adler said. “Also, last spring we went to J. Crew,
and we had a personal shopper and we got an extra discount on business casual. With our events we have a balance.” 85 Broads is extending its events this year to include fireside chats. It is also trying to create more co-sponsored events that are open to the public to increase awareness of the group’s brand on campus. Its focus now is letting NU students know the real purpose of 85 Broads, Adler said. “It’s not just for women who are going into business,” Adler said. “It’s really just about women who are passionate and driven to succeed … people who really understand why the women’s networking organization is important.” mckenziemaxson2016@u.northwestern.edu
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DAILY DECISION
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2012
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Meghan White and Mariam Gomaa/Daily Senior Staffers
TOP: Civic duity Bryant Smith (Weinberg and Bienen ‘12) casts his vote Tuesday afternoon in Parkes Hall. Northwestern students and Evanston residents alike came to the on-campus polling center to submit their ballots for the election. BOTTOM: star-spangled Audience members wave flags at the election celebration at McCormick Place in downtown Chicago.
Students, city residents vote at NU polling sites By paulina firozi
daily senior staffer
Northwestern students, staff and Evanston community members trickled into Parkes Hall and Patten Gym’s polling locations throughout Election Day. Four touch-screen voting booths, two seated booths and 10 standing booths were set up in a room for voters in Parkes. By 7:30 p.m., 301 voters had come to the Parkes polling location. Election judges from the Cook County Clerk’s Office were present to facilitate the voting process at Parkes and Patten Gym, another campus location that served as a polling place on Tuesday. The Parkes location was fairly empty throughout the day, with Evanston residents filing into the room but never waiting in line. Stephanie Irish, a election judge present at Parkes, said 187 Evanston residents, many of whom were NU students, had voted as of 2:30 p.m. “Many students came in before work and before class around 8 a.m,” Irish said. Weinberg freshman Mark Davis said it was his first time voting and he had decided to apply for in-state residency. As a part of a military family, he said he has moved around a lot and most recently lived in Germany. “It was a lot faster than I thought it would be,” Davis said. “I voted early before classes to get it out of the way. The people were really helpful and made it self-explanatory.”
In Cook County, 60 judges are up for retention. Davis said he looked into every judge before going into the polls. “I researched the judges before I voted because I wanted to be an Informed voter even if I just moved here,” he said. Mike Hernandez also applied as an inIt was a lot faster state resident, although than I thought he is originally from Pennsylvania. He said it would be. he thought it would I voted early be more convenient to before classes to vote at a polling location as opposed to by get it out of the mail. way. The people Like Davis, Hernandez said he voted were really early Tuesday before helpful ... classes. “I went to Parkes Mark Davis, Hall around 7:45 a.m. Weinberg and I didn’t have to freshman wait at all,” the Weinberg senior said. Hernandez said his hopes to go to medical school contributed to his reason for voting. He said health care reform was a topic of interest for him throughout the election. “I went out and decided to cast my vote and have my voice heard,” he said.
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Zach Elvove contributed reporting. paulinafirozi2015@u.northwestern.edu
Atif Cheema/The Daily Northwestern
BRAVING THE COLD Viewers stand outside at the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago to watch a live large screen broadcast from CNN despite temperatures in the 30s.
NU groups watch hi By lauren caruba
daily senior staffer
In the hours leading up to President Barack Obama’s election to a second term, hundreds of Northwestern students and staff members converged in watch parties across campus, awaiting the results of Tuesday night’s close presidential race. The election night gatherings, held in the McCormick Tribune Center, the Kellogg School of Management and the Black House were filled with boxes of pizza, friendly conversations and TV screens displaying live media coverage of results and projections. In the McCormick Tribune Center Forum, about 70 students and faculty members intently followed media coverage on the projector screen, smartphones, computers, iPads and the televisions in the lobby. Gatherings in Black House and Kellogg took on a more social atmosphere, with conversations nearly drowning out the audio coverage. Despite Obama’s win Tuesday night, this year’s presidential campaign contrasted with the inspirational rhetoric that characterized the president’s
historical victory in 2008, said political science Prof. Andrew Roberts, who helped organize the McCormick Tribune Center party with the Northwestern Political Union. Many of Roberts’ students traveled downtown for Obama’s election night rally in Grant Park four years ago, and he said he has heard of fewer students making the trip to McCormick Place this time around. He also said the closer nature of this year’s race, as well as much discussion surrounding the country’s continually struggling economy, would result in a sense of relief among Obama supporter rather than euphoria if he won. “Last time there was excitement and enthusiasm,” Roberts said. “This time it seems people are a little more nervous.” Although Roberts said the last election was “more exciting,” about the same number of students attended the department’s rally, which drew an estimated 70 people during the course of the night. Students said they were interested in the election because of numerous issues relating to their lives, including college loans, health care and access to contraception. “As a woman, I would rather not have the
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 5
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Tanner Maxwell/Daily Senior Staffer; Jia You/The Daily Northwestern
Top: Hit and a biss Illinois State Sen. Daniel Biss, newly elected Democrat to the 17th district seat, speaks after news outlets call the presidential election in Barack Obama’s favor. Biss thanked supporters after his own victory, which came just minutes after Obama’s. BottOM: family ties Glenn Farkas discusses the race with his father Joseph Farkas and Winneka resident Rhonda Miller. Glenn Farkas was the Republican candidate for Illinois State Senator in District 9, which includes Evanston.
Ina Yang/Daily Senior Staffer
PLUGGED IN Northwestern students and faculty gather Tuesday night at McCormick Tribune Center Forum to follow and discuss CNN’s live election coverage on the big screen.
istory in the making government control my body,” said Communication senior Kelley Schneider. Although the Political Union and students from Kellogg’s Public Policy Club have held election night events in the past, this is the first year that Delta Sigma Theta held events during a presidential election cycle. The sorority also held watch parties in the Black House for the three presidential debates, some of which were so crowded that students sat “knees to chest,” said Medill senior Ryan Arrendell, arts and letters programming co-chair. Arrendell said Delta Sigma Theta decided to hold election-related events as part of the chapter’s commitment to increasing political awareness and engagement among minority students. She said the gatherings created a “safe and open environment” for NU’s minority community. “It’s wanting to be together as a community to witness history,” Arrendell said. The party at Kellogg featured five TV screens playing CNN and C-SPAN while stacks of pizza boxes covered the first floor lounge’s counters. The graduate students’ event was slightly different from previous years, with Kellogg Dean Sally Blount hosting an election night reception directly before the party. A “presidential quiz”
available at the party gave students the opportunity to win a lunch with the dean. Kellogg student John Felton said the dean’s participation represents the business school’s decision to emphasize public policy issues more in curriculum. The Kellogg party even attracted a number of international students, who were exposed for the first time to American presidential politics, said Daniel Dip, an officer in Kellogg’s Public Policy Club. “Just because international students can’t vote doesn’t mean they don’t have a stake in (the election),” said Dip, who is from Brazil. Rachel Vrabec, director of development for the Political Union, said hosting events and gatherings during election cycles helps to promote political understanding and engagement among college-aged voters. It is important for students to gain an understanding of the political processes early on, she added. “It’s kind of a routine,” the Weinberg senior said. “Getting involved in the habit of being civically engaged.” Ally Mutnick contributed reporting. laurencaruba2015@u.northwestern.edu
Fast-tracked Farkas loses state senate seat to Biss By Manuel rapada and Jia you the daily northwestern
State Rep. Daniel Biss (D-Skokie) beat Republican challenger Glenn Farkas by a nearly two-toone margin Tuesday for the 9th District Illinois state senate seat to be vacated by retiring state senator Jeffrey Schoenberg. As of 12:31 a.m. Wednesday, Biss received 66.64 percent of the vote compared to Farkas’ 33.36 percent, according to the Cook County clerk’s office website. All 168 precincts were reporting as of that report. Minutes after NBC News projected that President Barack Obama would be re-elected, Biss addressed the crowd at a Democratic watch party at Prairie Moon restaurant. “Thank you so much,” Biss said. “I feel like I am about to exhale for the first time in six months.” At one point, more than 100 Democratic supporters were at the watch party wearing Obama T-shirts and buttons and collectively talking a little louder than the booming election day music blaring from the TVs. Earlier Tuesday evening, Debra Shore, a candidate for commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, thanked everyone in attendance for their support and volunteerism in the past weeks and months. “I want you to know that tonight I’m in a room full of winners,” Shore said. “(Because) it’s not about the candidates tonight, it’s about you and it’s about our nation and all of the investment that you’ve made in making this nation great.” With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Shore
received the most votes in the “vote for three” race. Biss told the audience of adults — and the occasional teen or toddler — that the results coming in were “extremely positive.” In contrast, there was little to cheer about at The numbers the Republican watch are what the party held at Gusto Italiano Ristorante in numbers Glenview. are. I’m very At one point, Biss competitive. I obtained a more than two-to-one advantage don’t want to over Farkas and mainlose. tained a significant lead over the Republican Glenn Farkas, candidate throughout Republican state the night. senate candidate Farkas told The Daily he was “running an uphill battle” as the replacement candidate for Mark Levine, who withdrew from the race after the Republican primary. Farkas said his campaign did all it could in the short amount of time it had. “The numbers are what the numbers are,” he said. “I’m very competitive. I don’t want to lose … It just means we start tomorrow, we look at the numbers and figure out where to go from here.” In addition, Farkas said Illinois voters need to “wake up” to the state’s corruption and financial woes.
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» See SENATE, page 7
FORUM Wednesday, October 7, 2012
Join the online conversation at www.dailynorthwestern.com OPINIONS from The Daily Northwestern’s Forum Desk
The Drawing Board
by Tanner Maxwell
PAGE 6
Global Paradigm Project
Immigration into Chile and the U.S. SAM HOUSKEEPER GUEST COLUMNIST
Major challenges ahead for President JAN JARO
DAILY COLUMNIST
Like most Northwestern students and Americans, I’m tired of the political marathon that has been the presidential race. I’m looking forward to going on social media without seeing annoying ads, ridiculous statuses and silly debates. And, like about half of Americans, I made up my mind long ago to support former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. I don’t agree with all of his positions, but I find that many of our core economic beliefs overlap, even if he had to play a game of political Twister to satisfy his conservative base during the campaign. That said, I don’t think that Obama’s victory will have a drastic impact on America’s economic performance over the next four years. The United States is still recovering from the 2008 financial crisis. Barring world-changing events like the disintegration of the Eurozone or a hard landing in China, it’s probable that the most influential short-term economic decision that our next president will make is finding a replacement for Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke when he departs in 2014. I’m not at all saying that this election has been pointless. Voters who expected contrast on the scale of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan were surely disappointed to see two relatively similar candidates running, but President Obama does have the task of shaping the long-term U.S. economic landscape. Although there is a laundry list of policies that could use a healthy dose of reform, they basically boil down to three things: tackling the deficit, increasing worker productivity and optimizing our incentives system. It’s safe to assume that even our fragmented
political system will avoid the “fiscal cliff ” of automatic spending cuts and tax increases that will take effect at the end of the year. However, the long-term economic fiscal picture looks more questionable. In the landmark book “This Time is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly,” former IMF chief economist Kenneth Rogoff showed that once the debt-to-GDP ratio consistently passes 90 percent, growth begins to slow down. Although correlation doesn’t equal causation, an American debt-to-GDP ratio over 100 percent and an equally alarming deficit-toGDP ratio of more than 8 percent should put fiscal reform on the top of the agenda. At the same time, fiscal consolidation is no easy task. Bill Clinton, the last president to run a budget surplus, benefited enormously from productivity and GDP growth spurred by the first tech boom. Unfortunately, our president four the next four years will have no such luck. Instead, President Obama will return to the White House faced with stagnating productivity growth and a secondary education system that is mediocre at best. Shockingly, education reform, which I wrote about earlier, was very low on the priority list for both Romney and President Barack Obama on the campaign trail. Nevertheless, a stronger education system represents America’s best chance of clawing out of its funk, although it will take decades for clear returns to emerge. In addition to strengthening the American education system, President Obama will also need to strengthen the position of small businesses and entrepreneurs in order to boost productivity. The latter is especially important to making incremental gains in productivity that are ultimately the difference between poor and great economic performance in advanced economies. This is another complicated matter: The convoluted regulatory and taxation systems grant competitive advantages to the largest corporations while raising effective marginal rates
on companies that cannot afford lawyers to take advantage of tax loopholes. However, the tax code is not the only obfuscator of economic incentives. Our large entitlements system, particularly Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid, will be insolvent as the worker-to-dependent ratio decreases. Moreover, the entitlements system coincides with poorly structured markets, especially for healthcare. High medical costs are no accident considering the market concentration of insurance companies, the bargaining power of healthcare professionals, and underfunding for medical education. Unfortunately, I’ve only skimmed the surface of the structural issues that face both President Obama and the new 113th Congress. I haven’t delved into increasing investment in physical and information infrastructure, energy policy or increasing research in key fields ranging from STEM subjects to economics and finance. In other words, the winner has a pretty damn hard job coming up. While the short-term economic future of America isn’t set it stone, it won’t deviate much based on President Obama’s reelection. Arguably, the most important election this year was Greece’s decision to elect a pro-Euro party to power during the summer, buying the European dream and the world economy precious time. What we really voted for are very important nuances in the vision for America’s economic role. I hope you feel happy with your selection, but even if, like myself, you’re unhappy with the ultimate outcome, rest assured that we will do this all over again in 2016. Maybe the picture will be a lot clearer by then. Jan Jaro is a McCormick sophomore. He can be reached at janjaro2015@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, email a Letter to the Editor to forum@dailynorthwestern.com.
Both parties continue to stand with Israel GUEST COLUMNISTS
This presidential race will in many ways determine the direction our country takes for more than just the next four years. The results of this election will likely determine the course our government will take to address the economy and our healthcare system and might change the very role it plays in our daily lives. Further, with partisan bickering at its worst in decades and little common ground between the parties, few of these issues are likely to be decided with a broad consensus. Yet with our sides divided, we are proud to say that we will continue to come together as one to support the U.S.-Israel relationship. Democrats and Republicans alike have proven that Israel’s safety is a top legislative priority. In a Congress where spending bills are lucky to even be considered by both chambers, bills supporting foreign aid for Israel pass with flying colors. This past year, Congress approved the stringent economic
Sam Houskeeper is a Weinberg sophomore and a Global Paradigm Fellow based in Chile. The Global Paradigm Project is intended to link students across the world in a substantive discussion of politics and policy. Visit politicsandpolicy.org/category/dispatches to read more posts from our Global Paradigm Fellows.
The Daily Northwestern Volume 134, Issue 32
Guest Column ADAM ROTH DANE STIER
Although most Americans may think of illegal immigration as a one-directional flow into the United States from Latin America, there are other nations in the region significantly affected by undocumented visitors. Chile has a large population of impoverished workers illegally living in its northern desert region, along with a fair share of dilemmas as a result. The Chilean situation, in fact, bears striking resemblance to that of the U.S. In recent years, poor migrants from nearby countries (most notably Peru and Bolivia) have flooded across the border both legally and illegally to find work. Chile’s economy, especially in comparison to those of Peru and Bolivia, is strong and growing rapidly. Most of this migration ends up fueling Chile’s large mining sector, which dominates the economy of the northern desert region. Undocumented immigrants are often employed in blue-collar work and illegally paid under the country’s minimum wage, leading to anger from Chileans who lose their own jobs as a result. Another problem linked to the foreigners is the drug trade. Strict checkpoints line the entrance from northern Chile to the rest of the country, largely due to the recent flood of illegal substances brought with the migrants. Immigrants often send money across the border to their families and frequently work for several years before returning to their home countries. Nevertheless, the existence of the large foreign population and the resentment it causes among the citizenry has been known to degenerate into severe racism. As is usually the case in America, the embittered native population is, generally speaking, significantly whiter than its immigrant counterparts. On numerous levels, northern Chile is faced with similar issues as the southwestern United States, and the future development of resolutions in each of the regions will be worth comparing.
sanctions on Iran, the most serious economic sanctions passed on a country to date. Iran’s covert nuclear program threatens Israel’s existence, as well as our security and interests abroad and at home. On this, the United States, led by President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders, has assured Israel that it has its back. On an executive level, Obama recently approved sending $3.1 billion dollars of foreign aid to Israel in order to meet his predecessor’s pledge of $30 billion over ten years. It’s no secret that George W. Bush and Obama disagree on most important issues, but they are on the same page when it comes to our support for our greatest Middle East ally. We are confident that we will see further cooperation between the U.S. and Israel in the next four years, regardless of this election’s outcome. Just this past week, Israel and America held their largest joint military operation to date. The knowledge, experience and training that both sides gain from such exercises have proven to be invaluable on the battlefield. Furthermore, Israeli military technology has saved thousands of American lives, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who benefited from
an Israeli bandage designed for gunshot wounds. The current, fragile situation across the Middle East brought on by the Arab Spring makes our strong, bipartisan support for Israel even more important. Israel remains the most stable nation in the Middle East. As long as Israel is safe, the United States can always count on one stable, democratic nation in the Middle East. The bipartisan support for the U.S.-Israel relationship should be a model for Washington to follow, not the exception. It is an example of America’s commitment to the principles of democracy, solidarity, and freedom throughout the world. We hope that in the future, this model of continued bipartisanship will be a catalyst for further agreement among our parties on the most important issues facing the American people. Adam Roth, Weinberg sophomore and President of NU College Democrats Dane Stier, Weinberg junior and President of NU College Republicans
Editor in Chief Kaitlyn Jakola
Forum Editor Joseph Diebold
Managing Editors Marshall Cohen Michele Corriston Patrick Svitek
Assistant Forum Editors Blair Dunbar Arabella Watters
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wednesday, november 7, 2012
Guns
the daily northwestern | NEWS 7 Offer ends 11/29/12
From page 1 buyback events at a later date or to extend the program indefinitely. She said there has been talk of other anti-violence initiatives for which the funds can provide support, but those details have not yet been decided. “We’re just hoping to get so much feedback that it’s not something we would have to consider,” Murray said. Regarding NU’s donation, Murray recalled that the University saw the city’s buyback awareness campaign and met with Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl to talk about efforts for the city and NU to work cooperatively to decrease violence. She said in addition to providing funds, Evanston is eager for We support the NU community to get involved with it, after what peace projects in other happened ways. For example, she encourages students to to that poor sign up with various kid ... What a nonprofit organizanightmare. tions and mentoring Morton Schapiro, groups that are always looking for support. University “(Evanston) can president always benefit from research,” she said. “(Violence) doesn’t just affect Evanston. Whatever Northwestern does in cooperation with the city, it’s going to be beneficial for all.” University President Morton Schapiro told The Daily on Tuesday that whatever the city asked for in support for the gun buyback program, the University gave because Coleman’s death affected those at NU as well. “We support it, after what happened to that poor kid,” Schapiro said. “And we have a number of friends whose kids knew him. What a nightmare. The mayor asked if we would support the buyback, and I don’t know much about buybacks but ... we were happy to support it.” Gun buyback programs are intended not to clear the streets of illegal weapons or seize weapons from criminals, but rather to decrease the number of total firearms in a community. Those weapons might otherwise incite accidents or get stolen and later be used in crimes. Parrott said it is difficult to measure the potential impact of the scheduled buyback, but other towns and cities, including Chicago, have successfully hosted similar programs. “The more firearms that are turned in, there’s greater chance that those firearms cannot be used against another person,” he said. The Evanston Community Foundation was charged with collecting donations for the buyback. Large donors beside NU include the ECF board of directors, the Cherry Family Foundation and NorthShore University HealthSystem. ECF spokesman Jeremy Barrows said NU’s contribution of more than half of the total funds was “very significant.” “It shows a great deal of leadership by the University to make Evanston a better place,” he said. “Gun violence is a big issue, and the donation reaffirms the role of the University as an integral part of the fabric of the community, not as just a separate institution.” Barrows echoed Murray’s advice for NU students looking to make a difference to get involved with the city’s various youth-centric organizations as mentors, tutors and general role models.
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Ina Yang contributed reporting. shijundu@gmail.com
Senate
From page 5 “Do they like running $10 billion deficits?” Farkas said. “Do they like being in the most corrupt state of the union? … Maybe there’s just not enough pain yet. The voters have not experienced enough financial, emotional pain yet. And when they do maybe we’ll have an opportunity.” Although Biss said he’s developed a reputation of being a pessimist discussing the state’s financial challenges, he would not be a lawmaker if he was not optimistic “about the opportunities that lie before us in this state and in this country and on this planet.” In his speech late Tuesday night to Democratic supporters, Biss thanked those in attendance for their work. “And our work together going forward is going to be what is necessary to bring this country back to a place of economic growth, of shared prosperity and social justice in every single one of those streets,” he said. manuelrapada2015@u.northwestern.edu jiayou2014@u.northwestern.edu
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SPORTS
ON DECK NOV.
8
Women’s Swimming NU at Wisconsin 3:30 p.m. Thursday
ON THE RECORD
We try to stay away from those rankings and those media predictions as much as possible. — Dave Sobolewski, sophomore guard
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
@Wildcat_Extra
Volleyball
Cats look to ride road success at Ohio State By Ben taylor
the daily northwestern
Men’s Soccer Daily file photo by Meghan White
COUNTER PUNCH Northwestern forward Joey Calistri will lead the Cats’ counter-attack, a key to success for the team during the Big Ten Tournament. Northwestern’s first game is against Ohio State on Wednesday.
Time to defend the title By Ava wallace
daily senior staffer
The Northwestern Under Armour “Protect This House” banner strung along the fence of Lakeside Field will take on a new meaning for the Wildcats on Wednesday night. The rest of the Big Ten comes to Evanston this week, when second-seeded NU (10-4-4, 3-1-2) and its six conferencemates vie for a championship title. The Cats are not only playing to protect their home turf, but also to defend their 2011 Big Ten Championship title. The first round of the tournament will be played Wednesday. The winning teams will then face off in a semifinal round Friday, and the championship game is slated for Sunday afternoon. But at the risk of being called a bad host, NU is solely focused on beating seventh-seeded Ohio State (6-9-3, 0-4-2). “This year we’re going to have to win three games in order to (win the tournament),” coach Tim Lenahan said. “But in order to win three games, you have to win one game.” The Cats defeated the Buckeyes 1-0 during the regular season thanks to a lofty shot-turned-surprise-goal from sophomore midfielder Eric Weberman. After Thursday’s tie with No. 22 Indiana, senior midfielder Kyle Schickel said the team enters Wednesday’s game with
confidence once again. Schickel also said keeping the team’s mentality in check was one of the team captains’ main tasks during the final games of the season. “We had a couple of setbacks despite playing well, but getting the result at Indiana really did wonders for us mentally,” Schickel said. “It’s a tough place to go into and get a result, and that was good for us.” Ohio State should also head into the first round match with a confidence boost. The Buckeyes’ last three games reflect well on the team. They tied against conference rivals in Wisconsin and Big Ten leader Penn State and narrowly lost to No. 2 Akron. Because of the Buckeyes’ impressive end to the season, junior defender Layth Masri said the Cats are not overlooking their first-round opponent, despite their last-place standing in the tournament. This year, Ohio State tallied only 6 victories instead of its usual 10 to 12. “I don’t think their record shows what kind of team they are,” Masri said. “They have a lot of seniors who will be fighting because it might be their last game – they’re going to give us everything they have.” Lenahan echoed Masri’s statement and said Ohio State’s six seniors may add an element of surprise in an attempt to extend their season. “They have a lot of seniors,” he said. “And when seniors play in that last game, sometimes you see something a little bit
Northwestern vs. Ohio State Evanston 6 p.m. Wednesday
different.” Nevertheless, Lenahan said his team will not be making any major changes before the tournament and is just going to “do what (they) do.” For Masri, this means keeping up the defense that is largely responsible for NU’s success this season. “The main thing is that all 11 guys on the field are committed to defending,” Masri said. “Defense wins championships, and if we can execute defensively and also execute on the counter – score some goals – I think we’ll be successful.” The Cats can also count on their home field to give visiting opponents trouble. As junior Lepe Seetane said after a stormy Notre Dame game Oct. 9, “nobody likes coming out here.” Lenahan said the wind should be relatively calm for Wednesday’s game, though Sunday may be more troublesome. And windy days or not, Lenahan and his players are zeroed in for the week. “It’s only the wind that’s an issue,” Lenahan said. “Sunday it’s supposed to be a bit windier, but if we’re still playing on Sunday, I’m not going to worry too much about the wind.” avawallace2015@u.northwestern.edu
Even after election season, Ohio remains a swing state for Northwestern. After dropping back-to-back matches without winning a set last weekend, NU’s match at Ohio State on Wednesday is critical in deciding whether or not the team will make the NCAA Tournament. “I think it’s a big game for us,” sophomore outside hitter Monica McGreal said. “We only have six games left, so every game moving forward is important for our aspirations for the end of the season.” The Wildcats (15-10, 4-10 Big Ten) will take on the No. 15 Buckeyes (18-8, 9-5) for the second time this season. In the first matchup, Ohio State at We’re going to dominated Welsh-Ryan have to really Arena, as the come out and Cats lost the match 3-0. play some “You have to get preof our best for volleyball, and pared Ohio State, it’s time for us to another great start doing that team,” coach Keylor Chan now. said. “We’re going to have Keylor Chan, to really come coach out and play some of our best volleyball, and it’s time for us to start doing that now.” The Cats will not have to deal with playing at home tomorrow. This season, NU has played considerably better outside of Welsh-Ryan Arena, currently holding an 11-4 record on the road as opposed to a 4-6 record at home. The Cats have only won one Big Ten game in Evanston. Sophomore middle blocker Savannah Paffen tried to put her finger on the reason for the team’s road success. “I know on the road at least, I love getting energy from opposing fans and I feel like our team just gets more pumped up,” Paffen said. “But at home you should feel pumped up because we have our own fans.” Since 2008, NU’s record against Ohio State is 1-8, with the only win coming last year, when the team upset
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Daily file photo by Brennan Anderson
HIT SO HARD Northwestern outside hitter Stephanie Holthus and her teammates have a chance for a big road win at Ohio State.
the then-No. 22 Buckeyes 3-2 at WelshRyan Arena. “We’ve got to play well,” Chan said about the match. “We have to have the effort that we had against Purdue and the execution we had earlier in the year if we expect to compete and give ourselves a chance against Ohio State.” The outcome of this match will affect the future of the Cats’ season. Currently ninth in the Big Ten with only six matches remaining, every win matters, especially given that three of the remaining teams NU faces are currently ranked in the top 25. This season, the Cats have only been able to pick up one win against a ranked opponent, upsetting the then-No. 25 Michigan State (19-7, 7-7) 3-1 in East Lansing, Mich. For Chan, knowing that his team needs to win several matches to have a shot at making the postseason is actually a positive. “It all comes down to this, which is a good thing,” Chan said. “Some teams are done for the year (without) making the postseason. It’s a good place to be, but we have our work cut out for us ahead.” benjamintaylor2015@u.northwestern.edu
Basketball
Ready or not, Cats start seasons with fresh faces By JOSH Walfish
daily senior staffer
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for college sports fans: Football is reaching the crux of its season and basketball is just beginning its long journey to March. November basketball balances the interests of coaches, who still want to get more practice time in before playing games that matter, and the players, who are anxious to play against other competitors. This tight line is something coaches struggle with at the beginning of each season. “When you’re a basketball coach you love this time of year and you hate this time of year,” women’s basketball coach Joe McKeown said. “Our players really want to play games and coaches want to practice, so there’s always that
compromise that comes up.” The middle ground may be the exhibition games schools schedule for early in the season. Northwestern’s women’s team won all five of its exhibitions — four in Italy and one at Welsh-Ryan Arena — and the men’s team faces the University of Chicago on Wednesday in its only exhibition match of the preseason. Despite the fact that it will not count in the actual standings, coach Bill Carmody said he refuses to treat the matchup with the Maroons any differently than a game against Ohio State or Michigan later in the season. “Wednesday’s going to be important for us and I’ll treat it like a game,” Carmody said. “I’ll do what I would do during a game. If a guy has a couple of fouls I may put him on the bench and try someone else.” The women’s team’s 10-day trip to Italy was a success both on and off the court.
The team won all of its games against the Italian competition. McKeown said the biggest benefit of the trip was the bonding the players did on what he called a “once in a lifetime” experience. He cited the new NCAA rule allowing freshmen to go on the trip, which he said benefitted the five new players who were able to spend time with the veterans and become a part of the team. McKeown is counting on senior forward Kendall Hackney to improve from last season, when she was named an All-Big Ten honorable mention by the media. She has scored more than 1,000 points in her career, and McKeown said she should be ready to combat defenses that are now focusing in on her as the prominent player on the NU offense. “She’s one of the top players coming back in the Big Ten,” McKeown said. “She had a tough time last year in a lot of ways because we lost an All-American
in Amy Jaeschke, and Kendall had the luxury of being able to play off of that for her freshman and sophomore year and then last year, everybody’s defense loaded up against her so she’ll be much prepared for that this year.” For the men, the pressure to make the NCAA Tournament will once again rear its ugly head. Players have said they ignore the preseason hype and discussion surrounding the team and instead focus on improvement. “All we care about is the expectations in our own locker room,” sophomore point guard Dave Sobolewski said at Big Ten Media Day on Oct. 25. “We try to stay away from those rankings and those media predictions as much as possible. We’re just trying to get better each day and trying to win as many games as we can.” Much of the pressure this season will fall on the four returning players
who saw significant action last season. Carmody will need to lean heavily on Sobolewski and seniors Drew Crawford, Reggie Hearn and Alex Marcotullio to lead the way for his team. For the new players Carmody is trying to help adjust to the team, the process has been long and arduous. Trying to teach the six new players has been a challenge for Carmody, who said he has resorted to teaching people one-on-one to help them understand the offense better. Carmody said although he expects to have a strong rotation, he still hopes for additional improvement. “As a coach, I’m trying to bring all these new guys around, so you run the risk of trying to cover everything and not cover anything well,” Carmody said. “It’s still early and you hope you get better and better in a month.” joshuawalfish2014@u.northwestern.edu