Annual Veritas discussion Âť PAGE 3 draws 500 people
SPORTS Wrestling Northwestern picks up dominant win on the road Âť PAGE 8
OPINION Misolunas It’s time for the GOP to change  PAGE 6
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The Daily Northwestern Tuesday, November 13, 2012
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Council approves fire lane for NU visitors center By RACHEL JANIK
the daily northwestern
Rachel Janik/The Daily Northwestern
COUNCIL CONTROVERSY Jack Weiss of the Evanston Preservation Commission approaches the council to voice concerns about Northwestern’s planned visitors center. He was one of many residents who spoke critically of NU.
Evanston aldermen agreed Monday to designate city land for the fire line for Northwestern’s proposed visitors center. The ordinance was amended from its original form — a leasing contract between the city and the University — to a flat rate to be paid up front to cover construction expenses. The city council passed the ordinance 6-1 with Ald. Judy Fiske (1st) opposed. Ald. Coleen Burrus (9th) recused herself as a University employee, and Ald. Melissa Wynne (3rd) was unable to attend Monday’s meeting because of health issues. The ordinance passed despite public comment that was overwhelmingly critical of the visitors center project. Several residents cited environmental concerns and zoning issues. NU alumnus Matt Mirapaul (Medill ‘82), an Evanston resident, said he didn’t want the lakefront environment disrupted so the University could build what he called “a massive parking deck.� “It’s time to stop drinking the purple Kool-Aid and start serving Evanston,� Mirapaul said.
Jack Weiss, a member of the city’s preservation commission, approached the council twice to voice his opposition. The commission previously denied NU a certificate of appropriateness to build the new center. “We said it three times at our meetings in August, September and October — no,â€? Weiss said, denying that the project deserved a certificate of appropriateness. Although the council overturned the commission’s decision Oct. 22, Weiss said he believed the fire lane controversy could be solved with his previous request to move the project farther north. Weiss maintained that although the building fits within the visual context of the University, he does not agree with the design in relation to the greater Evanston community. After public comment, Ald. Jane Grover (7th) amended the proposal to suggest the city not formally lease the property. Instead, NU will be required to pay for construction of the fire lane, which will also serve as a bike lane connecting Evanston’s paths to NU’s paths. The city will then be responsible for maintenance, as the land would still belong to Evanston. Grover said the city and the University Âť See COUNCIL, page 7
McDonald’s flips on Evanston wraps up budget talks Evanston location By SUSAN DU
daily senior staffer
By JIA YOU
the daily northwestern
Fast food chain McDonald’s nixed its application to build a restaurant in northwest Evanston on Friday, days before the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, the city announced Monday. McDonald’s originally applied in the summer for a special use permit to build a restaurant and drive-thru at 2500 Gross Point Road, said Ald. Mark Tendam (6th), whose ward would have included the restaurant. Bridget O’Keefe, an attorney representing the chain, emailed the city Friday to withdraw the application, according to a city document. Representatives for McDonald’s could not be reached for comment. Tendam said he was “happy� with the chain’s decision because the proposed restaurant would worsen traffic congestion at the intersection of Gross Point Road and Harrison Street. The intersection already sees considerable traffic because of its proximity to the Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie, as well as Ryan Field-bound traffic on football game days, he said. “I think it was the right thing for the
neighborhood and for the ward, even for the city,â€? Tendam said. “(The intersection is) part of the major entrances to the city. I would hate to see a huge bottleneck in terms of getting to and from the north side of Evanston.â€? Residents and city staffers also expressed concerns with the restaurant’s proposed size, Tendam said, adding that a petition opposing the restaurant had already circulated the neighborhood. Wilmette resident Peggy Dwyer, who said she drives through the intersection twice a week, said she prefers not to have the proposed McDonald’s there. “I’m glad they are not doing it,â€? Dwyer said. “I like the traffic the way it is now.â€? There are at least four businesses already at that intersection, two of which — a hair salon and a dry cleaner — sometimes face traffic problems, Tendam said. “(The intersection) is ideally suited for businesses that are there,â€? Tendam said. “Although ‌ there are problems getting in and out of that shopping center during the day that can be challenging even now, with what business High-Resolution PDF - PRINT READY
 See MCDONALD’S, page 7
City of Evanston proposed 2013 Budget
The Evanston City Council adopted four changes to the proposed city budget for fiscal year 2013, ending deliberations following its Saturday meeting. Previously scheduled budget hearings on Nov. 13 and 19 have been canceled because the issues of contention have been generally resolved. City council still needs to approve the modified budget. Changes made to the budget Saturday morning include removing the proposed crisis intervention coordinator position and funneling the $85,000 it would have cost into the city manager’s reserve; installing security cameras and lights around Evanston Township High School; and instructing city staff to expand on the 50/50 sidewalk initiative, which will limit the use of asphalt on sidewalks. Aldermen voted 8-0 on Saturday to follow city manager Wally Bobkiewicz’s suggestion to cut the crisis intervention coordinator position, which he said could be fulfilled by existing programs. “I’ve heard from at least two other organizations in Evanston who believe they could be of assistance to us, and ... my request for the city council would be to remove this $85,000 ... allowing me to continue to work with health department staff, with the Mental Health Board, with other providers that we fund Output On: November 12,currently 2012 4:03 PM that are perhaps interested in helping us
Total Proposed Budget
$248,034,384 Revenues
$84,138,051 Expenditures
$85,079,401 Deficit
$941,350 come up with a larger solution,� Bobkiewicz said Saturday. Bobkiewicz named Youth Organizations Umbrella and Provena Health, the parent company of Saint Francis Hospital, as the two organizations that offered to help absorb some of the responsibilities of the cut position, although YOU director Seth Green said he was not certain if his staff had the specialization necessary to do the job. The city’s Mental Health Board was instructed Saturday to work with the health department staff to create an
TM
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NORTHWESTERN CHICAGO’S BIG TEN TEAM
Budget Highlights
alternative proposal by January. Evanston health department director Evonda Thomas said she couldn’t comment on her department’s plan because she recently returned from a trip abroad. However, she said health department staff do not have the time and resources to afford the additional responsibility. “We really cannot,� Thomas said. “We’ll have to reconvene and strategize about how we’re going to address the proposed cuts.� shijundu@gmail.com
VS. TEXAS SOUTHERN TONIGHT—7 PM VS. MISS. VALLEY ST. THURSDAY—7 PM
INSIDE Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Forum 6 | Sports 8
2 NEWS | the daily northwestern
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012
Around Town Police start special Evanston garages offer efforts to enforce traffic free holiday parking Parking will be free at multiple Evanston parking laws over Thanksgiving garages to encourage business in the downtown and The Evanston Police Department began a Thanksgiving traffic enforcement campaign Monday. From now through Nov. 25, officers will be on heightened watch for seat belt and drunk driving violations, according to a news release Wednesday. EPD will also cite drivers who are talking or texting on a cell phone without a hands-free device. Young people and night-time passengers are statistically some of the least likely groups to buckle up, according to the release. During the 2011 Thanksgiving holiday, there were eight traffic crash-related fatalities and more than 800 such injuries statewide.
Dempster/Chicago areas. From Nov. 22 to Jan. 1, parking will be free at the Sherman Plaza, Church Street and Maple Street self-park garages, more than 3,500 parking spaces in all. Parking will also be free at Lot 60, 1234 Chicago Ave., according to a news release Monday. Free parking at the self-park garages will run on weekdays after 5 p.m. to midnight and all day on Saturdays. At Lot 60, parking will be free for two hours on weekdays after 5 p.m. and on Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Holiday season savings can add up. Parking in a city garage for two to three hours normally costs $3, although. Sunday parking is already free.
— Jia You
— Manuel Rapada
Police Blotter Student punched, robbed after party
An unknown person punched a Northwestern student and robbed him of his iPhone after the student hosted a party early Sunday morning. The student held a party at his residence in the 1000 block of Garnett Place, which ended at approximately 12:30 a.m. Sunday, Evanston Police Cmdr. Perry Polinski said. The 22-year-old student heard between three and four individuals arguing in front of his residence. When the student went outside to break up the argument, he was punched by an unknown person and rendered unconscious for a period of time. He regained consciousness lying on the sidewalk with his iPhone missing. The student sustained minor facial injuries but did not receive medical treatment.
Student arrested in connection with disobedience to police
A Northwestern student was charged with disobedience to police early Sunday morning near The Keg of Evanston. Several police officers were investigating an unrelated disturbance in the 800 block of Grove
WINTER
Street when the 22-year-old student approached the officers, Polinkski said. The male student reportedly approached one of the officers and was instructed by another officer to move along. The student failed to comply with the officer’s request and was arrested at 2:48 a.m. The student is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 27.
Student’s laptop stolen from University Library
An unknown person stole a MacBook Pro laptop from a Northwestern student at about 2 p.m. Thursday in University Library, University Police Deputy Chief Dan McAleer said. The student left his laptop on a desk on the fourth floor to use the restroom. He returned five minutes later, and the laptop was missing. McAleer said the student believes that the person who stole his laptop was not a student. University Police was unable to identify a suspect using security camera footage, and the investigation is ongoing. — Ciara McCarthy
2013 COURSES
HUM 260-0-20 HUMANITIES EXPLORATIONS Topic: Alternatives: Modeling Choice Across the Disciplines Instructors: Morton Schapiro/Gary Saul Morson Day/Time: TuTh 12:30-1:50 Room: Harris Hall 107
HUM 301-0-20 TOPICS IN THE HUMANITIES Co-listing AMES 390-0-22 Advanced Topics in Asian and Middle East Studies
Topic: Kyoto: The Emperor’s City in History, Literature and Film Instructor: Amy Stanley Day/Time: TuTh 2:00-3:20 Room: KRG 2-370
City Calendar Evanston, Energy and 13 the Environment
NOV.
7 to 9 p.m. today Pete Miller’s, 1557 Sherman Ave. The latest installment of Citizens’ Greener Evanston’s Green Drinks program will look at the environmental impact of fossil fuels and the possibility of an offshore wind park. According to the Green Drinks Evanston website, the Green Drinks concept first started in a north London pub in 1989 and has since spread to 78 countries. Another presentation will be held Thursday at Curt’s Cafe, 2922 Central St. NOV. “We Were Sure a 14 Grand Fair”
1:30 to 3 p.m. Wednesday North Branch, Evanston Public Library, 2026 Central St. The Evanston Public Library will host a talk on the role of Midwestern women during the Civil War. Theresa Embrey, a librarian at the Pritzker Military Library in Chicago, will speak on the sanitary fair movement, when money was raised to provide the Union army with food and other supplies necessary for war. NOV.
Holiday Bash in
16 Downtown Evanston 4 to 9 p.m. Friday Downtown Evanston Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl and representatives from the Music Institute of Chicago and Northwestern University Dance Marathon will light up a tree at 5:30 p.m. in Fountain Square. Throughout Friday afternoon, various downtown businesses and organizations will host sales and special events. A trolley sponsored by the Evanston Chamber of Commerce will also make stops throughout the downtown area.
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Fax | 847.491.9905 The Daily Northwestern is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, except vacation periods and two weeks preceding them and once during August, by Students Publishing Co., Inc. of Northwestern University, 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208; 847-4917206. First copy of The Daily is free, additional copies are 50 cents. All material published herein, except advertising or where indicated otherwise, is Copyright 2012 The Daily Northwestern and protected under the “work made for hire” and “periodical publication” clauses of copyright law. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Daily Northwestern, 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208. Subscriptions are $175 for the academic year. The Daily Northwestern is not responsible for more than one incorrect ad insertion. All display ad corrections must be received by 3 p.m. one day prior to when the ad is run.
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E N RO LL N OW FO R TH E S E E XC ITI N G W I NTE R O F F E R I N GS I N ITA LIA N ! It 204
L'America in Italia TuTh 3:30PM-4:50PM, Marco Ruffini Taught in Italian (distro credit VI) It 304
The Scene of the Crime in Italian Literature and Film TuTh 3:30-4:50PM, Domietta Torlasco Taught in Italian It 350
The Theme of Seduction as Subversion of Social and Sexual Roles TuTh 2-3:20PM, Fulbright Scholar, Massimo Fussillo Taught in ENGLISH (distro credit VI) It 360
HUM 302-0 NEW PERSPECTIVES IN THE HUMANITIES Co-listing AMES 390-0-21 Advanced Topics in Asian and Middle East Studies
Topic: Shanghai: Modernity and Modernism in 20th Century China Instructor: Peter Carroll Day/Time: W 3:00-5:50 Room: KRG 2-370
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: WWW.HUMANITIES.NORTHWESTERN.EDU
Calvino: Literature as a Serious Game TuTh 12:30-1:50PM, Alessia Ricciardi Taught in ENGLISH (distro credit VI) It 398
Michelangelo and the Italian Renaissance Tuesdays 11-1:50PM, Marco Ruffini Taught in ENGLISH
For full course descriptions see www.frenchanditalian.northwestern.edu/courses
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012 the daily northwestern | NEWS 3
On Campus
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We have the resources, the manpower and the hands to pull this event through every year.
— Campus Kitchens president Sarah Suh
Student group prepares Thanksgiving dinners Page 7
NU explores online class options By Cat Zakrzewski
the daily northwestern
Crusade for Christ, said she thought both speakers made good points. “Getting people with different perspectives coming to events like this is very important,” Smith said. “I’m really firm in my Christian beliefs, but I think I oftentimes lack the intellectual part of it.” McCormick freshman Justice Reed said he came to the forum because he had heard of Wright’s importance in the Christian community. Reed said he found Wright’s points about pseudo-gods, or gods “we secretly believe in,” to be the most compelling part of the forum. “I came to hear about Christianity through a logical lens, which is something I don’t usually get as a Christian,” Reed said. Weinberg senior William Weber said he thought the forum “helped to bridge the dichotomy between science and religion.” Weber found out about the Veritas event through his involvement with Greek InterVarsity. “You usually don’t see them discussed together,” Weber said. “Usually it’s polarized from one point of view.” Notstad, who has helped organize Veritas Forum at Northwestern for four years, said he thinks it is important to host events like the forum at Northwestern. “I think it is really relevant and really applies to students living within Western society,” Notstad said.
Although Northwestern has yet to join many of its peer institutions in formally partnering with popular massive open online course providers, some NU professors already have begun offering these courses. MOOCs have rapidly increased in the past year with websites such as edX developed by prestigious schools including Harvard University. These sites provide online courses to thousands for no cost and have thus created a debate about the role technology will play in the future of education. Although NU has yet to partner with other institutions or develop its own massive online open course, University spokesman Al Cubbage confirmed in an email Monday that NU is exploring MOOCs. Kellogg Prof. Gad Allon launched a MOOC last May called “Operations Management.” Before developing the MOOC, Allon said he discussed it with the dean of Kellogg, who was very supportive and said it would be an opportunity for experimentation. Allon’s MOOC is relatively small, and he said about 6,000 students are taking it. Allon explained MOOCs provide a forum for University outrewwach, benefit students and can be used by prospective students trying to choose a school. “If students are thinking about coming here … it can give them an idea of the type of material they teach,” Allon said. Traditional universities have largely developed MOOCs, but many are concerned about what they could mean for the future of higher education. Allon said although MOOCs are beneficial, classrooms will still be essential in the future if they adapt. “If we keep our classroom the same way, classroom enrollment will go down,” Allon said. Allon has adjusted his own classroom experience to accommodate for the advanced technology. He creates videos for students to watch prior to class each week and said he has set an expectation that students will watch and be prepared for class. The result, he explained, is a better class experience for everyone. He said MOOCs will likely supplement the classroom experience because they cannot replace discussion and tutoring. “We have to adjust our class experience,” Allon said. “There are many different things that can be done in a much better way in an in-class setting. It’s more personal.” Allon said the future impact of MOOCs may not be apparent immediately as technology evolves. He explained there are many possibilities for future MOOCs, which might allow input from former student and alumni. “There are clearly more opportunities going forward,” Allon said.
amywhyte2015@u.northwestern.edu
catherinezakrzewski2015@u.northwestern.edu
Melody Song/The Daily Northwestern
very veritas N.T. Wright, a professor of Christianity at Saint Mary’s College, and Northwestern Prof. Gary Morson discuss religion’s role in modern society. More than 500 students and faculty members turned out Monday for the fifth annual Veritas Forum in Ryan Auditorium.
Veritas explores culture, religion By Amy Whyte
the daily northwestern
More than 500 students and faculty members packed into Ryan Auditorium on Monday for a religious secularism forum featuring a famed bible scholar and a popular Slavic literature professor. The fifth annual Veritas Forum at Northwestern explored the topic “What Gods Do We Believe in Now?: Challenging the Religions of Culture.” Author N.T. Wright gave a keynote presentation, which was followed by a response from Slavic literature Prof. Gary Morson and a question-and-answer session. “Veritas Forum is about addressing the relevancy of Jesus Christ in scholastic, modern day terms,” said Jens Notstad, the NU Veritas Forum campus director. “It exists to bring a relevant Christian voice to the academic arena.” The Veritas Forum is an international organization that hosts events at universities around the world to encourage discussion about morality, science and Christianity. Nostad explained this year’s topic expressed “what it means to be a Christian in a secular age.” Wright opened his speech by thanking the audience for allowing “a Brit like me to come over and tell you about your own culture.” He discussed the American tendency to increasingly promote secularism and move to “banish talk of God from public life.” He also asked
whether or not the total separation of religion from all other aspects of life was either wise or possible. He argued religious teachings are not just about factual knowledge but also about “biblical wisdom,” the foundation of which was love. objectivity Veritas Forum of “The neutrality of sciis about ence has played into addressing the the hands of the gods we secretly worship,” relevancy of Wright said, referring to sex, money and Jesus Christ power. “We have 1,000 in scholastic, machines for making modern day war, and none for making peace.” terms. In M o r s o n’s Jens Notstad, response, he argued Veritas Forum that the problem was campus director not secularism but rather a “fanatical belief in anything.” “The danger lies in the conviction that all the good people are on one side, and everyone on the other side is evil,” Morson said. Morson stressed the importance of being able to look at everything from different points of view, saying it was important to be able to hear viewpoints one did not necessarily agree with. SESP junior Krysta Smith, who heard about the event through her involvement in Campus
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IPR forum analyzes results of presidential election By Sophia Bollag
the daily northwestern
In a discussion panel analyzing last week’s presidential election, Northwestern professors agreed the adaptability of the Democratic Party to changing demographics, campaigning techniques and social attitudes tipped votes in the party’s favor. The Institute for Policy Research sponsored Monday’s forum, “Reflections on the 2012 Election,” during which participants analyzed election results. The forum attracted an audience of more than 50 IPR faculty members and graduate students to Annenberg Hall. IPR spokeswoman Patricia Reese said the audience consisted of students and faculty from a variety of fields, including political science, anthropology, sociology and economics. Tove Eliasson, a graduate student visiting NU from Sweden, said she attended the forum because she is interested in American politics. “I think it’s interesting to listen to real political scientists and not journalists,” she said. IPR fellow and political science Prof. James Druckman moderated the event, which featured a panel of three other IPR professors. Druckman stressed the importance of some swing states in the election. He explained that if 300,000 votes, or one-tenth the electorate, had voted differently in four key states
Sophia Bollag/The Daily Northwestern
poll policy Political science Prof. Daniel Galvin, a fellow at Northwestern’s Institute for Policy Research, discusses the outcome of the 2012 election at a forum Monday afternoon.
— Florida, Ohio, Virginia and New Hampshire — former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney could have been elected president. “This was a very close election,” Druckman said. However, panelist and political science Prof. Benjamin Page said increasing populations of minorities that overwhelmingly voted for President Barack
Obama on Nov. 6 are tipping the demographic composition of the country in the Democrats’ favor. “If you add up minorities of all sorts, Republicans have lots of reasons to worry,” he said. Panelist and sociology Prof. Monica Prasad said exit poll data from The New York Times indicates voters are split along racial lines. She showed pie charts
demonstrating an overwhelming majority of nonwhites voted for Obama, while the majority of whites voted for Romney. “This election shows that we have not gotten over our racial divisions at all,” she said. Page said another major problem facing Republicans and what may be “the biggest single story of the election” was the influence of the tea party. “The tea party crashed and burned in a major way,” he said. “I think the tea party had a whole lot to do with Republican losses of the presidency and the Senate.” The tea party has driven the social policies of the Republican Party too far to the right to win national elections, he said. “Even though moderate Mitt came out looking pretty good to most voters, he was still stuck with having opposed the DREAM Act, having said some bizarre things about (women’s issues),” he said. The forum also addressed the campaigns’ different approaches for influencing voter turnout — persuasion versus mobilization. “It might be very hard now, given the vast amount of media choice that people have, to directly be able to persuade them,” Druckman said. “We might see more effort toward mobilization, and it seems to me at least in this election that that may have been one of the keys to Obama’s victory.” sophiabollag2016@u.northwestern.edu
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Join the online conversation at www.dailynorthwestern.com OPINIONS from The Daily Northwestern’s Forum Desk
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
GOP has only itself to blame for election woes joseph misulonas Daily columnist
The Republican Party blew the 2012 presidential election. This should have been an easy election for them to win. While President Barack Obama can claim that he has had consistent job growth the last two and a half years, the unemployment rate has been dropping mainly due to millions of workers leaving the workforce and no longer claiming to be unemployed. If there were the same number of workers in the job market today as there were in 2009, then the unemployment rate would be more than 11 percent. At several points during his term, more Americans disapproved of the president’s performance than approved of it. This one was in the bag for the GOP. But they choked. Let’s start off with the obvious: Mitt Romney was an awful choice as a presidential candidate. He’s a one-term governor with no other political experience. In an election about employment, it was not a smart decision to select a businessman who made a ton of money by shipping American jobs overseas. Aside from his professional credentials, Romney also has the personality of a chunk of wood. Actually, a chunk of wood may have been a better candidate because it would not have called half of this country a bunch of freeloaders. It’s not all Romney’s fault. You also have to blame the carousel of crazy that was the Republican primary candidates: the gay-hatin’ and gun-totin’ Michele Bachmann, the serial cheater Newt Gingrich, the socially inept Rick Perry and pizza CEO Herman Cain, whose 9-9-9 plan was more likely the result of a staffer’s stutter than an actual analysis of economic policy. These were the candidates Romney had to face. And they actually got votes! Before Cain was revealed to have a groping problem, people saw him as a viable candidate to challenge Romney for the nomination. The man ran a pizza company! Anyone can make a pizza business profitable. Who doesn’t like pizza? It’s the easiest market to exploit in the American economy. So while the primary voters were trying to select which member of the Legion of Doom to select as their candidate, they were ignoring credible,
moderate candidates who offered strong chances to win the general election. Why wasn’t Jon Huntsman taken more seriously? He had been a governor just as long as Romney, he had experience in the private sector and he had actual foreign policy experience, having served as the ambassador to China. Huntsman was completely ignored by Republicans for bucking the party line on civil unions and the environment. So while Newt Gingrich, who had appeared in pro-global warming ads with Nancy Pelosi, was attacking Romney for being a flip-flopper, Republicans ignored the only man in the primaries who didn’t change his positions just to make the Tea Party like him. Were Romney’s high unfavorability ratings due to his reputation as a disingenuous politician who changed his opinions based on who would vote for him? Voters don’t want to elect an Etch-a-Sketch president, yet that’s exactly the nominee Republicans gave them. Despite all of these issues, the Republicans could still have won the election. All they had to do was distance themselves from their image as the party of Christian, heterosexual, white, upper-middle class men. Instead of trying to appeal outside their demographic, they fortified themselves inside it. They spent the entire year leading up to the election attacking gays, immigrants and birth control, while defending the rights of millionaires to avoid paying 3 percent more in taxes. They had candidates constantly calling babies conceived through rape “God’s gift.” It’s not a surprise that the only demographic the Republican party won was white males, while nearly every other demographic voted Democratic. This is a long-term problem for the Republicans. Whites as a percentage of the electorate are on the decline. In 2000, they were more than 80 percent. In this year’s election, they were only 72 percent. If the Republican party cannot attract votes from people who don’t buy their clothes at Abercrombie & Fitch, they will continue to lose major national elections. Republicans, if you don’t learn from your mistakes in this election, then you’ll be chanting the same thing every election season: “Four more years — until we try again!” Joseph Misulonas is a Medill junior. He can be reached at josephmisulonas2014@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, email a Letter to the Editor to forum@dailynorthwestern.com.
Letter to the Editor
University wrong to support gun buyback President Schapiro, After reading about your donation of $10,000 of University money to the local gun buyback program in Evanston, I, as a gun-owning student, had to take a second look. While I commend your desire to help the community cut down on violence, committing to a program of which you admittedly don’t know very much about does not seem like a prudent use of the University’s money. Buyback programs essentially allow people to sell their guns to the local authorities for far below their fair market price. Thus, the local government gets more guns off the streets, but statistics show that the guns that are bought back are usually very old or barely operable, if functional at all. Unless the advertising of this event is widespread, the only people who will actually turn these guns in are
lower-income legal gun owners. There’s no denying that what happened to Dajae Coleman was a tragedy, but short-selling legal gun owners in buybacks is not the way to cut down on these events. Well-informed and well-thought-out legislation at the state and federal level is. If you insist on supporting this buyback, at least advise the city to give the sellers a fair market price on the guns. While what you say about the more firearms being turned in cutting down on their potential use is true, the manner in which the buyback program intends to do this is misguided at best. I love this University and all that it’s done for me, but I disagree with the use of funds that I contribute to for misguided programs that go against my beliefs. As part of a University that stresses diversity, my fellow gun owners on campus would like to have our opinions recognized when it comes to community action. Max Baird, Communication junior
The Daily Northwestern Volume 134, Issue 36 Editor in Chief Kaitlyn Jakola
Print Managing Editors
Marshall Cohen Michele Corriston
Web Managing Editor
Patrick Svitek
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR may be sent to 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, via fax at 847-491-9905, via e-mail to forum@dailynorthwestern.com or by dropping a letter in the box outside The Daily office. Letters have the following requirements: • Should be typed • Should be double-spaced • Should include the author’s name, signature, school, class and phone number. • Should be fewer than 300 words
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The Drawing Board
PAGE 6
by Susan Du
Time to reconsider NU’s campus alcohol policy ryan kearney
Daily columnist
Since last spring, an Associated Student Government working group has been studying Northwestern’s policies toward alcohol consumption, spurred in part by the 2008 alcohol poisoning death of SESP freshman Matthew Sunshine. This month, the working group reported its findings to ASG, and they contain some thoughtful, interesting ideas. These ideas would have an even greater impact, though, if Northwestern were to face the obvious realities of its culture and seriously consider ending the University’s status as an officially dry campus. Doing so would allow the school to confront underage drinking with a more level-headed, in-touch mindset, and could help students to make more informed choices about alcohol in their own lives. The most promising proposal to come out of the recent ASG report is the creation of a third-party group that would be in charge of risk management at parties but would not report its activities to the school administration, removing the threat of legal action or punishment. Cases where students end up over-served and in need of medical attention can be surprisingly common, especially among new freshmen who are discovering the freedoms of college for the first time. Though this idea may initially sound like the alcohol version of “21 Jump Street,” the point of this program is not law enforcement or laying down the hammer of justice against minors who indulge in a little drinking but is instead focused on student health and making sure that students enjoy themselves without getting too rowdy or dangerous. Similar versions have been enacted at schools such as Dartmouth College, and the results have been encouraging, with no incidents of student hospitalization reported since this safety net of a student risk-management group has been established. Focusing on making sure that those who engage in underage drinking are safe — and not punished — would go a long way toward removing many students’ fear of punishment when reporting incidents of alcohol overdoses. The school currently takes into account the actions of a student who acts responsibly in seeking medical help for an over-served friend when deciding on disciplinary action, but this policy could be clarified and taken further so the
students of Northwestern do not neglect to seek medical help out of fear of the blemish on their record that would come with an alcohol infraction. The ultimate problem with Northwestern’s policy toward alcohol consumption, though, is its archaic insistence on our campus being dry. If there are officials on this campus who actually believe that it is dry, then they should find a new school or a new line of work, because such an opinion simply defies reality. This school may not be a 24/7 rager, but it does have a very active social life, and, yes, alcohol is a large part of that social life. I will withhold my opinion as to whether or not this is a negative component of our school, but the reality is that it is a component and therefore must be treated with maturity and nuance. I recognize that our nation’s drinking age of 21 (a law with which I disagree, but that is another story for another day) means that most Northwestern students fall into the “minor” category, making most on- and off-campus drinking illegal, but this drinking has always been and will always be a factor of college life, and pretending that our campus is dry because we say so is not going to solve anything. I am not suggesting that Northwestern throw the gates open and turn a blind eye as students drink themselves silly or abstain from any punishments for violations of the alcohol policy. I recognize that social activities like drinking do need some guidelines to keep from getting out of hand or being destructive to some students. But, much like abstinence-only sex education merely leaves students curious but uninformed about responsible sexual activity, labeling ourselves a “dry” campus creates an overly harsh atmosphere where drinking becomes an alluring, unknown activity, a sign that one is officially “grown up” and in college. A far better policy would be to acknowledge and accept the realities of underage drinking and to shift focus from punitive action against these underage drinkers and toward a safety net to make sure that none of them let things get out of control or dangerous. The ASG study group is on the right path. I hope that it will continue down this path and ultimately conclude that it is time for Northwestern to leave its dry days behind. Ryan Kearney is a Communication sophomore. He can be reached at ryankearney2015@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, email a Letter to the Editor to forum@dailynorthwestern.com.
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 7
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012
Men’s Swimming
Council
Badgers ruin Auren return, beat Cats By JOHN PASCHALL
the daily northwestern
Sophomore Uula Auren was so excited to get back to racing last Thursday that he committed one of the cardinal sins of swimming: he underestimated his opponent. “I was thinking that I could outrace him if I had a lot of energy at the end,” the breaststroker said of his 100-meter race. “Him being the 200 guy and me being the 100 guy just didn’t work out. I hadn’t done my research either.” Auren, who held a lead after the first 50 meters, was out-touched by Wisconsin freshman John Bushmanby .02 seconds. The Wildcats needed to build a strong lead in the first half of the meet because the Badgers’ stronger events came up towards the end. Ultimately, the lead was just not big enough. Wisconsin compiled six second-half victories to win 162-129 last Thursday. “We were banking on building a pretty big cushion in the first half of the 16-event order,” coach Jarod
Northwestern
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Schroeder said. “But we didn’t build that big of a lead for what they had at the end. It was disappointing. I’m not going to sugarcoat a poor performance on our part.” Schroeder said Auren was not the only one who came in unprepared to the meet. A handful of NU swimmers simply did not know their opponents well. “It happened to us in the backstroke as well,” Schroeder said. “Our guys, who pride themselves on being sprint backstrokers, let (the Wisconsin swimmer) beat them to the first wall ... Our guys weren’t in tune with whom they were racing. They didn’t adjust their race strategy to combat their strengths.” After racing in three meets in a six-day span, senior Charlie Rimkus said he started to notice
fatigue in the pool. “The consistency with racing just wasn’t there,” Rimkus said. “There were some mistakes here and there. It looked like we were tired. We were pretty flat in the water.” Following the loss in Madison, Wis., Schroeder said the team needs to be more hungry in each meet, beginning with better preparation in practice. “The team is capable of taking a step forward, but we need to make that decision,” Schroeder said. “We need to approach every single practice like they are going to go up on the next rung of the ladder. That’s what I’m hoping to see over the next few days and into the weekend.” Auren said that for the Cats to succeed this weekend at the TYR Invitational in Evanston, each swimmer must take fate into his own hands. “You can’t rely on anyone else winning or scoring points,” Auren said. “... If you can’t beat their number one guy, you have to beat their two or three. You can’t rely on other people doing that.”
should work together on a collaborative solution to disturb as few trees as possible in the construction of the lane. The total cost to the University for construction would amount to $250,000. Fiske disagreed with Grover’s amendment and the entire ordinance. The 1st Ward alderman said her concerns about the effect on the ecosystem were not resolved. Such a large building might not be “what the community wants to see on the edge of campus,” she said. Fiske’s other concern was the $250,000 payment to the city. She said the University, with its substantial endowment, should pay more. However, Ald. Don Wilson (4th) defended NU’s plans. Wilson said he visited the proposed site of the visitors center Monday morning to try to visualize the final product. He said he rejected the notion brought up by many opponents that the University is unfriendly to the environment. NU has made a “vast and dramatic improvement” in the environment on the lake shore, Wilson said. “The sensitive ecosystem that we keep talking about didn’t exist (in the 1960s),” he said. “It was water. The Lakefill is really what created this environmental opportunity.”
johnpaschall2014@u.northwestern.edu
racheljanik2015@u.northwestern.edu
Volunteers bring Thanksgiving to needy By CAT ZAKRZEWSKI
the daily northwestern
While many Northwestern students cram for the exams professors are squeezing in before the holiday, one group is preparing to feed hundreds this Thanksgiving. Campus Kitchens volunteers, who recover leftover food from the dining halls to donate to individuals and organizations in need in Evanston, spent Saturday collecting more than 205 pounds of food for Thanksgiving dinners. As shoppers entered the Grand Food Center in Winnetka, volunteers asked them to purchase items that could be donated to prepare Thanksgiving dinners for 700 people and grocery bags for 21 families. “It’s actually overwhelming how much food we get,” said Campus Kitchens president Sarah Suh, a Weinberg junior. “A lot of these (Evanston) residents
can’t provide themselves with their own Thanksgiving meals. We have the resources, the manpower and the hands to pull this event through every year.” Campus Kitchens, which began in 2003, is one of 17 chapters at universities across the nation, said Katie Darin, who was hired as the NU Campus Kitchens coordinator last February. The organization holds the annual “TurkeyPalooza” campaign nationwide before Thanksgiving. SESP sophomore Leigh Kukanza first became involved with Campus Kitchens while working on her senior project in high school. Now part of the leadership team, she volunteered at Saturday’s event and said Grand Food matched donations the group received. She said the food will either be prepared for individuals or will be packed in grocery bags with recipes so families can enjoy preparing it together. Suh explained that the meals will either be delivered to individuals that receive weekly dishes from Campus Kitchens or through other Evanston
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organizations that assist in hunger relief, such as the Salvation Army and the YWCA. Darin said Saturday’s event was just one part of the NU TurkeyPalooza campaign. In mid-October, members of the Interfraternity Council assisted the organization in going door-to-door to collect food from Evanston residents, she explained. She said the Thanksgiving dinners will be prepared Sunday at the group’s central kitchen in Allison Residential Community, where members convene weekly. “We will be cooking everything from mashed potatoes and stuffing to pumpkin cookies and pumpkin pies,” Darin said. Campus Kitchens is not only active during the holiday season. Darin explained that the organization recovers food from all campus dining halls, prepares meals in Evanston and then delivers them to organizations that assist with hunger.
they generate.” Tendam said the proposed restaurant’s impact on traffic outweighs the potential economic benefits for the city. “I have to think there’s a better place that would be as popular and convenient that would work and not … impact the residential area as this one,” he said. Paul Downs, who works at the wine shop Schaefer’s, 9965 Gross Point Road, said he is happy McDonald’s withdrew the application because the proposed restaurant would adversely impact businesses in the area. “In this area, especially between here and Northwestern, there’s a lot of small business that thrive on the neighborhood and the locals supporting them,” Downs said. “To insert a corporate entity in the middle of it all, it kind of starts to suck the life out of everything else.”
catherinezakrzewski2015@u.northwestern.eduw
jiayou2014@u.northwestern.edu
DEAN’S SEMINAR SERIES PRESENTS:
Dag Kittlaus CO-FOUNDER AND FORMER CEO OF SIRI
Siri and Beyond: Why the Future of Technology is Now, and How We Need to Think Bigger
4 p.m. Tuesday, November 13 ITW Classroom, Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center
SPORTS
ON DECK
ON THE RECORD
Men’s Soccer 15 NU vs. Western Michigan, 7 p.m. Thursday
NOV.
We’ve responded in the past, and we’re going to need our best response of the year this Saturday. — Pat Fitzgerald, football coach
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
@Wildcat_Extra
Football
Young players looking to bounce back By JOSH WALFISH
daily senior staffer
“It’s not a pity party. It’s football.” After what may be Northwestern’s worst loss this season, that attitude, which coach Pat Fitzgerald has instilled in his team, will be put to the test. The Wildcats won after each of their earlier losses, but this time it seems like a whole new animal. “The guys came in and understood what happened,” Fitzgerald said. “Morale is high (and the) attitude is great. We’ve responded in the past, and we’re going to need our best response of the year this Saturday.” From the student-athlete’s perspective, living life in college means trying to block out all of the distractions of students talking about the heartbreak. Sophomore center Brandon Vitabile said his friends and family have been very supportive of him and have helped him block out all the discussion about the game. He said he is focusing on the good things that have come from the game. “It is very tough, we were right there,” Vitabile said. “There’s a lot of positives from it, we played a lot of good football Saturday. We did a lot of things well, we did some things not so well, but it’s good to see that the work we put in does pay off and maybe we’re just a step away. It means we’re doing a great job competing and working hard.” Most of the onus of bouncing back
Mariam Gomaa/Daily Senior Staffer
FRONTLINES Redshirt sophomore Brandon Vitabile (far left) blocks against the Nebraska defensive line. Vitabile has become a leader for Northwestern this season, now in his third year as a member of the football program.
from difficult losses falls on the team’s leaders, who have been a strong and steady presence for the Cats. Fitzgerald said a team’s leadership defines its character, and this year’s leaders have helped NU stay even-keeled, win or loss. The seniors and captains have been very vocal, but they aren’t the Cats’ only leaders.
Vitabile may only be a redshirt sophomore, but he is now a leader for the younger student-athletes. This is a significant shift in his role from last season, when Vitabile was a young player himself. “I always try to be a lead-by-example type of guy,” Vitabile said. “(I lead) by my actions, by my attitude and how I talk to
Wrestling
everyone else about it. A lot of the younger guys don’t talk too much in meetings; they listen and see how we talk to the coaches and intereact with each other after wins and losses.” One thing Fitzgerald can’t blame for the losses is effort. He said his team battled in every game and left everything out on the
field, and the coaches have to do a better job at turning the effort into success. He pointed specifically to the 53-yard pass to Roy Roundtree on Saturday as an example of his players working hard. He said he doesn’t blame sophomore cornerback Daniel Jones for trying to bat the ball down and make a play instead of taking a penalty in order to prevent a reception. “Our guys are fighting their tails off,” Fitzgerald said. “I don’t fault our guys’ effort in any way, shape or form. They’re giving everything they got, and they just have to keep grinding.” Although the effort has always been there, the attitude on the sideline has been negative at certain points. Fitzgerald said the morale was a little bit low on the sideline during the fourth quarter Saturday, so when Michigan defensive lineman Brennen Beyer was penalized for a late hit on sophomore quarterback Trevor Siemian, the coach showed off his “passion problem.” He said he has different techniques to pump up his team and sometimes being a “knucklehead” is the best thing. The ploy may not have led the Cats to victory, but Fitzgerald is adamant his team will be ready for Michigan State on Saturday. “If this morning was any indication, our guys will be excited to play and excited to work (Tuesday),” Fitzgerald said. “I have full confidence that we’ll respond boldly.” joshuawalfish2014@u.northwestern.edu
Men’s Soccer
Cats win wild on West Coast NU gets 7th NCAA bid despite losses By ROHAN NADKARNI
daily senior staffer
For Northwestern this season, nothing may come close to the golden coast. The Wildcats throttled the Cardinal on Friday, bringing it to Stanford in the Cardinal’s home gym. NU also defeated Stanford last season at Marist High School in Chicago. The dual served as a welcome start for the Cats’ five top-15 wrestlers, each of whom won their own bout. In fact, NU almost swept the entire event, not losing until the final bout, when freshman Dominick Malone lost via fall in the third period of a close 1-1 contest. “We were ready,” coach Drew Pariano said. “We didn’t have to tell our guys to be ready. Our guys got the job done.” Redshirt senior Levi Mele set the tone for the entire night with his match at 133 pounds. The eighthranked Mele, who moved up a weight class from 125 pounds going into this season, dominated his opponent to the tune of a 17-2 technical fall. Mele started quickly, racking up seven points in the first period alone. “That’s what we want to do all year,” Mele said. “We want to get started hard and finish hard, that kind of intensity. (There’s) no better way to start the season off and then carry that momentum all year.” All-American redshirt senior Jason Welch continued his torrid pace in regular season duals. After winning every single dual bout until the Big Ten Tournament last year, Welch, ranked third this season, emerged victorious again in Stanford, Calif., soundly defeating Garrett Schaner 8-2. Welch grew up in Walnut Creek, Calif., about an hour away from Friday’s dual, and much of his family attended the event. No. 10 Lee Munster also scored a big win. He secured NU’s second technical fall by toppling Ryan Davies at 174
By AVA WALLCE
daily senior staffer
Daily file photo by Ben Breuner
FAST START Redshirt senior Levi Mele battles during a dual against Penn State last season. Mele started this year with a tech fall win. No. 14 Northwestern
32
Stanford
6
pounds. The two tech falls, along with one major decision victory, gave the Cats bonus points in three of the 10 bouts. “We knew Levi was going to put up big points right off the bat,” Pariano said. “He and Munster in both of their matches were pretty close to getting falls. I’m really happy with their performance.” Munster’s win also provided him with confidence moving forward. “First time making weight and feeling good, actually being able to wrestle a whole match, that’s important to me,” Munster said. “It sets the pace for the rest of the season.” Redshirt sophomore Pat Greco picked up one of NU’s bonus points wins, scoring a major decision over Josh Lauderdale at 141 pounds. Six of the Cats’ sophomores, including Greco, picked up a win at the dual.
No. 4 Mike McMullan, one of the six redshirt sophomores, piled up three takedowns in his first bout of the season, winning 6-3 against Dan Scherer. Redshirt sophomore Pierce Harger, the last of NU’s ranked wrestlers at No. 15 in 165 pounds, put away Bret Baumbach by the score of 11-4, fittingly improving his career dual record to 11-4 as well. But the Cats did fail to complete the sweep during the last match. Malone, making his collegiate debut, fought evenly with Stanford’s Evan Silver, tying the contest seconds into the third period. Silver eventually pinned the rookie, handing the Cardinal their only six points of the night. Although the big win gives NU a fast start in dual play, its next such match does not arrive until Dec. 7 against Minnesota, with a tournament and two-dual night in between. “We’re happy with our shape,” Pariano said. “But next week’s a new week. We’re going to go into it with the exact same mindset — go in and dominate.” rohannadkarni2015@u.northwestern.edu
Northwestern acted cautiously Monday night. Coach Tim Lenahan said the team usually throws a party to watch the NCAA Tournament selection show, during which the players learn their seed in the Tournament and celebrates with friends and food. But this year, the Cats ended their Big Ten Tournament run Friday with a 3-0 loss to Michigan. The team’s regular season ended with two ties against conference teams and two losses, to Penn State and Northern Illinois. So this year, Monday evening’s selection show gathering was different. “If it was disappointment, we wanted it to be just us,” Lenahan said. But NU (11-5-4) was anything but disappointed. The Cats will face Western Illinois at Lakeside Field on Thursday night for their first-round tournament match, the team’s seventh tournament appearance in program history. After falling 3-0 to Michigan in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday, NU was on shaky ground for a tournament bid, with an RPI of 41. Nonetheless, Lenahan was pleased the selection committee considered the Cats’ numerous impressive successes this season. “We played and beat good teams,” Lenahan said. “I’m glad the committee really looks at those good wins, especially the win we had over No. 1 seed Notre Dame. We had four really good wins over top-30 teams, and we’re probably one of five teams to have done that this season.” The team’s recognition comes after more good news from last Thursday. Four players — senior defender Chris Ritter, sophomore goalkeeper Tyler Miller, sophomore defender Nikko
Boxall and freshman forward Joey Calistri — were named to the First Team All-Big Ten. The four set a school record as the most players awarded First Team All-Big Ten honors in one year. Ritter was also named the 2012 Big Ten Defensive player of the year and Calistri was unanimously named the 2012 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. But individual accolades aside, Miller said the team was relieved to get a bid Monday night. “It definitely showed that our hard work throughout the years has paid off,” Miller said. “And it just goes to show that we have to play through the end of the season.” Despite a sluggish showing against Michigan on Friday, both Miller and Lenahan agree — NU is going to focus on fine-tuning, not making big changes, heading into the Tournament. “We are who we are,” Lenahan said. “Who we are is good enough to beat Michigan, Michigan State and Notre Dame. We just have to be better... than we were last Wednesday.” Western Illinois – the team NU played in the first round of its first-ever tournament in 2004 – won its second straight Summit League Championship, the program’s sixth, on Sunday. Miller said the Cats are going to have to match Western Illinois’s energy after its championship win, but NU is just going to “play its game.” The sophomore also mentioned the Cats will be playing with the seniors in mind Thursday. Lenahan said he is proud of his seniors, who helped shape a season to remember. “They got a Big Ten Championship with a Tournament bid,” Lenahan said. “I mean, other than a double-double, what else could this group do?” Lenahan will find out Thursday night. avawallace2015@u.northwestern.edu