Serving the Northwestern and Evanston communities since 1881
The Daily Northwestern Friday, November 19, 2021
DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM
Find us online @thedailynu
AUDIO/Secret Treasures
4 GAMEDAY/Wrigley
4 OPINION/Journaling
Dawn Okamoto gives tour of Secret Treasures Antiques Collectibles
Cats to take on Purdue at Wrigley Field on Sat.
How journaling can help deal with trauma
High 39 Low 27
‘You have to make a choice’ All-gender housing still inaccessible for many students By LUCIA BARNUM and KATHERINE MCDONNELL
the daily northwestern @luciabarnum_, @ KatherineMcD33
When Communication junior Jo Scaletty filled out their freshman year housing form, they faced a difficult decision: Should they live somewhere that affirmed their queer identity, or somewhere with the close-knit community they sought as an incoming student? All gender housing sounded like a queer community that would help them explore their identity. But the only all gender option they were seriously considering was in Allison Hall. That residence hall was too big, and it didn’t thematically align with their academic interests, unlike the residential colleges they were considering. Out of more than 30 dorms on campus, Residential Services currently lists eight dorms with all gender housing: five on North Campus and three on South Campus. With such a limited selection, non-cisgender
students are often presented with Scaletty’s impossible choice. On top of social and cultural considerations, some noncisgender students navigate significant accessibility barriers and a housing portal system that often invalidates gender identity. NU students and faculty have advocated to expand all gender housing on campus for years, but many say substantial change isn’t happening quickly enough. After handwriting a list of pros for each residence hall, Scaletty applied to the International Studies Residential College, or West Fairchild, which didn’t offer all gender housing at the time. “When you’re a first year coming into any new space, you want to go somewhere that you think you’ll feel safe,” Scaletty said. “(West Fairchild) to me was more of a risk.” Scaletty expected to move into co-ed housing in West Fairchild. But when they moved in that fall, they realized they were on the women’s floor. They were scared they made a mistake. “I was like, ‘Oh, so if you don’t choose gender-open housing, Northwestern is just going to assume whatever they want about you. And there’s nothing you can do to stop that,’” Scaletty
After an alum alleged Communication Prof. David Bell sexually harassed him while he was an undergraduate, more Northwestern students and alumni have spoken out.
» See NON-BINARY, page 11
» See BELL, page 10
Photo and graphic by Angeli Mittal
Alum speaks out on Comm Prof. Students, alumni discuss harmful experiences with David Bell By LAYA NEELAKANDAN
daily senior staffer @laya_neel
Content warning: This article contains mentions of sexual harassment and homophobic slurs. The Daily has chosen to rename sources who wish to remain anonymous out of privacy concerns. These sources are introduced with an
asterisk. Andrew Restieri (Communication ’18) sent a letter Friday to theatre department leadership alleging his experiences being sexually harassed by Communication Prof. David Bell while he was a Northwestern undergraduate. The letter, also posted to Restieri’s social media accounts, details the story of his relationship with Bell, who is a tenured professor,
NU’s director of Music Theatre and the artistic director of the American Music Theatre Project. Bell is set to retire this year, according to Interim Department Chair Prof. Henry Godinez. Bell teaches multiple courses, including Theatre 352: Music Theatre Techniques — the class in which Restieri first met him. “The University let me down in my time of need,” Restieri wrote
in the letter. “In my attempts to hold a professor accountable for actions that made the end of my time at Northwestern nearly unbearable, I was met with harsh resistance and, at times, silence.” Restieri and several of his classmates noticed that Bell took interest in him, receiving lots of positive feedback, he wrote. He
Drag stars perform with students ETHS teachers A&O brings Shea Couleé and Alyssa Edwards as Fall Speakers By ILANA AROUGHETI
daily senior staffer @ilana_arougheti
Clad in sequins and sheer talent, drag queen superstars Shea Couleé and Alyssa Edwards came to slay as A&O Productions’ Fall Speakers Wednesday night. The former “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestants performed as dancers and panelists to an audience of about 300 at Lutkin Hall. They also judged performances by three Northwestern-based drag artists. Season Nine contestant and “All Stars” Season Five winner Coulèe took the stage first in a neon green, leopard-print unitard. The Chicago-based performer captivated the room with sultry, dynamic moves, awing students with an expressive floor routine to Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More.” She was followed by Season Five and “All Stars” Season Two contestant Alyssa Edwards, who shed a silver-and-red cape to dance through the aisles in thighhigh black boots. With blond hair teased to the sky, the larger-thanlife Texas native finished with a stunning death drop.
Recycle Me
After performing, Edwards invited students up on stage to banter, twerk and “sissy that walk.” “When Alyssa Edwards says ‘come onstage,’ you come onstage,” said Communication sophomore Finn Rollings. The queens then judged short routines by the student drag performers, as well as a three-way lip-sync in the style of “Drag Race.” In her distinct “bloody, meaty” performance art style, Filet Mignon — sometimes known as Communication senior Gus Moody — dismembered and caressed a plastic ex-lover while lip-syncing to “Potential Breakup Song” by Aly & AJ. Karma ’ZaBitch, who sometimes guest-stars as Medill junior Jude Cramer, deathdropped and monologued in thrifted, business-casual realness to “Boss Bitch” by Doja Cat. Finally, Even Steven — the show’s featured drag king and the alter ego of Communication junior Xanthe Brown — transformed from Clark Kent to a hand-sewn, grunge-punk Superman while shredding air
rethink approach In-person return prompts changes to lesson plans, delivery By ISABELLA BUTERA
the daily northwestern @isabelle_butera
Madison Smith/Daily Senior Staffer
A&O Productions brought “Drag Race” alumni Alyssa Edwards and Shea Couleé to perform on campus Wednesday.
guitar to “Juke Box Hero” by Foreigner. “Drag is 100% about confidence,” Steven said, when Edwards asked him what makes a stellar drag performer. “It’s about chasing the things that make you feel good inside.”
After the routines, all three student queens received live feedback and answered questions from Edwards and Couleé. For ’ZaBitch, the feedback sessions were a highlight.
» See DRAG SHOW, page 11
The past three months have been nothing short of a learning experience for teachers at Evanston Township High School as they readjust to full in-person instruction. “Teachers are working their asses off and trying to do what’s best for students,” English teacher Anita Thawani Bucio said. “I’ve never worked harder than I have in these three months. But I’ve never experienced as much joy in my classroom as I have in these past three months.” Bucio, along with her ETHS colleagues, returned to a full inperson schedule this August, following a transition to hybrid learning in April. Now, teachers are adapting to new safety policies and block scheduling, all while trying to support a student body recovering academically and emotionally from
extended online education. For chemistry teacher Terry Gatchell, shifting to in-person learning was a no-brainer. She felt confident returning with the high staff vaccination rate and mask mandate. “There’s so many layers of protection that we have now (that) it wouldn’t make any sense not to be in the classroom,” she said. “I was overjoyed to be teaching live again.” In addition to the mask mandate, COVID-19 safety policies include contact tracing, desks stationed six feet apart, assigned seating, daily sanitization of classrooms and health screenings for all staff and students. In the month of October, four students and seven staff members tested positive, according to the ETHS COVID Dashboard. That’s coming from a student body of over 3700 and more than 270 staff. Rick Cardis, president of the Teacher’s Union and an ETHS history teacher, attributed the low number of new COVID-19 cases to the ETHS community’s high vaccination rate. However, he said the risk of
» See TEACHERS, page 10
INSIDE: Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Opinion 4 | Gameday 5 | Classifieds & Puzzles 10 | Sports 12