GlobeMed sponsors » PAGE 3 Ugandan children’s center
sports Men’s Basketball Maryland dominates NU on glass, scoreboard » PAGE 8
opinion Misolunas Jay Cutler, Israel share common ground » PAGE 6
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The Daily Northwestern DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Find us online @thedailynu
In Focus
‘Things need to change here too’ Students speak out about NU’s response to sexual assault, mental health issues By lauren caruba
daily senior staffer
Earlier this quarter, an Amherst College student garnered national attention for her account of callous treatment by school administrators following her rape. For one Northwestern student, the story was all too familiar. “I battle my memories of the rape every day,” Weinberg senior Lauren Buxbaum wrote in a Facebook status posted Oct. 18. “It consumes me in a way I hope none of you ever experience. The only thing that was holding me together was my life here at Northwestern. And now that has been taken away, and I don’t even have the energy to battle for my life back.” Like former Amherst junior Angie Epifano, Buxbaum was raped. Like Epifano, Buxbaum was transported by campus police to the hospital and admitted to a psychiatric ward after she expressed difficulty dealing with the assault. “It was seriously like reading my story,” Buxbaum said of the Amherst account. But unlike Epifano, Buxbaum said she felt pressured by the administration to go on medical leave until she was “healthy” enough to return to NU. Buxbaum’s story exposes the harsh realities of policies that attempt to balance the safety of individual students with that of the broader NU community. Despite new resources and policy amendments, NU’s response to sexual assault still has its flaws. “Things need to change here too,” Buxbaum ended her post. “Don’t forget it.”
How NU National Average stacks up nationally
Proportion of students who report receiving information on violence prevention from their institution.
Proportion of students who report being physically assaulted within the last 12 months
Losing control
Buxbaum said she was assaulted off-campus in late July while walking home from a friend’s apartment in the early morning. Her attacker was an Evanston resident she had seen before but did not personally know. University Police reports indicate officers took Buxbaum to NorthShore Evanston Hospital almost immediately after her assault. Buxbaum said she decided not to press charges because she did not want to relive the traumatic experience. » See in focus, page 4
Proportion of students who report being in an intimate relationship that was sexually abusive within the last 12 months
Proportion of students who report being sexually penetrated without their consent within the last 12 months
Northwestern
daily senior staffer
The Chicago Transit Authority recently proposed a $1.39 billion budget for fiscal year 2013 that reduces discounts for passes, freezes basic fares and maintains current service levels. Under the new plan, basic fares remain unchanged at $2 for bus and $2.25 for rail, but the one-day, three-day, seven-day and 30-day passes will experience discount cuts of $4.25, $6, $5 and $14 respectively, according to the CTA website.The transit authority says the current discounts for CTA passes are the second most generous of major U.S. cities. Medill sophomore Cheyenne Blount, who frequently uses the one-day passes and went to the city every weekend last quarter, said she is not happy with CTA’s proposed budget because the new one-day pass price is almost double that of the old $5.75 rate. However, for NU students who spend less time commuting beyond Evanston, the impact is less significant.
University President Morton Schapiro promised Tuesday that Northwestern would take necessary steps to ensure mental health resources on campus are adequate in the wake of Weinberg junior Alyssa Weaver’s suicide. Weaver took her own life while studying abroad in London last week. The 20-year-old’s mother said Monday that her daughter was in a “dark place” before her death and urged other students dealing with mental health issues to talk about their problems. “Trust me, we will take a close look at what resources we have available and what resources we might need,” Schapiro told The Daily. “We’re always looking at that anyway, but we should be taking a look at it now.” Several student groups have urged more University involvement in creating resources. NU Active Minds, which aims to spread awareness about mental health, is vying for Trust me, we Student will take a close Associated Government’s 10K look at what Initiative to establish a resources we mental health information session for incomhave available ing students during Wildcat Welcome. and what Mike Sladek, vice resources we president of Univermight need. sity Psychology AssoMorton Schapiro, ciation, said recent University events have sparked president an increased need for continued conversation that involves NU administration. “On a college campus, everyone’s stressed,” Sladek said. “It’s something that shouldn’t be swept under the rug.” The Weinberg senior praised NU’s efforts in trying to help students and appreciated a “proactive response” from the administration. “The University does do a great job to do what they can,” he said. “There just needs to be a refocus of those resources for mental health on campus.” Schapiro said he was not aware of any concerns about NU’s mental health services until now. He pointed to the the major remodelling of Searle Hall, which he said was criticized as a “substandard facility” in the past. “We have a great facility, but are we using it optimally?” Schapiro said. “The reason we did that whole thing … is that we wanted to provide for health and safety.” Katie Sanford, NU Active Minds co-president, said she was surprised to hear Schapiro had not been aware of complaints about current resources. She said the University was petitioned to add support groups on campus such as NU Listens. Schapiro said Weaver’s death, the second within the NU community this quarter, gives the school an opportunity to reflect and “to be a better institution and learn to be better people as individuals.” “I would think that we should all try to learn from it,” he said. “To learn personally and for me professionally what we can do to keep our students safe.” A candlelight vigil in memory of Weaver is planned for 8 p.m. Thursday at The Rock, hosted by the Cultural and Community Studies Residential College, the Boxing Club, the Brady Scholars Program and Chi Omega.
» See CTA, page 4
paulinafirozi2015@u.northwestern.edu
36% 30.8%
16%
4.7% 2.5%
1.6% 0.5%
1.5% 1%
47%
69%
33%
Source: Campus Coalition on Sexual Violence Info graphic by Christine Nguyen
By ina yang
daily senior staffer
price hike The Chicago Transportation Authority recently proposed a budget that reduces the discounts for passes. The decision was made as part of a budget initiative to offset CTA costs.
Serving the University and Evanston since 1881
Schapiro eyes mental health services at NU after suicide By paulina firozi
CTA, Metra increase commuter fares
Mariam Gomaa/Daily Senior Staffer
Alyssa Weaver
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INSIDE Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Forum 6 | Sports 8
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Around Town
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The website helps tell the story of Evanston in a way that targets existing and potential business owners.
— Ald. Jane Grover (7th)
City mentoring program launched Service organizations begin collaborative effort to help young people in Evanston By SAMMY CAIOLA
the daily northwestern
About 60 people gathered in the FleetwoodJourdain Community Center on Tuesday to celebrate the launch of Evanston Mentors, a collective of the city’s mentoring organizations. The new group will connect mentorship programs with one another so they can host events, share their practices and increase recruitment, said David Edelstein, Evanston Mentors founder. Evanston Mentors currently consists of 14 different community organizations, including the Child Care Network of Evanston, the McGaw YMCA, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Chicago and Youth Organizations Umbrella. The collaboration grew out of All Our Sons, an organization that Edelstein started in 2004 with funding from the Evanston Community Foundation. His aim at the time, he said, was to deal with issues facing Evanston’s young men. About a year and a half ago, Edelstein reached out to agencies he had met through All Our Sons regarding enhancing Evanston’s mentorship
offerings. After applying for an ECF grant, he worked with leaders of the various agencies to create Evanston Mentors. “The name is an aspiration, and it’s a description,� Edelstein said. “Our aspiration is that Evanston does mentor its youth. It’s a verb. It’s what we do in Evanston. Our aspiration We know our youth need mentorship, and we do is that that.� The launch event feaEvanston tured a series of speeches does mentor from program directors, its youth. It’s as well as mentor-mentee pairs. Speakers shared a verb. It’s their hopes for the what we do in future of the collective and stressed the need for Evanston. more mentoring services David Edelstein, in Evanston. Evanston Mentors Eric Witherspoon, founder Evanston Township High School superintendent, said he has worked with all of the involved organizations in some capacity. He emphasized the positive impact that mentors can have on students of all ages. “At the high school, we know that no matter how many resources we have, and no matter how much access we have daily to young people, we still can’t possibly do it alone,� Witherspoon said.
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“It does take the community. It does take all of us wrapping our arms around the young people in this community, committed to making sure that each and every one of them is getting the support and nurturing that they so much need and so much deserve.� Main goals of the collaboration include bringing the agencies together for recruitment and organizing a joint training, Edelstein said. Evanston Mentors’ first meeting will be Dec. 11 at the McGaw YMCA, 1000 Grove St. Throughout the night, mentors and mentees shared stories of friendship and growth. Tyler Dixon, YOU participant and ETHS junior, said her mentor is “more like a role model� and someone she “can confide in about anything.� As a student with an interest in journalism, she said she has learned much from Gwen Macsai, an Evanston resident who works at Re:sound Radio, a Chicago public radio station. Macsai has been in contact with Medill professors about helping Dixon sit in on a journalism class. She said the relationship has been mutually beneficial. “As an adult, you don’t have a lot of contact with kids, and you forget what it’s like to be an adolescent,� Macsai said. “They just anchor you in a different way than you get in other experiences. It’s really a great way of figuring out how to give back.� samanthacaiola2014@u.northwestern.edu
Police Blotter Chicago resident arrested and charged with retail theft A 55-year-old Chicago resident attempted to leave Jewel-Osco, 1128 Chicago Ave., without paying for several bags full of baby formula Sunday. Jewel’s loss prevention officer reported that a man had filled up several bags with baby formula, walked to the south exit and passed the last point of sale without paying at 7:44 a.m. Sunday, Evanston Police
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012
Cmdr. Jay Parrott said. When the agent stopped the man, he dropped the bags and ran, attempting to flee. The loss prevention officer then detained the man until EPD officers arrived. The several containers of baby formula have a total value of $337. The Chicago resident was charged with one misdemeanor of retail theft and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 2. — Ina Yang
Setting the Record Straight In the latest issue of The Daily, the last name of basketball player Kendall Hackney, a senior forward for Northwestern, was spelled incorrectly in a headline. The Daily regrets the error.
City starts website to showcase businesses Page 4
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On Campus
— Weinberg senior Matthew Renick
NU GlobeMed teams up with youth health center Campus chapter organizes fundraising event for Adonai Child Development Center By amy whyte
the daily northwestern
GlobeMed’s Northwestern chapter recently hosted its first fundraising event in support of its new partnership organization, Adonai Child Development Center. For the last seven years, GlobeMed at NU has partnered with the HOPE Center in Ghana. When that partnership ended, external president Kalindi Shah said the executive board began looking for an organization that the NU chapter’s particular strengths would most benefit. “We wanted to work with an organization small enough that we could make a really, really big impact in the partnership,” Shah said. “We didn’t want to just partner with a big organization where our money would just enter a black hole.” The organization decided to pair with Adonai, which works to improve the health of children orphaned by AIDS and civil unrest in Namugoga, Uganda. Although the organization started out as an orphanage, it now also offers educational programs and medical care. “We really wanted to work with an organization that works beyond the realm of just clinical work,” Shah said. Shah said GlobeMed hopes to benefit from this partnership by playing to the strengths of its diverse member group, which includes students in a variety of academic disciplines ranging from journalism to medicine. “We wanted an organization that would be open to new innovative ideas like creating
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I’m extraordinarily pleased. It’s not just the Chabad community that is upset with this.
documentaries, creating different media projects where we could really get the word out of what they were doing,” Shah said. Weinberg sophomore Karina Kedo, who joined GlobeMed this year, said the focus on making a real impact in a community is what drew her to the group. “Each partnership is very unique and GlobeMed at Northwestern is working toward a very specific goal,” Kedo said. “We can really see the difference that we are making in our work throughout the school year.” The group began raising money for Adonai last week with its Pumpkin Pie for Adonai bake sale. Future plans include hosting a series of speeches about health and Uganda later this year and partnering with FACE AIDS for World AIDS Day. At the end of Fall Quarter each year, GlobeMed also hosts an individual giving campaign. Members will be split into groups that will compete to raise the most money for Adonai, with the winning group receiving a free dinner as its prize. Last year, GlobeMed raised over $19,000 for HOPE Center, and Shah said she hopes this year will be just as successful. “You really get a hands-on opportunity to really, really make a difference and work directly with a partner community,” Shah said. Shah said she hopes that through its new partnership with Adonai, GlobeMed will can create “sustainable, impactful change that you can see.” “I really believe in Adonai because they’re so interested in really helping this community that has very limited access to health care, very limited access to sanitation, very limited access to running water, that with the money that we raise they can really transform the community and change the lives of a thousand people,” Shah said. “I really believe in it.” amywhyte2015@u.northwestern.edu
STEVEN LEVY
Senior writer, Wired magazine Author of “In the Plex,” “Hackers,” and “Insanely Great”
INNOVATION, REGULATION, AND SELF�DRIVING CARS: WHERE WILL GOOGLE TAKE US IN 2013?
the daily northwestern | NEWS 3 Students petition against Chabad disaffiliation Page 4
Meet your vegetables
Adrianna Rodriguez/The Daily Northwestern
urban farming Erika Allen brought vegetables to an on-campus event Tuesday from one of the many farms affiliated with her organization Growing Roots Chicago. The organization promotes urban agriculture in cities such as Chicago with low cost strategies. Growing Roots made $800,000 last year by selling its produce to the same communities in which it is grown. The farms consist of vegetables, flowers, bee hives and even fish raised in the same system as plants. That growing process is called aquaponics.
NU team wins national title in monetary policy, economics competition
Five Northwestern students on Tuesday won the national finals of the College Fed Challenge, a competition that promotes education about the U.S. economy, monetary policy-making and the role of the Federal Reserve System. Weinberg seniors Geoffrey Bery, and David Chen, McCormick sophomore Nikhil Byanna and Weinberg sophomore Jonathan Cohen and their faculty adviser Mark Witte represented the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in the ninth annual competition, according to a news release. The finals were held in the board room at the Board
of Governors in Washington, D.C. During the competition, undergraduate students analyzed and created monetary policy suggestions in a model of the Federal Open Market committee. Before the finals, teams initially competed within specific bank districts. “Fed Challenge offers students an exceptional opportunity to learn about the economy and monetary policy,” said Federal Reserve Board member Elizabeth Duke, one of the judges for this year’s competition, in the release. “I hope the experience heightened their interest in continuing to study economics. ” Other judges included Krishna Guha, executive vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and Robert Barsky, senior economist and research adviser for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. — Paulina Firozi
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4 NEWS | the daily northwestern
Wednesday, november 28, 2012
Petition aims to reinstate Chabad By cat zakrzewski
the daily northwestern
Northwestern students and alumni are voicing their concerns about the University’s decision to disaffiliate with Tannenbaum Chabad House and Rabbi Dov Hillel Klein in a petition distributed to trustees and administrators. The petition, dated Nov. 19, has received more than 800 signatures, according to Matthew Renick, the Chabad House student executive board president. He said the petition was distributed to about 60 trustees and 15 administrators and faculty members. “I’m extraordinarily pleased,” said Renick, a Weinberg senior. “It’s not just the Chabad community that is upset with this.” The petition stems from a campaign to bring Klein back to campus that began shortly after the rabbi’s Sept. 25 announcement of the disaffiliation. Patricia Telles-Irvin, vice president for student affairs, acknowledged in an email sent to students in October that the University disaffiliated with Chabad House on Sept. 11 following an investigation that found the rabbi guilty of violating NU alcohol policy. The University’s decision has received heavy backlash from both the Jewish and wider NU communities, where the rabbi served for 26 years. Although Klein told The Daily in September he had served alcohol at Chabad House, he maintained he did not violate university policy because Illinois law allows alcohol to be served to underage people for
local entrepreneurs. “The website helps tell the story of Evanston in a way that targets existing and potential business owners,” she said. “I use it every time I get an inquiry from a prospective business owner. It allows us to create a connection to people, which is always more attractive and persuasive, and people can peruse the site on their own time to find out what’s going on in Evanston.” Although Chicago neighborhoods such as Edgewater and Andersonville have initiated similar online ventures, Storlie said the model used for Evanston Edge was primarily inspired by the website of New York’s Economic Development Corporation. The
group’s website features a variety of business resources to encourage economic growth in the city’s five boroughs. Evanston is still “pretty far ahead of the curve” in terms of marketing and economic development compared to other U.S. cities, Grover said. Storlie said she believes that there is still room for the website to grow. She said she hopes that it will ultimately help those curious about building their own businesses, specifically in Evanston. “As with any online site, we hope that Evanston Edge continually evolves over time,” she said. ivanyeh2014@u.northwestern.edu
yirenyang2015@u.northwestern.edu
insane.” Buxbaum spent the next four days in the psychiatric ward, according to medical records. Two days into treatment, Buxbaum received a letter from the dean’s office outlining the conditions for returning to NU. The letter stated if Buxbaum did not sign medical releases, she “would not be allowed to return to Northwestern University.” It also said if she was not deemed “healthy and safe enough,” officials would “work with (her) to take a medical leave of absence.” Assistant Dean of Students Betsi Burns, who signed the letter, declined multiple requests for comment. After being discharged Oct. 9, Buxbaum discussed her next steps with NU’s Counseling and Psychological Services and the dean’s office. Documents obtained by The Daily show her medical withdrawal was processed by Oct. 15.
CAPS were distant. Buxbaum referred to CAPS as a “disconnected and impersonal” bureaucracy that should be more “sympathetic.” Weinberg senior Katie Wells agreed that CAPS can seem removed from students. Wells withdrew from two classes during her freshman year because of depression. She decided to fully withdraw from classes, a process that typically lasts two quarters, during her junior year. However, the University told her she would have to leave for an entire year because it was considered her second withdrawal for psychological reasons, she said. Although medical leave was the right decision for Wells, she said petitioning to come back early and re-enrolling was difficult. She had trouble contacting Student Affairs, which conducts initial conversations with returning students, and when she finally did, she said administrators did not fully understand her situation. “I just felt like they weren’t really willing to hear what I had to say about whether it was a good idea for me to come back,” Wells said. “It was difficult to sit down with them and have an in-depth discussion.” Other students simply find getting on CAPS’ radar challenging. McCormick sophomore Kate Matias began struggling with depression last year. Extremely
uncomfortable with CAPS’ required phone evaluation, it took her weeks to set up an appointment. CAPS always has a counselor on call for emergencies, but Matias said she wishes there were open hours for students who just want to talk to someone. Shaina Coogan, spokeswoman for the mental health student group NU Active Minds, said many of the perceived faults with CAPS stem from the service’s lack of funds, manpower and publicity. It is also difficult to individually serve 8,000 students, she said. “They don’t have all of the resources that maybe they should,” the Weinberg senior said. “But I guess something that students also have to consider is that CAPS was never meant to be everybody’s personal therapist office.”
Photo courtesy of Chabad.org
KLEIN CAMPAIGN Students and alumni have been speaking out against Rabbi Dov Hillel Klein’s dismissal from campus since September. Hundreds have signed a petition calling for his return to Northwestern.
“He will one day come back to campus, hopefully sooner rather than later,” she said. czak15@u.northwestern.edu
By ivan yeh
daily senior staffer
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In Focus From page 1
The next month, Buxbaum discovered she was pregnant. She had an abortion two days later. When fall classes began, Buxbaum told friends, family and a few close professors what happened but struggled with depression. In early October, she broke down. In an email to a professor, Buxbaum described feeling hopeless and not wanting to live anymore because of the assault. The professor called Buxbaum repeatedly, but because Buxbaum had lost her phone, she said she could not answer to explain that she was not suicidal. “Anyone who’s been raped will tell you you just don’t want to keep going,” Buxbaum said. “It’s not that you want to die. It’s that you just wish that you could crawl in bed all day.” Police reports confirm UP arrived at Buxbaum’s apartment just after 9 a.m. Oct. 6. Because police officers are unqualified to make psychological assessments, they transported Buxbaum to the hospital for evaluation. Buxbaum said the hospital triggered memories of the assault. “I probably looked insane,” she said. “But I wasn’t
From page 1 “In terms of CTA, the change will not make any difference to my life,” Weinberg freshman Siyu Chen said. “I only take one round-trip per week on average, so a normal transit card is good enough for me.” The current budget reflects a new tentative labor agreement with CTA bus and rail operators, which cuts approximately $50 million from the 2013 budget deficit, according to the CTA website. Facing a $165 million shortfall for 2013, CTA also needs to step up its finances next year and beyond. Additional expenditures include Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s initiatives to allocate more than $2 billion in revamping infrastructure and improving the customer experience. “This is a sound, fair and forward-looking budget that protects taxpayers and will improve service throughout the CTA system,” Emanuel said, according to the CTA website. “The CTA is the backbone of our transportation network, and I commend the labor unions and CTA leadership for working together to craft a budget that works for everyone in the city of Chicago.” Aura Harris, a 23-year-old EvanThis is a sound, ston resident who in Chicago, fair and forward- works said the steep hike looking budget in prices is substantial and will that protects definitely affect taxpayers and her commuting habits. Harris usuwill improve ally loads money service into her regular throughout the transit card in fear of losing it, but CTA system. she said she now Rahm Emanuel, thinks twice before Chicago mayor purchasing transit passes. Metra has proposed a change in the cost of a 10-ride ticket so that it would equal 10 one-way fares, rather than the current practice of discounting the bulk ride pass for the price of nine one-way fares, as part of its proposed 2013 budget. The change will go into effect Feb. 1, 2013. Nevertheless, some Metra commuters said the price hike is unlikely to impact their transportation preferences. “It’s great and convenient and cheaper than parking,” said 47-year-old Skokie resident Julie Flores, who drives to Evanston everyday to catch the Metra to go to work in Chicago. Flores is an executive assistant at a law firm in the city and spends roughly 20 to 25 minutes commuting every morning, whereas driving would take her 40 to 45 minutes. Flores, who now pays $121 for a monthly Metra pass, said the change in prices is inconvenient but expected. Medill sophomore Ryan Byrnes said he believes the price increase was inevitable. “I think it’s a sign of the times that the price has gone up,” Byrnes said. “The economy has been better, but public transportation is a huge money-maker for the city, so it’s not shocking that they raise their prices.” CTA customers and the general public will have the opportunity to voice their opinions on the proposed budget at meetings scheduled for Dec. 10 and Dec. 17.
religious purposes. The dissemination of the petition is the latest in a series of attempts to raise campus awareness of the Chabad House disaffiliation. Many students and alumni who have been involved at Chabad House have written letters to administrators and The Daily. They have also spotlighted their cause through social networking and the website SupportRabbiKlein.org. “The goal is to bring Rabbi Klein back on campus,” said Matthew Altman (Communication ’10), former president of the Chabad student executive board. “His absence has been widely felt.” Although some supporters believe the petition will help Klein regain his status on campus, others think a reinstatement will only result from pending litigation. Following the University’s decision, Lubavitch-Chabad of Illinois, acting on behalf of Klein and Chabad House, filed a discrimination complaint in federal district court against NU, Telles-Irvin and University Chaplain Timothy Stevens. The complaint was filed after Klein said the University did not provide evidence that Chabad violated NU policy, and that the University is discriminating against the Jewish faith. “We have to wait to see how the court case pans out,” Renick said. “It’s important to show them that we do have the support.” Renick said Klein’s supporters are continually looking for ways to raise awareness about this issue and keep it “at the forefront.” Camila Benaim (Weinberg ’12), former Chabad House student executive president, said she hoped they could “keep his story going.”
Website encourages city development Evanston recently launched a new website, Evanston Edge, to promote economic development for current and future city businesses. Development for Evanston Edge began in April as part of the “city council’s goal of focusing on economic development this year,” said Erika Storlie, the city’s citizen engagement manager. Evanston’s economic development department runs the The website project, which focuses helps tell the on attracting invesstory of Evanston tors and businesses to open in Evanston in a way that while bolstering awaretargets existing ness for existing local enterprises in order to and potential revenues for business owners. increase the city overall. The website markets Jane Grover, alderman, 7th Ward Evanston as a “unique, livable and innovative city on the edge of Chicago, Lake Michigan and the North Shore,” and provides information on various aspects of Evanston life as well as resources for starting a business. “It is a hybrid of both an advertising tool used to educate business owners about locating their business in Evanston as well as highlighting existing businesses,” Storlie said. Since its launch, Evanston Edge has generated momentum for economic development in the city, said Ald. Jane Grover (7th). She added that she is excited about the website’s potential for supporting
CTA
Screenshot: Evanston Edge
CUTTING EdgE Evanston launched its new website, evanstonedge.com, showcasing local businesses. Officials hope the website will encourage residents to start their own enterprises.
An ‘impersonal’ system
Buxbaum and Epifano’s stories have sparked discussions across campus about NU’s sexual assault and mental health resources. Although CAPS and other outlets treat mental health issues, some students do not always find them helpful. Multiple students said their experiences with
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Taking a break
CAPS and University officials say medical leave is a voluntary choice made by the student. Although administrators can make strong recommendations, NU cannot force students to take medical leave. “The fact of the matter is that it is ultimately the decision of the student,” said Patricia Telles-Irvin, vice president for student affairs. » See In Focus, page 5
the daily northwestern | NEWS 5
wednesday, november 28, 2012
In Focus From page 4
However, Buxbaum said that decision may not be “as clear-cut as they make it seem.” Medical leave was first suggested to Buxbaum in the letter she received from the dean’s office while in the hospital. CAPS assistant director David Shor, who was referenced in the letter, said these types of notices are meant to clearly outline necessary steps so students can smoothly transition back to school. However, Buxbaum said the letter’s timing and wording confused her, calling it a “school death sentence.” When Buxbaum discussed medical leave with officials, she said she felt like the decision had already been made for her. Medical leaves for psychological reasons last a minimum of two quarters, so Spring Quarter is the earliest Buxbaum can return to NU. Coogan, a former Daily staffer, said it presents difficult choice for both sides when students feel pressured into going on medical leave. “It comes down to the University not wanting to be liable for something really bad happening,” she said. “In that, I think they are trying to protect their students, but it’s really hard to have one of those onesize-fits-all policies.” Students and administrators alike recognize the institutional deficiencies that leave students with less-than-ideal options after hospitalization. Some students can continue classes with counseling or a reduced course load, but NU’s rapid quarter system and the time consumed by hospitalizations can compound problems for students who are already behind. Although officials may view poor academic performance as indicating a student cannot function, for Buxbaum, who maintained a 4.0 grade point average before the assault, the structure of attending classes mattered more than earning good grades. “Who cares if you get a C if it’s getting you out of bed?” she said. Laura Stuart, NU’s sexual health education and violence prevention coordinator, said the process can seem unfair to survivors. Some say medical leave can further isolate victims, but Stuart acknowledged that because trauma truly can make it hard to cope, taking time off can be helpful. “Someone took away your control and violated your boundaries,” she said. “Now that has an impact on your life that might make it difficult for you to function.” Buxbaum said being confined to the psych ward and medical leave turned her whole life upside
down. “They took an already traumatized person and just made it exponentially worse,” she said. “And then told me it was my choice whether to go on medical leave or not. But you’ve made it so that I am a broken person now.”
A more sensitive response
Buxbaum is not the only rape victim who has failed to connect with CAPS. Alumna Cassy Byrne (Weinberg ’12) experienced a series of abusive relationships during her time at NU, including one with a graduate student that triggered an eating disorder during her freshman Anyone who’s year. Byrne said it took her been raped will years to realize her relationships were unhealthy tell you you and to approach CAPS for just don’t want counseling. When she did, to keep going, officials instead referred to the Women’s Cenit’s not that you her ter’s more specialized want to die. It’s services. Although CAPS was that you just not very involved in wish that you Byrne’s recovery, she could crawl in appreciated when CAPS shared notes on her case bed all day. with the Women’s Center. Lauren Buxbaum, Small details that take the burden off the victim can Weinber senior go a long way, she said. “The thing we really need is compassion — and not forms,” Byrne said. “It just shouldn’t be the victim’s responsibility to take care of everything.” Byrne said educating others about the psychological effects of sexual abuse should be a major priority for NU. “What would really help in those situations would be for everyone in an administrative position to be educated and informed about sexual assault and how it affects people,” Byrne said. “You need to sensitize everyone that works in a position of authority.”
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A breakdown in communication
According to CAPS and UP officials, emergency measures must be taken once they believe a student is in danger. “Safety is our first concern,” Shor said. “We don’t want to take risks with people’s safety.” Aside from letters, the University does not usually
interact with students during hospitalizations to avoid interfering with external treatment, Shor said. However, these procedures caused NU to misinterpret Buxbaum’s situation, Buxbaum said. From the time Buxbaum sent the email until her hospital release, she did not have any face-to-face interactions with NU officials. There was no opportunity for her to explain that she had not intended to kill herself, she said. Some view the University’s precautions as extreme and premature. In a statement released to The Daily, Buxbaum’s parents said NU acted more in its own interests than their daughter’s when police transported her to the hospital for psychological evaluation. “It was an overreaction by the University,” said Nancy Buxbaum, Lauren’s mother. “Counseling would have been a first step. Getting some background after this would have been a first step.” Both Buxbaum and her parents questioned why no attempt was made to contact her family members, who live about a half hour from NU in Arlington Heights, Ill., until after she was taken to the hospital. Because Buxbaum is an adult, her parents were also not involved in conversations regarding medical leave. Buxbaum added that NU could have contacted her roommate. Rather than help her recovery, Buxbaum said, NU just made things worse. “It was just confusing and scary and it took what was already traumatic and made it even more so,” she said.
Steps in the right direction
Reported inconsistencies in NU’s response to sexual assault fall on a backdrop of recent attempts to improve the same efforts. After a student complaint to the U.S. Office for Civil Rights, NU amended its Sexual Assault Hearing and Appeals System to clarify the time frame for completing complaints and how to report concerns about pending SAHAS proceedings, said Thomas Cline, NU’s vice president of general counsel, in an email to The Daily. NU’s Student Handbook indicates that the Sexual Assault policy is currently being reviewed and could be revised before the end of the academic year. The most significant change came last fall with the establishment of the Center for Awareness, Response and Education, NU’s first centralized resource for victims of sexual violence. CARE is primarily a confidential advocate for sexual assault survivors. Previously victims could seek help from numerous campus resources, but now the center is working to make “all signs point
to CARE,” said Eva Ball, NU’s first sexual violence response services coordinator. CARE is also focusing on education, as Ball is developing a “bystander prevention protocol” to train students and staff about how to react when someone discloses an assault. “It’s really essential when we’re dealing with people who have been victims of sexual violence that they’re in control, that they’re making decisions for themselves,” she said. But CARE can be minimally involved in cases like Buxbaum’s, which involved both sexual assault and safety risks. UP Deputy Chief Dan McAleer said counselors do not accompany officers on wellness checks because suicidal individuals pose a risk to others. Consequently, Buxbaum did not meet with CARE until after her hospitalization. She said she would have preferred the center to be involved sooner. “There should be people like that who are the first wave of contact,” Buxbaum said. “Not scary people in uniforms, coming to tell you that you have to go somewhere.”
Confronting a tough reality
Nearly two months after her psychiatric stay, Buxbaum is still struggling with the consequences of medical leave. Because individuals on medical leave are not active students, they no longer qualify for federal financial aid. Buxbaum works five different babysitting jobs in addition to her job at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall — one of her few points of contact with NU — to pay for her Evanston apartment. Buxbaum will not be able to write her senior thesis with other American studies majors she has known for the past three years, and without an undergraduate degree, she can no longer attend graduate school next year at Yale University, where she was offered a position. “I feel like a loser, like an outcast,” Buxbaum said. “Like I’m not supposed to be here, that I did something wrong. That because it’s going to take me five years to graduate, that I’m a failure.” Buxbaum said she has not yet decided when — or if — she will return to NU. Though she said she misses her friends and classes, at this point she is unsure about the re-enrollment process. “Are they going to be mad when they find out that I am so upset with the way that they treated me?” Buxbaum asked. “Will they put up more hurdles or not believe me, that this happened?” laurencaruba2015@u.northwestern.edu
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FORUM Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Join the online conversation at www.dailynorthwestern.com OPINIONS from The Daily Northwestern’s Forum Desk
PAGE 6
Student activists should move past convenience ARABELLA WATTERS
DAILY COLUMNIST
There’s nothing that gets me more frustrated than a lot of talk and no action, whether we’re talking about the way President Barack Obama’s first term was run with a lot of posturing and not really that much policy making (I give him a lot of credit, however, for ending “don’t ask, don’t tell”), or something as simple as sustainability on campus. The fervor from the election is dying down to a distinctive buzz as things settle down at Northwestern. Despite the intellectual chops that NU students possess as a student body, without the stimulation of political controversy we can be slightly apathetic. Apathy might be the wrong word — freshman or senior, I’m sure you’ve heard of the supposed “Northwestern bubble.” I’m simply proposing that we’re getting a little bit too caught up in it. It’s ironic because NU students, myself included, love their movements. We are a large group of fired up, sometimes angry, always enthusiastic, wannabe activists. On any given day, there’s a new cause being crusaded for around campus and a student group with
copious amounts of passion and vehemence to spearhead the campaign. While at NU, our primary objective is to attempt to conquer the quarter system, making it to graduation with our sanity intact and our GPAs respectable enough to get hired, we always seem to be able to find the time to put our heart and soul into whatever we feel passionate about. However, our problem lies in the fact that we can only find the time in the capacity that it’s convenient. We place a premium on what is actually important while swimming in what is pleasing to us on a superficial level of instant gratification. Perhaps that is one of the repercussions we have to face of living in this purely digitized age where everything is at our fingertips for instant access all the time. The discomfort that hard choices can bring isn’t hardwired into our daily lives. At this current moment, I’m speaking in some pretty sweeping generalities, and I apologize for it — what comes to mind as one of the most glaring examples of this kind of disdain for discomfort, and why I mention NU student groups, is the most recent student campaign from sustainability activism group Pura Playa. Pura Playa is currently circulating a petition for the ban of plastic water bottle sales on campus. After signing the petition with fervency at The Rock sometime last week, I realized that there was a lot more I could be doing to reduce my
plastic waste. By now, if you’ve been reading my writing at all, you’d realize that I am from California, a land of sweeping, crunchy green campaigns and a thriving sustainability community. If you aren’t doing your part to recycle and “be green,” you might as well hide your head under the sand like an ostrich and beg for social leprosy. I do exaggerate, but the effort in being sustainable on the West Coast isn’t a second thought, and for the majority of my life, it wasn’t for me either. Not that NU corrupted me and turned me into an environment-destroying tyrant, but signing that petition sparked something inside of me that made me realize how little I have really been doing for a cause about which I really care. While I devoutly use my reusable water bottle, I concede that I do slip at times, and to make matters worse, until last week I was still purchasing with a fierce frequency plastic bottles for non-water beverages. The hypocrisy they revealed combined with my excitement for the cause made joining Pura Playa an obvious choice. However, sitting behind a petition table at Norris made things very clear: We can be far too preoccupied with our own lives to care. I’m not trying to be a green freak or anything, but there is nothing really to contemplate in banning plastic water bottles. It shouldn’t be a
yes or no question. The movement will greatly reduce waste and take a stand for our campus in terms of sustainability, an area in which we are lagging behind. Nobody should respond to the petition with “I love plastic” and “Plastic is great” or even the creative “Sometimes I rewash this water bottle.” I don’t mean to get selfrighteous here, and I do realize that this is just a small example and that not all NU students are blind to real world issues. I just propose that a deep breath is needed. I, for one, didn’t realize the priorities that I had lost until I took a second to look for them. We have a hard time looking outside ourselves in terms of what is really important. It’s an interesting paradox because we are some of the brightest and most crusading minds out there, and yet we easily get trapped up in our daily minutia, much of which — I hate to say it because I’m as guilty of this as anyone — is painfully unimportant. We may not be living and breathing those moments of poignancy, of poise and choice, that were so clear during the election, but I challenge you to not let go of that feeling. A little dose of self-possession never hurt anyone. Arabella Watters is a Medill sophomore. She can be reached at arabellawatters@yahoo.com. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, email a Letter to the Editor to forum@dailynorthwestern.com.
Cutler, Israel have more in common than you think JOSEPH MISULONAS DAILY COLUMNIST
There are many issues that divide Americans along ideological lines (abortion, gay rights and taxes, to name a few). But there are two divisive issues that share a lot of common ground, especially here in the Windy City: Israel and Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. Both Cutler and Israel wield significant weapons that very few opposing forces can match. The Bears have Brandon Marshall and Matt Forte, while Israel has nukes. And while they both have explosive capabilities (pun intended), they each have a safety blanket to protect them should their weapons fail them. For Cutler, it is the Bears’ defense, which has looked dominant the last couple years with the addition of Julius Peppers. For Israel, they have the United States of America, which has looked dominant for the last century after winning two World Wars and defeating the Soviet Union. The major weakness for both Israel and Cutler is their location. Israel is in the Middle East, surrounded by Muslim nations, many
The Drawing Board
of whom are not friendly and support antiIsrael terrorist organizations. Cutler is located behind his offensive line, which has allowed more 300-pounders through than a Walmart on Black Friday. Both Cutler and Israel are in constant fear of enemy attack, but rockets and suicide bombers are a slightly more dangerous threat than defensive linemen (although the Israel Defense Forces have never had to defend against Ndamukong Suh). And since the Bears drafted offensive lineman Gabe Carimi in last year’s NFL Draft, both Israel and Cutler are being protected by strong Jewish men. Many people excuse the decisions of Israel and Cutler based on their security threats. Israel has the right to take aggressive actions against Palestinian rocket strikes because if they were to let them go unpunished, the hostile countries surrounding Israel may begin to do the same. Cutler has the right to throw risky passes because his offensive line isn’t giving him enough time in the pocket to find receivers downfield. If they don’t engage in aggressive behavior, they will be in danger of being attacked by their enemies. These are legitimate excuses. I don’t think anyone would argue that Israel is in an ideal geographic location, and few football fans would want to trade their team’s offensive line for the Bears’ line. Heck, some high schools
wouldn’t want to trade offensive lines with the Bears. The problem is both Cutler and Israel represent threats to their security blankets. The Bears’ defense can force as many turnovers as it wants, but if Cutler continues to Both Cutler and force passes between defenders, then all Israel need to hard work is for be team players. their naught. And if Israel Yes, they are in continues to expand settlements into less than ideal Palestinian territories situations, but and air strike the they will always Gaza Strip, they are going to encourage have their more anti-Israel sentisecurity blanket ment in the Middle to prevent any East, which will also lead to more anti-U.S. real harm. sentiment. And this would still not be a problem if they would act appreciatively. Cutler never seems involved in the team or the game. He looks disinterested and bored. He shows no gratitude to his teammates or the fans. He’s the starting quarterback of a team that has Super Bowl aspirations, and he
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by Tanner Maxwell
acts like he’s starting on the Dolphins. And Israel never acknowledges how important America’s influence is on its security. In a region where everyone hates it, Israel is able to survive because Uncle Sam is always a phone call away to keep the bullies at bay. But that doesn’t keep Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from criticizing President Barack Obama for not setting clear parameters on using a military actions against Iran, and then threatens to do it himself. In other words, Netanyahu is saying the United States isn’t supporting him enough, so he’s going to have to go to war with Iran himself using the airplanes, tanks, guns and supplies that America gave to Israel. Israel and Cutler will always be lightning rods of criticism if they continue to act with a cavalier attitude. They need to be team players. Yes, they are in less than ideal situations, but they will always have their security blanket to prevent any real harm. If these two powers can get their act together, an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal and Super Bowl victory may be within their reach. 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.
The Daily Northwestern Volume 134, Issue 43 Editor in Chief Kaitlyn Jakola
Forum Editor Joseph Diebold
Managing Editors Marshall Cohen Michele Corriston Patrick Svitek
Assistant Forum Editors Blair Dunbar Arabella Watters
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 and double-spaced • Should include the author’s name, signature, school, class and phone number. • Should be fewer than 300 words They will be checked for authenticity and may be edited for length, clarity, style and grammar. Letters, columns and cartoons contain the opinion of the authors, not Students Publishing Co. Inc. Submissions signed by more than three people must include at least one and no more than three names designated to represent the group. Editorials reflect the majority opinion of THE DAILY’s student editorial board and not the opinions of either Northwestern University or Students Publishing Co. Inc.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel
Chicago Politics and the 2012 Election
Wednesday, November 28, at 4:30 p.m. Ryan Family Auditorium, Technological Institute 2145 Sheridan Road Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel will provide his perspective on the 2012 election and on the political scene in Chicago. Mayor Emanuel, a Northwestern alumnus, previously served as the White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2003 to 2009 and served as a senior advisor to President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1998.
SPORTS
ON DECK
ON THE RECORD
Women’s Basketball 28 NU at Boston College 6 p.m. Wednesday
NOV.
We were taking too many threes too soon, and we weren’t even giving ourselves a chance to get to the offensive boards. — Bill Carmody, basketball coach
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
@Wildcat_Extra
Men’s Basketball
Terps hit boards, rout Wildcats Maryland
By ARIEL YONG
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the daily northwestern
Tuesday night was not the way a team plays after winning its third inseason tournament just two days earlier. And the Wildcats knew that. “We just didn’t execute the gameplan that we talked about,” senior guard Reggie Hearn said. The Cats (6-1) took on the Maryland Terrapins (5-1) at Welsh-Ryan Arena in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Although Northwestern won its last four games in the Challenge, its streak came to an end as the Cats fell 57-77 to the Terrapins. The Cats appeared to take control early on in the game. The NU defense forced four Maryland turnovers in just the first two and a half minutes while the Cats only turned the ball over twice in the entire first half. Maryland went on to commit seven more turnovers and went a mere 1-of-6 from beyond the arc. Nine minutes into the game, NU achieved what would be its largest lead of the game on a layup by Hearn, which put the Cats up by 3 points. The Terrapin defense challenged the NU guards high and out of the key, and the Cats took full advantage of the large holes underneath the net. Both sophomore guard Dave Sobolewski and senior guard Alex Marcotullio found themselves wide open on back door cuts, which made for easy layups. However, with just under eight minutes left in the half, Maryland took the lead and would not look back, leading by 8 points, its largest for the half. The Terrapins were perfect from the free throw line and out-rebounded the Cats 27-10. The Cats were only down by 2 points at halftime but Maryland had the momentum. The Terrapins came out fast and outscored the Cats 13-1. “They came in here and (it was) pretty much an even game in the first
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half,” coach Bill Carmody said. “And then (they) really stuck it to us in the second half. We were disappointed.” The NU switched to a 1-3-1 zone defense and after about eight minutes, center Alex Len picked up his third foul, which sent him to the bench. But the Terrapins did just fine without him as the NU offense fell flat, going 9-of-25 from the field and 3-of-9 from beyond the arc in the second half. The Cats just couldn’t keep up with the Terrapins, who finished the game with 44 points in the paint. In addition, almost one-third of Maryland’s points were scored by its bench. “That was fun,” Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said. “It was almost a perfect second half for us. Our defense was pretty phenomenal. Our rebounding obviously was pretty phenomenal.” The Terrapins finished the game with 47 total rebounds, recording a whopping 28 more boards than the Cats. Maryland has proven to be quite the rebounding powerhouse and demolished its previous season average of outrebounding opponents by 15.2 boards per game. “We knew exactly what Maryland was going to do this game,” Sobolewski said. “The coaches showed us great film. They told us exactly what they were going to do. We simply just didn’t execute, especially in the second half. You’ll never win when you get outrebounded by 10 or 15 let alone 28 or 30 or whatever it was.” Carmody attributed the Terrapin’s rebounding success to the Cats’ inability to knock down three pointers – and their eagerness to shoot so many. “We’ve been struggling a little bit,
DAILY SPORTS
Meghan White/Daily Senior Staffer
BEAT DOWN Guard Reggie Hearn goes for a rebound during Tuesday’s game against Maryland. Hearn was one of the few bright spots for the Cats, putting up a team-high 19 points while going 6-of-10 from the floor.
just trying to get a real, you know, I call it the ‘pulse’ or ‘tempo’ of the game,” Carmody said. “I thought if we ran through our stuff, that we would get some easy baskets. I just thought we were just a little too quick on the trigger. We were taking too many threes too soon, and we weren’t even giving
ourselves a chance to get to the offensive boards. We have to be able to play with these guys, especially at home. I think we’re all disappointed and we’ll come back out and work hard and get this thing turned around.” arielyong2009@u.northwestern.edu
NU trips up, falls just short of NCAAs the daily northwestern
Heading into its final regular season match against nationally-ranked Nebraska, Northwestern was experiencing deja vu. Last year before the final game, the Wildcats were 15-15 and needed a win against the then-No. 2 Cornhuskers for a chance to make the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons. NU pulled out the upset at Welsh-Ryan Arena, beating Nebraska 3-1, but would come up just short of making the playoffs. This year, the Cats went to Nebraska searching for a win to give them a chance to get into the NCAA Tournament. But just like last year, they fell short. “We’re all pretty unsatisfied with that result,” coach Keylor Chan said. “It’s good that we were in the hunt all year but disappointing at the end that we couldn’t find ways to win matches that were really important to us.” NU (16-15, 5-15 Big Ten) lost its final two matches of the season, dropping Wednesday’s game against Illinois (14-16, 8-12) 3-2 before losing to No. 10Nebraska (23-6, 15-5) 3-1, effectively taking the team out of the postseason. “We played well but it wasn’t enough,” sophomore middle blocker Katie Dutchman said. “I’m not sure what else needs to be done, but we tried our hardest.” Against Illinois, the Cats looked like a team fighting to keep their season alive. After going back and forth with the
Fighting Illini in the first set to reach a 17-17 tie, NU went on Northwestern a dominant 7-1 run and eventually won it 25-20. Northwestern Illinois would go on to take the next two games both Nebraska by the close score of 25-22, but the Cats responded in the fourth set, jumping out to an early 18-12 lead to win the set 25-20. In the fifth set the Cats continued to keep it close with the frame tied at 10 all, but good performances by sophomore outside hitter Liz McMahon and freshman outside hitter Jocelynn Birks eventually gave them the set 15-12. On Saturday NU came out flat early against the Cornhuskers. After keeping the first set within reach early, the Cats would allow Nebraska to get a 11-2 run and win the frame 25-15. And though NU was resilient in the second set fighting off five set points, the team could not close it out and dropped the set 25-22. With an impressive third set victory of 25-20 that kept the Cats in the match, the skill of the Cornhuskers was too great for NU in the fourth, resulting in the team losing the frame 25-21. “I thought we actually played hard,”
Cats need to remain patient JOSH WALFISH
Volleyball
By BEN TAYLOR
Column
Illinois
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Daily file photo by Sarah Tassoni
SO CLOSE Despite strong play from Stephanie Holthus, who was named to the All-Big Ten Team, the Wildcats fell short of the NCAA Tournament.
Chan said. “We just couldn’t get big critical side outs and score some points and they both beat us.” For many of the NU players, not making the NCAA Tournament again after coming so close was extremely disappointing. The tournament had been the team’s goal from the beginning of the season, and after starting off the year with 11 straight wins many players were optimistic the NCAAs were in their future. “It’s rough,” Dutchman said. “The worst part about it was not having another week at least with the seniors
and knowing that it was done.” Luckily for the Cats, the number of seniors leaving isn’t that large. With only Julie Chin and Madalyn Shalter graduating, Chan is hoping the team can improve in Big Ten play. “We had a lot of players have to take on roles that they never had to do before in their careers at Northwestern,” Chan said. “I think hopefully this year provided us a great platform for us to be better in a lot of these areas next year.” benjamintaylor2015@u.northwestern.edu
It is not time to hit the panic button yet, Northwestern fans. Believe me when I say it was frustrating to watch the Wildcats struggle so much in what was the most important game of the season to date. However, it’s only the team’s seventh game of the season. This team is more equipped to handle the Big Ten than any team in the past five seasons. Freshman center Alex Olah and redshirt freshman Mike Turner will grow into their roles as they get more experience. Yes, Alex Len came in and dominated the paint and the glass, but is that any different than what the Cats saw in Jared Sullinger last season? I’m not saying NU will all of a sudden dominate the inside in conference play because even I know that sounds as farfetched as Maryland’s football uniforms. I’m not going to say these sorts of game won’t happen in the conference season because the Cats still have to face Cody Zeller. But I’m also not going to say NU will get dominated by the big guns in the Big Ten because NU showed glimpses of its ability to shut down the inside presence in the first half against the Terrapins. If you don’t believe me that’s fine, but let’s look at some stats that I can almost guarantee won’t become the norm in Evanston. The Cats were outrebounded by 28 boards, even NU knows it’s better than that on the glass. NU shot less than 25 percent from behind the arc, something we know won’t happen again with the amount of great shooters the Cats have on their roster. In addition, the Cats shot an abysmal 34 percent from the field while still being mired in a shooting slump. NU missed 7 free throws, which is something that can be easily corrected with an extra half hour in the gym. Let’s be real here, we all knew NU was going to throw up a stinker at some point this season. Look at what happened last year when Baylor came to Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Bears came in and destroyed the Cats on the boards and in the paint while NU had one of its worst shooting games of the season. At the time, it looked like NU wouldn’t sniff a good record in Big Ten play, but low and behold the Cats were in almost every single conference match-up. This team is young and inexperienced, and it’s showing early in the season. Coach Bill Carmodysaid throughout the preseason and even earlier this week that his team will continue to mature and grow as the season progresses and the fans must wait patiently to see the fruit of his labors. The point is as much as we want to take one game and say the pattern will follow NU the rest of the season, history won’t back us up. The Cats will be fine with a loss to a good team in November on their resume. As long as they continue to integrate the new players and everyone progresses as they should, NU will be in the thick of things come February and, who knows, may even sniff the you-know-what. joshuawalfish2014@u.northwestern.edu