The Daily Northwestern - Nov. 29, 2012

Page 1

ARTS The Current Jun Sung Ahn shows off his skills on YouTube Âť INSIDE

SPORTS Football Where in Florida will the Cats go for their bowl game? Âť PAGE 8

OPINION Muller Rahm impresses in One Book talk Âť PAGE 4

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The Daily Northwestern Thursday, November 29, 2012

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Emanuel ‘blunt’ on Chicago, Obama Chicago mayor speaks at One Book event, discusses city politics By CAT ZAKRZEWSKI

the daily northwestern

Although Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (Communication ‘85) came to Northwestern to speak at a One Book One Northwestern event Wednesday afternoon, he focused more on Chicago politics and the 2012 election than this year’s book, “Never a City So Real.� “Let me be blunt and frank, I have not read this book,� Emanuel joked to the audience. “That’s your responsibility, not mine.� Emanuel discussed the features of Chicago that contribute to its international status during his remarks and then answered questions from event moderator and SESP Prof. Daniel Lewis. The Northwestern community packed the Ryan Auditorium in the Technological Institute and attendees who did not arrive early enough for a seat were able to form “spillover� seating in a nearby lecture hall. The Office of the President sponsors the community-reading program that hosted Wednesday’s event. University President Morton Schapiro, who was in attendance, told The Daily on Tuesday he was “excited� for Emanuel’s visit to campus, explaining the Chicago mayor met the requirements several campus organizations he met with were looking for in a speaker. “Who’s a celeb, who knows something about Chicago, who knows something about politics — Rahm Emanuel,� Schapiro said about deciding what speaker to bring to NU. Emanuel began by explaining

Melody Song/The Daily Northwestern

MISTER MAYOR Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel speaks to students, faculty, and Evanston residents. The event, held at Ryan Auditorium, was presented by One Book One Northwestern.

that the narrative of Chicago is one of immigrants and the American dream. He then touched on his service as President Barack Obama’s Chief of Staff and explained how Obama’s experience as a city organizer in Chicago influenced some of his policy decisions in office, particularly in reviving the automobile industry. “I think the president’s experience on the south side of Chicago really mattered,� Emanuel said. “In the Oval Office, at the end of the day, all you have are your values, your judgment and your ability to see the end of the road clearly when everyone else sees fog.�

Emanuel also said policies mattered more than demographics in determining the president’s reelection. “Don’t let anyone try to steal what happened here,â€? he said. “Ideas count in politics.â€? He explained he has committed to the president’s own campaign goal of rebuilding America in his own role as mayor of Chicago, focusing on improving the quality of the workforce in the city through education and improving the city’s infrastructure. He explained his support for full school days and Âť See EMANUEL, page 6

Kai Huang/The Daily Northwestern

CHICAGO COMPLAINTS Protesters pass out flyers just before Emanuel’s speech.

Schapiro backs ‘brothel’ changes, hopes for more

University President Morton Schapiro said Tuesday that proposed reforms to Evanston’s over-occupancy law are a “good first step� but do not go far enough to solve the problem. “You don’t want to have laws that don’t make sense and you don’t want to have laws that people don’t obey,� Schapiro told The Daily. “If you have a chance to solve half the problem, solve it, then go to the next half.� Schapiro endorsed the proposal, which was drafted by Ald. Don Wilson (4th) and briefly discussed at Monday’s city council meeting. The Daily first reported last week that Evanston officials were looking into reforming the law, parts of which have been on the books since the 1960s. Current law prohibits more than three unrelated people from living in the same housing unit. Wilson’s proposal would increase that limit to six for multiplefamily dwellings like apartments, granted there are as many bedrooms as occupants in the unit. The proposal would also increase the unrelated occupancy limit for all other types of units, including houses, from three to four residents. However, many Northwestern students live in off-campus houses with six or more roommates. Schapiro and student leaders say aldermen still need to address that part of the problem. “They should probably change that next,� Schapiro said. “It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just make it better.� Schapiro joins his Evanston counterpart in embracing the changes. Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl, described by Schapiro as “breathtakingly brilliant,� signaled her support for the proposal earlier this month at an on-campus event. The proposal, hailed by students as a step in the right direction, come during a period of detente between the city and the University after years of hostility. City manager Wally Bobkiewicz said Monday night that Wilson’s proposed changes to the “brothel law� will come up before the council on Jan. 14, 2013. — Marshall Cohen

Governor launches state pension crisis campaign Campaign urges reform for pension woes, worst in nation By CIARA MCCARTHY

the daily northwestern

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn launched a campaign this month to raise awareness about Illinois’ current

pension crisis. The campaign, entitled “Thanks In Advance,� includes a website, Facebook page and Twitter handle. The website features several videos, the first of which discusses “The Pension Squeeze.� In the clip, an actor explains the basics of the pension system and cites some sobering facts about the situation in Illinois. The video also stars “Squeezy, the Pension Python,� an animated, orange python whose image is coiled around various

“

Our public pension crisis is the most urgent issue facing everyone in the state,�

Mica Matsoff, Senior adviser to Gov. Quinn

government buildings to demonstrate the way pensions squeeze the overall budget, causing other government

programs to be cut. The Pew Center for the States has ranked Illinois last in unfunded pension liability, which is estimated at $95 million. Mica Matsoff, a senior adviser to Quinn, said the campaign tries to raise public awareness and increase education about the complexities of the pension system. The campaign is also intended to bring a sense of urgency to addressing pension reform.

“Our public pension crisis is the most urgent issue facing everyone in the state,â€? she said. “The governor thinks it is imperative that we solve this immediately.â€? Matsoff said most constituents don’t know pensions are the biggest problem facing Illinois. On Tuesday, the campaign released two more videos created in partnership with Salman Khan of the online Âť See PENSIONS, page 6

Live, learn and serve in one of the world's most dynamic cities. !!!"#$%&%#'()'&%*"*+% ,$-*./#00)*$.1#2$#02&34.5#'#67#+.8 9.:"6"4.;*++)0./'(*<&+0.=**6. Serving the University and Evanston since 1881

INSIDE Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Forum 4 | Classifieds & Puzzles 5 | Sports 8

2 NEWS | the daily northwestern thursday, november 29, 2012

Around Town

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It’s all working together to ensure that students, faculty and staff change their behaviors to use resources wisely.

— Gina Lettiere, Loyola University sustainability specialist

City recognized for communication By Manuel rapada

Green groups look to Loyola for sustainability tips Page 6

The Daily Northwestern www.dailynorthwestern.com Editor in Chief Kaitlyn Jakola

eic@dailynorthwestern.com

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Evanston has been named a “citizen-engaged community” for its excellence in communicating with residents, the city announced Tuesday. The Public Technology Institute, a technology non-profit for municipalities, awarded the designation to Evanston and more than a dozen other communities. In addition to being the only Illinois city to be named “citizen-engaged,” Evanston was the only city or county with up to 75,000 residents to receive the recognition. In a news release, Evanston city manager Wally Bobkiewicz said the city is “very proud” to receive the award, adding that this is the second time this year the city has been recognized for its communication efforts. In July, Evanston received PTI’s Web 2.0 award for the city’s use of social media for government communication. “It is a special honor to be recognized twice in one year as a leader in innovative digital communication,” Bobkiewicz said in the release. “Feedback from residents who have used the 311 Citizen Support Center has been overwhelmingly positive. Residents appreciate the short wait time and accurate answers to their questions.” For the citizen engagement award, PTI assessed communities on citizen participation processes including service requests, integrated communication channels and technology such as 311 and

General Manager Stacia Campbell

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Sports desk Daily file photo by Marshall Cohen

call me maybe A woman works at the 311 center in late 2011. The 311 call center is located at the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center.

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performance reporting. Other municipalities applying for the citizenengaged community award had an average 3-1-1 call wait time of 50 seconds at a cost of about $3.52 per call, but Evanston averaged only 11 seconds at $3.44 per call. Recent changes to the city’s 311 citizen support center, originally launched in March 2011, include Click to Call and Web Chat. Click to Call connects residents to 311 online when they type in their phone numbers, and Web Chat is an online messaging service that allows customers to chat with a service operator at the center.

PTI judged government service centers according to criteria in three categories: Citizen Participation Processes, Integrated Communication Channels and Technology and Performance Reporting. Evanston’s 311 center has received more than 122,673 service requests and 35,638 calls to date. The city will host a focus group today to gather community input on its current 311 service. Residents with 311 experiences they’d like to share are invited to the Levy Senior Center at 9 a.m. to help Evanston improve its citizen support center.

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the store to identify Mitchell, who has a previous conviction for aggravated identify theft. Mitchell is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 6.

obtained a search warrant for the residence of Marwan Rahim in the 2900 block of West Pratt Avenue in Chicago. According to the release, an EPD investigation of illegal drug sales in Evanston, Skokie and Rogers Park lead them to Rahim. Officers recovered 215 grams of cannabis in addition to a .38 caliber handgun and more than $5,000 in cash, according to the release.

manuelrapada2015@u.northwestern.edu

Police Blotter Niles man arrested in connection with identity theft case Niles resident Ricky Mitchell was arrested and charged with identity theft Sunday morning. In October, a 69-year-old Evanston resident reported a stolen purse, which included several credit cards, Evanston Police spokesman Cmdr. Jay Parrott said. Police found Mitchell when he used one of the cards to purchase $14 worth of groceries at a JewelOsco in Niles. Officers used security footage from

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Evanston Police execute second drug-related raid this week Evanston Police executed their second drugrelated search warrant in Rogers Park on Tuesday, according to a news release. Officers from the Special Operations Group

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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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thursday, november 29, 2012

On Campus

“

After my freshman and sophomore year, I really wished there were individuals out there who reached out to me to really sort of push me.

”

— Bienen senior Sergio Alvarez

the daily northwestern | NEWS 3 New MGC group focuses on Latino population Page 5

Active Minds pushes mental health ENU Group pursues ASG’s $10k for mental health orientation programming By Meghan Morris

the daily northwestern

Kaitlin Svabek/Daily Senior Staffer

fresh mex Associated Student Government vice president Brad Stewart (left) and other ASG members sample food from Frontera Fresco on Wednesday evening. Frontera Fresco, a quickserve Mexican restaurant chain, is set to open its Norris location Friday morning.

Norris sets opening date for Frontera Fresco

Frontera Fresco, the quick-serve Mexican restaurant, will open 8 a.m. Friday in Norris University Center. Norris announced the opening date Wednesday morning on Twitter, also posting a picture of the finalized restaurant space with a Frontera Fresco sign. Frontera Fresco was originally set to open in late October, but construction setbacks caused delays to the grand opening, said Steve Mangan, resident district manager of nuCuisine, earlier this month. Another Norris official chalked up the late opening to the process of obtaining necessary permits from Evanston. Members of Associated Student Government were able to preview menu items from Frontera on Wednesday night before their weekly senate meeting.

“The (guacamole) was delicious. I’m enjoying the sandwich and the lime water,” ASG’s Rainbow Alliance senator and Weinberg junior Paul Koscumb said. “My only complaint is that it’s a little expensive to go on a regular basis.” Some students noted the potential for business to get very busy. “It was good,” added Katie Funderburg, also an ASG senator and Weinberg junior. “There were really friendly people, and even though there was a lot of traffic, it was a good way to generate student interest.” NuCuisine had planned to have on hand Frontera Fresco owner and renowned Chicago chef Rick Bayless for the official unveiling. Leading up to the opening, Norris collected questions for Bayless through Twitter. NuCuisine is also accepting Twitter submissions to pick a winner who will attend a private event at the restaurant on Thursday. — Paulina Firozi

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A Northwestern Active Minds petition for a mental health Essential NU during Wildcat Welcome has earned widespread attention from students since its creation earlier this month. The group created a Facebook campaign on Nov. 16 to support its submission to the Associated Student Government’s 10k Initiative, which will provide $10,000 for a student idea to improve NU. The proposal has garnered an increasing level of support in light of the growing debate surrounding campus mental health resources. NU Active Minds spokeswoman Shaina Coogan said new students need a mental health ENU to understand the varied resources on campus should they or their friends need assistance. “The fact that there’s not an orientation program that shows resources on campus was unbelievable to us,” the Weinberg senior said. “It seems like students have to figure it out for themselves.” Coogan, a former Daily staffer, said students are directed toward counseling and other services during emotionally-triggering times but lack understanding of how to access care centers on a day-to-day basis. “It seems like other schools do a little bit more in publicizing their campus resources,” she said. “Regardless of whether or not you’re diagnosed with a mental illness, college is a very stressful place.” More than 500 students have indicated that

meghanmorris2015@u.northwestern.edu

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they have or intend to submit NU Active Minds’ proposal for the Essential NU by joining the organization’s Facebook event. SESP junior Billy Choo, a self-described mental health advocate, said students want to engage in conversations about mental health but lack the resources. “You can’t say that the community should come together without the agency to do so,” he said. “There are skills behind mental health discussions, such as active listening, that need to be learned.” University chaplain Tim Stevens said Fall Quarter’s two student deaths and subsequent discussion about NU mental health prompted an examination of the Wildcat Welcome programming. “There’s a question about effectiveness because if new students are here for 10 minutes, and we start throwing all this information at them, how much will they retain?” he said. “Folks are starting to talk about sustained efforts throughout the year.” He emphasized the variety of services offered on campus, whether at Counseling and Psychological Services or pastoral counseling through the chaplain’s office. “We need to do a whole lot more of marketing what’s available,” he said. Coogan said regardless of the outcome of the 10k Initiative, she is happy the group has contributed to mental health discussions on campus. “Even if we don’t win, this got students thinking about this issue and talking about the importance of an orientation program and of maintaining mental health,” she said. Proposal submission closes at the end of Reading Week, and voting on top ideas will take place during Winter Quarter.

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FORUM Thursday, November 29, 2012

Join the online conversation at www.dailynorthwestern.com OPINIONS from The Daily Northwestern’s Forum Desk

PAGE 4

Emanuel impresses despite policy differences Yoni muller

Daily columnist

When Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel stepped out onto the stage Wednesday at Ryan Auditorium, I had no idea what to expect. Would the smaller-than-expected, but clearly confident, mayor spend his time praising President Barack Obama? Would he butter us up with political jazz as a means of prepping for higher office someday? Would he do his best impression of George Carlin’s “Seven Dirty Words” bit? I had no idea, but I was excited. As it turned out, the speech was relatively pedestrian: a few disappointments, a few bold statements, all adding up to a pleasant and interesting, though far from groundbreaking, event. It goes without saying that he spoke quite a bit about Obama and his successes, primarily in regards to the auto bailout. He also weighed in on the election, shifting demographics and why Obama won a second term. His discussion on national issues and politics was largely unmemorable with the exception of one statement: “In the next six years, we will be

energy independent. This is the single greatest thing that can happen (in American policy).” I was torn by this part of the discussion and Emanuel analysis of the consequences of such independence. Emanuel stated that such an energy policy would change how we conduct our foreign affairs, how we negotiate with other countries and where our international trade balance lies, all of which are very important and real consequences of energy independence. However, he also said it will lead to lower gas prices and revive manufacturing — here I have a problem. Any economist will tell you that gas in an energy independent U.S. is only marginally cheaper than in an energy dependent nation. Mayor Emanuel’s stating otherwise suggests he is either oblivious to this fact (which I highly doubt), or that he is pushing some sort of political agenda. Either way, this didn’t quite sit well with me. The mayor’s main focus of the night was education, which was quite fitting given where he was speaking. And yet, that part left me strangely unsatisfied. Emanuel focused almost entirely on higher education — universities such as our own, Big Ten alumni who live in Chicago, and the transformation of community colleges to vocational schools. Having a college-educated population that can

“

I walked away with a satisfying comfort in Rahm as the mayor of Chicago. Emanuel simply exudes love for Chicago, to the point where his wife is probably jealous.

contribute to Chicago’s future by involvement in various services and filling job vacancies is important, but it’s not what I wanted to hear. As most of you remember, the Chicago Teachers Union called for a strike at the beginning of the school year. The teachers all decided to spend a portion of their $70,000 average annual salary on matching shirts and picket signs to protest various school reforms, essentially telling Rahm something that he’s used to saying instead of hearing. And yet, his only reference to the event was a statement that he “worked hard to ensure the kids have a full school day and a full school year.” No rebuttal to critiques that he wasn’t harsh enough and no discussion on how he would like to continue reform going forward or how he would address the colossal deficit that the CPS pension plan, as well as numerous other municipality pensions, keep running.

But while I disagreed with some of Emanuel’s policy statements, my biggest takeaway wasn’t his discussion (or lack thereof) of any of his successes (or lack thereof) from his time as mayor or in the White House. Rather, I walked away with a satisfying comfort in Rahm Emanuel as the mayor of Chicago. From the story of his family’s migration to Illinois, to his claim that Chicago is “the most American city in America,” to his continuing drive to keep developing Chicago into a leading international city, Emanuel simply exudes love for Chicago, to the point where his wife is probably jealous. While I may have questions about his policy and points of disagreement, it’s hard to imagine he has anything but the city’s best interests at heart, which I find to be the most important quality in a mayor. I left Tech today with the shocking disappointment that the strongest language Rahm used was “hogwash,” but with an even stronger sense of comfort in the fact that Chicago, and its neighbors to the north at NU, are in caring hands with Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Yoni Muller is a Weinberg sophomore. He can be reached at jonathanmuller2015@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, email a Letter to the Editor to forum@dailynorthwestern.com.

Guest Column

Campus culture must stop stigmatizing mental illness cristina traina and laurie zoloth GUEST COLUMNISTs

For the second time this fall, we’ve opened our email to learn about the sudden death of a member of our community. In September, McCormick sophomore Harsha Maddula was found drowned after he attended an off-campus party, and we may never know the narrative that led to his death. Last week, Weinberg junior and Brady Scholar Alyssa Weaver committed suicide while she was studying abroad in London. Those of us who know them will mourn them, struggle over the terrible meaninglessness of their deaths and feel the complicity of looking for reasons before we return to the routine of our daily lives. We feel helpless before suicide, which tends to make it seem like a sudden, rare, random strike. If only that were true. According to the Centers for Disease Control, suicide is the third most common cause of death among people between the ages of 15 and 24, and the second most common among young adults between 25 and 34. Although most people with mental illness do not attempt suicide, nearly all who do have

The Drawing Board

an underlying psychological issue like depression, a chronic or acute despair that they cannot control. In a recent study from the National Institute of Mental Health, 30 percent of college students reported that during the past year they had at some point been so depressed they felt unable to function. The study noted that depression seems to be on the rise on college campuses. This means that even if you are not suffering from depression, someone you know is. The trouble is that smart, vibrant Northwestern students tend to be awfully good at hiding it. Your can-do mentality tends to tell you, “I can overcome this if I just try harder!” or even “I feel guilty for being so depressed when I have so much going for me!” Or you may just be baffled at finding yourself failing at something for the first time, when you are here largely because of your capacity for steady success at everything you have tried. But learning to accept your limits is learning what it means to be human. Realize that although difficult events can trigger depression and suicide, depression is really a chemical imbalance in the brain. You can no more adjust this balance than a diabetic can will to make more insulin or a person with low thyroid

production can think herself out of fatigue. At the physical level, the brain, like any organ, can become unable to function properly — in this case, to imagine that there are other futures beyond the intensity, or the injustice, or the pain of this moment. What can you do for yourself and your friends? First, get rid of the stigma around depression, suicidal thoughts and treatment for mental illness. We need to learn to talk about mental illness like we talk about cancer, a serious emotional and physical crisis that can be treated, whose sufferers need support and decency and understanding as they face a life-threatening illness. Depression and anxiety are more common than asthma. You wouldn’t stigmatize a friend for using her inhaler; she shouldn’t feel shame if she uses Prozac to function either. Second, get informed. Know the signs. Sadness is one, but irritability, difficulty concentrating, weight loss or gain, abuse of alcohol or drugs, chronic difficulty sleeping, ongoing aches and pains and even risk-taking behavior often signal depression too. If you can, get involved in NU Active Minds or another group that educates and advocates. Third, take care of yourselves. Take care of

by Susan Du

each other. Get enough sleep, eat as if you care about yourself and walk over to the gym, even if you don’t feel like it. Finally, stay in touch. See a counselor. Tell your professor directly if the assignment needs to be late, or you are worried that you cannot pass that final exam, or the pressure to succeed makes it hard to even start. We are here to teach you — the goal is to help you learn, not to punish you, or to overwhelm you. Ask us for help, for that is our job as teachers, to teach you how to try again. And not just for yourself — speak up if you are concerned about a friend. A life — yours or someone else’s — is worth whatever it takes to protect it, including changing a culture that can lead to despair and working to remove the stigma that surrounds mental illness of any type. Our community needs every single one of you. Cristina Traina, a Public Voices Fellow with the Op Ed project, is a professor of religious studies and former professor in the Brady Program for Ethics and Civic Life. She and some members of her extended family live with depression. Laurie Zoloth is director of the Brady Program in ethics and civic life and a professor of religious studies.

The Daily Northwestern Volume 134, Issue 44 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.

THE CURRENT Your weekly dose of arts and entertainment • Thursday, November 29, 2012

Instrumental Success Northwestern sophomore Jun Sung Ahn finds his forte on YouTube by James Bien

Photo courtesy of Jun Sung Ahn

VIVACIOUS VIOLINIST Communication sophomore Jun Sung Ahn publishes violin covers of pop songs on YouTube. In 16 months, he’s had 16 million views and 120,000 subscribers.

YouTube’s “recommendations” feature an endless list of covers of top 40 songs sung by people all over the world but with hardly any differentiation amongst them. Through the recent surge of “Glee” and an a capella culture, this trend has become even more prevalent. Every week, a new star is born via a popular cover, but the fame dies as quickly as it is incited, as he or she is replaced by the next mainstream YouTuber. With such a tedious weekly cycle, it is hard to keep up with each week’s fashionable videos. Frankly, it’s easy to lose interest in these covers. Communication sophomore Jun Sung Ahn, who makes videos on YouTube under the pseudonym Jun Curry Ahn (a play on his ethnicity), offers a new take on YouTube’s music scene. Since July 2011, Ahn has recorded and published violin covers of popular songs on the website. In just 16 months, he’s had 16 million views and 120,000 subscribers. His cover of Psy’s summer hit “Gangnam Style” reached more than 2.4 million views. Ahn started playing classical violin in fifth grade. Since then, he has performed in countless competitions and recitals. Unlike many of his friends from high school Ahn wanted to continue his violin career in college. Even though

he’s not a Bienen music major, he’s heavily involved in performing on campus. When he entered Northwestern, he immediately joined the full-size orchestra, Philharmonia. He is also involved with NU’s Asian-concentrated dance crew, Refresh. One might wonder why a student so devoted to classical performance would decide to venture into making pop covers. However, like so many successful YouTubers, Ahn created his channel out of boredom. “I was just really bored. I didn’t have any schoolwork to do, I didn’t have any violin competitions to practice for,” he said. “This was before freshman year. I just wanted to cover one of my favorite songs for my friend.” Ahn’s success did not happen overnight, but in comparison to the numerous YouTube channels that often go unrecognized, it didn’t take him long to attract the attention he’s received. View count and comments started to increase as Ahn began making more videos.

Although his YouTube fame is relatively new, Ahn isn’t new to making covers. Throughout his years of studying the violin, Ahn would wind down after long hours of practice by playing his own renditions of pop songs. The musician is clearly passionate about music of all genres, as evidenced by an eye-catching Taylor Swift poster that hangs on his wall in his videos. “Taylor Swift, I’m just a very big fanboy of,” Ahn said, which is ironic as he has a large fangirl base himself. “What I find inspirational about music is the concept of how it is a universal language.” Certainly, viewers from all over the world have come to love his videos, so much so that he receives regular mail and gifts in a P.O. box at home in New Jersey. Among his favorites is a handwritten letter which includes illustrations of him in his videos. Internet fame comes with a price, however. Making regular YouTube videos is a time-consuming activity, which has taken a toll on other aspects of Ahn’s life. He dropped out of Philharmonia due to the lack of time he was able to commit to it. “Managing time with school and YouTube is really hard,” he said. “That tends to affect my friendships, too.” This may be due to the amount of attention he devotes to each cover. In

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND Saturday

Sunday

Holiday Ornament Workshop When: 1 to 3:30 p.m. Where: ARTica Studios, 1999 Campus Drive Cost: $16 Enjoy cookies, fruit and cheese while decorating three ornaments at this workshop. Register online or in person at the Norris Box Office.

What: Lincoln Park Zoo Zoolights When: 5 to 9 p.m. Where: Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001

Friday What: Evanston Public Library Winter Book Sale When: Noon to 5:30 p.m. Where: Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington Ave. Cost: Free Buy some books at the Evanston Public Library Winter Book Sale; the proceeds go directly towards the library.

What:

North Clark St. Cost: Free Lincoln Park Zoo event features ice carving, food, animals, and of course, a zoo filled with lights and holiday music. Zoolights run through Jan. 6. — Annie Bruce

one particular video, Ahn collaborated with his friends at Refresh to create a vocal, dance and violin cover of BigBang’s K-pop smash, “Blue.” Refresh president Jasmine Hubbard recalls her experience of working with him on the cover. “When it comes to video editing, Jun’s a perfectionist,” the Weinberg senior said. “That’s the part that takes the longest.” Communication sophomore Kevin Kim, who regularly helps Ahn with his videos, agrees. “(Working with Jun) is fun,” he said. “He wants everything to look good, so he spends a lot of time on his work.” The amount of effort put into creating a high-quality video cover does not go unnoticed by fans or by his fellow NU students. Another thing Ahn lamented about being a YouTube star is the fact that incoming freshmen already know about him before a formal introduction. “Those are the people I might become friends with,” Ahn said. “I don’t like having to start those kinds of things off with a preconceived notion.” Nonetheless, Ahn is appreciative of the success he has achieved in the past year and half. Undoubtedly, the money he makes through YouTube surpasses any work-study job he could have gotten at NU. He is also grateful for the

encouragement of his large fanbase and the opportunities his videos have opened up for him. Being a YouTube star has allowed Ahn to perform in many shows. He has collaborated with other successful YouTube artists such as Arden Cho and Sungha Jung, and he also recently traveled to Los Angeles for the final round of the Asian arts and entertainment competition, Kollaboration Star 2012. He first competed in Chicago during the summer, appearing on a television show where they picked the contenders for the finale in Los Angeles. Although his achievements surpass those of a typical college sophomore, both Hubbard and Kim said Ahn reflects the talent that can be found all around campus. Ahn agrees and would like to see more of his peers showcase their skills online. “Northwestern has a lot of talented people. (Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra) violinists, Refresh dancers are all very good,” Ahn said. “I don’t know why they don’t show it on YouTube.”

VIDEO ONLINE >>>Go to dailynorthwestern.com/ current to get a behind-the-scenes look at one of Ahn’s videos.

INSIDE 2

This Week We’re Obsessed With: Parody Twitter accounts Organic Chemistry: Kayley and Michelle

3

Music Review: Christmas albums to tune into this holiday season

4

Page 2 | The Current

5

words for...

Lindsay Lohan

Q &A

Mandy Stadtmiller xoJane deputy editor and NU alumna

Mandy Stadtmiller (Medill ‘97) has a unique voice she uses to tell stories about everything from networking and careers to exposes on dark sexual fantasies. She discovered that voice as a journalism major at Northwestern where she was entertainment editor of The Daily Northwestern. She is currently the deputy editor of xoJane.com, a website “where women go when they are being selfish, and where their selfishness is applauded.” The Current recently spoke with Stadtmiller about her journalism journey, interviewing celebrities as an NU undergrad and taking chances.

What is your favorite

THE memory from your time CURRENT at Northwestern? Arts and entertainment in a heartbeat

Source: Wikimedia Commons

The Lifetime Network premiered the much-hyped movie “Liz & Dick” Sunday. The movie is a chronicle of the relationship between film stars Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, and Lindsay Lohan’s performance as Taylor was widely panned. The Daily and Current staffers respond: “Lindsay spoils potentially befitting roles.” — Sydney Zink “LiLo gets Worst Accent Emmy.” — Alison Abrams “You’re playing Liz, not Linds.” — Sam Freedman “LiLo, The Plastics wouldn’t approve.” — Megan Patsavas “Don’t call it a comeback.” — Annie Bruce “Lindsay Lohan as ‘please stop.’” — Khari Shelton “At least the jewelry rocked.” — Chelsea Peng “I miss ‘The Parent Trap.’” — Devan Coggan “Should’ve stopped at ‘Mean Girls.’” — Chelsea Sherlock “Well, she’s out of jail ...” — Kelsey Ott “I really couldn’t care less.” — Marshall Cohen Compiled by Alison Abrams

The Current Editor in Chief Megan Patsavas

Assistant Editor Chelsea Peng

Design Editor Kelsey Ott

Assistant Design Editor

Chelsea Sherlock

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Odds & Ends

I have a lot. You know, probably, when I was entertainment editor of The Daily Northwestern and we pulled off some really awesome stories and covers, like I interviewed Conan O’Brien as a student and I did a story that helped me get an internship at The Washington Post when I chronicled the rise and downfall of Sassy magazine, which ironically was Jane Pratt’s first magazine venture, and that’s who I work for now.

What is your favor-

THE ite article you have CURRENT written? Arts and entertainment in a heartbeat

I’m proud of an article I wrote about getting sober. I really liked the writing in it. I

wrote one story for The New York Post about meeting strangers from Myspace for an entire week in 2006 when Myspace was really huge … and that was a really special article for me because I got more reactions from that article than many others.

What do you like

THE most about your job CURRENT as deputy editor of Arts and entertainment in a heartbeat

xoJane.com?

I like being able to write things in my own voice. ... (At) xoJane I’m able to bring all the things to the table that I think are my strengths, including my vulnerability and sense of humor and authenticity and insight. That’s an absolute dream for any writer. I also really love doing a lot of the editing work that I’m doing. I’ve gotten a chance to go from pop culture trends that I’ve seen and then kind of immediately assign them and see them come to fruition immediately.

How

would

you

THE describe your voice CURRENT as a writer?

Photo courtesy of Lili Perez

mandy’s MUSE NU alumna and journalist Mandy Stadtmiller (right) calls xoJane.com editorial assistant Olivia Hall her muse and friend.

shades of grey. Those are the kind of stories I like to tell, the ones that are more honest and not slanted. I think at my core, I really love honest, brutal, unflinching writing.

Arts and entertainment in a heartbeat

I would say authentic, raw, funny, honest, provocative, brutal. I try to look at myself with the same unflinching honesty that I look at others. I also try to be fair and not do kind of an easy, black and white, good guy/bad guy fairytale lampooning of the characters in a story, but really look for the subtle

What advice do you

THE have for students? CURRENT Arts and entertainment in a heartbeat

The main thing would be to not be afraid and to recognize the asset you have in your youth and your position as a college student. ... I got flown out to

New York by Miramax to interview Gwyneth Paltrow, David Schwimmer and a ton of other stars in ‘96 just because I called and left a message. I called some movie company, looking to do an interview with some celebrity ... and they were doing this junket and they called me and flew me out to New York. I was interested in comedy writing, so I called NBC and left a message wanting info about how to be a comedy writer and they had my info, so they called me and I got an interview with Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno because of that. — Chelsea Sherlock

This week we’re obsessed with...

Parody twitter accounts

For those of you who aren’t one of my 261 Twitter followers, you don’t know how obsessed I am with the site. I have tweeted more than 11,000 times and I constantly find new ways to annoy my followers with banal remarks and occasional over-shares. I know many people are still either anti-Twitter or merely indifferent, but I want to try to persuade all of you that Twitter is a magical land of procrastination leagues ahead of Facebook. Here are four outrageously funny and retweet-worthy Twitter accounts that might convince you to make an account of your own so you can start following some hilarious people.

@IsitChrristmas

This account is one of those simple yet somehow laugh-out-loud funny accounts that pops up in your timeline as a retweet and surprises you with how random it is. The gist of the account is self-explanatory: they remind you several times a day that it is in fact NOT Christmas in different words such as “nope,” “not yet,” and just flat out “NO!” I can’t express how anxious I am for Dec. 25, just to see how crazy this Twitter gets when it’s finally its time to shine.

@chanelpuke

Honestly, describing this account is pretty difficult. For me, these tweets are things I think of but never say aloud. I constantly have to remind myself that it’s not normal to retweet every single tweet someone posts when I read through this Twitter feed each day. Everything from blatant self-deprecation to those weird things many of us do without realizing others do them as well are made funny by this Twitter account. I think the lack of punctuation might have something to do with why I find it funny: each tweet reads as a quick, random thought not unlike

one of my own. The funniest part might also be its avatar: an unflattering picture of Miley Cyrus with about five chins.

@yourawaymessage

Definitely my favorite Twitter account at the moment, Your Away Message is a throwback to the days of AIM, breakups and middle school drama. The account references “Laguna Beach,” pop-punk lyrics and the typography of the era that we probably all remember too well. Though at first the tweets were unrelated, there is now an ongoing plotline involving the narrator and fictional characters named Maggie, Jake and Mike. This fake drama keeps me captivated more than I care to admit in print.

@kendall_thought

This parody of the second-youngest member of the Kardashian/Jenner clan has at times had me literally weeping in class. Whoever runs the account mocks the rich, materialistic teen and makes her out to be even more spoiled than she is in reality. Maybe because I already find that whole family over-the-top ridiculous, I think this Twitter could sadly be mistaken for Kendall’s real account, @KendallJenner. It could be wrong of me, but I never fail to get a laugh out of imagining Kendall getting lost in her mansion for 11 days. To better understand the hilarity of these Twitter accounts, go online and check out more of their tweets. If none of these strike your fancy, you should still consider getting a Twitter for other reasons, like talking to your friends or people you wish you were friends with (shameless plug: @lakenisahorcrux) or following news sources (such as @thecurrentnu). Happy tweeting! — Laken Howard

Screenshots: Twitter

Thursday, November 29, 2012 Clothes Lines

chelsea peng

Go big or go home Because excess is the American way. Part deux of the holiday gorgefest is coming faster than Karlie Kloss down a runway, and with it arrives the opportunity to again don all manner of oversized knits and elastic waistbands — never “stretchy pants” — to disguise a post-binge session bulge, then wallow in selfdisgust while subsisting on nothing but dry brushing, meditation and servings of pulverized raw, green vegetables for three days (and that’s only a beginner’s cleanse, you know). Whether you’ve resolved to practice extra-mindful eating or you’ve just reintroduced solid food to your diet, we can all aim to de-puff our closets as we’re trying to reduce enough to slither back into our slimmest trousers. I suspect many of you will identify with the problem of stuffing a Suzanne Rogers-size wardrobe into a dorm room cupboard (even more

Organic Chemistry Kayley and Michelle This week’s blind daters were Weinberg freshman Kayley McPhee and Weinberg sophomore Michelle Lega. They were set up because of their shared appreciation of music and creativity, and went to Kafein on their blind date. Read on to see if their connection sizzled or fizzled by checking out their responses to The Current’s post-date questionnaire:

Kayley McPhee: The date went

really well! Michelle and I ended up talking for over four hours, which I wasn’t expecting. I figured I would be more shy than that but we got along very well.

Michelle Lega: We talked about

a lot of things: school, the Internet, cute fluffy animals. We were at Kafein for four hours and neither of us

Dirty Talk phoebe gonzález

Are sex, relationships mutually exclusive? Hello, lovely Wildcats. I come to you today to discuss something a little different from what I have in the past. I need to disclose a tidbit about myself: I am in a relationship. I have been since long before I started writing this column, so I guess I’ve been writing to you all from a specific perspective, that of a lady who is not in fact single and therefore not going out and having lots of no-holds-barred (safe and consensual!) sex with different people. This is not a confession, but rather a clarification. I’m in a great relationship and I have a lot of good sex. But this is in no way what I would have predicted for myself nor anywhere near what I wanted in high school. Relationships, sex and I have had a bit of a tumultuous run. When I started dating and hooking up with people, I was convinced sex and relationships were always supposed to be related. If you were having sex with someone, you were probably

Alissa Zhu/The Daily Northwestern

sOmETHInG In THE WATER A sea of clothing options might make wearing a sundress with your winter coat possible, but it’s smarter to rotate what you keep in your closet.

wishful: that McQueen . Add in a maximalist ideology, and my closet becomes the Bermuda Triangle — only, instead of cruise ships, it swallows Creatures of the Wind. It might be helpful to have four seasons of options at your disposal, but when you take moving out at the end of the year into account, closet rotation is a smarter decision, if only to avoid excess baggage fees or straining your poor back. The objective then is to head

home for winter break with as much out-of-season clothing as possible and to come back with a suitcase stuffed with gifts and holiday sale purchases. For those hyper-committed to keeping their entire wardrobes at school, try traveling with a mostly empty suitcase — surely there’re enough reserves in your athome arsenal to tide you over until the start of winter quarter. And even if you don’t, I should hope you’re spending most of your break with

wanted to leave. We told each other funny stories about our lives. She has a pet moss ball.

Kayley that goes to Northwestern. So I found her Facebook before our date, but it was private.

KM: Michelle was super friendly and we had a lot in common. We both like animals, which we talked a lot about. She was easy to talk to and a very nice person.

KM: I didn’t have much time to prepare because I was coming from downtown but I did have an easier time not stressing. Because it was blind, this date didn’t have me afraid of expectations or anything like that. That was really nice.

ML: We both like cute animals. We’re both from Chicago suburbs. We both like the Internet. KM: She owns two chinchillas named Fluff and Zora, has two tattoos and marches trumpet for (Northwestern University Marching Band)! ML: My biggest worry was that my date was going to be awkward or quiet or annoying. She was none of these. She was very engaging and fun. KM: She’s a grade above me, and a member of a sorority (Chi Omega). Besides that, she also lives off campus. As far as personalities go, she seems more outgoing than I am!

The Current | Page 3

Columns people who won’t care if you repeat a sweater anyway. So what’s worth occupying valuable real estate in the woefully shallow drawers native to on-campus housing? Trade cotton sundresses, especially ones with splashy florals, and sandals of any kind for anything that’ll fit into the endless rotation of leggings, button-downs, knits, furs and boots Caroline Blomst and Jane Aldridge often (and rightly) advise. When you’re deciding which precious few scarves will make the cut, try everything on. Document particularly successful outfits in your Moleskine or Smythson (might I suggest the “Bright Ideas” wafer notebook?), take Polaroids like those in British Vogue’s hyper-addictive “Today I’m Wearing” feature or Instagram, if you’re willing to submit the carefully catalogued and Valencia-filtered contents of your closet to Cyrillic-obsessed scammers. And with retailers hawking bikinis in December, you could actually bring new warm-weather purchases back to Northwestern. Buy now, I-can’twait-to-wear-it-now requires strategic layering, like dark turtlenecks or heavyweight flannels under diaphanous dresses. Don’t spend your entire time off waffling over which Heattech undershirt to pack. There’s always FedEx, but there’s no place like home.

“” Here we Go again

“(I regret) nothing because then I wouldn’t have been able to cry in scenes at the drop of a hat. I have it tattooed: Live without regrets. I’m not saying I wanted to go to a jail cell, but I’ve drawn from all of it.” — Lindsay Lohan on her troubled past. Lohan recently starred in the Lifetime movie “Liz & Dick.”

Source: Wikimedia Commons

“If you watch ‘Two and a Half Men,’ please stop watching. … I’m on ‘Two and a Half Men,’ and I don’t want to be on it. Please stop watching it and filling your head with filth.” — “Two and a Half Men” star Angus T. Jones bashes his show in a YouTube video posted by the Forerunner Chronicles. He later released a statement apologizing for his comments.

ML: I don’t think either of us was very nervous. We were both comfortable and relaxed. It was enjoyable. KM: I think I shared whatever I would share with a non-blind date. I just got to know her better and all that associated stuff. I’ve never really been on a (blind) date with anyone before because I’ve only ever dated close friends — so I just talked a little about myself and then we ended up having a lot in common! ML: I would definitely go on a

blind date again. This is the second blind date I’ve gone on and they’ve both been very fun.

ML: I actually looked her up in the directory and turns out she’s the only

KM: I already have gone out with her again! I felt very comfortable

dating them, or you should be. But then that didn’t seem to follow when I found myself occasionally making out with people I had no intention of dating, and I never felt bad about that. I thought maybe I should, but I didn’t. When I finally did enter into a relationship, we did everything by the book. We dated for three months, slowly progressing in the kind of sexual activity we did, we said “I love you” and then we started having sex (as in a p-in-v type situation). But the sex was consistently not so great. But wait, I thought, I did everything right! We’re dating! I’ve met his parents! What’s going on? So when that relationship ended (surprisingly not so neatly), I was ready for sex minus all the aspects of a relationship — no love, no commitment. I felt great making my own sexual decisions without having to worry about judgment, and I found my voice in the bedroom. However, as I’ve said before, the best experiences (and the most orgasms) came from being with someone who legitimately cared about me — not in the way a committed boyfriend would, but in the way a friend with my best interests at heart would. The only catch was being with someone I cared about raised the stakes. Things were trickier, but somehow more satisfying.

That was when When I started I calmed down dating and about relahooking up tionships and sex – with people, I course was convinced of t here’s a sex and correlation! But good relationships sex exists were always outside of supposed to be relationships and related. great relationships exist without lots of sex. It depends on approximately a million things, including but not limited to: your sex drive, your chemistry with your partner, your comfort level with dating or just hooking up. I arrived at Northwestern last year having experienced both sex in relationships and sans relationship and determined all I wanted was noncommital sex. However, I hooked up with my current boyfriend the

“

mORE OnLInE

Photo courtesy of Michelle Lega

A GOOD sTART Weinberg sophomore Michelle Lega (left) and Weinberg freshman Kayley McPhee posed for a photo on their date at Kafein. They talked about their pets and their love of the Internet.

around her on our date at Kafein so I totally felt alright going out again. I didn’t feel awkward around her. Compiled by Chelsea Sherlock

first week of school. We floundered for a while, but now here I am in a real relationship — and I mean real. We play it by ear, try new things and genuinely like each other, which is all I can ask for right now and all I want. If this all comes off as rather glib, I tell these stories in a less serious way than they were experienced. My point is this: Only you can determine what you want and need from sexual encounters and relationships — and figuring out what you need is a b****. It takes lots of trial and error and a willingness to get dirty (literally or metaphorically). The decision I made might be (and probably is) wildly divergent from the one you make, but maybe my history will encourage you to figure out your own feelings about the intersection of sex and relationships. So here’s where we leave each other this quarter. It’s been wondrous. Please don’t hesitate to email me at dirtytalk2015@gmail.com. Happy coming!

>>>Are you having good sex? Check out the online version of this column at dailynorthwestern.com/current for a sexy quiz.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

“I’m just saying, there have been worse dinners. … Like what? ... The dining scene from ‘Alien’ comes to mind.” — Castle, played by Nathan Fillion, and Beckett, played by Stana Katic, joke around on “Castle.” “I promise with the entirety of my heart that we will make (‘Girl Meets World’) with the same honesty, innocence and intelligence. The first comment out of every person (involved)’s mouth was, ‘Let’s only do it if we think we can create something as special as we did with (‘Boy Meets World.’)” — Danielle Fishel assures fans on her Tumblr page that “Girl Meets World” will be just as special as the original. Fishel and co-star Ben Savage officially signed on to be part of the spin-off series.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

“You threw away the microwave? That’s what makes burritos delicious!” — Nick, played by Jake Johnson, always finds something to complain about on “New Girl.” — Annie Bruce

Page 4 | The Current

‘Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter’

Movie Review ‘Life of Pi’ “Life of Pi” takes the realms of digital effects and cinematography by storm, but it ultimately leaves most viewers struggling to remain on board with its overblown — and consequently unsustainable — intent. Despite commendable loyalty to Yann Martel’s novel, the film establishes its takeaway value in stunning imagery and effects. At times, the visuals seem overdone, such as during a daydream the protagonist Pi experiences as he looks into the ocean that essentially resembles an elaborate Windows XP screensaver. The film strives for a realistic effect evident through the meticulously lifelike quality of the digitally-created tiger. However, it also seeks to parade its own artful fantasy through elements like the daydream sequence, the living island and a flying fish onslaught. Ang Lee successfully met the visual challenges of directing a reputedly unfilmable movie. After all, how could the premise of a boy and a tiger stranded at sea ever maintain any sort of visual interest? The few environments and characters in focus lead Lee to feature intriguing cinematography and effects as well as attention-grabbing mise-enscene. Lee deserves utmost praise for “Life of Pi” if only for how he manages to give water new life, which he does in one way by manipulating the ocean’s biology. Regarding the (usually) digitallygenerated tiger known as Richard Parker, Pi’s recounted shipwreck story itself and the beautiful presentation of the oceanic environment, viewers have one outlook: We don’t care if it’s real or

Photo courtesy of Michael Brosilow

SLAB CITY CHATS Lou (Jennifer Avery) tries to persuade veteran Sutter (Lily Mojekwu) to discuss her persistent nightmares.

woman who has been addicted to just about everything, from drugs to petty theft, at a dirty train station. Lou, played by Jenny Avery, offers Sutter a place to crash. Enter Slab City, an old Marine base where a group of hippies live in tents and befriend everyone in the community. Rick and Jackie Penrod’s scenic design makes wonderful use of Next Theatre’s difficult space, which has no wings. The tarp, which previously served as the train station’s walls, is lifted to the ceiling to reveal the colorful collection of stuff that is Slab City. Red and orange lanterns light

the space, and photos, clothes and an electric fan hang from various beams. For a large portion of the production, Sutter and the plot seem to meander. Save for Lou, who Avery plays with an excellent combination of humor and vulnerability that conveys the character’s complexity, the other characters’ stories were not memorable. Buddy’s sermons are long and uninspiring, and although Donald does provide a few laughs, his romantic connection to Sutter feels contrived and out of place. For much of the play Sutter is cast into the

not, we just want to believe it. This viewers’ perspective, not coincidentally, ties into Pi’s religious sampling of Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. Pi searches not so much for truth as for something worth believing in. Some viewers have criticized this movie as beautiful but hollow. I would somewhat agree given how I (along with what seemed to be the rest of the theater) was wholeheartedly enchanted by the movie but felt not enough narrative substance endured. The film is a captivating vision with messages, subject matter and symbolism far too vast and ambitious to properly absorb, leaving something to be desired despite already feeling overextended. However, the presentation-driven implications of the narrative give it redemption it otherwise lacks — and lack it does if only because of (spoiler alert) the questionable truth of its story that leaves viewers feeling betrayed. The twist, though, is not exactly open to criticism considering its loyalty to the novel. In this sense of how the film may be received, the overwhelming yet unclear nature of the movie grants us insight into Pi’s encountered contradictions, skepticism, desire to believe and curiosity that drive his spiritual evolution. The narrative’s propulsion of give-and-take between viewers’ and Pi’s perspectives, like a storm driving the rise and fall of waves, engages audiences along with Ang Lee’s directive genius. Many subjects of this film relate to the term “a new life”— the Patel family’s relocation to America, Pi’s spirituality, even the verity of Pi’s life at sea. However, most of all, “Life of Pi” gives new life to Ang Lee’s reputation as a director and especially to the expanding potential of CGI.

Music Review

— Sydney Zink

Christmas albums Music is an irreplaceable aspect of the Christmas season — it is on the radio, in the shopping malls and played during those picturesque winter moments, as family members curl up by the fireplace with hot chocolate. Each year, a new crop of Christmas music selections are released by a wide range of artists. This year is no exception. Whether it’s for a gift or just for your own listening, here’s our rundown of some holiday albums worth checking out this Christmas.

Colbie Caillat: “Christmas in the Sand”

Colbie Caillat fixes a hole in our collective Christmas consciousness with her new holiday album. “Christmas in the Sand,” released Oct. 23, is a sunny, breezy holiday platter for those who have never seen snowflakes in December. Known for her light touch, Caillat rocks a little bit harder than usual in the album. This is especially true in the two songs “Merry Christmas Baby” and “Winter Wonderland,” both with an insistent electronic pulse. Though most songs in the album are familiar, the sound is not — it is lively and bright, sunnier than many other Christmas albums.

Lady Antebellum: “On This Winter’s Night”

Country stars have jumped on the Christmas music bandwagon, too. On Oct. 22, Lady Antebellum released its first full-length Christmas album “On This Winter’s Night,” which features the group’s Target-exclusive 2010 EP “A Merry Little Christmas” plus six new covers of traditional holiday hits. Vocally,

shadows, thanks in part to Mojekwu’s acting, which makes the character stiff and withdrawn. It is for this reason that Sutter’s request for booze and a kiss from various Slab City male residents is so out of character. The production heads in the right direction, or at least the one I was expecting, when a welcome-home celebration is thrown for Sutter. She ducks for cover, confusing a balloon popping with a bomb explosion, signified by a shocking red light. Later on, I was able to connect the pieces of her story when Sutter admits that she is unsure of what she’s doing and where her life is headed. Audiences are finally able to see her acknowledge her traumatic experience during her tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter” attempts to address how we treat veterans upon their return from combat. However, the play gets bogged down by the minor characters’ personal stories, failing to help the audience emotionally invest in the plights of either Sutter or Slab City’s residents. “Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter” is directed by Jessica Thebus, a Northwestern alumna and MFA Directing faculty member. It is running through Dec. 23 at Next Theatre in Evanston. — Iman Childs

Lady Antebellum is practically built for Christmas albums. The trio’s chemistry stokes coals in the fireplace and fits smoothly into the Christmas atmosphere. Musically, the group took few risks on the 12 songs. For the most part, it fails to add the modern touch that characterized its earlier three certified-platinum albums. However, highlights include a spicy rendition of Elvis’ “Blue Christmas,” which deviates markedly from the original with lush orchestral moments, string sections and more full-band arrangements; and the original title song “On This Winter’s Night” co-written by the trio and Grammy-winning songwriter Tom Douglas.

This week in the lives of the rich and famous ... Angus T. Jones (better known as “that kid from Two and a Half Men’”) released a religious testimonial video Monday in which he slammed the show for promoting “filthy” behavior. He later apologized for the rant, but it seems his bosses on the show aren’t too happy with him for it. Instead of replacing yet another lead actor on the sitcom, let’s just cancel it altogether. At this pace, there will soon only be two and a half original cast members left.

The Rundown

Theater Review Sometimes it pays to read the play’s description before entering the theater. Contrary to what “Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter” suggests, Jenny Sutter refuses to go home at all. In the stunning opening, Sutter, played by Lily Mojekwu, lies on a bed and via voiceover we learn of her parents’ troubled marriage and her desire to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps who, like her, was a Marine. The lighting casts an ethereal glow, with flashlights shining through the white tarp serving as the background. In a moment that best highlights Mojekwu’s ability to add serious gravity to her role, Sutter sits up and begins to change her clothes. As she struggles to pull off her right pant leg, the audience realizes she has a prosthetic limb. Playwright Julie Marie Myatt makes Sutter’s prosthetic leg the focus of the work. It is the source of her doubt concerning her beauty and attractiveness to men; she even fears her children will not be able to relate to her or accept her because of the prosthetic. During the play, Sutter meets Lou, a

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Reviews

YouTube recently announced the launch of a new, flashy production studio in Los Angeles, a physical homeland for Internet-famous vloggers to heighten the quality of their art. Soon, more of your favorite distractions will seem like something straight off the big screen. Knowing how much effort went into the production, you can now feel less guilty about ignoring that problem set to watch Jenna Marbles in super HD. Nicki Minaj is holding onto her 15 minutes of fame with an ungodly death grip. Following the massive success of her debut album “Pink Friday,” her attempts to repeat that triumph have failed considerably. She said she expects even stores like Walmart and Target may opt out of selling her new product “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded — The Re-Up.”

John Travolta and Olivia NewtonJohn: “This Christmas”

“Grease” stars Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta reunite for a holiday collection titled “This Christmas,” released Nov. 13. Their voices are a little overwhelmed by the production throughout the album, but their interpretations of classic Christmas songs and their duet technique still shine. In addition to the 12 classic covers, there is also a brand new original track titled “I Think You Might Like It,” written by John Farrar, who also wrote the smash hit “Grease” single “You’re the One That I Want.” This single track is worth the price of the album. The other track worth putting on your Christmas playlist is “Deck the Halls,” which also features singersongwriter James Taylor. The perfect harmony sounds like three old friends caroling on Christmas Eve. Nothing says Christmas like a good, old fashioned carol. Now put on some Christmas music to help you through finals week and embrace a melodious holiday season. — Angelene Sun

Source: Wikimedia Commons

The IFC show “Portlandia,” a quirky comedy produced by many of the same creative minds involved in “Saturday Night Live” — complete with sketches that poke fun at the hipster culture of my hometown — will return for a third season with a magnificent cast of guest stars. The Pacific Northwest is finally being recognized for its attitude toward an idealistic time period in which unmotivated people in knit hats and oversized glasses drink coffee and advocate for the environment. Hopefully it doesn’t become too mainstream for Portlanders to handle. — Haley Boston

THE WEEK THAT WAS

Rafi Letzter/Daily Senior Staffer

NU football triumphs over Illinois

In the last conference game of the season, Northwestern’s football team beat Illinois 50-14 at Ryan Field and reclaimed the Land of Lincoln Trophy. Junior quarterback Kain Colter and junior running back Venric Mark led the ground game. The NU offense dominated with eight different players scoring, while NU’s defense forced four turnovers. The Cats finished the season 9-3 overall and 5-3 in conference. It was a pleasure contributing to your nine consecutive losses, Illinois.

Source: Alyssa Weaver’s Facebook profile

Melody Song/The Daily Northwestern

Weinberg junior commits suicide while studying abroad in London

Student groups present a panel on mental disorders, associated stigma

The University released the unfortunate news of Weinberg junior Alyssa Weaver’s suicide this week. On behalf of the University, Patricia Telles-Irvin, vice president for student affairs, extended her sympathies to Weaver’s family and friends at NU. A vigil for Weaver is scheduled for 8 p.m. Thursday at The Rock. As fellow Wildcats, we offer our deepest condolences for this terrible loss.

The Undergraduate Psychology Association and NU Active Minds hosted a panel in Harris Hall led by NU psychology Prof. Robin Nusslock for students to share their struggles with mental disorders. Many audience members responded positively to the panel, and given recent events, this type of discussion is even more timely and important.

Melody Song/The Daily Northwestern

Rahm Emanuel speaks on campus

Technological Institute’s Ryan Auditorium, LR2 and LR3 overflowed Wednesday as students waited for NU alumnus and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to speak about the 2012 presidential election and his experience as White House Chief of Staff. He was invited to campus as a part of One Book One Northwestern project, though it’s dubious many attendees actually read “Never a City So Real.” — John Yang

the daily northwestern | NEWS 5

thursday, november 29, 2012

ASG selects funding committee, talks residential review Members were treated to preview of Frontera Fresco before Senate meeting By Stephanie haines

the daily northwestern

Associated Student Government had a delayed start to Wednesday’s weekly Senate meeting after a select group of ASG representatives were invited to dinner at University President Morton Schapiro’s house Wednesday with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, following his speech earlier Wednesday afternoon. When the meeting kicked off more than half an hour after its usual time, the Senate reviewed its preview of Frontera Fresco’s menu and elected six new account executive members to the Student Activities Finance Committee. ASG members had dinner at Frontera Fresco in the Norris University Center on Wednesday night, two days before the restaurant’s scheduled Friday opening[email]. At the start of the meeting, Julie Payne-Kirchmeier, assistant vice president for student auxiliary services asked the senators for feedback about their preview experience. Some students suggested potential

problems, such as the food being too expensive to purchase regularly or meals taking too long to prepare. Payne-Kirchmeier addressed the issue of cost, saying one of the reasons it is difficult to keep prices low is because the food is local, and thus more expensive. “We will work with them on some of those,� Payne-Kirchmeier said about some of the feedback. “We will continue to put this in the overall assessment of the food program.� After dinner, Senate held elections for SAFC. Three non-senators were elected to the SAFC, including Weinberg junior Amrit Kanesa-Thasan, McCormick sophomore Jason Arnold and Weinberg junior Siddiq Ather. Senators Weinberg junior Tori Zuzelo, Communication sophomore Sean Earley and Weinberg junior Sofia Sami w ​ ere also elected to the committee. ASG financial vice president Girish Pendse said SAFC’s goal is to allocate money from the student activities fee that all students pay in tuition to student groups and oversee their spending. The Weinberg senior said he thinks the six new account executives are “energetic and enthusiastic.� Following the elections, senators introduced B-status student groups funding recommendations for winter quarter. They will be voted

on at next weeks’ meeting as old business. The process is the same as A-status funding, which includes senator voting on allocation recommendations from an ASG committee. ASG Senate speaker Ani Ajith said the execIt’s Emanuel’s utive board plans to visit all residence halls birthday residential colleges tomorrow, so we and with Residential Serhad cake and vices executive direccandles for him tor Paul Riel to survey living conditions in the and then we buildings. Ajith said this is an “aggressive� move sang. on their part, as they Victor Shao, plan to visit two halls ASG president per week and check in with Riel on the progress of improving conditions. Elder Residential Community and Kemper Hall were two pilot residential buildings surveyed Fall Quarter, Ajith said. Two new business items were brought up during the meeting. The first was an amendment to extend the application deadline for the service and community engagement grant from Jan. 1 to Feb.1, allowing students applying more time to solidify their service plans.

“

The second piece of new business proposes a new rule be added to the election guidelines to increase election transparency. The proposed rule will make sure students seeking to run for a campus-wide elected ASG position must formally declare their intention of running before meeting with campus leaders and administrators to build their platforms. Steven Monacelli, ASG community relations vice president, said this decreases the gray area for potential candidates and their different interpretations for campaigning. “In the election season, it is basically a necessary component of running a campaign that a candidate meets with student leaders in their process of building a platform, but it is also essentially a mode of campaigning,� the Communication senior and former Daily staffer said. “We want to make sure everyone is on the same playing field.� Despite the delay due to the president’s dinner, Wednesday’s meeting ended slightly after 10 p.m. as scheduled. ASG president Victor Shao said about 70 NU students, administrators, faculty, alumni and Mayor Emanuel’s people were in attendance at the dinner. “It’s Emanuel’s birthday tomorrow, so we had cake and candles for him and then we sang,� the Weinberg senior said. stephaniehaines2015@u.northwestern.edu

MGC frat interest group hopes to cultivate Latino leadership NU ‘hermanos’ aim to start chapter of national fraternity Lambda Upsilon Lambda By junnie kwon

the daily northwestern

A fraternal interest group on campus is one step away from becoming Northwestern’s first Latino-based fraternity. The Interested Gentlemen of La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda fraternity, applied for associate member status Oct. 15. The Multicultural Greek Council approved the application on the same day. LUL differs from Omega Delta Phi, a multicultural service fraternity, although both share an interest in Latino issues. After seeing a lack of Latino leadership on campus, Sergio Alvarez, one of the group’s six

current members, started generating ideas for a Latino-based group last November. “After my freshman and sophomore year, I really wished there were individuals out there who reached out to me to really sort of push me,� the Bienen senior said. “We take pride in pushing each other and finding opportunities for each other and becoming the best we can be.� After discussing these opinions with other students who had similar thoughts, Alvarez recruited five other members. Together they researched and evaluated multiple fraternities and organizations that didn’t have NU chapters before they chose LUL. They decided on forming the fraternity because of the prestige of its alumni and its mentorship given to potential members, group member Ricardo Rodriguez said. “All have gone out of their way to help us,� the Weinberg sophomore said. “Without their help and the advice they’ve given – we call each other ‘hermanos,’ (Spanish for ‘brothers’) by the way – we couldn’t have gotten to where we are now.� The group reached interest group status from

MGC in January. Some of the group’s current members deactivated from Interfraternity Council chapters to join LUL because they were not satisfied with those chapters’ sense of brotherhood, Rodriguez said. “The problem we see through IFC is that there’s so many people in one fraternity, and it’s hard to see each and every one of those guys as a brother,� he said. “Whereas these guys were very close to one another and willing to support and help each other out no matter what. That’s one of the key pillars of LUL.� The interest group created the pseudonym “GOLD,� which stands for, “Generating Opportunities for Leadership Development.� With this name, the group hopes to emphasize that its main goal is to not only develop a brotherhood but also to cultivate Latino leaders in the community. In order to increase its visibility on campus, the group hosted a week-long series of events that started Monday. The group designed events to reflect issues important to individual members. On Wednesday night at Kresge Hall, the

group co-hosted with sorority Delta Sigma Theta a presentation on Belize to show their interest in cultural awareness. Another member, Ellyn Pena, said he naturally clicked with the interest group and shared their ideas, but the selling point for him was that LUL was established at an Ivy League university. “They valued academics,� the SESP sophomore said. “The people I’ve met in the organization are very professionally oriented, and they have really good connections, and they’re mentors, even if you don’t ask for it.� Another Latino-based interest group for Sigma Lambda Beta is also working to become an official chapter. That group, however, has not reached associate member status yet. “It will be interesting to see how the dynamics would play out in terms of bringing more diversity to MGC and the Greek community overall,� said Allison Hung, vice president of operations for MGC. junniekwon2015@u.northwestern.edu

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6 NEWS | the daily northwestern

thursday, november 29, 2012

NU groups look to Loyola campus for green inspiration Students say Northwestern ‘can learn a lot’ from Loyola’s latest sustainable programs By Olga Gonzalez LATAPI

the daily northwestern

Even though Northwestern is quickly becoming one of the greenest campuses nationwide, students can look to their peers at Loyola University Chicago, who have organized a farmer’s market and manage an off-campus farm as a model of higher level of sustainability. There are many sustainable initiatives already set into motion at NU, but students involved with green efforts on campus said there is a need for more programs. University President Morton Schapiro told The Daily on Tuesday that he will raise the issue of sustainability in future meetings to ensure NU remains

Emanuel From page 1

years for Chicago Public Schools students. He then fielded questions from Lewis and spoke at length when asked about the state of racial tensions in the demographically changing city. Emanuel said although racial tensions persist in Chicago, class distinctions now cause persistent divisions. “It’s more about class and income than it is ethnicity and race,” Emanuel said. “I have to make sure that this city doesn’t pull apart with class lines.” He then expanded on his remarks about demographics when Lewis asked him for further insight into the 2012 election. He explained, for example, that Obama earned the Hispanic vote because of how his ideas about immigration stacked up against former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s proposals. “To win on Election Day you have to have more ideas that are more competitive,” Emanuel said. Emanuel concluded by noting the interdependence of Chicago and Northwestern as they look

one of the top universities in sustainability. “I want to make (Northwestern) as absolutely sustainable as possible,” Schapiro said. SEED co-chair Amanda Myers said one of the latest NU sustainable initiatives — banning the sale of plastic water bottles — has already been successful at nearby Loyola. The ban, which Loyola’s student body approved in the spring, was the result of a two-year campaign by the school’s Student Environmental Alliance. “I’d say that this is an effort where we can learn a lot from Loyola,” the Weinberg senior said. Loyola sustainability specialist Gina Lettiere said their sustainability programs aim to improve three aspects: curriculum, infrastructure and student and faculty response to green initiatives. GREEN House president Henrik Westerkam, a Weinberg sophomore, said one of Loyola’s most impressive programs is the planned construction of various new buildings, such as

to the future. “You are part of our future,” he said to the students. Following the event, the students in attendance had mixed opinions about the mayor’s speech. “I thought he was humorous overall,” said Weinberg freshman Lauren Feld. “I thought he skirted some of the questions about race.” Communication junior Dylan Pickus said he wished the event was more of a discussion. “It felt like a campaign event,” he remarked. Prior to the event, about six students from the International Socialist Organization picketed outside Tech and distributed flyers about their opposition to the mayor’s policies. Weinberg senior Noah Charles, a member of the organization, said he opposed many of the mayor’s decisions, particularly the budget that Charles said closed half of the city’s free mental health clinics. “People are uninformed when they get their information from one source,” said Charles, explaining why he wanted to distribute information out to the event attendees. catherinezakrzewski2015@u.northwestern.edu

AT THE NORRIS UNIVERSITY CENTER

located on the 1st floor

“

I believe that NU is on its way to becoming a more sustainable campus Michael Narea, Project Playa co-project manager

two first-year student residence halls and a new greenhouse. Another program that can be expected from Loyola within the next year is the launching of a new Institute of Urban Environmental Sustainability, which will bring together the environmental science department and the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Policy to develop new academic programs in sustainability. Lettiere said Loyola is aiming for the new building to achieve LEED certification, joining two other LEED silver buildings on the campus.

Pensions From page 1

learning program Khan Academy. Quinn’s staff immediately thought of working with Khan because of his reputation as an “expert explainer” of complicated subjects, Matsoff said. One video explains pensions in general, and the second specifically examines the Illinois system. Quinn’s campaign and Illinois’ pension crisis have garnered nationwide attention. A recent editorial in The Wall Street Journal with the headline “Illinois the ‘Unfixable’” painted a grim picture of Illinois’ fiscal state and voiced doubt that Quinn’s campaign would be very effective. Many have taken issue with the nature of the campaign and complained that it treats a serious subject with cartoons and slogans. “People may characterize it as juvenile or simplistic or sophomoric, but it is raising discussion about an issue that’s very important to Illinois,” said Mark Fowler, executive director of the Northwest Municipal Conference, an advocacy group working toward pension

For the last five years, the University has aimed for LEED gold or silver certification when constructing new buildings, University spokesman Alan Cubbage said. Michael Narea, co-project manager of Pura Playa, which is leading the effort to ban plastic bottles at NU, said it is only a matter of time before the administration supports this and other green initiatives. “With the new Office of Sustainability and the newly instated ASG Sustainability Committee, I believe that NU is on its way to becoming a more sustainable campus,” the McCormick senior said. Back at Loyola, Lettiere said the school’s sustainable efforts have developed from involvement of all sorts of people invested in the campus. “It’s all working together to ensure that students, faculty and staff change their behaviors to use resources wisely,” she said. olgagonzalezlatapi2016@u.northwestern.edu

reform. State Rep. Elaine Nekritz (D-Northbrook), chairwoman of the Personnel & Pensions Committee, agreed and said anything that increases attention to the issue is a positive step. The Associated Press reported Wednesday that the website has attracted 28,000 unique visitors. Matsoff said the governor’s office received calls from constituents who had been thinking about the “pension squeeze,” some for the first time in their lives. The website refrains from discussion about how to fix the pension crisis because the aim of the campaign is to raise awareness about the issues, Matsoff said. Nekritz said substantial change will come from legislation passed in the Illinois General Assembly but warned amending the pension system would be difficult. “None of the changes we are going to make can be done without some pain being inflicted,” she said. “At the end of the day, some difficult choices need to be made.” ciaramccarthy2015@u.northwestern.edu

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SPORTS

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1

ON THE RECORD

We were better as a team as a whole in the end. Everyone contributed, it wasn’t just one person. — Maggie Lyon, freshman forward

Men’s Basketball NU vs. UIC 1 p.m. Saturday

Thursday, November 29, 2012

@Wildcat_Extra

Football

Where will Northwestern go bowling? Some educated guesses about the Wildcats’ New Years Day plans Capital One Bowl

If Nebraska wins: 30 percent. Insiders say the Capital One Bowl has a lot of interest in the Wildcats because when the team went there in 1997, about 21,000 fans made the trip to cheer on the Cats. The choice for the bowl would boil down to Michigan and NU, with the Wolverines being a more marquee name and having the head-to-head advantage. However, the Cats ended with a better record and have played some fairly entertaining bowl games in recent years. If Wisconsin wins: 60 percent. This may sound weird, given that NU only has a 30 percent chance if Nebraska wins, but here’s the deal: A Wisconsin win would make Nebraska available for the Capital One Bowl, which by rule means Michigan can’t be selected. The Wolverines have two fewer wins than the Cornhuskers, eliminating them from contention and leaving NU and Nebraska as the only choices. The Cornhuskers graced Orlando with their presence last season so the Cats have a chance to sneak in this year because the bowl committee might not want to take the same team two years in a row. Potential Opponents: Alabama, Georgia, LSU or Texas A&M. The Capital One Bowl will get the first choice of any Southeastern Conference team after the Bowl Championship Series. That means the SEC title game loser, either Alabama or Georgia, should be available. Other possible selections are Louisiana State and Texas A&M, both of which are top-10 teams, but ineligible for the BCS assuming Florida and the SEC champion go to BCS bowls.

Jacksonville

Outback Bowl

If Nebraska wins: 70 percent. In this situation, Michigan would be off the board and headed to Orlando. No other team would be eligible for the Outback Bowl because they would not be within two wins of NU. In theory, the Big Ten can give the Outback Bowl a waiver to select Wisconsin as the championship game loser, but the Badgers at 7-6 would not be nearly as appealing as the Cats at 9-3. Besides, the Outback Bowl would love a game similar to what they saw in 2010, although NU would like to come out on top this time around. If Wisconsin wins: 5 percent. This situation would arise if Nebraska goes to the Capital One Bowl instead of NU, and the Outback Bowl would be left with either Michigan or NU as the choices. Michigan seems to be the more appealing candidate to the bowl, which would knock NU down another spot in the bowl pecking order. Potential Opponents: LSU, Texas A&M or South Carolina. This bowl is a lot trickier to predict because there are so many ways the bowls preceding is could pick. The Outback Bowl technically gets the second choice of SEC teams after the BCS, but they split that choice with the Cotton Bowl. Historically, the Outback Bowl has taken a team from the SEC East and the Cotton Bowl has taken from the SEC West, but there’s nothing written in stone. All this assumes the SEC title game loser goes to Orlando.

Gator Bowl

If Nebraska wins: 0 percent. As mentioned above, the only way NU slips this far is if the Big Ten gives the Outback Bowl special permission to take Wisconsin and they actually take the 7-6 Badgers over the 9-3 Cats. If this were to happen, athletic director Jim Phillips would be extremely upset about the major blow to NU’s program. If Wisconsin wins: 35 percent. This would happen if NU gets passed over by both the Capital One Bowl and Outback Bowl in favor of Nebraska and Michigan. The tricky part about this is the two-win rule, which does not apply to the Gator Bowl — so, in theory, NU could get jumped by a 6-6 Michigan State team. However, the chances of that happening are about as slim as NU going to the Gator Bowl if Nebraska wins, and the reaction would be the same, as well. Potential Opponents: Mississippi State or South Carolina. This is a much easier bowl to project because most of the difficult decisions will be made before the Gator Bowl picks its SEC team. The likely candidates are Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt, but one of them will be snatched up by the Chick-fil-A Bowl, which picks between the Outback and Gator bowls. NU almost certainly won’t play Vanderbilt because the two schools met on Sept. 8, a 23-13 Cats’ victory.

Orlando

Tampa

Infographic by Claire Cinquegrani/The Daily Northwestern

Women’s Basketball

Late run fuels Wildcats past Boston College By REBECCA FRIEDMAN

the daily northwestern

Northwestern found a flair for the dramatic Wednesday night. The Wildcats ruffled the Eagles’ feathers down the stretch, scoring 10 unanswered points in the final minutes to overcome Boston College 67-63, improving to 6-0 in the process. NU sp ent t he majority of I think we t he g ame buckled down behind Boston Colon defense and lege, relying on tou g h found their defense and shooters. We offensive were better as a surges from team as a whole its freshmen additions to in the end. come from behind for Maggie Lyon, freshman forward the victory. After the Cats went up 9-6 in the first few minutes, Boston College went on a 19-4 offensive run, giving them a 12-point lead — the largest of the game. NU battled back to narrow the Eagles’ lead and were down only 34-32 heading into halftime. The start of the second half was not promising for the Cats, as the Eagles went on a 7-0 run that extended their lead to 9 points. However, the Cats continued to hang with

“ Daily file photo by Meghan White

COMEBACK KIDS Center Dannielle Diamant was a key part of NU’s offense against Boston College. The senior chipped in 14 points and 5 rebounds in the Cats come from behind victory.

Northwestern

67

Boston College

63

the gritty Eagles, coming within one point twice throughout the first 15 minutes of the second half. NU finally took a 60-58 lead with 2:26 left in the game on a 3-point play by sophomore guard Karly Roser, its first lead since early in the game. A basket from freshman forward Maggie Lyon gave the Cats a 4-point lead, and they were able to hold off the Eagles’ attempts at a comeback, thanks to their impressive defense and senior forward Dannielle Diamant’s 5-for-6 free throw shooting down the stretch. Boston College went more than three minutes without a basket down the stretch. “I think we buckled down on defense and found their shooters,” Lyon said. “We were better as a team as a whole in the end. Everyone contributed, it wasn’t just one person.” However, Lyon herself was a huge reason for the Cats’ victory, scoring 16 points for NU and four of the Cats’ nine 3-pointers in her first road game in purple. Fellow freshman forward Lauren Douglas was also key for the Cats, netting a teamhigh 18 points and going 7-for-12 in the field. “Lauren and Maggie are taking advantage of every opportunity,”

coach Joe McKeown said. McKeown highlighted a huge jumper that Lyon made down the stretch and a key blocked shot by Douglas, not to mention their point totals. “They really kept composure at the end of the game,” he said. McKeown also emphasized the impact that all six freshmen are having on the program and how vital they are to the team. Despite having to play her first road game against a talented ACC team, Lyon impressed in the breakout performance and noted how fun and smooth the transition to the team has been. “The upperclassmen have been really supportive and helpful,” she said. While vital, the freshmen duo was not the only reason for the Cats’ victory. Diamant chipped in 14 points for NU including a 9-for-11 performance on the free-throw line. Roser scored points at key times for NU and was huge defensively, leading the team with 4 steals. McKeown said he was pleased with the Cats’ defensive performance, especially in the final minutes of the game and was impressed with the tenacity and persistence that the Cats showed in the comeback win. “(We were) on the road against an ACC team,” he said. “We played from behind the whole game, and that says a lot.” rebeccafriedman2015@u.northwestern.edu

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