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The Daily Northwestern DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
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City leaders laud ‘We Will’
Nathan Richards/Daily Senior Staffer
flags flying A banner publicizing Northwestern’s “We Will” fundraising campaign hangs on campus. The campaign aims to raise $3.75 billion for the University.
By julian gerez
the daily northwestern @JGerez_news
In the wake of the March announcement of “We Will,” Northwestern’s $3.75 billion fundraising campaign, Evanston officials say the initiative will continue to bolster the growing relationship between the city and the University. Ald. Jane Grover (7th), whose ward includes part of the NU campus, said there has been “sincere interest from both the city and the University to engage in a really productive way together.” “Everyone has something to offer,” she said. “We’re seeing the potential of joint undertakings, and there’s been a real payoff for everybody.”
In particular, the partnership between Evanston Township High School and NU has been very “pleasing” to District 202 Superintendent Eric Witherspoon. “The ‘Good Neighbor, Great University’ program has enhanced an already wonderful relationship and taken it to another level,” he said. The initiative, which began as a scholarship opportunity for Evanston and Chicago high school students, also helped create an official NU office at ETHS in 2012 to bolster relations between the two academic institutions. Kristen Perkins, the first NU/ETHS partnership coordinator, said the relationship between the two parties has been “organically” present for a long time but has grown in recent years. “Our relationship has become more involved, much deeper and still very much growing,” Perkins said. “Because of the partnership office, we are able to look for more opportunities that are a win-win for both sides.” These opportunities include a volunteer tutor program called Wildkit Tutors, in which NU students tutor teenagers at ETHS, and outreach programs in biology with NU’s Center for Reproductive Science. Some graduate students at the Searle Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning also teach mini-courses at ETHS, Perkins said. The relationship between the city and the University has not always been so cooperative, however. Grover, who has served as an alderman for five years and has lived in Evanston since 1994, said there used to be a different “mindset” in the relationship between the city and NU. » See ‘WE WILL’, page 7
Nathan Richards/Daily Senior Staffer
talking inequality Dane Stier and David Friedman, members of College Republicans, discuss issues of income inequality at a student forum held Tuesday night. The event was organized as a collaboration between College Republicans, College Democrats and Quest Scholars.
Students debate inequality By alice yin
the daily northwestern @alice__yin
Members of Northwestern’s College Democrats and College Republicans and NU’s chapter of Quest Scholars hosted a student forum Tuesday focused on different issues surrounding income inequality. The discussion, held in McCormick Tribune Center, included a panel of three students from each political group. Weinberg junior Adam Roth, the former president of College Democrats, moderated the event. Audience input shaped the conversation. Roth allotted both sides time to present their positions and give rebuttals. Attendees asked questions focused
Task force to evaluate NU inclusion Native American Outreach and Inclusion Task Force to suggest next steps By tyler pager
the daily northwestern @tylerpager
The Native American Outreach and Inclusion Task Force is currently studying Northwestern’s ties to the Native American community to better understand problems the community faces and to improve its relationship with the University. The committee, which was fast-tracked earlier this year, was originally supposed to be formed after the John Evans Study Committee released its report on Evans’ role in the Sand Creek Massacre. The committee will still make recommendations to Provost Daniel Linzer on how the University should respond to the findings of the report, which will be released in late May. The task force will also examine enrollment issues, support services for Native American students and practices at peer institutions. “The work of the committee and task
force members will provide us guidance on how Northwestern can increase its outreach to and develop stronger relationships with the Native American Nations,” University President Morton Schapiro said in a press release. “I appreciate the willingness of the task force members to engage in this important process and I look forward to seeing the results of their work.” The committee is chaired by Patricia Telles-Irvin, vice president for student affairs, and Phil Harris, one of the vicechairs of NU’s Board of Trustees. Harris said the group has met twice so far and plans to meet on a monthly basis. However, the committee has designated working groups, which he expects to meet more frequently. The committee requires a large time commitment, but those involved are dedicated to creating a more inclusive campus, Harris said. “I think the people on this committee have a lifetime of commitment to diversity and inclusion,” he said. “We want to know how can we do better and how can we be more diverse.” Harris said he hopes the committee is ready to begin discussing recommendations to send to Linzer by the end of the academic year, but he wants to give the members enough time to do research. The committee includes 19 people consisting of students, faculty and
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members from other universities and organizations. SESP sophomore Forrest Bruce, co-president of the Native American and Indigenous Student Alliance and former co-president Weinberg junior Heather Menefee are the only two undergraduate students on the committee. Dona Cordero, assistant provost for diversity and inclusion and a member of the task force, said the group’s focus on the current population of Native American students is important. “This is a population at the University, and it’s important that as a university we understand the needs of a diverse population of students, faculty and staff and that we try to serve the needs of everyone,” she said. Cordero said the group is currently learning about the issues NU’s Native American community face. “We need to educate ourselves before we can start thinking about how we can do a better job of looking at the issues that need to be addressed,” she said. However, she added the committee will make suggestions to improve the University. “The group was established to make recommendations on what the University needs to do,” she said. “I’m confident there will be action that comes out of it.” tylerpager2017@u.northwestern.edu
on equal opportunity and its place in the nation. The forum proceeded to address the relevance of mobility in the U.S., wrangling with comparisons to other countries and sentiments on today’s income gap. Both panelists and audience members probed further by examining statistics on income distribution nationwide. Other topics included individual positions on minimum wage and the impact of family values on household income. Members of the audience and panel presented and contested different perspectives, revealing NU’s diversity. “It’s controversial,” said David Friedman, a College Republicans representative on the panel. “That’s why it’s important to have a discussion about it, if not to reach a disagreement.” Weinberg freshman Lauren Thomas,
an audience member, said she was glad the event addressed family values, a topic she thinks is not discussed enough but is very relevant to her background coming from rural Appalachia. She said in her community, she has witnessed a high frequency of teen pregnancies and single parenthood. “They definitely had done their research,” Thomas said. “They really covered most of the causes of income inequality, and that is really, really important to us because most of us are going to be working. And we’re going to have children, and we want to see them go up in society and get ahead and not just by being born in the right families.” Weinberg junior Allison Ortega serves as head of the income inequality
FDA details plan to fast-track Duchenne drug
Team Joseph, the primary beneficiary for the 2014 Dance Marathon, is partially responsible for creating a website which includes a link to a White House petition created last February asking the government to grant this specialized approval of the drug, eteplirsen. Sarepta Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company, announced its plans to move forward in submitting a new drug application to the FDA for eteplirsen in a news release Monday, after the FDA advised them of a way to submit the proposal under a “potential accelerated approval pathway.”
The Food and Drug Administration outlined a possible pathway that would grant accelerated approval to a drug with the potential to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the disease Dance Marathon raised more than $1.3 million to fund research for last quarter. The FDA Safety and Innovation Act passed by Congress in 2012 gives the FDA the ability to approve therapies at a faster rate for rare diseases with “unmet medical need.”
Obama taps NU Law grad for top White House post
President Barack Obama announced Monday that Northwestern School of Law alumnus W. Neil Eggleston (Law ‘78) will serve as the next White House counsel. “Neil brings extraordinary expertise, credentials and experience to our team,” Obama said in a statement. “He has a passion for public service, is renowned for his conscientiousness and foresight, and I look forward to working closely with him in the coming years.”
» See Inequality, page 7
— Rebecca Savransky
Eggleston is a litigation partner at the firm Kirkland & Ellis. His practice areas include corporate governance, civil litigation, internal investigations and allegations of fraud, according to the firm’s website. He represented former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in the prosecution of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. “Neil Eggleston’s commitment to public service is legendary,” Law School Dean Daniel Rodriguez said in a news release. “I can think of no one more qualified to advise the president on the most important policy questions and legal issues of our day.” — Ciara McCarthy
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