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8 SPORTS/Football
Mark Murphy talks Packers, NU football
4 OPINION
High 32 Low 24
We need to talk about the attempted coup
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PHI KAPPA PSI SANCTIONED, FINED FOR PARTY IFC standards board fines Phi Psi $3,500,bans from recruitment until end of Spring 2021 By MEGAN MUNCE
daily senior staffer @meganmuncie
Northwestern’s chapter of Phi Kappa Psi was sanctioned by the Interfraternity Council for holding a social event in violation of IFC Codes of Conduct on social gatherings and alcohol possession. According to a statement
released to The Daily, IFC’s Standards Board held a hearing last Saturday to review reports by members of the NU community and people who attended the event. The board fined Phi Psi $3,500, banned them from recruiting until the end of Spring 2021 and placed them on Associate Member status with a Zero-Tolerance Period policy lasting until the end of Spring 2022. Individual members of Phi
Psi were mandated to participate in NU programs on COVID-19, alcohol and recruitment policies, and some were removed from the IFC Executive Board. “Phi Kappa Psi’s behavior was unacceptable, dangerous, and unfitting for a Fraternity at NU,” the statement read. “For the IFC Executive Board, holding IFC members accountable — especially in the period of the
pandemic — remains the top priority, and deviations from our rules and expectations will be addressed swiftly and resolutely.” Earlier this quarter, IFC reversed their prior decision to allow some in-person, socially distanced recruitment events and banned all in-person events. The sanctions against Phi Psi include recruitmentrelated misconduct, an unregistered social function and possession of
alcohol on chapter premises. Following the Jan.18 event, the Phi Psi house on campus had been spray painted with “superspreaders” and a skull over the door, both of which were quickly removed. According to IFC President Nick Papandreou, the University has an open and ongoing investigation into the event. meganmunce2022@u.northwestern.edu
Students engage in City Clerk candidates talk trust, FOIA City Clerk candidates emphasize transparency, accountability in forum Reddit-induced frenzy Students cash in on Gamestop stock rise, question legitimacy By ALEX PERRY
the daily northwestern @whoisalexperry
If Medill sophomore Jack Izzo hadn’t been taking a psychology test, he could have sold at GameStop’s peak, turning his initial $270 investment into roughly $1,230. If McCormick freshman Alan Senkus didn’t panic-sell on that same day, his returns on GameStop stock would also have been over four times his initial investment. While Izzo said he was initially in it for the money, it
Recycle Me
By YIMING FU
has morphed into something greater — a Reddit-induced movement bordering the same magnitude of 2011’s Occupy Wall Street. GameStop’s week-long stock quick rise from $43 to over $300 took over social media the week of Jan. 25, driving investment apps like Robinhood and Webull to the top of both App Store and Google Play store download charts. The origin of the movement, the raunchy subreddit r/wallstreetbets, added 1.5 million subscribers overnight, as people wanted to see firsthand who exactly these amateur investors shaking the market were. “The best way to describe it is a shrine to capitalism
» See STOCKS, page 6
the daily northwestern @yimingfuu
City clerk candidates discussed building resident trust and improving Freedom of Information Act procedures in a Saturday panel. The League of Women
Voters of Evanston and the Evanston Public Library are partnering this week to cosponsor a series of candidate forums in advance of February’s consolidated primary election. Josie Yanguas, a member of the League of Women Voters of Chicago, moderated Saturday’s virtual forum.
Stephanie Mendoza, a community outreach specialist and the only candidate on the ballot, said she wants Evanston to be a voting “powerhouse.” Mendoza said she values her skills as “a person who has been in the streets and knocked on every door and encouraged people to get out to vote.”
Cynthia Beebe, a retired federal agent and one of the race’s four write-in candidates, said she would prioritize mobilizing young voters. “As Evanston city clerk, I realize that’s a local office,” Beebe said. “Nonetheless, as one of many city government
» See CITY CLERK, page 6
NUCNC continues push for abolition NUCNC pressures administrators to abolish UP, practices mutual aid By BINAH SCHATSKY
the daily northwestern @binahschatsky
After several months of continuous pressure on
Northwestern administration to abolish University Police and divest from policing and other militarized entities, NUCNC is continuing their work into the new quarter. Since their campaign of
more than 30 days of consecutive actions, the group has not held any mass protests or demonstrations, but they continue to pressure the University and practice mutual aid — a core tenet of prison-industrial
complex abolition. “Prisons are the biggest social service we have,” NUCNC member Eliza
» See NUCNC, page 6
INSIDE: Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Opinion 4 | Classifieds & Puzzles 6 | Sports 8
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
AROUND TOWN
D65 hosts virtual forum, discusses hybrid learning By OLIVIA ALEXANDER
the daily northwestern @oliviagalex
Evanston/Skokie School District 65 administration and healthcare professionals expressed confidence the district could reopen schools safely at a virtual forum Thursday. The district held the webinar for staff, parents and community members to discuss the logistics of its hybrid learning model, set to launch Feb. 16. Superintendent Devon Horton said the district will prioritize the health and safety of students and staff and community members as schools reopen. He said while doctors and other healthcare professionals provided the district with advice regarding reopening, the decision to launch hybrid learning came from the school board, administration and himself. “They were thought partners and gave us the research and the knowledge that we need in order to open our doors,” Horton said. During the forum, Dr. David Soglin, chief medical officer at La Rabida Children’s Hospital and member of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics School Reopening Taskforce, discussed local COVID-19 metrics and research surrounding the operation of schools during the pandemic. Case numbers in both Illinois and Cook County have been declining. Region 10 positivity rates are also declining, currently standing below 8 percent, he said.
ETHS to open some in-person activities in February, officials say Evanston Township High School will open some in-person activities in February, school officials announced Thursday. Due to improving local health metrics, students will soon have the option to participate in athletics,
Daily file photo by Patrick Svitek
The Evanston/ Skokie School District 65 Education Center, at 1500 McDaniel Avenue. The district held a forum Thursday evening to discuss plans for the launch of hybrid learning.
Soglin, referenced research on school reopenings in Wisconsin. Despite high rates of COVID19 being found in those communities, there was little COVID-19 spread related to return to inperson instruction. Studies conducted in the past few months suggest reopening schools doesn’t necessarily increase the spread of COVID-19 in areas where
there are low infection rates, but is more likely to increase the spread in communities with higher rates of COVID-19 transmission. Mask wearing is one of the district’s mitigation measures for in-person instruction. Dr. Sharon Robinson, parent and NorthShore University HealthSystem pediatrician, explained the layered approach the district is taking to reduce the
fine arts, hands-on learning, mindfulness practices and other activities in-person at ETHS, the email said. Students will continue learning according to the school’s Enhanced E-learning Schedule. “Isolation is negatively affecting many of our students,” the email said. “In a regular school year, student wellbeing and belonging are priorities at ETHS and the pandemic amplifies those priorities.” The announcement comes shortly after the Coalition to Reopen Evanston Schools, formerly known as the Coalition to Reopen District 65 Schools, called
on District 202 leaders to provide a detailed plan for returning to in-person learning. D65 superintendent Devon Horton announced just over a week ago the district is set to launch its hybrid learning model Feb. 16. The opportunities will mostly be available on asynchronous Mondays and after school hours between Tuesday and Friday. Wednesday and Friday office hours and Saturday programs like Wildkit Academy may also offer in-person components. ETHS will also open an e-learning center on campus for students whose home circumstances require a safe,
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spread of the virus. The first level of mitigation measures involves mask mandates, hand washing and social distancing. The district will also enforce more advanced measures, including the use of symptom trackers and the formation of smaller classroom cohorts, as well as enhanced cleaning, ventilation and contact tracing. Leaders also discussed the district’s approach to ensuring mental well-being during the transition to hybrid learning. With the debut of a new daily schedule and changes to protocol regarding transportation, meals and cleaning, NorthShore pediatric hospitalist, co-chair of the Child Protection Committee and D65 parent Dr. Bridget Wild encouraged families to promote mental health. “Just having these conversations upfront will validate for your child that it’s okay to feel these things, experience these things, give them a way to bring it to your attention,” Wild said. “We all need a little bit of self care here and there.” Horton said he believes the plans will get students back on track, both academically and from a social-emotional standpoint. Although the launch brings many changes to students and staff ’s daily lives, Stacy Beardsley, district assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, said some things remain constant. “Your child is coming into an educator that cares deeply about them and is going to support their success in this new environment,” Beardsley said. oliviaalexander2024@u.northwestern.edu supervised space. School leaders will share information on participating in these activities in the coming days. ETHS will open for in-person experiences as long as local and regional health metrics comply with public health guidance, the email said. “Our goal is to make sure that any ETHS student who wants to come to school for in- person activities may be able to do so in a safe manner,” the email said. — Maia Spoto
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
3
ON CAMPUS
NU community donates excess food
The Daily Northwestern
www.dailynorthwestern.com Editor in Chief Sneha Dey
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By RUSSELL LEUNG
General Manager Stacia Campbell
the daily northwestern @rjleung7
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Northwestern students participating in the Wildcat Wellness quarantine were overloaded with food from NU Dining, including meals, non-perishable snacks and milk. Much of it went unused. Once NU Dining Sustainability Director Sarah Levesque noticed the unclaimed meals accumulating, she said she knew her team had to take action. “I put out a call for help to my network,” Levesque said in an email to The Daily, “and organizations from all over the city and Chicagoland area responded quickly to recover the food.” NU Dining worked with a network of local nonprofits, including Evanston Latinos and Taste for the Homeless — which delivers food to Chicago residents experiencing homelessness. Together, they distribute unclaimed hot meals to food-insecure residents of the Chicago metro area. Levesque said they donated over 5,000 meals after the first week of Wildcat Wellness and expects between 8,000 and 10,000 meals to be distributed in total. While NU Dining recovered hot meals, the student organization NU Campus Kitchen set up collection boxes in dorm buildings to collect non-perishables such as water bottles, shelf-stable milk and snacks. Weinberg freshman Sam Keimweiss said he donated granola bars and milk to the Campus Kitchen collection box in Allison Hall. “There were a lot of people talking about it, actually, even before I came to campus,” Keimweiss said. Campus Kitchen President Lizzie Wuertley said students have consistently filled the collection boxes in the dorms with spare food and beverages. So far, the club has donated six car-loads of food to Chicagoland nonprofits
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Collection boxes set up in Allison Hall. Campus Kitchen donated six car-loads of food to Chicagoland nonprofits.
such as Connections for the Homeless and La Casa Norte. The initiative, Wuertley said, is one of their most successful donation campaigns yet. “I’m really grateful for everyone that donated and all of the students who reached out to us,” the Weinberg junior said. “I think it was so rewarding to see everyone donating all this food and to see how much of an impact we can actually make.” Wuertley said that Campus Kitchen is allowed to resume more operations this quarter than in the fall due to a risk mitigation plan it coordinated with the University. The organization has already started collecting excess food from dining halls. Kallista Zhuang, a Weinberg freshman on the Campus Kitchen Leadership Team, said communication from the University about
unused food was inconsistent, but still appreciated that the University put a plan in place to address the issue. Zhuang said she wished NU Dining was more vocal about donating the food, as some students did not return their uneaten meals to NU Dining because they assumed the dining staff would just throw them out. She added that she hasn’t seen other schools with an open initiative like this. Zhuang added that she hopes the donation drive effort will encourage all students, not just those who are environmentally conscious, to get involved in further food recovery projects. “Food sustainability should honestly be normal,” Zhuang said. “It shouldn’t be a big deal.” russellleung2024@u.northwestern.edu
Wildcat Crossword Wildcat Crossword: To the Loop HENRY ALFORD 1
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7 Like many home projects 8 Shoe width designation 9 Booty 10 Like some formal events 11 "______-tikki-tavi!" 12 "That is to say..." 13 K-______ 19 Heavenly food 21 Donald's portrayer 24 Capital of Costa Rica
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“Incoming!” DOWN 1 Facebook fakers 2 Hundred Acre Wood resident 3 Boston Terrier feature 4 Meetings 5 Gone bad 6 Western alliance, abbr. 7 Sprout 8 Whiz 9 Lineless actors 10 Mystic's card 11 Shake 13 Rent period, often 15 Golfer's pegs 17 Argentinian cowboy 18 Good time 23 Like most Iranians 25 Hunter's brother 26 Barbershop jobs 27 Gilette razor brand 28 The Seven Kingdoms, e.g. 29 _______ as a snake 32 Scorching 33 Spanish appetizer 34 Smirnoff alternative 36 Fuss 39 Grizzlies star Ja 42 Otherwise 43 Fire keepers 45 Take a turn, maybe 46 Disney's middle name 47 Unfriendly break 48 Flair 49 2019 Oscar nom "If _____ Street Could Talk" 53 Throw back 54 "I Love Lucy" actor Arnaz 56 "Leave ______!" 57 Environmentalist Brockovich 59 FDR follower 60 Relay part
4 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021
OPINION
Join the online conversation at www.dailynorthwestern.com
We need to talk about the attempted coup, QAnon BEN BORROK
OPINION EDITOR
Over two weeks ago, in an attempt to overturn the will of the people, Trump supporters forced their way into the U.S. Capitol, prompting members of Congress to enter a lockdown. With seemingly no resistance, protesters helped themselves to pictures in the Senate chamber, trespassed into the offices of politicians, and stole items of national importance. In the immediate aftermath, we learned two things: the media — and Capitol Police — were massively underprepared for an event of this magnitude, and that it would take time to truly understand the ramifications of what transpired. If you spend a regular amount of time on the internet, you have inevitably run into the cult-community of QAnon and their hyperfixation on January 6th after the election results were announced. QAnon is hard to understand, but it seems to be a summation of all the conspiracy theories that have floated around social media.
The entity Q, a 4chan moderator who claimed to have ties to the government, had prophesied that Donald Trump would uncover a deep state cabal intent on sexually abusing children and destroying America. The cabal was allegedly composed, uncoincidentally, entirely of Democrats and demands complete dedication to the Trump administration. Initially a fringe group with little support, QAnon started to garner support in forums across the internet. Rather than distance themselves from a conspiracy rooted in racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, and xenophobia, many Republicans welcomed it with open arms in an utterly pathetic attempt to win over more voters. Those Republicans aided in legitimizing and spreading QAnon to the party’s mainstream platform. On multiple occasions, former President Trump also retweeted QAnon influencers and other Republicans had made or been seen in merchandise featuring symbols of Q. The signs for an attempted insurrection were there, in the rhetoric of these online-turned domestic terrorist groups. So many of the details surrounding the planned coup were readily available to the online public, that Twitter journalists and other popular users notified the Capitol Police about the QAnon groups.
So many of the insane beliefs and ideologies floating into the Republican party platform have originated in online forums for Q and other right-wing hate groups. If respected media institutions had just taken the time to properly investigate and alert the American public to hate speech and threats to our nation, we may have been able to end this movement long before we arrived at the situation we have today. A growing portion of our country is utterly convinced that President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party will reign in an era of Satan worshipping to rid the nation of Christian values. As arrests roll in, unveiling plans that were in place to take in hostages and steal government secrets, there still doesn’t seem to be enough coverage of what really took place. Pictures of those arrested are often adjoined by humorous captions, rather than properly vilifying those who wanted to overthrow the government.The usual press coverage given to white mass-shooters and domestic terrorists is in action yet again, almost downplaying the coup as a tour of the Capitol that just happened to get out of hand. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) who had been on the frontlines of delegitimizing the election results in a blind pledge to
their president-king Trump, are now working on distancing themselves from their actions, as expected. Now, as Hawley and Cruz attempt to gaslight the United States into forgetting that they supported threats ahead of the disorder on Jan. 6th, they need to be punished, along with those who stormed the Capitol. Claims that we need to move past the coup for the sake of unity is nonsensical. How could we possibly reconcile with a group that has so brazenly threatened our nation? Why should the rest of us look past this, while insurrectionists continue to move the goalposts of their conspiracy and plan further action? These next four years will be defined by the Democrats ability to push forward with meaningful legislation, but more importantly, it will be defined by Republicans and their efforts to rid their party of hate groups and conspiracies. Ben Borrok is a School of Communication junior. He can be contacted at benjaminborrok2022@u.northwestern. edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.
Adolescents today could be the new Lost Generation SIMONA FINE
ASSISTANT OPINION EDITOR
Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises was published in 1926 with the epigraph: “You are a lost generation,” a quip expressed to him by fellow writer Gertrude Stein. The term “Lost Generation” has since been applied to the adolescents who attained majority during World War I, as well as American authors in the 1920s whose works defined the literature of the 1920s. Themes of disillusionment characterize these texts, as the writers were coping with the horrific outcomes of the war and the destruction of the society that they had been raised to inherit. I believe that today’s young adults are on the brink of becoming a new version of the Lost Generation.
Since the coronavirus pandemic started, many questions have been raised about the long term impacts of this event on different age groups. Just as our predecessors from a century ago, we are coming of age in a time distinguished by excessive loss of life. The world we were trained to inhabit no longer exists. For example, we grew up hearing repeated warnings about how the ubiquitous use of social media and smartphones would make us feel more depressed or deprive us of sleep. Now, students are expected to spend all day on Zoom, staring at our devices more than ever before. In the wake of this virus, it seems impossible to restore the old order, and the disillusionment with existing power structures is already present in our generation’s collective consciousness. Decadence is also featured fundamentally in the literature from the Lost Generation era, with characters drinking and partying lavishly and shallowly to mask their sorrows and fears for the future. The
self-indulgence of the Lost Generation that was used as a method of hiding underlying sadness can also be seen in quarantine trends. When lockdown periods began, more people started baking banana bread and sourdough, needing activities to comfort them during this uncertain time. TikTok’s popularity soared because it provided a distraction for everyone who was stuck at home. And just like in the Lost Generation fiction, alcohol use has increased as people cope with loneliness, boredom and anxiety. After the pandemic ends, I wouldn’t be surprised if extreme partying grows in prevalence as a way of making up for lost time under virus-related restrictions, albeit not the expensive merriment portrayed in The Great Gatsby. Much of The Great Gatsby and other Lost Generation writing is focused on attempts at recreating and revitalizing the past that are simply implausible. As I walk around campus with my roommates, we reminisce on our first year and a half of college and
reflect on the memories we made in our dorm or classes. I’ve covered the walls of my room in photos and postcards, relics of past travels and events that are not currently possible. Over the next few years, I think that the same angst that haunted the Lost Generation and inspired many of the novels we now consider classics will percolate through our literature and media. Even as COVID-19 dissipates with global vaccination efforts, there will be remnants of these negative feelings in our minds and, therefore, in the work we produce. Simona Fine is a McCormick Junior. She can be contacted at simonafine2022@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.
Joe Biden’s promise for unity is great, but progress is better LILY NEVO
COLUMNIST
Unity took center stage at President Joe Biden’s inauguration last week. But in an era of extreme polarization, what does unity look like? For many in Washington, unity is not a call for real bipartisanship, but rather a justification for lack of accountability and, ironically, a perpetuation of partisan politics. Take the second impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, for example. Just before the impeachment vote, eight senators voted against certifying the election results, still proclaiming a stolen election and denying the country an opportunity to move forward with their legitimately elected president. One week later, many Republicans suddenly cried for unity when the House voted to impeach Trump, but two weeks after that, 45 of them voted against holding a trial. “Democrats appear intent on weaponizing every
tool at their disposal — including pushing an unconstitutional impeachment process — to further divide the country” said U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), one of the most vocal opponents of election certification. Seven other Republican senators made almost identical claims on the divisiveness of an impeachment trial. For these Republican leaders, unity means impunity. Even among liberals, the ideal of unity is comforting to the white moderate, for those who maybe are sympathetic to a cause but do not support the difficult, uncompromising work it takes to get there. But in practice, unity is often evoked at the expense of those whose identities are seen as divisive and as a justification for circumventing politically inconvenient checks and balances. In short, if unity upholds the status quo and promotes a lack of accountability, why is Biden touting it as a priority? For the first time since 2011, Democrats control the presidency and both houses of Congress, largely due to the record turnout of Black voters in key states like Georgia and Pennsylvania. But the party will not hold on to such power if they do not maintain
the trust of these voters. In 2016, Black voter turnout fell by seven percent from the record-breaking 2012 turnout, which some attribute to a lack of trust in the party following President Barack Obama’s underwhelming push for transformative social and criminal justice reforms. Biden has already demonstrated a willingness to pursue a progressive agenda. Since his first day in office, he has signed over 40 executive orders, reversing Trump’s transgender military ban, strengthening DACA, rejoining the Paris climate agreement, and ending the federal government’s use of private prisons. “So far Biden has talked like a centrist but governed from the radical left,” said U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in a tweet last Friday, reflecting a common critique among Republicans that Biden’s rhetoric of unity is nothing more than talk. While many of Biden’s executive orders may not garner bipartisan support in Washington, they are largely popular among the American people. In 2019, 71 percent of Americans supported transgender people serving in the military. 61 percent and 65 percent of people support rejoining the Paris climate
agreement and reinstating DACA, respectively. These numbers reveal that while politicians may be consumed by partisan politics, there is hope for reconciliation among ordinary Americans, and that maybe we aren’t as polarized as we think we are. Still, mere conversation with neighbors and empathy for the other side cannot change the world, and real reform will only be solidified through the legislative work that Biden has already begun. So, Biden, please do not let “unity” become your “MAGA”. Yes, we all dream of a world where hyperpartisanship is a thing of the past, just like we all hope to witness American greatness. But when unity is deployed at the expense of the American people and at the service of power-hungry politicians, you have to wonder, What are we really fighting for? Lily Nevo is a Weinberg Freshman. She can be contacted at lilynevo2024@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.
The Daily Northwestern Volume 143, Issue 24 Editor in Chief Sneha Dey
Managing Editors Austin Benavides James Pollard Janea Wilson Molly Lubbers Olivia Yarvis
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR may be sent to 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, via fax at 847-491-9905, via e-mail to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com or by dropping a letter in the box outside The Daily office. Letters have the following requirements: • Should be typed • Should be double-spaced • Should include the author’s name, signature, school, class and phone number. • Should be fewer than 300 words They will be checked for authenticity and may be edited for length, clarity, style and grammar.
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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.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021
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5
NU PERIOD rebrands as Menstrual Equity Activists By ALI MCCADDEN
the daily northwestern @amccadd
Northwestern PERIOD rebranded as Northwestern Menstrual Equity Activists last fall, a change that corresponds with a move from college chapters across the country to disassociate from the national PERIOD organization. Founder Nadya Okamoto was criticized in an article by activist Ileri Jaiyeoba and other activists on social media for not recognizing the work of grassroots organizers and menstruators of color. Meghna Gaddam, president of MEA, said the change also represents a shift away from a corporate system with national oversight and instead emphasizes inclusive, grassroots organizing. “Equity is all encompassing. It’s education, it’s access, it’s advocacy,” Gaddam said. “So we were super excited that our name represented more of what we wanted to do.” When Gaddam founded the group last May, members focused on getting support for a petition to support state-funded free menstrual products in Illinois’ homeless shelters. After the petition garnered almost 700 signatures, Gaddam and MEA Vice President Mahie Gopalka met with state Rep. Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora), who authored a bill that would allow people to purchase menstrual products with public benefits supplied under the existing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Though the bill is currently labeled nonemergent and has been tabled, the Illinois General Assembly has recently returned to session. Gaddam and Gopalka are hoping to refocus their efforts by accumulating witness
Northwestern has no direct vaccine supply, Luke Figora announces Northwestern University does not have direct access to a COVID-19 vaccine supply, according to a Wednesday email.
Logos courtesy of MEA, graphic by Ali McCadden
Northwestern MEA is advocating for equity and inclusion among menstruators in Illinois. Originally called Northwestern PERIOD, the group changed its name after controversy surrounding the national PERIOD organization.
slips, which allow people to voice their support for a bill. Gaddam said disassociating from PERIOD allowed MEA to get creative with its structure, rather than following the chapter outline from the national organization. The group spent Fall Quarter establishing an executive board and generating committees that are working on “passion projects” around menstrual equity. Medill junior Anna Margevich, co-director of public relations and leader of an LGBTQ+ inclusivity committee, said she hopes to collaborate either with Rainbow Alliance at NU, a feminist orchestra group from DePaul
University or LGBTQ+ centers in Chicago this quarter. Gopalka said she’s excited to reinvigorate MEA’s community service efforts, after the group donated 1,000 menstrual products to a local women’s shelter in May. For now, members are looking forward to a virtual event on Jan. 28 in collaboration with the NU Women Filmmakers Alliance. The event will include a screening of the Oscar Award-winning documentary “Period. End of Sentence.” which follows women fighting against period stigma in India. A panel discussion involving three menstrual equity experts
— Sarah Rodriguez, Anya Patel and Shilpa Bhakare — will follow the event. Gaddam and Gopalka said they are excited to see what new members will accomplish going forward. “We wouldn’t be MEA without the people who joined and are interested in leading their own committees, or are interested in getting involved with service or activism,” Gopalka said. “Being able to leave Northwestern with a space that is created so that these conversations can continue, I’m really excited about that.”
Luke Figora, the University’s chief risk and compliance officer, said in the email that NU is currently unable to make vaccines accessible to most faculty and staff. According to Figora, the University hopes to open vaccine distribution sites across campus for both students and Evanston residents, but expects it will be several weeks before there is a large enough vaccine supply to do so. Evanston moved into phase 1B on Jan. 25 — which
Figora noted does not generally apply to people working in academics, but may apply to some due to their age — and some students, faculty and staff have already been vaccinated as healthcare workers under Illinois phase 1A. However, under Illinois’ current vaccination plan, vaccines will not be widely available to the general population until phase 2. Figora said NU will continue to work on efforts to make the vaccine directly available, although
students, faculty and staff may be able to be vaccinated sooner through other providers such as CVS and Walgreens. Last week, the University reported 24 new positive COVID-19 cases: 10 undergraduate students, nine non-undergraduate students, two staff members and three faculty members.
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2021
STOCKS
From page 6
and the American dream. They treat Wall Street like it’s a casino, which frankly, I think, is the correct mentality,” Izzo said. “It’s absurd to me that there’s an entire industry that’s based on predicting the stock market, like filling out like a freakin’ March Madness bracket or something.” Weinberg freshman Andres Rojas has been aware of r/wallstreetbets ever since he started investing in high school and initially joined because users would post huge wins, huge losses and extreme reactions to extreme bets. Although the Gamestop hype did originate from there, none of the men joined r/wallstreetbets for serious investing advice. “It’s not about the money. It’s just about going against Wall Street,” Rojas said. He put a third of his portfolio into GameStop after he first saw posts about it on Reddit. According to Rojas, investors on the subreddit make detailed posts stating their case for a stock, while commenters may spam below saying “to the moon” or “hold hold hold.” The culture is largely meme-like, with edited videos and inside jokes about “monke holding banana,” a reference to how subscribers refer to themselves as simple-minded investors. “Diamond
City Council votes to mandate representative city-wide water testing
hands” is another popular phrase used to refer to never letting a stock go. Senkus, who uses the brokerage Robinhood, actually received his first share of GameStop when he signed up on his birthday in Feb. 2020. Back then, it averaged between $3 to $4. He sold it for $3.66 the same month. Now, it’s worth upwards of $300. Medill freshman Lauren Huttner, who was only briefly on the Discord server, said as the stock prices would peak and crest, Space Odyssey music would blast through the channels in sync with the live-time graphs rising. In the chat, people would spam rocket, moon, diamond and hand emojis, encouraging each other to buy and hold the stock. After Huttner’s first day, the server got banned for hate speech, later bringing back a moderated version. Medill freshman Josh Miller confirmed this culture, citing racist and anti-semitic language. He added he is put off by how democratized trading “just doesn’t feel like real money,” which to him is the problem. “There’s a fundamental disconnect between Main Street and Wall Street,” Miller said. “I think the issues here go a lot deeper and are a lot more complex and sort of the David and Goliath story that people are telling.”
Evanston City Council voted last Monday, January 25, to pass a resolution mandating representative water testing. This means that Evanston will now be required to collect at least three water samples to test for lead and copper from each of the city’s nine wards. Previous Lead On episodes have followed The Daily’s investigation into lead testing in Evanston’s water. This latest episode gives an update to the three-part series as well as an In-Focus published in December: “Loopholes
alexperry20@u.northwestern.edu
From page 6
File illustration by Jacob Fulton
Current deputy City Clerk and city clerk candidate Eduardo Gomez said the city clerk shouldn’t be appointed because they shouldn’t have to respond to a higher power. He pointed to the clerk’s role as a Freedom of Information Act officer, and said the clerk must “wield that
responsibility in the best interest of the public.” City clerk candidate Jackson Paller (Weinberg ‘17), a lifelong Evanston resident and second-year law student at Loyola University Chicago, said he would make Evanston Police Department and the Evanston Law Department
NUCNC
From page 1
Gonring said. “So poor people, homeless people, Black people are just getting funneled into prisons and if we want that to stop, if we don’t want people to get preyed upon, we’re going to need to start supporting people.” The SESP senior recently organized a winter gear drive between NUCNC and other organizations, collecting clothing and accessories from NU community members to distribute to local Chicago organizations that distribute resources and practice community care in Chicago. Gonring collected gear for two days and it was a major success. “People have really come through and donated a lot of stuff,” she said, adding that some people purchased additional items at Goodwill to donate. She estimated collecting 20 to 30 pairs of boots, 20 to 30 jackets and over one hundred accessories, calling these estimates on the lower end since many donations were made in bags. As a COVID-19 safety precaution, she won’t touch the donated items for two weeks. The winter gear drive comes less than two weeks after NUCNC’s first meeting with University President Morton Schapiro and the first public and recorded meeting between NUCNC and central administration. During the meeting, Schapiro repeatedly challenged NUCNC’s
— Kalen Luciano and Heena Srivastava
Scan this QR code with your phone camera to listen to the latest Lead On episode and learn about this new city resolution.
CITY CLERK employees and state employees working with the state and with the nation, I would like to be very active in doing what I could to fight against voter suppression.” Mentioning that some communities in Cook County have appointed rather than elected city clerks, Yanguas asked the candidates what the procedure should be in Evanston. All candidates responded that residents should elect the city clerk. Mendoza said the city clerk should remain an elected position, because the clerk acts as a liaison between residents and city officials. Voting establishes trust between residents and the city clerk, she said.
in federal lead law left 5th Ward in the dark about what is in its water.”. The city is required by the federal Lead and Copper Rule, or LCR, to routinely report the lead levels in its water to the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA. But lead testing hasn’t been evenly distributed across Evanston. For about three decades, Evanston has collected nearly 440 water samples for lead testing. 60 percent came from the historically White and wealthy 6th and 7th wards. Only 1.8 percent came from the historically Black 5th Ward. But now, this resolution, spearheaded by Ald. Robin Rue Simmons (5th), aims to change that.
Daly file photo by Evan Robinson-Johnson
A protester holds a sign at an NU Community Not Cops event last quarter. While NUCNC hasn’t hosted any protests this quarter, the group has stayed active, organizing a clothing drive and a dialogue with senior administrators.
claims that he had been inaccessible since the campaign’s start over 100 days ago.
“My expectation was that he would be defensive,” sixth-year Ph.D. student and NUCNC
FOIA requests the responsibility of the city clerk if elected. “Those are two of the most potentially serious areas,” Paller said, “And we need a publicly accountable person making those decisions.” City clerk candidate Misty Witenberg, a journalist and public policy activist, said the city clerk needs to be held accountable by the people because they are also responsible for auditing and recording minutes for both open and closed Council meetings. “Moving to an appointed clerk would be a terrible step in lessening our democracy,” Witenberg said. “An elected clerk is directly accountable to citizens, and there are no intermediaries. They serve the public.” yimingfu2024@u.northwestern.edu member Sarah Peko-Spicer said. “I can only imagine that when you enter into a space full of people whose pain you’ve been ignoring for so long that you will be defensive.” Like Peko- Spicer, SESP senior and NUCNC member Liz Curtis did not have high expectations for the meeting but still said they felt “angry” during and after the meeting and felt the group had been “completely written off.” In response, NUCNC used social media to call on the community to schedule weekly meetings with Schapiro to hold him accountable to his claims of accessibility. Community members can fill out a form created by NUCNC signing up for a week to meet with Schapiro and NUCNC has created a list of potential topics to bring up in conversation with the president including how NU upholds the prison-industrial complex and the actions of NIPAS in October. Ultimately, while Peko-Spicer said she felt “depleted” after the meeting, she was encouraged after abolitionist Mariame Kaba spoke to the NU Community the next day, wholeheartedly embracing the group’s work and mission. “I found (Kaba’s talk) to just be like medicine,” Peko-Spicer said. “Like exactly the kind of talk you need to hear to remind yourself of why you’ve committed to something.” binahschatsky2022@u.northwestern.edu
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Ald. Fiske talks re-election campaign, housing By JORJA SIEMONS
the daily northwestern @jorjasiemons
Running for her fourth term in the 2021 municipal elections, Ald. Judy Fiske (1st) said she prioritizes rebuilding Evanston’s economy. “We need to fill our storefronts, (and) we need to support our small businesses,” Fiske said, adding that the City has lost immense tax revenue amid the pandemic and needs more federal funding to continue to support local entrepreneurs. Fiske said the city cannot rebuild the economy without first distributing the COVID-19 vaccine. Though she acknowledged that some may be hesitant about the vaccine, she said it is important to spread the message that getting inoculated serves the community. Additionally, Fiske wants to continue to protect Evanston lands if reelected. She said the lakefront remains threatened by erosion, and City Council must invest in its preservation. This emphasis on combating climate change is not new for Fiske. As City Council made plans in the early 2010s to create the now-completed bike lanes on Chicago Avenue and Sherman Road, Fiske said she was an advocate for connecting them to the Northwestern campus. “The focus was not only creating a safe way to get to campus, but also encouraging bike riding,” she said. “That’s something that aligns with our climate action plan.” Because the 1st Ward — which includes parts of downtown and residential neighborhoods just east of Northwestern’s campus — contains many historic buildings, Fiske said she also wants to preserve the area’s character. “What I tell developers is that we need high quality developments that are sensitive to the history and architectural quality of the downtown,” she said. Recently, aldermen introduced an ordinance that would increase the Demolition Tax in the City Code, funneling more funds toward affordable housing. Additionally, Fiske noted City Council increased the number of affordable units required in each development. Still, Fiske said she sees a problem in these current efforts. With the majority of new
Daily file photo by Noah Frick-Alofs
Ald. Judy Fiske (1st). Fiske has represented the 1st Ward on City Council since 2009, and said her priorities for the upcoming election include vaccine distribution and environmental preservation.
developments being downtown high-rises, she said she worries the units do not properly accommodate families with kids. “I’d like to give people a better choice of the kind of building they’d like to live in,” she said. “If I were a kid, I’d rather live in a neighborhood with sidewalks and trees that’s near a school.” 1st Ward resident David Reynolds said he admires Fiske’s approach to new Evanston developments. “She feels that we need development because we need revenue, but that development should be balanced and that it should
fit in with the neighborhood,” Reynolds said. Amid ongoing debates about reforming or abolishing the Evanston Police Department, Fiske said there is strong support for the police department in her ward. Referencing the Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets program originating in Eugene, Ore., Fiske said she is in full support of recruiting trained professionals such as mental health experts to respond to certain 911 calls that do not necessarily require an armed police officer. Many police calls can be handled by
non-police units according to 1st Ward resident and documentary filmmaker Bob Hercules, who hopes to see police reform in Evanston and across the country. “The city supports everyone’s right to be heard and to protest, as shown in how the city and Evanston Fight for Black Lives worked together to raise awareness and promote dialogue around the critically important issues of race and policing,” Fiske said. Fiske also referenced NU Community Not Cops protests last fall. NUCNC student protesters were met by officers from the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System on Oct. 31 as they marched through parts of Downtown Evanston. “Like many others, I was shocked to see NIPAS officers downtown during the antiNUPD protest,” she said. “I believe that if there had been better communication for that, there’d have been no need to call those officers in.” Weinberg sophomore and 1st Ward resident Erin McCotter said she has not seen this sentiment reflected in Fiske’s actions. Through an Evanston Fight for Black Lives’ Instagram post in November, McCotter learned that Fiske did not vote against the proposed 2021 budget, which, at the time, maintained the funds allocated to the Evanston Police Department and, according to EFBL, did not sufficiently fund the city’s alternative emergency response system. McCotter said she is in full support of NU Community Not Cops’ work of abolishing both the University and Evanston police and investing in community support. Currently working to implement a community space following quarterly Northwestern University-City Committee meetings, Fiske said she “really likes Northwestern students” and hopes students, citizens, and aldermen can discuss community issues such as policing and student-resident relationships. If elected in April, Fiske said she hopes to continue to prioritize collaboration with other aldermen. “The wards are very different, and each of us has priorities,” she said. “It’s important that we are able as a Council to talk to one another.”
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SPORTS
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Illustration by Jacob Fulton
Q&A: Packers’ President and CEO Mark Murphy talks career, years as NU Athletic Director By SOPHIA SCANLAN
daily senior staffer @sophia_scanlan
For four and a half years, Mark Murphy was at the helm of Northwestern sports. As athletic director from 2003 to 2007, Murphy saw the Wildcats achieve success across the board, with lacrosse winning three consecutive NCAA championships, softball reaching the College World Series twice, and football playing in two bowl games. Murphy also promoted Pat Fitzgerald to head coach in 2006. But before he became a Wildcat, Murphy was an athlete. A baseball, basketball and football player at Colgate, Murphy graduated with a degree in economics in 1977 and then spent eight years as a safety with the franchise now called the Washington Football Team. After getting an M.B.A. and law degree from American and Georgetown, respectively, Murphy returned to Colgate to lead the athletic department from 1992 to 2003. Now, Murphy heads the Green Bay Packers as their president and CEO, a position he stepped into in January of 2008 after leaving NU. A few days
after the Packers lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship, The Daily spoke with Murphy about his years in Evanston and his career in professional football. This interview has been lightly condensed and edited for clarity. The Daily: How did you first get into football? Murphy: My first football experience was in sixth grade, and I lived in Houston, Texas. I played in a football league, and actually I played center because I was one of the few people that could snap the ball between my legs. So, that was my start. I enjoyed it. My father had played football in college, so I had a little bit of football background. The Daily: After playing football in college and professionally, how did you know you wanted to transition to the administrative side of sports? Murphy: While I was playing, I was actively involved in the NFL Players Association. My involvement in the Players Association and the bargaining process really piqued my interest in law school. Once my career ended, I took a job with the NFL Players Association and then
went to law school at night. And then once I got my law degree, I took a position with the U.S. Department of Justice. It was a great experience. I was in court all the time and really enjoyed it, but I did miss my involvement in athletics. The Daily: What was it about Northwestern that drew you here after working at Colgate? Murphy: I enjoyed my time at Colgate, but it had been 12 years. It felt like there wasn’t much more that I could accomplish there. For me, an opportunity to grow in my career as an athletic director, the chance to go to Northwestern — it was a great opportunity. It was still Division I, but a higher level. The Big Ten athletic program was exciting, and I loved my time at Northwestern. The Daily: W hat were some fond memories from your years at Northwestern? Murphy: The first national championship for the women’s lacrosse team — being a part of that was really exciting. I have very fond memories of beating Ohio State for the first time in quite a while at home in football. I remember seeing the students take over and come onto the field
after the game.
invaluable to me.
The Daily: How would you compare working in college football to professional football? Murphy: Well, obviously you’re dealing with just completely different athletes. But in a lot of ways, the focus is the same. I do miss working with the other teams and the seasons. It’s nice as athletic director getting to know and work with coaches and student-athletes from all different teams. It was just a unique opportunity to become the president of the Packers. It’s such a unique organization with great history and tradition. I was not looking to leave Northwestern — I really enjoyed it there.
The Daily: A few years back the Packers were looking to hire Pat Fitzgerald. He’s now locked in at NU for 10 years, but what is it about Fitzgerald that attracts so many NFL teams? Murphy: He’s a great coach, and to have the kind of success that he’s having at Northwestern gets people’s attention. And then you look at the type of person he is, his leadership ability — he’s exceptional. I’m really proud of him. It’s been really, really gratifying to see how he’s grown over the years.
The Daily: What lessons from your time as athletic director have you carried into your role with the Packers? Murphy: Management and leadership. And obviously as an athletic director, one of the most important things you do is hire and work with coaches. Not too long ago, we made a coaching change, so I think my experience — having hired a number of different coaches in different sports, including football coaches, and handled searches — was really
The Daily: What are your goals for the Packers next year? Murphy: We obviously had a good season, but it didn’t end the way we wanted. We’ve established a program here where we can win on a consistent basis. We’ve got some great players. Our general managers over the last decade have done an excellent job identifying talented players. So as disappointing as it was, I still feel like we’ve got a legitimate chance to compete for Super Bowls for the foreseeable future. sophiascanlan2022@u.northwestern.edu
Northwestern fails at a comeback against Rutgers By GABRIELA CARROLL
daily senior staffer @gablcarroll
After a disastrous opening, Northwestern rallied to keep Sunday’s game against Rutgers competitive, but the Wildcats never fully capitalized on their opportunities. That NU (6-9, 3-8 Big Ten) even had a chance after falling behind early by 20 points was a testament to their resilience, coach Chris Collins said. “We’ve got to get better,” Collins said. “We did fight hard, we did bounce back, which was a real positive from a big hole. I was pleased with that aspect of it.” Though the Cats played competitively, the result was the same as the past seven games: yet another tick in the loss column.
The Scarlet Knights’ defense made the difference early as double teams on ball left NU struggling to complete passes across the perimeter to their guards. “They were in the post, and they were knocking down dribble handoffs,” said sophomore center Ryan Young. “They average the most steals in the Big Ten. They just jumped on us in the first 10 minutes.” Down low, Young scored four of the Cats’ six points in the first eight minutes, while other NU players struggled to find open looks on the baseline. The Cats committed five turnovers in those first eight minutes. Rutgers fed off the energy with their loud, enthusiastic bench and jumped out to a 20-point lead. In the first 12 minutes, Rutgers shot 65 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the arc.
To counter Rutgers’ perimeter defense, Collins put Young in to play with junior forward Pete Nance in a two-big lineup. With those two down low, the Cats forced the Scarlet Knights to put more defenders in the paint, which opened up the perimeter for its shooters and made them a more formidable offensive rebounding threat. “That’s an exciting lineup we can go to that worked tonight,” Young said. “It produced big inside, just like every other team in the league. We need to match that kind of size, both defensively and rebounding.” As the half progressed, the game got sloppy. Rutgers racked up 11 turnovers in the half to NU’s 10. The Cats capitalized on the Scarlet Knights’ turnovers to close the half on a 18-3 run and cut the lead to five at the break.
But the momentum stopped there as NU scored just six points in the first ten minutes of the second half. The Cats went on a 10-0 run late to pull within five, but turnovers on offensive possessions in the final two minutes foiled NU’s chances at a comeback. Despite entering the game averaging 10.8 turnovers, NU turned the ball over a season-high 20 times on Sunday. But many of the Cats’ turnovers came off travels, which Collins said was uncharacteristic of his team. “We were a little bit careless at times,” Collins said. “I thought we got the ball into bad areas. We had some uncharacteristic travels and carrying violations. We had a couple opportunities in the fast breaks in the second half where guys were out ahead of the play, and we had some turnovers there.” With the postponement of their
upcoming game against Michigan due to COVID-19 concerns within the Wolverines’ athletic department, the Cats have a full five days to prepare for their next opponent, Purdue. Collins said NU is just a few plays away from elevating itself in the conference, and its performance in the early weeks of the Big Ten season suggests that he’s right. But are the Cats of late December still in there? And if they are, when are they going to make their reappearance? “I don’t think we’re far off,” Collins said. “It’d be different if we just rolled out here every night and were just getting blitzed every night. It’s in there. I have to do a better job of bringing it out of these guys, and on a more consistent basis.” gabrielacarroll2023@u.northwestern.edu