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The Daily Northwestern Thursday, February 7, 2013
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City receives state grant for trail By CIARA MCCARTHY
the daily northwestern
The Illinois Department of Transportation granted Evanston $580,000 last week to restore a west Evanston trail. Evanston’s grant is part of a total $50 million given to local transportation projects in Illinois. Gov. Pat Quinn and Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider announced last week that 54 projects
statewide will be supported by the latest round of funding through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, an IDOT initiative. In Evanston, the grant will go toward the rehabilitation of the trail at Ladd Arboretum, a 17-acre park along the North Shore Channel near west Evanston. The multi-use path is currently in a state of disrepair, according to a news release. “Presently the trails are in a deteriorated
state and due to poor drainage conditions are often unusable in inclement weather,” said Doug Gaynor, the city’s parks, recreation and community services director in the news release. Bikers and pedestrians, many of whom are schoolchildren, use the trails frequently. “Incorporating bike paths, bike lanes and sidewalks into the transportation system encourages physical activity and healthy lifestyles by providing a safe place
to walk, jog and bike close to home,” U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said in a release. The grants are also expected to create jobs throughout the state. “These projects will create hundreds of jobs while preserving our heritage, beautifying communities and creating new transportation options across our state for pedestrians, bicyclists, and » See TRAIL, page 7
the daily northwestern
Source: Creative Commons
CHIEF CAT Cody Keenan (Weinberg ‘02) dressed up as a pirate for a photo taken in the Oval Office with President Barack Obama. It was used at Obama’s humorous speech to the White House in 2009.
Cody Keenan (Weinberg ’02) will assume the role of President Barack Obama’s chief speechwriter and is slated to take the lead in writing next week’s State of the Union address. The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that long-time chief speechwriter Jon Favreau will end his sevenyear tenure with Obama on March 1 to pursue a career in screenwriting. Keenan, who currently serves as the associate director of presidential speechwriting, gained attention in 2011 for his role as lead writer on Obama’s speech at the Tucson memorial for the shooting involving then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.). The speech called for the country to rise above political divisions following the shooting, which claimed the lives of six people, including a federal judge and 9-year-old girl, and wounded 13 others, including Giffords. The Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times highlighted Keenan’s participation after former White House press secretary Robert Gibbs announced Keenan had written the speech. “People were upset that the rhetoric and finger-pointing had gotten out of hand, and it felt like a moment for
By ALLY MUTNICK
daily senior staffer
speaking to who we are as a nation and what we need to do,” Keenan said to Crosscurrents, a Weinberg magazine, in 2011. “The truth is, President Obama rewrote a lot of it. We (speechwriters) don’t always hit the sweet spot, but the president knocked that one out of the park. It was one of those moments that reminded me why I chose to work for him in the first place.” Keenan is a Chicago native and spent his childhood in Evanston and Wilmette. After his family moved to Connecticut when Keenan was in high school, the article reported, he returned to Chicago. At Northwestern, Keenan began as a pre-med student but then switched his major several times until finally graduating with a degree in political science. The Crosscurrents article said he enjoyed “The West Wing” and built a speechwriting foundation in history classes. After graduation, the Northwestern Magazine reported he got his start in D.C. working as an intern and legislative assistant to Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) from 2004 to 2007. In 2008, he began working as an intern, and later speechwriter, for the Obama campaign. He received a Master’s in public policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
More than 30 Northwestern theater companies, clubs and Greek organizations came together during the last few weeks to fundraise for a life-saving double-lung transplant for Josie Nordman, a Communication sophomore with cystic fibrosis. A wristband sale, coordinated by Nordman’s sorority Chi Omega and staffed by the NU Equestrian Team and 22 other Greek organizations, raised about $5,400 selling bracelets printed with the message, “Support Josie,” across campus from Jan. 28 to Feb. 1. Sharon Reshef, Chi O philanthropy co-chair, said with donations that other NU groups have sent them, they will most likely give Nordman’s family about $6,000. “It actually exceeded our expectations,” the SESP junior said. “We had no idea how much we were going to raise. Ultimately our goal was $5000, and we raised (more than that).” Nordman, who has had cystic fibrosis since she was 4 months old, was placed on the lung transplant list last December. She is down to only 16 percent lung function because of complications from her disease. Her family will have to pay up to $75,000 of the $750,000 transplant and have asked the community for help. As of Feb. 6, a donation website set up by Nordman’s former teacher has raised $30,814. Most NU groups donate directly to Nicolle Nordman, Josie’s mother, who estimates they have about $35,000 including NU efforts.
czak15@u.northwestern.edu
» See NORDMAN, page 7
Alum to write State of the Union speech By CAT ZAKRZEWSKI
‘Support Josie’ aid exceeds targets
Foley family turns to Syrian social networks for info By CAT ZAKRZEWSKI
the daily northwestern
The family of freelance journalist James Foley (Medill ‘08) announced Tuesday they were turning to social media websites in Syria and the surrounding region for information about his location, 75 days after he was abducted in the country. Foley was kidnapped by an unidentified gunman on Nov. 22, 2012. This is the second abduction of Foley, who was held in Libya by Muammar Gaddafi supporters for 42 days in 2010. Foley’s brother, Michael, said the family hopes to use social media this time around to potentially obtain tips about his location. “We haven’t heard any new direct information,” Michael Foley told The Daily on Wednesday. “That’s why we’re continuing to pursue all avenues.” When Michael Foley spoke to The Daily, social media advertisements for the cause had only been live for about 24 hours. He said they had already topped 300,000 viewers and received responses from several hundred people.
“The response has been much better than I expected,” Michael Foley said. John Foley, James Foley’s father, shared his hope that the social media campaign would be successful in a Tuesday press release. “Social media has transformed how people communicate and share information,” John Foley said.“Our family believes that someone in Syria knows what happened to Jim, where he is located and we hope that person contacts us.” The Foley family did not release the news of their son’s second capture until early January. He was reportedly captured with his translator and driver, who were later released. James Foley was with another journalist, who is also missing and remains unidentified. After he was released in Libya in 2010, James Foley gave back to the Medill community by talking to groups of students when he was in the United States and participating in the Crain Lecture series. While on assignment in Syria in November, shortly before his second disappearance, he spoke to Medill Prof. Loren Ghiglione’s class via Skype. When
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asked about his capture in Libya, he told Ghiglione’s class he had learned from the experience. “He tries to be even more cautious than he was in Libya when he was taken the last time,” Ghiglione said to The Daily in January. “It’s just sad that yet again we don’t know what’s happening to him.” James Foley is a “veteran” border conflict journalist and has reported in the Middle East for more than five years, Michael Foley said. “We’re pretty used to it now at this point as a family,” Michael Foley said. “He’s very cautious. He always has been.” Since the news of the capture broke in January, numerous organizations, recently including the International Center for Journalists, have advocated for James Foley’s release. As of Wednesday, more than 6,400 people signed an online appeal from the Foley family at freejamesfoley.org. The website also now offers a link in both English and Arabic for people to provide any information on James Foley or “useful contacts in Syria.” Michael Foley said he hoped the new
Photo courtesy of Manu Brabo
MEDIA MEDIATION James Foley’s (Medill ‘08) family said Tuesday they will use social media in Syria to seek information on his whereabouts.
campaign would reach “as many people as possible.” “We’re not leaving any stones unturned,” Michael Foley said. “The
message will get to right people, and they’ll contact us.” czak15@u.northwestern.edu
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