The Daily Northwestern — February 26, 2019 by The Daily Northwestern

The Daily Northwestern Tuesday, February 26, 2019

DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM 8 SPORTS/Women’s Basketball

3 CAMPUS/Student Groups

NU to face Indiana on Senior Night

Student-run group eo looks to launch campus bike share program Spring Quarter

Find us online @thedailynu 4 OPINION/Gutierrez

The Oscars weren’t a win for queer people

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FENCING

Wildcats named Midwest champs NU takes home second straight win in conference By STEPHEN COUNCIL

the daily northwestern @stephencouncil

Northwestern had one of its best regular seasons ever: a 39-5 record, a No. 2 national ranking and a brand-new home facility in Ryan Fieldhouse. This weekend, the Wildcats made a little more history. NU cruised to its second straight Midwest Fencing Conference championship, the school’s third in four years. For the first time ever, the Cats swept all three weapon titles at the contest. “It was amazing to turn around and see the whole squad there, the whole team there, cheering for every touch,” senior foil Yvonne Chart said. “It just felt amazing. It was just a dream come true, it’s a perfect way for my senior conference to go.” The Midwest Fencing Conference championships started on Saturday with individual play, where fencers faced off in pool play before making their way through direct-elimination rounds. While they dominated early rounds — 17 NU

fencers landed in the top 10 for their weapon style — the Cats finished the day with one silver medal and five bronzes. On the way to their medals, the fencers had to face off against their own teammates. Junior epée Pauline Hamilton took down freshman Maggie Snider to reach the final. In foil, Chart beat freshman Alyssa Chen and sophomore Sarah Filby beat junior Amy Jia. Chart and Filby lost their respective semifinal bouts and tied for third. Sophomore Alexis Browne was the Cats’ top finisher in sabre, ending up in third as well. Coach Zach Moss said it would have been nice for a few of his fencers to have walked away with gold medals, but he felt good, acknowledging that the circumstances were unusual. “The first day, especially for our team, is really hard and weird, because the individual competition ends up being a lot of teammate bouts, so it’s not anything that we’re used to,” Moss said. “It’s not the kind of competition that we’re good at, it’s not the kind of team that we are.” The individual matches have no impact on Sunday’s team contests, so NU had a chance to start over strong. » See FENCE, page 6

Noah Frick-Alofs/Daily Senior Staffer

Ald. Donald Wilson (4th) speaks at a City Council meeting. Wilson said he did not feel comfortable moving forward with the proposed Chicago Avenue development until the city added a clause in the contract specifying what would happen if the project failed.

Council puts development on hold Aldermen request more details on proposed Chicago Avenue building By CASSIDY WANG

the daily northwestern @cassidyw_

Aldermen voted 6-3 to place on hold an ordinance requesting a special use permit and a zoning map amendment for a planned development on Chicago Avenue at a Monday City Council meeting. The planned development — a 13-story office space set to be located at 1714-1720 Chicago

Ave. — would require a special use permit and area zoning amendment that would result in the “most intense development within the city,” according to city documents. After many Evanston residents expressed concerns about the planned development, ranging from potential issues about safety to traffic to encroachment on historical properties, aldermen decided to request more information from the building’s developers and an updated contract containing more specifications about the

plans. Ald. Donald Wilson (4th) said he did not feel comfortable moving forward with the ordinance in case the property ends up being sold, but for whatever unforeseen reason, the development does not proceed. Wilson said the city should add a clause into the contract with developers that would specify future proceedings in the case that development does stall. He suggested there could be a clause in the contract which would return

the property to the city if development doesn’t proceed. Wilson expressed concerns about moving forward with the contract if the city could potentially end up in a “limbo state.” “I realize they have the best intentions, but I don’t want to put the community on the hook,” he said. Ald. Judy Fiske (1st) made a motion to table the ordinance until the next regularly-scheduled » See DEVELOPMENT, page 6

Girl Scouts brave cold to raise funds NU researchers aid Troop weathers a frigid cookie season to raise money for service project

Professors create models for optimal space mission teams

By CLARE PROCTOR

daily senior staffer @ceproctor23

When Samantha Tilson joined her first Girl Scout troop, she was only six years old. “All I wanted to do was be with my friends,” Tilson said. “Now, I understand the real meaning of being a Girl Scout. You get to help people, and you get to go on cool adventures.” Tilson, now 11, and two of her troop-mates braved winds upwards of 20 miles per hour Sunday to sell cookies in Evanston. Every year, typically from January to the end of March, cookie lovers can enjoy their classic favorites — from Thin Mints to Samoas to Tagalongs —- while supporting young women entrepreneurs. This was Tilson’s first year selling cookies outside, she said. Despite the cold, she said standing outside of Peet’s Coffee, 1622 Chicago Ave., to sell boxes of cookies was “interesting.”

Mars expedition

By AARON WANG

the daily northwestern @aaronwangxxx

Clare Proctor/Daily Senior Staffer

Girl Scouts stand outside Peet’s Coffee, 1622 Chicago Ave., to sell cookies. The girls are selling to raise money for a service trip in Costa Rica during the summer of 2020.

“I like selling cookies because we get to be social people around our community,” Tilson said. Troop 23013, the girls’ group, will use money raised

Serving the University and Evanston since 1881

from cookie sales to fund local service projects, 12-year-old Meredith White said. Out of the $5 cost for each box of cookies, $1 will go toward a service trip in Costa Rica, set

for the summer of 2020, White said. The girls’ troop also started a recycling program at their » See GIRLSCOUT, page 6

Cooperation is key in space, and Northwestern professors are helping NASA identify important traits for successful teamwork in anticipation of an upcoming Mars expedition. To help NASA assemble a team for a three-year mission to Mars, Communication Prof. Leslie DeChurch and McCormick Prof. Noshir Contractor are working with a global team of researchers to develop a predictive model of group performance, which anticipates conflicts and communication breakdowns among astronauts based on their personality traits. The research found that people with a good sense of humor tend to do better in the

simulation, while overly selffocused and narcissistic crew members can lead to group dysfunction, DeChurch said. The analysis of different prototypes of teamwork will improve NASA’s selection program for future missions, she said. DeChurch said space travel is “almost like a group marriage,” making cooperation essential to mission success. “When you are on a longdistance space mission, not only can you not get away from problems, but you are relying on everybody in your team to help you mitigate some of the challenges that you are facing personally,” she said. To create the model, Contractor, who is also a Kellogg and Communication professor, said the team analyzed transcripts of conversations during a space mission in 1973 — the Skylab mission — during which crew members turned off communication with ground control in » See MARS, page 6

INSIDE: Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Opinion 4 | Classifieds & Puzzles 6 | Sports 8

2 NEWS | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2019

AROUND TOWN Aldermen consider new Youth Job Center position By SNEHA DEY

the daily northwestern @snehadey_

Aldermen postponed signing an agreement to fund a Youth Job Center career partnership management position at Monday’s City Council meeting. The position would inform Evanston Township High School students about possible career paths that don’t require attending college. To fund the position, the city would have to allocate $90,000 from the Good Neighbor Fund in the fiscal year 2020. The Good Neighbor Fund is Northwestern University’s commitment to the city to donate $1 million every year from 2015 to 2020. A portion of this year’s funds have gone to Mayor Steve Hagerty’s workforce initiative Elevate Evanston, which chose to fund a full-time staff member at the YJC in the past. Karen Demorest, the executive director at the Youth Job Center, said Monday that approximately 200 ETHS graduating seniors choose not to go to college every year. “We honestly don’t know what happens to them,” Demorest said. “On the other side, there are a lot of employers … looking to build a workforce … There’s been a mismatch today on how to connect.” Demorest said the career partnership management position would facilitate collaboration between ETHS counselors, career and technical education programs and local employers. She

POLICE BLOTTER Sugar poured into gas tank of vehicle

A 37-year-old Evanston woman reported Saturday that she saw a person intentionally damage her vehicle outside of her residence in the 2400 block of Emerson Street. The woman said she saw the person approach her car and pour sugar into the gas tank before fleeing in a white vehicle. Sugar is rumored to

said the position could change the dialogue at ETHS, where college and career opportunities systems are heavily intertwined. Neil Gamow, who is a member of Hagerty’s Employer Advisory Council, also said a career track that doesn’t include attending college is not yet “visible” at ETHS. He said the position would train counselors to talk to students, parents and teachers about available job opportunities. “We need to be able to have that implanted in the school so that those opportunities are right in front of the parents, the teachers, students, counselors,” Gambow said. He added he is looking forward to helping these students. Ald. Tom Suffredin (6th) emphasized the importance of giving adolescents the opportunity to discover their passions outside of college. He said the Youth Job Center career partnership position could help young adults in the Evanston community. “Largely, when you’re in that age group, it’s always about finding what you’re good at, what you enjoy, how you’re employable,” Suffredin said. “That doesn’t always fit into columns like getting into schools.” Aldermen postponed authorizing the agreement to a later date. Ald. Robin Rue Simmons (5th) said the city needs to support career paths that don’t include education debt but wanted to inventory other workforce development programs. Simmons said $90,000 was a “substantial investment” and that dissolve in gasoline and cause engine failure, but as a 1994 study at the University of California, Berkeley revealed, it does not always work. Evanston Police Department officers arrived at the scene and found sugar on the ground and on the gas cap of the vehicle, said EPD Cmdr. Ryan Glew. The woman was able to identify the suspect and said she wants to press charges, he added. There has been no arrest and no one is in custody.

Noah Frick-Alofs/Daily Senior Staffer

Ald. Rue Simmons (2nd) at Monday’s City Council meeting. Simmons voted to postpone authorizing an agreement to fund the proposed partnership management position.

she wanted to ensure responsible use of city funds while still maintaining the partnership with the Youth Job Center. “The Youth Job Center has been a key partner in our youth and young adult job creation

and workforce development,” Simmons said. “It’s important that we move forward in that partnership.”

Man and woman arrested after stealing liquor from store

was also carrying stolen alcohol, Glew said. The two individuals claimed they had purchased the alcohol at Walgreens but were unable to provide a receipt. The total price of the alcohol was estimated at nearly $140. Glew said the man and woman were arrested and brought back to the EPD. They were positively identified by the Jewel-Osco employee and charged with retail theft.

A 38-year-old employee of Jewel-Osco reported Sunday that he saw a man steal items from the store located at 1128 Chicago Ave. The employee said a man took two bottles of tequila valued at around $80 before fleeing northbound on Chicago Avenue. EPD officers located the man at the Dempster Street CTA station with an Evanston woman who

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2019

ON CAMPUS

Bike-share program to launch in spring By EVAN ROBINSON-JOHNSON

the daily northwestern @therealevanrj

Why own a bike? Bikes break down, bikes are a hassle, bikes get stolen. These are some of the concerns Northwestern startup eo seeks to alleviate with its bike-share program. The eo team, composed of five undergraduate students, pitched its dockless bike-share model at Improve NU on Sunday, winning second place and $3,500 to support their startup. The team has been working for the past year to develop a system that makes bikes more accessible for University students. “The ultimate goal of project is to improve Northwestern,” said McCormick junior Jake Gutstein, one of the founding members of the eo team. Eo designed a custom prototype bike that unlocks with an app and can be picked up and dropped off at any location on campus. In the spring, the team is planning to roll out a pilot program of 40 bikes to test the system and gauge interest. Although it will have to charge for the service, Gutstein said it is taking steps to lower costs as much as possible to make the program accessible for all students. The University, which is trying to increase bike ridership by 10 percent by 2021, has worked closely with eo to give it legal and professional advice, Gutstein said. Despite the excitement around the program, Gutstein said faculty have expressed concern about the dockless model. In other locations, bike shares have suffered from a lack of infrastructure, leading to neglected bikes and congested streets. In parts of China, bike shares have led to hundreds of abandoned and broken bikes, which end up in large bike graves. To address some of these concerns, Gutstein said eo has met with University faculty and Evanston officials to receive input on how to avoid bike abandonment and prioritize safety.

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Eo team members Drake Weissman, Jake Gutstein and Grace Jaeger pose with a prototype bike. Eo plans to launch a pilot program at the start of spring quarter.

Eo began as a simple idea during an entrepreneurship class, said McCormick junior Drake Weissman, who is also a founding member. He had seen similar programs at other schools but said he wanted a more localized program. “We wanted something by Northwestern students, for Northwestern students,” Weissman said. In keeping with the Northwestern theme, eo plans to paint all the bikes an iconic shade of purple. Each member of the eo team is committed to the project and has a genuine desire to see it succeed, Gutstein said. James Jia, for example, joined the eo team just three weeks ago because

he saw a need for the program in his own life. “I live on South Campus but take a lot of my classes up (North), so I personally would benefit a lot from a program like this,” the McCormick first-year said. Gutstein said it can be difficult to manage schoolwork while running a startup, but also emphasized the significance of eo in the team members’ lives. “We’re not going to sacrifice quality of the product just because we have a test coming up,” Gutstein said. “I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t believe in it and love it.” erj@u.northwestern.edu

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OPINION

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Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Graphic by Roxanne Panas

Oscars were a win for queerness, but not queer people A, PALLAS GUTIERREZ

DAILY COLUMNIST

This is the sixth column in “50 Years of Queer Anger,” a series examining LGBTQ+ issues in the United States since 1969. On Sunday night, Olivia Colman, Mahershala Ali and Rami Malek won Oscars for their roles in “The Favourite,” “Green Book” and “Bohemian Rhapsody,” respectively. Colman portrayed the frail Queen Anne, caught in a lesbian love triangle with Lady Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz), who is governing England in Anne’s place, and Abigail Masham (Emma Stone), a newly-arrived servant. Ali played real-life pianist Don Shirley, a queer black man, who hired Tony Lip, portrayed by Viggo Mortensen, to drive him around the American South in 1962. Malek portrayed rock legend Freddie Mercury, the bisexual lead singer of Queen, as the band rocketed to stardom. Undoubtedly, these films provided more mainstream queer visibility, but they are not without their flaws. The official trailer for “The Favourite” depicts the film as a piece centering on political intrigue in Queen Anne’s court, making queerness seem like a

throw-away detail, while the actual movie ended up focusing far more on the relationship between the three women. “Green Book” has been heavily criticized for its handling of race relations in the Jim Crow South. A movie that could easily have shown how difficult it was to be a black artist in 1962 instead focuses on the relationship between Shirley and Lip. The fact that Ali’s Shirley was nominated as a supporting character while Mortensen’s Lip was considered the lead shows how poorly Hollywood still handles issues of race. “Green Book” has been compared to “The Help” and “Driving Miss Daisy” as a racial reconciliation fantasy that does not thoroughly address America’s racist past. The film has also drawn criticism, notably from Shirley’s family, for inaccurately depicting Shirley’s life. Ali and others were not made aware throughout the process that there were living family members to talk to (Ali has apologized to the Shirley family for any inaccuracies and damage). Perhaps most importantly, given the movie’s tagline, “Inspired by a True Friendship,” Shirley’s family has stated that the relationship between Shirley and Lip was purely professional. Other than Queen’s completely fabricated split before Live Aid, the biggest inaccuracy in “Bohemian Rhapsody” is the depiction of Freddie Mercury’s sexuality. The most intimate on-screen moments are between Mercury and Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton), while his extensive relationships with men are often left off-screen. His queerness is presented almost as

a weakness, rather than being used to critique the queerphobic society that he lived in (and that we still live in today). Malek frustratingly referred to Mercury as a gay man in his acceptance speech, when Mercury was bisexual. Mercury’s sexuality needs to be honored, and the difference is significant, especially due to rampant bi erasure. But the hardest thing for me to grapple with about Colman, Ali and Malek winning is the irony of awarding straight actors for playing queer roles, while queer actors have difficulty finding work at all. This is not a new trend by a long shot, but now, when Hollywood is producing more and more films with queer characters and plot lines, it is imperative that we consider whose stories are being told and who gets to tell them. Timothée Chalamet and Nick Robinson were rocketed to stardom for their roles in “Call Me By Your Name” and “Love, Simon”, while openly queer actors still struggle to get cast. Actress Evan Rachel Wood, who came out as bisexual in 2011, said, “A lot of people advise you not to do it. … They don’t want you to be less desirable to men.” While playing gay can bolster a career or a film, as it did for Chalamet, Robinson and many others, there is still an industry-wide fear that actual queerness will hurt ticket sales. Another reason actors do not come out is the fear of being pigeon-holed. Although plenty of straight actors play queer characters, it’s much more rare to see openly queer actors play straight. While having straight actors portray queer

characters is creative license at best and queerphobic at worst, Hollywood’s tendency to hire cis actors to portray trans characters is flat-out transphobic. Although the phenomenon was not onstage at the Oscars this year, awards season has seen it in years past. Eddie Redmayne was nominated for Best Actor for his role in “The Danish Girl,” which portrays the story of Lili Elbe, one of the earliest recipients of sex reassignment surgery. Although he did not win the Oscar, having a cis man play a trans woman presents transness as a costume, rather than an identity. Actors like Redmayne portraying trans characters sends the message that, at the end of the day, any trans person is “really” whatever gender they were assigned at birth, which is an inherently transphobic and harmful message to be sending. While films depicting trans people may be wellintentioned, casting cis people is doing more harm than good. Hollywood, put your money where your mouth is. If you want to tell real and nuanced queer stories, hire more queer actors, writers, and directors. Support queer artists instead of just profiting off their stories. A. Pallas Gutierrez is a Communication first-year. They can be contacted at pallas2022@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 Oscars are getting better, but there’s still a disconnect MARISSA MARTINEZ

OPINION EDITOR

As Julia Roberts handed the Oscar for Best Picture to the “Green Book” team, the newsroom and I, somewhat jokingly, waited for a beat. Would this be another “Moonlight”/“La La Land” scenario? Unfortunately, this was not the case. “Green Book” is a film riddled with controversies. Moreover, it peddled a white-savior narrative and took away a lot of the voices from the black artists who struggled during the 1960s — this was further cemented by Mahershala Ali being nominated for a Supporting Actor role rather than a lead. “Green Book” winning over monumental films like “Black Panther,” “Roma”

and “The Favourite” was upsetting, but not at all surprising. Those problems are huge and reflect a continuing disconnect between Academy Awards voters — a largely homogeneous group — and popular discourse about mainstream films. Many have compared this award, which is almost universally considered a poor pick, to films notorious for fumbling nuanced racial narratives like “Crash” and “Driving Miss Daisy.” But they should not detract from the progress made in the rest of the categories and the ceremony itself. This year, Hannah Beachler and Ruth E. Carter were the first black women to take home awards for production and costume design, respectively, and to win a non-acting category since 1984. Mahershala Ali was among three out of four actors of color to win in the main acting categories. Domee Shi brought home an Oscar for her animated short, “Bao,” which showcased a mother-son relationship

in an Asian household (and personally, made me cry in theaters). It was a great night for women and people of color — particularly those who speak a language other than English. Hearing people like Javier Bardem and Alfonso Cuarón speak Spanish, especially with the nomination of “Roma” — a Mexican film in Spanish and Mixtec — was so refreshing. Diego Luna, who presented the movie as a Best Picture nominee, said, “Ya se puede hablar español en los Oscars. Ya nos abrieron la puerta y no nos vamos a ir ” — translated: “It’s possible to speak Spanish at the Oscars now. They finally opened the door for us and we aren’t going to leave.” While there were some issues with queer representation, as well as some of the award decisions, this Oscars is a far cry from the set of nominations that prompted #OscarsSoWhite in 2015. But it’s hard to be completely satisfied — the fact that a lot

“Into the Spider-Verse” is my Best Picture MARISSA MARTINEZ

OPINION EDITOR

Anyone who knows me knows I can’t shut up about “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” Yes, I have seen it three times in theaters. Yes, I have cried all three times. It’s hard to explain why the movie touches me so much. I mean, on a surface level, the stunning animation styles that referenced different SpiderMan artists cause my jaw to drop: The way the animators seamlessly blended several visual effects in 2D and 3D gave the movie depth a live version could never touch. The soundtrack (that I listen to more frequently than should be allowed) is one of the best movie albums I’ve ever heard — save for “Black Panther” — because of how easily I can picture individual scenes when a new song plays and feel the emotional rush of watching the movie all over again. Even the script was amazing, its oneliners making me chuckle way too loud every time. Technically, everything was perfect.

But my love for it goes a lot deeper than that. Miles Morales, a middle schooler who assumes the new position of Spider-Man, is black and Puerto Rican. My dad grew up reading comics voraciously and passed that love and knowledge on to me, and that connection will always be there for me. I got to see a black and Latino boy, who is just like my dad, portrayed as a normal pre-teen who’s just trying to figure life out. As the Best Animated Feature Film category came up on the screen during the Academy Awards, everyone in the room’s eyes turned toward me. I knew it was an almost guaranteed win, but a grin still spread across my face when the production team and cast crowded the stage to receive the prize. That smile soon dropped as my eyes teared up during Phil Lord’s acceptance speech: “When we hear that somebody’s kid was watching the movie and turned to them and said, ‘He looks like me,’ or ‘They speak Spanish like us,’ we feel like we already won.” “Somebody’s kid” is me. Spider-Man’s narrative is about being an awkward young adult thrust into an impossible scenario but being forced to do good in spite of, and because of, his tough circumstances. Even though he wasn’t the strongest or most confident or most popular person, Peter Parker put on

the mask and went to work every day to save the city he loved, dropping sarcastic remarks the whole time. That’s something so many of us can relate to already — making him an Afro-Latino boy-nextdoor only makes it that much easier. So that’s why I can’t — and won’t — stop talking about “Into the Spider-Verse.” It was one of the best movies I’ve ever seen from a storytelling, animation and creativity perspective. It was also the most relatable and diverse superhero movie I’ve ever seen. And the two aren’t mutually exclusive. Most people who tell me they haven’t seen the film yet claim it’s because they hate superhero movies, or animated ones, or both. But their resistance doesn’t really matter — the people who needed to see it did. Hopefully, multiple times like me. And you best believe that after all those viewings, I’m still buying the DVD. Marissa Martinez is a Medill sophomore. She can be contacted at marissamartinez2021@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.

of the awards were firsts shows just how slow progress has been over the past nine decades. Time will tell if this is a fluke year, or if this trend will quickly become the norm. Right now, I’m celebrating the accomplishments of the historic firsts, but I’m also looking forward to the distant future, when first-generation, POC, nonEnglish speaking and other disadvantaged students not only gain the technical and creative skills to keep making art, but can get institutional access to jobs and influential positions and keep winning. Marissa Martinez is a Medill sophomore. She can be contacted at marissamartinez2021@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 139, Issue 76 Editor in Chief Alan Perez

Opinion Editor Marissa Martinez

Managing Editors Maddie Burakoff Alex Schwartz Syd Stone

Assistant Opinion Editor Andrea Bian

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2019

D65, D202 leaders concerned about literacy goal By MADDY DAUM

the daily northwestern

Board members from Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and Evanston Township High School/ District 202 met to discuss progress made on their joint literacy goal at a combined district meeting on Monday. The members met at ETHS and received an update on the joint goal of the two school districts. The reading goal, which was set by both districts in 2014, aims to ensure that by the 12th grade all students are proficient in reading and prepared for college and careers. The 12-year-goal is meant to be achieved in one K-12 cycle. This means the students who were kindergarteners in 2014 would, once they complete high school, be the first measurement of the program’s success, according to a memo from Stacy Beardsley, the District 65 assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, and Pete Bavis, the District 202 assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. Bavis said that he and Beardsley found themselves at an “impasse in terms of progress” toward the literacy goal at their last meeting, and that currently, they are not on track to meet it. Bavis said measuring proficiency across grades is challenging. The two districts each use a different kind of testing to measure student proficiency. ETHS uses STAR testing, while District 65 uses MAP testing, and while the two systems assess similar skills, their scores aren’t measured on the same scale. Beardsley said the districts are looking for a

Maddy Daum/The Daily Northwestern

Board members of Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and Evanston Township High School/District 202 met on Monday. The members received an update on the joint literacy goal, which aims to improve reading levels in both districts.

way to be able to compare scores across the two testing systems and come up with a uniform way of equating scores on the STAR tests — which are taken in the fall — and the MAP tests — which are taken in the spring. To counter this disconnect, Bavis and Beardsley have developed a table which teachers and administrators can use to compare performance across tests, and a benchmark score for both which indicates if a student is reading at the correct grade level.

“(The scoring) is setting a high benchmark for performance that will set students up for success through ETHS and beyond,” Beardsley said. “One of the things I do worry about is when we talk about these numbers, we sometimes talk away from some of the strengths and the assets students do bring in.” Using two tests creates difficulty in implementing one program across the two districts and could be solved by having all students take one test,

District 65 Superintendent Paul Goren said. Beardsley said she and Bavis hope to determine if switching to one common test is the best possible option by the end of the year, but they do not have a solid time frame in place for this decision. However, the information they have right now puts them in a “good place” to look at historical and current data and to measure the districts’ progress toward literacy proficiency, she said. ETHS/District 202 board president Pat Savage-Williams said she is “frustrated” because literacy proficiency is an urgent matter they have been waiting to resolve. Savage-Williams said she wonders how to “get those five years back” in which the literacy trendline has remained flat. District 202 board member Jude Laude said that “there are children whose lives are at stake” because of the lack of progress in achieving the joint literary goal. Laude said that using one test will “unequivocally” be in the best interest for students because they need to be accurately placed. He added that 35 to 40 percent of students who are coming into ETHS are not reading at their grade level. “I’m ashamed,” Laude said. “I would not be able to sleep tonight if I did not vocalize this. I cannot be comfortable, I’m ashamed. And I think we all have to bear the burden — we are in crisis. In one of the most livable places in the United States … 20 students every year are reading below grade level with all of the resources. I don’t think it’s a question of resources, I think it’s a question of dysfunction (in the districts).” madisondaum2022@u.northwestern.edu

FOOTBALL

Cameron Green retires due to family history of concussions, head injuries

Northwestern superback Cameron Green announced his retirement from football on Monday. The junior from Buffalo Grove, Illinois, released a statement on Twitter, citing head injuries as his reason for retiring.

“Unfortunately, due to concussion and head injuries within my family, I have chosen to step away from the game,” Green said in a tweet from his account. “Though the love of the game will be everlasting in me, the love for family and health overpowers all.” Green was slated to be one of the Wildcats’ top pass-catchers heading into his senior season. After reeling in just 24 catches in his first two seasons, Green had a breakout year in 2018 after converting to superback, catching

57 passes for 483 yards and four touchdowns. He finished the season ranked second on the team in receptions and third in receiving yards. After the retirement of sophomore running back Jeremy Larkin in September, Green is now the second player to retire from NU due to medical reasons in the last 12 months. Green is the son of Mark Green, who played college football at Notre Dame and played in the NFL with the Chicago Bears from 1989 to 1992. His major is learning and organizational

change. A spokesman for the Northwestern athletic department deferred comment until after tomorrow’s first spring practice. In the meantime, coach Pat Fitzgerald quote-tweeted Green’s announcement. “Heck of a player and an even better young man,” Fitzgerald tweeted. “Can’t wait to see what’s next!” — Andrew Golden, Peter Warren

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6 NEWS | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2019

DEVELOPMENT

FENCE

Council meeting to give developers the opportunity to answer the city’s questions. Wilson expressed his disappointment with Fiske’s suggestion, saying he believed the Council could have discussed the development further. Former 6th Ward alderman Mark Tendam spoke at Monday’s meeting in support of developing the property. “I fought (for it) then and I still believe it’s a good idea to develop that property,”Tendam said.“But I don’t think the current proposal really honors the intention of the (request for proposal) that we wrote several years ago. … Not a lot of the questions that have been raised in this process have truly been answered.” Tendam said there are still unanswered questions about how the developers will work with the city. He said he hopes aldermen can look at the narrative surrounding the development “for what it is.” “It sounds nice, but it’s not all that complete,”he said. Many community members encouraged aldermen to reject the proposal, on the basis of the tremendous impact the development would have on downtown Evanston. Melanie Cody, the current president of the Women’s Club of Evanston — a property located near the planned development — said the city should vote no on the current plan and instead take time to work on the right development for the “special location.” Residents expressed concern about the change in zoning, safe access to other local community spaces and the number of accessible parking spots available with the new development. Cody emphasized how the block that the property is located on “pulls its weight in the community” because she said it is near the Women’s Club, the Evanston Public Library and the Frances Willard House, which make great contributions of volunteer service to the community. Additionally, she said the 54 properties located on the block contribute important tax revenue. “Voting no respects the city’s zoning code and the professional judgments of the city’s staff and planning commission,” Cody said. “It’s simply the wrong building for the site, and the developer’s inadequate responses to city concerns and cavalier interactions with the property’s neighbors are very troubling.” Other residents cited how the development would cause inconveniences to both young and old people, affecting their “daily lives.” Evanston resident Sara Schastok called for the city to make a rational, well-thought-out decision that takes into consideration the interests of citizens. “Let’s think about this site and the opportunity we have to do it right for Evanston,” Schastok said. “(Let’s) think about the next 100 years because a building really is a contract with the future. … This is the time to include the whole city in this process. The site doesn’t belong to any one ward. It is our place, our downtown.”

Moss said he was glad the team didn’t go into Sunday overconfident, knowing that No. 8 Ohio State would fight hard for the team title. The sabre squad rolled through all three rounds to pick up the first weapon title, finishing with a 5-3 victory over the Buckeyes. Moss said previously that whatever school won two weapon squad titles would clinch the overall championship. The Cats’ foil squad did just that, only

From page 1

cassidywang2022@u.northwestern.edu

GIRLSCOUT From page 1

school, where they put signs on trash cans to educate their classmates on which items they can recycle. The girls are currently Girl Scout cadettes, the fourth rank after Daisies, Brownies and Juniors. White said she hopes to become a Senior, the next rank, when she goes to high school. “We learn survival skills, we go on camping trips, we learn leadership skills,” White said. “It’s fun, and you help people. That’s kind of, like, the point.” Alyson Carrel, White’s mom, said fundraising for Costa Rica teaches the girls how to set goals and work toward them. She said the troop leader plays

dropping one bout in all three matches, to Ohio State in the final. The team was elated, mobbing Chen, who landed the winning touch. Browne was the Cats’ top individual finisher in sabre, and went 2-for-2 for the squad in their three matches. After a season dealing with a few injuries, she said she was glad to put everything aside and focus on the meet. “It was awesome,” Browne said. “Everyone fenced well. The energy was high and we’ve had kind of a high and low season, so I think this was a really good finish.”

NU had clinched the win, but the epée squad then had the chance to make history with a title sweep. After trailing 4-1 to the Buckeyes in the final, the Cats rattled off three wins to tie the match. Snider won the decisive bout, and was instantly surrounded by thrilled, screaming teammates. As the last full-team competition of the season came to a close, shouts of “Go U! NU!,” echoed up into the rafters.

an important role in shaping the girls’ experience. “Our troop leader is absolutely amazing,” Carrel said. “She provides such great mentorship experience to these girls.” White didn’t join the troop until she was in fourth grade. Carrel said she saw the group of “supportive, tight-knit girls that were taking care of each other” and thought it was something that would be great for her daughter. The girls attend the Helen C. Peirce School of International Studies in Chicago, near Andersonville, where the girls live. Alisa Tilson, Samantha Tilson’s mom, was a Girl Scout herself when she was in grade school. She said Peirce’s school structure especially encourages participation in Girl Scouts.

“There’s a troop per grade, which is kind of amazing,” Alisa Tilson said. “It kind of drives itself.” The troop wasn’t selling any new flavors of cookies this year, though the Toffee-tastic and S’mores varieties joined the old-time classics in 2015 and 2017 respectively. Carrel said she was willing to stand out in the cold selling cookies because of the benefits her daughter has received through Girl Scouts. “The experience they have working in a group of just girls that are super tight and super supportive of each other is worth more than anything,” Carrel said. “That’s why we’re out here.”

stephencouncil2022@u.northwestern.edu

clareproctor2021@u.northwestern.edu

MARS

From page 1 protest of a demanding schedule. Noshir said the team applied textual analysis to the transcripts from Skylab to try to understand the cause of the strike. Michael Schultz, an NU postdoctoral researcher involved in the study, said the team found that the crew members in Skylab were deliberately hiding information from mission control. Schultz said he concluded that, to succeed, astronauts need more unscheduled communication with each other and with ground control. “Whether it was a medical update or some kind of mission operation, every (interaction) was scheduled down to the minute,” Schultz said, speaking about Skylab. “What the research suggested is that (astronauts) need more venues for unscheduled discussions, because that’s where the astronauts can bring up problems they’ve encountered.” Contractor said the team also collected data from the Human Experimentation Research Analog at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, a habitat designed to simulate life in space. Contractor said analog astronaut crews lived in confined spaces for 45 days, completing mock missions with isolation, sleep deprivation and communication delays which mimic real space travel. After the experiment, DeChurch said the team observed that space crew dysfunction usually

Source: NASA/JPL

A view of the Martian surface as captured by NASA’s Curiosity rover on July 24, 2013. A team of researchers at Northwestern are working to build a predictive model of group behavior to help NASA assemble a team for a three-year mission to Mars.

appears during the third quarter of an analog mission, a time when subgroups emerge and people struggle to get along. In one case, DeChurch said, a male analog participant developed an affection toward a female, which made her uncomfortable and caused animosity among the group. “No one metaphorically or physically killed one another in the simulation,” Contractor said. “But they have very strong feelings, almost like a reality television show.” By asking analog astronauts questions about their interpersonal relationships, Contractor said the team was able to build computational models that can predict potential conflicts among crew

members. Contractor said the team is also expanding the experiment to the SIRUS analog in Moscow, in which two Americans and four Russians will undertake a 120-day fictional mission. While DeChurch said the team has already been able to draw some conclusions, it’s still in the process of conducting more tests. “Everyone in the world wants to get together to see what we can do,” said Contractor. “The idea that we might become an interplanetary species is just so fascinating.” xuandiwang2022@u.northwestern.edu

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THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 7

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2019

Despite funding issues, Mock Trial team advances By CANDACE QUARANTA

the daily northwestern

For the second year in a row, Northwestern Mock Trial has qualified two teams to the Opening Round Championship Series Tournament. Only this time, they did it with about half the funding. Just a week before fall classes began, NUMT received an email that the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences would cease to fund the team, the group’s treasurer Nicholas Anderson said. The Weinberg senior said the group had anticipated $12,000 of funding from Weinberg, with another $16,000 coming from the Office of the Provost and the Office of the President. The drastic decrease in funding came after NU administrators directed all academic units to make a 5 percent non-salary cut last September in the wake of the University’s budget deficit. ASG later provided emergency funding to student groups struggling from the sudden budget cuts. Anderson said the funding is used to pay registration fees for American Mock Trial Association membership as well as any additional tournaments. Team materials, hotel fees, food and airfare are also financed by these funds. This year, Anderson said NUMT was under pressure to find their funding elsewhere. “It became a scramble to rake in all the other money,” Anderson said. “We had a couple of

Source: Sarah Walther

Northwestern Mock Trial poses at a tournament. The group qualified two teams for the Opening Round Championship Series Tournament, despite drastic funding cuts following the University’s budget deficit.

fundraising campaigns. I also argued in front of ASG for additional funds.” Despite their efforts, Anderson said their budget was low, which forced them to cut spending. They cut down the number of competing teams from four to three, he said, and hotel fees were cut by staying with friends and family members during tournaments. NUMT was able to compete in 11 invitational tournaments this season — about the same as in past years — although they chose to attend

tournaments closer to Evanston and with lower registration fees, said Mock Trial president Sarah Walther. They also attended Regionals last weekend, where both A and B teams qualified for the Opening Round Championships Series Tournament. Walther said only 216 of 739 teams advanced to ORCS this year. “It’s a really amazing feeling because only two teams from a program can qualify to ORCS,” the Medill senior said. “To know that we got both of our possible bids out was really gratifying. It was

stellar to see our hard work pay off.” Walther said ORCS, which will take place in early March, is the group’s most important tournament of the season. Their performance at this tournament will determine whether or not they will be one of 48 teams to advance to Nationals in Philadelphia, she said. And they have high aims for the coming tournament. “Our goal is to reclaim our undefeated title at ORCS,” Walther said. “We know it’s a huge goal because it is very difficult to do and a very subjective activity. But that is definitely our goal.” In fact, Walther said the team practices six days a week, for two to three hours a day, in preparation for the tournament. She said the group was successful in the past because they made their arguments look “polished” and “easy.” Walther said the team watches footage of both themselves as well as anticipated competitors. They emphasize devoting time to observing and providing feedback to other team members, she said. Weinberg freshman and A-team member Ruby Scanlon said the team also scrimmages other local teams on the weekends. “It is definitely a time commitment, but we all love it, and are happy to practice as much as possible, because it means we are going to do as well as possible,” Scanlon said. cadencequaranta2022@u.northwestern.edu

Mellon Grant to support increased diversity in academic publishing

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A $1,205,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded to the University of Washington Press will fund three annual cycles of editorial fellows at six university presses including Northwestern’s, according to a Monday news release. Northwestern University Press, a publishing company based at the University, publishes “important works of scholarship” as well as drama, fiction, nonfiction and poetry, according to its website. The grant will work to support the expansion of initiatives “designed to diversify academic publishing,” the release said. “University presses share a responsibility to make both their workforce and publishing output more equitable and inclusive,” Jane Bunker, the director of Northwestern University Press, said in the release. “We are grateful to the Mellon Foundation for the opportunity to become a stronger community of publishers through this fellowship program.” The release said the grant “builds on the success” of a grant from the Mellon Foundation in 2016 that founded the “first cross-press initiative of its kind” in the U.S. to address a lack of diversity in the field of academic publishing. It aims to expand the “pipeline program designed to diversify academic publishing by offering apprenticeships in acquisitions departments,” the release said. The initial grant “served as a catalyst” for changes at within the Association of University Presses, of which Northwestern University Press is a member. The new grant provides opportunities for “more sustained engagement” with issues of diversity and equity, the release said. “We at Northwestern University regard differences as strengths,” Jabbar Bennett, the University’s chief diversity officer, said in the release. “The goals of this grant are perfectly in alignment with that vision, and it is a privilege to participate with other eminent institutions in the quest to achieve our shared goals.” The University has a longstanding relationship with the Mellon Foundation, and past grants have helped create new programs such as the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research and the Puerto Rican Arts Development initiative. — Cameron Cook

Noah Frick-Alofs/Daily Senior Staffer

A book published by Northwestern University Press. The publishing company was one of six university presses to receive money from a $1,205,000 Mellon Grant.

SPORTS

ON DECK FEB.

ON THE RECORD

Though the love of the game will be everlasting in me, the love for family and health overpowers all. — retired superback Cam Green

Men’s Basketball Minnesota vs. NU, 8 p.m. Thursday

@DailyNU_Sports

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Northwestern’s senior day will be a must-win game Indiana vs. Northwestern

By MANASA PAGADALA

the daily northwestern

Since its blowout win again Penn State nearly two weeks ago, Northwestern has hit a rough patch in the days leading up to the Big Ten Tournament. Following disappointing losses against Purdue and Nebraska in the last two games, the stakes have been raised on Senior Night for a game with major implications in the Big Ten standings. The Wildcats (15-12, 8-8 Big Ten) will face Indiana (1810, 7-9) on Tuesday night, likely needing a win to avoid playing in the opening day of the conference tournament as a bottomfour seed. After a crushing 71-64 loss on Thursday night against the Cornhuskers, NU is looking to bounce back against another team on the lower end of the Big Ten standings. Both teams have split their last six matchups, but NU holds the advantage in the conference standings due to its 75-69 win in the first game this year against Indiana.

Daily file photo by Owen Stidman

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Wildcats beat Iowa in Big Ten opener, fall to Pepperdine

On Friday, No. 10 Northwestern played up to its ranking, sweeping Iowa in its Big Ten opener, but two days later the Wildcats fell to No. 20 Pepperdine. Against the Hawkeyes (7-2, 0-1 Big Ten), NU (6-5, 1-0) won all seven completed matches in the first conference match as the team tries to defend its Big Ten regular season championship. Three of the matches were handled easily in two sets, and the Cats had three three-set victories at singles to finish the otherwise uncompetitive matchup. No. 30 Clarissa Hand won at No. 1 singles in a third-set tiebreaker, continuing a promising start to her freshman season by beating unranked Samantha Mannix 4-6, 6-1, 1-0 (106). Hand also dominated at No. 1 doubles, teaming with senior Lee Or for a 6-0 victory. Against the Waves (4-3), the Cats failed to keep that momentum going. NU fell 5-2, and the result was already decided after the first four matches were completed. Pepperdine took each of the first four matches, sweeping in doubles and securing wins at fourth and fifth singles over sophomore Caroline Pozo and senior Rheeya Doshi. All of the remaining matches for NU will take place against Big Ten teams. The Cats are the highest ranked team in the conference, though they will likely slip from their spot in the rankings. No. 11 Ohio State and No. 22 Illinois are the only other ranked teams in the conference. NU will return to the courts on March 1 for a rivalry match against the Fighting Illini. After that, the Cats will face ten more Big Ten opponents before another crack at the elusive Big Ten Tournament championship in Lincoln, Nebraska in March. — Charlie Goldsmith

Evanston, Illinois 7 p.m. Tuesday

Only one game separates the two teams in the standings, making Tuesday’s game a critical matchup. The Cats have one more regular season game following Tuesday night ’s showcase, but it is against No. 12 Iowa and likely Big Ten Player of the Year Megan Gustafson. Despite NU’s recent slide, however, the Cats will be celebrating senior center Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah, the only graduating player on the roster. Through her four years, Kunaiyi-Akpanah has broken records and developed an impressive offensive prowess. In her junior year, she had an average of 11.9 rebounds per game, the highest rebounding average in the history of NU women’s basketball. Along with this, she also tied the program record with 18 double-doubles last season and ranked highly in the Big Ten for rebounds, offensive rebounds, steals, blocks and scoring. With 381 rebounds last season, she ranked first in NU history for rebounds in a single season and fourth in the all-time Big Ten. In her final season playing for Northwestern, Kunaiyi-Akpanah has shown leadership and consistency,

and she has also secured her name in Northwestern history. Last Thursday, she recorded her 1,000th career rebound, joining Nia Coffey as the only Northwestern players to accomplish this. Additionally, for the second time this season, she was named to the Big Ten Player of the Week Honor Roll. She is currently posting an average of 11.2 rebounds per game, the thirdhighest average in the Big Ten. After a season filled with injuries to starters like junior forward Abi Scheid and sophomore guard Jordan Hamilton, Kunaiyi-Akpanah brings the team a constant aggressive mentality that will be needed following last week’s loss to Nebraska, which was a devastating blow to the Cats’ NCAA Tournament at-large chances. NU lost to a team it had beaten in January 71-64. Despite having a better conference record than Indiana, the Hoosiers are slotted to be an NCAA Tournament team, projected by ESPN to be one of the last four teams in the field. NU’s path to the NCAA Tournament likely came to an end following two consecutive losses to two teams well out of contention, but the team will have a chance to secure an automatic bid at the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis next weekend. manasapagadala2021@u.northwestern. edu

WOMEN’S SWIMMING

Cats finish seventh in the Big Ten tourney By BENJAMIN ROSENBERG

daily senior staffer @bxrosenberg

Northwestern went back and forth with Purdue throughout the weekend in a battle for sixth place at the Big Ten Championships, but the Boilermakers ultimately held off the Wildcats, who finished seventh for the third consecutive year. NU (5-5, 2-4 Big Ten) sat in seventh after each of the four days of competition in Bloomington, Indiana. “As a team, we really struggled,” junior Malorie Han said. “We’re a new team coming together under a new culture with new staff, and we were so excited, we had so many expectations, yet we didn’t have the confidence in ourselves to just believe that we were capable of competing with the number one and number two teams in the conference.” As they have done all season, sophomore Calypso Sheridan and senior Olivia Rosendahl carried the Cats. Sheridan finished fifth in the 200-yard individual medley, second in the 400 IM and fourth in the 200-yard backstroke, earning NU a total of 79 points. Rosendahl took third in the 1-meter diving and second in both the 3-meter and platform diving events. The two-time defending national champion in the platform diving scored 83 points for the Cats even though she fell from her usual perch atop the field. Both Rosendahl and Sheridan were named to the All-Big Ten Second Team. NU also got a strong individual performance from freshman Tara Vovk. She finished 10th in the 200yard breaststroke, ninth in the 100 breast and 16th in the 200 IM, scoring at least 10 points for each event. “Going into this meet, I set a few goals for myself,” Vovk said. “It was to get second swims, to make finals

Daily file photo by Noah Frick-Alofs

A Northwestern swimmer does freestyle. The Wildcats finished seventh at the Big Ten Championships for the third straight year.

in all of my events. I did that. I got second swims in all three events. I won the B-Final in the 100 breast and got second in the B-Final of the 200 breast. I’m really happy with that.” Han had another solid performance for the Cats. She was a part of four relay teams that finished in the top 10 and also scored points in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events. Sophomore Sophie Angus and freshman Miriam Guevara also swam well for NU, with Guevara finishing ninth in the 100-yard butterfly and

16th in the 100 back for a total of 31 points. Angus scored 23 points for the Cats with a 10th-place finish in the 100 breast and a 19th-place finish in the 200 breast. Overall, however, NU could not compete with the national powers at the top of the conference, including the host Hoosiers — who won the meet — as well as Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, all of whom are ranked. Although neither the Cats’ record nor their finish at the conference championships improved from last year to this, several swimmers have

said throughout the season that there have been changes to the team culture. Han said everyone on the team is enjoying swimming and coming to practice under the new system implemented by first-year coach Jeremy Kipp. “It’s no longer work,” Han said. “What needs to happen is we need to translate that gratitude, that excitement, that happiness into our swims.” benjaminrosenberg2021@u.northwestern. edu