NEWS On Campus 29 NU students to attend Clinton Global Initiative University » PAGE 3
SPORTS Women’s Basketball Roundtable: 2015-2016 Season Recap and Big Ten Tournament Preview » PAGE 8
OPINION Mueller Oscars format innapropriate for Rock’s important monologue » PAGE 4
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Astronaut lands after 340 days Longest U.S. space trip ends, NU to continue study on astronaut By ANIKA HENANGER
the daily northwestern @anikahopeee
After nearly a year in space, astronaut Scott Kelly came back to Earth Tuesday night, an event Northwestern researchers and students celebrated with a homecoming party as they watched a live video feed from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Approximately 35 people gathered in Abbott Auditorium in the Pancoe Life Sciences Pavilion to watch the departure and landing of Kelly, one of two twins being studied by NU researchers in partnership with NASA. The coverage featured Kelly, along with two other astronauts, undocking from the International Space Station, boarding the Soyuz spacecraft and landing in Kazakhstan. The NU researchers will now continue their studies on the effects of spaceflight on the human body with Kelly in person now that he has returned to Earth. The landing concluded Scott Kelly’s 340-day orbit, the longest trip to space ever taken by an American astronaut. Kelly and his twin brother, Mark, are part of a 10-team study analyzing the effect of interstellar travel on humans. As one of the teams conducting the analysis, NU researchers will focus on space travel’s effects on bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract. During the live video feed coverage, biology Prof. Fred Turek and neurobiology Prof. Martha Vitaterna discussed the importance of unraveling how gut
microbiota affects mood. Because astronauts must work as a team and live in cramped conditions, any symptoms of depression or anxiety caused by gut bacteria can be detrimental, said Turek. “We just want to know what it takes to keep people healthy in space for that long,” said Vitaterna, who is also the executive director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology at NU. “Today is a really historic event. You have to step back and think about that.” Scott Kelly worked with NU researchers by providing samples of fecal matter and blood to be compared with his twin brother’s, said Turek. Because of the small dimensions of Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft, the samples will be retrieved by a shuttle from Space X, an American aerospace manufacturer. This shuttle will also deliver 20 “mousetronauts,” whose genetically identical twins will remain on earth, for another experiment on gut bacteria, said Turek. Vance Gao, a graduate student in NU’s Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program who is studying under Turek, said he was looking forward to analyzing the evidence. “It’s pretty incredible, just thinking about all the engineering and science that’s involved,” Gao said. “We’re really not sure what to expect (from the results of the experiment).” NASA provided a live stream of events from mission control centers in both Houston and Korolev, Russia. Later in the evening, Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Sergey Volkov could be seen aboard Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft, seated in the descent module. The module was the only portion of the shuttle that would survive the 249 mile freefall back to earth, said Turek. » See KELLY, page 6
Leeks Lim/The Daily Northwestern
GATHERING TOGETHER Students and staff members pray during a vigil at The Rock on Tuesday. The vigil was held to honor the lives of three young men killed last week in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and to pray for the recovery of a teen shot by a police officer in Salt Lake City over the weekend.
Vigil for police shootings held NU honors men killed, injured by police By PETER KOTECKI
daily senior staffer @peterkotecki
About 70 Northwestern students and staff members gathered at The Rock on Tuesday to honor the lives of three young men killed last week and to pray for the recovery of a teen shot by a police officer over the weekend. On Feb. 24, Muhannad Tairab, Adam Mekki and Mohamedtaha Omar were killed “execution-style” in Fort Wayne, Indiana, according to CNN. The young men were 17, 20 and 23, respectively. Two were Muslim and one was Christian,
CNN reported. Three days later, 17-year-old Abdi Mohamed, a Somali refugee, was shot by a police officer in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mohamed has since woken up from a coma. Experiences such as vigils are important for the NU community because students from diverse backgrounds can come together during times of tragedy, said Tahera Ahmad, associate chaplain and director of interfaith engagement. “They’re able to share their deep sense of sorrow and their pain, and have a community — a safe and brave space where they can share their thoughts and reflections, and then also receive a kind of healing,”
she said. The vigil was organized by several student groups, including Interfaith Advocates, Muslim-cultural Students Association, African Students Association and For Members Only, Ahmad said. Weinberg senior Alaa Mohamedali said the vigil was important to her because she believes every single life lost should be recognized. Everyone should acknowledge the Islamophobia and racism that led to this, she said during the vigil. “That’s why I’m usually the person who is found at every single vigil, regardless of religion or » See VIGIL, page 6
NU groups support black votes 311 Service Center
celebrates five years
By FATHMA RAHMAN
the daily northwestern @fathma_rahman
Early last year, Weinberg senior Robel Worku came across a video online of a Los Angeles Police Department officer shooting and killing a black man named Africa on the streets last March. Until that point, Worku had made an active effort to avoid coming across this type of footage, and he still recalls his reaction to what he saw very vividly, he said. “I remember all the thoughts that were running through my head that night — I remember feeling angrier than I’ve ever felt in my entire life,” Worku said at a Tuesday night discussion about black political involvement. “I was incredibly angry and hopeless and frustrated. I didn’t understand why what I do on a day-to-day basis fundamentally matters when s— like this can happen.” Black Lives Matter NU and Illinois and Indiana Regional Organizing Network Students of Northwestern United hosted the event to talk about the importance of the black community’s involvement in political institutions.
By JEREMY MARGOLIS
the daily northwestern @jeremyrmargolis
Sophie Mann/Daily Senior Staffer
POLITICAL POWER Sarayah Wright (left), Michelle Sanders (middle) and Robel Worku (right) lead a presentation about the importance of voting for the black community. The event, “Black Votes Matter,” was co-hosted by Black Lives Matter NU and Illinois and Indiana Regional Organizing Network Students of Northwestern United.
Worku said he is concerned that, until this point, many of the black community’s responses to instances of racial inequality have only been reactionary, and he said he thinks its members need to change their approach to politics to be more proactive. SESP freshman Sky Patterson, who addressed the audience at the event,
Serving the University and Evanston since 1881
stressed the importance of participating in elections. “It’s very important to vote, because if you don’t vote for the candidates that share our values then the same problems that have been happening will continue to » See BLACK VOTES, page 6
Staffers of the city’s 311 Service Center celebrated the program’s five-year anniversary with a reception Tuesday morning, reflecting on how citywide communication has improved since its inception. City department directors took turns thanking the eight-member staff and its two supervisors, who are responsible for responding to citizen and business questions, requests and reports ranging from special trash pickups to downed trees. The 311 center has fielded over 678,000 calls since its start, and residents and employees can now also communicate with respondents via text message, a mobile phone app and live chat said Martha Logan, the city’s community engagement manager. Residents were initially critical of the
program because they felt it was a waste of Evanston’s resources, city manager Wally Bobkiewicz said. The first summer with 311 in service, the city experienced multipleday power outages following stormy weather, Bobkiewicz said. Electrical company ComEd set up an emergency operations center in Evanston and, through 311, residents were able to better communicate their power issues, he said. “We were in better shape than most of our neighbor communities because we were able to give ComEd information about where the power was out that other communities could not have,” Bobkiewicz said. “So it was after that stormy summer that people kind of quieted down about 311 and began to realize how powerful a tool it was for our community.” Since then, the program has expanded to include a list of more than » See 311, page 6
INSIDE Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Opinion 4 | Classifieds & Puzzles 6 | Sports 8
2 NEWS | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016
Around Town City listed as top 30 green power user By BILLY KOBIN
the daily northwestern @billy_kobin
Evanston was named to the Environmental Protection Agency’s quarterly list of largest green power users earlier this year. The city appeared last on the EPA’s top 30 local government list, released Jan. 25. The list encompasses governments involved in the EPA’s Green Power Partnership, which includes governments and governmental agencies that meet several green energy usage requirements, among them stipulations on minimum green power use based on overall governmental energy use and appropriate sourcing of green energy. Evanston has made the EPA’s list several times, first in July 2014 when the city was ranked at number 20. Kumar Jensen, the city’s acting sustainability manager, said Evanston’s ranking fell due to the time frame of the recorded measurements and the fact that other, larger cities have increased their green power usage since 2014. The city’s green power usage has remained steady, Jensen added. According to the EPA’s list, Evanston produces more than 12.5 million kilowatt-hours of green
Police Blotter Chicago Avenue business vandalized An employee at EveryWarehouse, 831 Chicago Ave., reported Monday the discovery of graffiti on the outside of the business’ second floor window, police said. The 30-year-old man who reported the crime told police the damage occurred sometime between Friday and Monday, Evanston Police Department spokesman Perry Polinski said. Police checked the area and found what appeared to be the word “sage” spelled out in yellow spray paint, Polinski said. The employee could not provide any information on the
energy annually. This amount represents 68 percent of the city’s total energy use for city operations and Evanston-owned facilities. “Using 100 percent renewable energy is not only good for our community and the environment, it furthers Evanston’s goal of being the most livable city in America,” Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl said in a news release. Evanston’s green power comes from solar and wind energy sources, according to the EPA’s list. Jensen said the city’s solar power comes from the rooftop solar panel system at the Evanston Water Treatment Plant, 555 Lincoln St., and the city purchases wind power through renewable energy certificates. Jensen said Evanston is continuing to work toward its goals under the city’s Livability Plan, which calls for a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2016 compared to 2005 emission levels. The city’s electricity aggregation program helps to achieve some of the plan’s goals related to residential and business green power, Jensen said. “Our (Community Choice Electricity Aggregation) plan allows us to purchase green power through the community, which allows us to make large strides in meeting our climate action goals,” suspected vandal, and police currently have no leads, he said.
Anonymous caller reports shots fired
An anonymous caller reported Sunday shots fired in the 1600 block of Dodge Avenue, police said. The call came in around 7 p.m. to EPD’s nonemergency line, and the caller could not identify how many shots were fired or give any description of the alleged shooter, Polinski said. Police checked the area, which is near Evanston Township High School, but found no evidence of gunshots, Polinski said.
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Jensen said. The combined annual green power usage among the 30 local government units in the EPA’s list totals more than 3.8 billion kilowatt-hours, according to the list. Houston ranked first on the latest list with more than 951 million kilowatthours of green energy produced, representing 80 percent of Houston’s total energy usage. The only other Illinois partner that made the EPA’s list was the Chicago Park District at number 8. The Chicago Park District produces more than 84 million kilowatt-hours of green power annually, according to the list. Jonathan Nieuwsma, vice president of Citizens’ Greener Evanston, said CGE was pleased with Evanston making the EPA’s list again, and he said CGE will continue to encourage residents to sign up for the community’s aggregation program. “Moving forward, Citizens’ Greener Evanston will be encouraging the roughly one-third of Evanston households that aren’t participating to get involved in the aggregation program,” Nieuwsma said. “It’s great that Evanston is getting some national recognition, and I hope we can keep it up.” williamkobin2018@u.northwestern.edu
Setting the record straight In Tuesday’s paper, the On Deck graphic misstated the date of the lacrosse team’s upcoming match. The correct date is March 3. The Daily regrets the error.
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THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 3
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016
On Campus 29 students to attend global conference in April By RENZO DOWNEY
the daily northwestern @renzodowney
When the Clinton Global Initiative University convenes at the University of California, Berkeley in early April, 29 Northwestern students will present their ideas to combat global challenges. CGI U is an annual meeting of more than 1,000 students with plans for action on their college campuses, communities or around the world, giving them a chance to network and fundraise, said CGI U commitments manager Emily Friedman. The event was founded in 2007 by former President Bill Clinton after the success of the Clinton Global Initiative, in which global leaders convene to implement plans to combat global challenges. This year, 29 NU students grouped into 14 teams were invited to the conference at UC Berkeley. Weinberg sophomore Hannah Ryon, one of the students participating in CGI U, created a plan to clean the Chicago River by introducing bivalves, such as mussels and oysters, which will consume fecal matter, the primary pollutant in the river, she said. “When I first came to college, you kind of have that thought that the adults are already doing it all, you don’t need to put in the effort, it’s already been done,” Ryon said. “After a little while, I was really researching it, and I was like, ok, the adults aren’t doing it. I’m an adult now. I should do it.” Ryon said she learned about CGI U through a
NU study finds link between low vitamin D levels, prostrate cancer
A study from researchers at Northwestern Medicine found a significant link between aggressive cases of prostate cancer and low levels of vitamin D. Prostate cancer — one of the most common
Buffett Institute for Global Studies newsletter and was inspired to continue her research and to apply it to the Chicago River. “I really like the idea of the conference because you get to learn about ways to create a more long-lasting impact as opposed to just doing something that might just scrape the surface of an issue,” she said. CGI U has overseen the proposals of more than 55,000 commitments to action in fields including education, public health, human rights, poverty alleviation and environment and climate change, Friedman said. In addition to funding through the Commitments Challenge, a select group of CGI U students will receive funding from the Resolution Project — a global nonprofit that fosters youth leadership development through collaborative social entrepreneurship — which distributes $100,000 in seed funding, said Sara Horowitz, communications manager at the Clinton Foundation, in an email to The Daily. Caleigh Hernandez (Weinberg ‘15) is currently living in Nairobi, Kenya after receiving seed funding from the Social Venture Challenges in 2015. Hernandez said she created a business called Best Foot Forward, which sells sandals made by Kenyan artisans to women’s boutiques, and uses the profits to send women and unemployed workers in Kenya through vocational school. “The sandal-making industry within Kenya itself is really up and coming and quite popular, so there’s definitely demand for skilled labor in this market,” Hernandez said. “They then have the opportunity to earn higher wages and sustainable wages.”
The goal of this project is to help combat the unemployment in the sub-Saharan country, whose unemployment rate ranges from 40 to 60 percent. As the artisans complete vocational school, Best Foot Forward then hires them as workers in the company at wages higher than the industry standard, Hernandez said. School of Professional Studies senior Kristen Scotti, former CGI U campus representative for NU, recalled Hernandez’s project and the passion she had when she created her proposal. Scotti herself attended CGI U in 2014, she said. “Her project was one of them that set off a light bulb,” Scotti said. “I think a lot of people try to set these goals that are honestly too big to be able to achieve. She was right where it would be extremely challenging but still doable, and she had a lot of passion behind it.” Since the 2014-2015 school year, the Institute for Sustainability and Energy at NU has served as the CGI U liaison, coordinating information sessions to help students meet the annual Oct. 15 application deadline. “CGI U for the students is sort of a catalyst to get them to start thinking more globally about how they and their teams can play a significant role in solving a really big challenge,” said Monika Wnuk, integrated marketing and communications manager at ISEN. “It asks them to propose something very tangible that maybe isn’t very in their reach in the moment, but is something that they can plan to complete in a year or two years.”
types of cancer among men, according to the Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit medical research and practice group — occurs in the prostate, a small gland that produces seminal fluid for nourishing and transporting sperm. Prostate cancer is considered aggressive when it has migrated outside the prostate and has a high Gleason score, indicating the cancer tissue is very different from normal prostate tissue and is more likely to spread. The study, led by Feinberg School of Medicine
professor Dr. Adam Murphy, may help men and their physicians with monitoring the cancer instead of removing the prostate, a practice known as active surveillance. Murphy said in a news release all men should check their vitamin D levels, as those levels are an indicator of bone health and aggressiveness of other diseases in addition to their relevance to prostate cancer treatment. “All men should be replenishing their vitamin D to normal levels,” Murphy said in the release.
renzodowney2019@u.northwestern.edu
Source: Al Seib, Los Angeles Times/MCT
GOING GLOBAL Former President Bill Clinton hosts a Clinton Global Initiative infrastructure meeting at city hall in Los Angeles on Thursday, April 3, 2014. Clinton’s initiative calls for him to meet with municipal leaders to discuss infrastructure issues. Northwestern students were invited to attend Clinton Global Initiative University, an annual meeting of more than 1,000 students with plans for action in their college campuses, communities or around the world.
“It’s smart preventive health care.” Based on previous research conducted by Murphy and his colleagues, the relationship between vitamin D levels and prostate cancer may also explain racial disparities in the occurrence of prostate cancer. The investigators’ previous research showed black men living in locations with less sunlight are more likely to be vitamin D deficient than white men. — Madeline Fox
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Jewish students must think beyond Israel-Palestine JESSICA SCHWALB
DAILY COLUMNIST
A banner with the words “From Palestine to Mizzou, We Have Nothing to Lose But Our Chains,” hung outside the Black House as protesters stood in solidarity with students at Missouri and across the country last November. It was one of the enduring images of this Fall Quarter for Northwestern students. This quarter, Unshackle NU and Northwestern Divest joined for a rally in front of The Rock. Weinberg junior Marcel Hanna, a member of NU Divest and Unshackle NU, told The Daily the demonstration was intended to show “how our campaigns’ struggles are linked.” “We want to show how the inhumane treatment of the prison-industrial complex both here (in the U.S.) and in Israel and Palestine treats the detainees and how they’re stripped of their human rights,” he said. I thought I had a clear picture of campus
activism and liberalism before arriving at NU. However, I soon discovered a complication in my idealized version of activism at NU; I was going to have to wrestle with involvement and intersectionality. How was I, as a Jewish student, going to navigate supporting organizations like Unshackle NU which were linked with NU Divest, a movement with which I wasn’t sure I aligned with? I certainly overestimated the simplicity of campus politics. Having arrived in the wake of last winter’s successful ASG divestment resolution, I began to understand that our campus is profoundly split. Even proPalestinian Jews expressed to me that they often felt last year’s divisive divestment vote left them unsure of how to proceed in campus activism. Students for Justice in Palestine and NU Divest have rarely hosted events with Jewish groups this year, which stifles any opportunity for productive dialogue. Self-segregation means members of the two camps rarely interact, even socially. But this separation goes both ways — Jewish students and groups must seek to reenter campus activism. The fact that Unshackle NU’s prison
divestment resolution, which ASG will vote on Wednesday, is endorsed by NU Divest may complicate Jewish students’ support for the resolution. However, in practicing allyship, Jewish students should not disavow Unshackle NU’s resolution simply because it mentions Palestine. Expressing solidarity against the mass incarceration of black Americans does not require that Jewish students agree with all parts of the resolution. There is ample precedent and justification (a shared history of diaspora, slavery and discrimination) for Jewish involvement and support for black civil rights. American Jews have a history of involvement with social justice: Jews helped found the NAACP in 1909, held leadership positions in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and represented more than half of white Freedom Riders and Freedom Summer activists. Anti-Semitism runs rampant throughout U.S. history and certainly still exists, but today Jews have been largely absorbed into white American identity; we now hold the privileges that come with whiteness, further reason to think critically about racial
injustice. Complex campus politics about Israel should not deter us from engaging on this issue. Students should not abstain from dialogue about other campus issues simply due to the polarizing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Allyship often requires we set aside parts of our political profiles to support a worthy cause: in this case, the goal of ending NU’s investment in mass incarceration. NU Divest’s success has polarized Jewish students on campus, many who now choose not to participate in activism that features anti-Israel rhetoric. This is not the solution. In the hopes of more productive dialogue, in the hopes of conversation that crosses political principles, Jewish students must find a way to engage in campus activism, not shy away from it. Jessica Schwalb is a Weinberg freshman. She can be contacted at jessicaschwalb2019@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, 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.
Take blinding anger out of politics in the United States MATT FULLE
GUEST COLUMNIST
Our politics today seem to be particularly angry. From televised debates to discussions on college campuses, anger has become the norm. I have even frequently participated in political conversations that either devolved into shouting matches or were cut short due to a fear of escalation. And I get it. I’m angry too. I’m angry at the systemic injustices, short-sightedness and smallmindedness of our politics. I’m angry at the blatant disregard in which our system holds those it is supposed to represent. We should be angry. But our anger has evolved from a source of motivation to a debilitating contempt. For all the
passionate conversations we have about discrimination and injustice we are often blind to significant progress that could help us better enact change in the future. Education reform has always been my passion in politics. But one experience working to advance it has lingered in my mind as a troubling example of how anger can become counterproductive. Last summer I worked for the U.S. Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. I ended up interning at the perfect time. A few weeks after I started my internship, the Senate passed the replacement for President George W. Bush’s signature education bill No Child Left Behind. I spent almost two weeks watching the mammoth cogs of government slowly turn on the Senate floor. The result was the Senate’s most significant movement on nationwide education reform in over a decade. It was a surreal experience. But more important for me than my lucky timing and the personal experience gained
was what happened afterward. I returned to campus in September to many of my politically motivated friends not knowing this bill had passed. Many of my fellow students who speak passionately about the need for education reform were not aware of a change that could very well help to address systemic inequalities in America’s education system, not to mention change the composition of this university’s student body in the next decade. How can we effectively fight to better our systems if we are not familiar with the improvements already being made? This question is unsettling for me when we, as college students, are so often expected to be the next generation of political problem solvers. The progress made by the law change obviously did not and will not solve all the problems in America’s education system. Furthermore, passion will always fuel our struggles against injustice. But anger has blinded us. We hold such contempt for what is
wrong in our politics that we have stopped recognizing when we do things right. In doing so, we miss significant opportunities for our successes to fuel and inform our efforts to solve other problems. My story is only one of various instances that have occurred both on and off-campus. I hope these thoughts encourage a discussion of others’ experiences about how we discuss politics going forward. I hope we can eventually have political conversations on this campus in which we don’t feel the need to shout at each other, if for no other reason than we cannot afford to let anger blind us. There are still challenges that lie ahead. Matt Fulle is a Communication junior. He can be contacted at matthewfulle2017@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, 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.
Rock’s Oscar monologue had inappropriate comedic relief COREY MUELLER
DAILY COLUMNIST
I was only able to watch the opening monologue of the Oscars this year and a few highlights after-thefact. But that’s all I really wanted to see. I wanted to watch the monologue specifically because Chris Rock was put in a difficult position as a black host of an award show that had zero people of color in the nomination pool for acting awards. #OscarsSoWhite has been an issue for two years in a row now, but I was interested to see how Rock handled it. Rock spoke to valid issues of racial inequality, but his nuanced arguments addressing these issues were lost in live television. His more meaningful words may have have failed to reach some people still picturing George Clooney dressed in a lime green tux with a swan coming out of his butt from a joke Rock made earlier.
The comedian claimed black people had real things to protest in the 1960s, making a lynching and rape joke. There is some truth to his overall message. People of color had to worry about lynching until the “final” lynching in the United States happened in 1981, but the experiences of modern day people of color shouldn’t have been minimized because of violence seen in the past. Moving forward with his monologue, Rock recovered with a joke about the In Memoriam segment where he said, “it’s just going to be black people that were shot by the cops on their way to the movies.” I don’t know if it’s because people didn’t hear what Rock said, or if it just didn’t land, but the silence after this joke was telling. This is one of the most important things Rock may have said. People of color have been killed by police at twice the rate of white people this year, and nearly two and a half times the rate of white people in 2015. This acknowledgement went under the radar, and Rock did not have time to underscore the racial disparity between police killings. So why boycott this year? I don’t know if I have the correct answer, but I suggest the reason is related
to the “hashtag activism,” like #BlackLivesMatter and #SayHerName. #OscarsSoWhite pointed out to the Twitterverse that the last time all nominated actors and actresses were white was last year. And before that, the Oscars hadn’t seen an all-white slate since 1997. Sure, we have made progress since the first African-American person won an Oscar in 1940 for a supporting character named “Mammy,” but that doesn’t mean things are fixed. People of color still go through life with different threats or forms of oppression. It was clear Rock understood the subtlety of racism in Hollywood, calling Hollywood “sorority racist.” He brought up a comparison of Jamie Foxx and Leonardo DiCaprio, who are both highly talented actors. The difference between them, though, is that “Leo gets a great part every year,” but black actors are only getting similar roles once in their careers. The most telling support of his argument here comes from something he didn’t say, though. People have been campaigning for DiCaprio to win his first Oscar for a decade, but you don’t see that with black actors. The public support doesn’t seem to be there,
and how could it be when black actors aren’t consistently given the same major roles? Comedic relief is necessary. It’s a comedian’s job to make situations light, but the levity and brevity of his speech may have lost some of the powerful message. In no way can I criticize Chris Rock for what he did. I am not a person of color and have not experienced racism in any form like I’m sure he has. He was put in a challenging situation and had pressure put on him from all different angles. And he handled it the way he felt most appropriate. Rock said what he believed: “everything’s not racism.” But when it is, we need to take it seriously to execute changes. And the most important points need to be emphasized, not overshadowed by the clear jokes in the speech. Corey Mueller is a Medill sophomore. He can be contacted at coreymueller2018@u.northewstern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, 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.
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THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | QUARTER IN REVIEW 5
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016
WINTER QUARTER IN REVIEW
From a presidential campaign office opening in Evanston to Northwestern’s first appearance at a bowl game in three years, take a look back at some of the top news stories from the quarter.
Daily file photo by Zack Laurence
HANNIBAL’S HUMOR Comedian Hannibal Buress cracks jokes in front of a sold-out audience at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. Buress, A&O Productions’ winter speaker, joked about local and national politics as well as student life and pop culture references.
Daily file photo by Jeffrey Wang
FOOD FIGHT Northwestern Dining cook Melvin Davis addresses students and food service employees about the goals of their demonstration. Davis and other food service employees met with Erich Geiger, district manager for NU Dining, about improving work conditions.
Daily file photo by Sam Schumacher
FEELING THE BERN Organizers and supporters for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign congregate at the opening of the Evanston Field Office on Feb. 18. The field office’s opening marked the launch of volunteer and outreach efforts throughout the North Shore area.
Daily file photo by Sophie Mann
THORSON STUMBLES Redshirt freshman quarterback Clayton Thorson sits up after taking a hit in the Outback Bowl. Thorson struggled as Northwestern lost 45-6 to Tennessee.
Daily file photo by Sophie Mann
IN MEMORIAM Gary Marx, Cecilia Vaisman’s husband and a reporter at the Chicago Tribune, tells stories about his late wife’s knack for storytelling. Marx was one of many to speak about the journalist and educator in the packed McCormick Foundation Center Forum on Jan. 25.
Daily file photo by Sam Schumacher Daily file photo by Jeffrey Wang
DANCEWORKS A student practices a piece for Northwestern’s “Danceworks.” The show featured choreography by Garth Fagan, who choreographed “The Lion King” on Broadway.
Daily file photo by Lauren Duquette
FACT OR FICTION Cast members rehearse for a production of “Equivocation.” The show, featured as part of the MFA Lab series, combined historical suspense with metadrama.
CELEBRATE The Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center hosted a Day of Celebration honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and legacy Jan. 16. The events included a ceremony and community discussion, both of which explored the state of race relations in modern society and the arts.
Daily file photo by Lauren Duquette
SENIOR SEND-OFF Tre Demps drives to the basket. The senior guard has put up a career-high 15.2 points per game in his final season as a Wildcat.
6 NEWS | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016
Football
Vitale, Lowry success at NFL no surprise to Northwestern coaches
Northwestern superback Dan Vitale was just the 37th-leading receiver in the Big Ten this season, but emerged as a top performer at the NFL Scouting Combine over the weekend.
Black Votes From page 1
happen after every election cycle,” she said. Patterson is involved in Reclaim Chicago, a movement devoted to reclaiming the city, county and state governments from the grip of corporate interests and the wealthy, according to its website. Patterson spoke about her experiences with the movement and described the organization as a conversation about what issues residents care about, calling it “a good way to get involved and support democratic ideals.”
311
From page 1 1,000 frequently asked questions on its webpage. Center manager Sue Pontarelli and department directors expressed their appreciation for how staffers succeed in uncovering information about an increasingly vast array of inquiries. During the event, she said 311’s staff is thorough and relies on multiple sources to corroborate information. “They’re such little detectives,” Pontarelli said. Four members of the staff — Michelle Males,
Vigil
From page 1 nationality or whatever it be, because any injustice is an injustice that I will stand against,” Mohamedali told The Daily. “This one meant something even more to me, because they’re from my homeland. It doesn’t matter to me if they’re Christian or Muslim, because they’re still people.” McCormick senior Magan Omar, who spoke during the vigil, said he wanted to share his mindset about recent events around the nation, including the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner and Michael Brown. “I feel like the past four years have been a kind of emotional rollercoaster, kind of like a cycle,” he told The Daily. “Once these tragic events happen, I feel like I had to get right back up and chug on through academics and through whatever I’m going through at the time. I try to get through it, and then another tragic event
Vitale, who participated in workouts and drills as a running back, placed first in the bench press by putting up 30 reps and was also among the top five performers in the vertical jump, broad jump, 20-yard shuttle and 60-yard shuttle. “I knew (Vitale) would work really hard,” superbacks coach Bob Heffner said. “Dan’s always been a pretty strong guy. … I’ve been more concerned with how he made a block or how he ran a route, but I’m really happy for him.”
There’s no superback position in the NFL, and Vitale is instead trying to stick as a more traditional fullback. Heffner said he has no doubt Vitale can exceed in that role as a lead blocker and that the versatile athlete also brings value by being able to play special teams. However, Vitale still faces an uphill battle to find an NFL home given just a handful of teams still keep a fullback on the roster. Defensive end Dean Lowry also participated in the Combine, posting solid numbers that didn’t impress
relative to the competition in his position group quite the way Vitale’s did. Lowry’s best event was the bench press, where he finished tied for fifth with 30 reps. “I thought both Dan and Dean would do a great job,” coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “From a standpoint of football in shorts, football Olympics, those two guys are on the podium. They’ve been that way their whole career here. … Very proud of them, but I’m not surprised.”
One of the main questions posed at the beginning of the presentation was about different ways black students can address issues that lead to racial inequality. “We want to talk about which candidates share our values and share our views on fighting structural racism, and what does this kind of political engagement mean to you and what does it mean to have a candidate to share values with you,” Worku said. Another large focus of the talk was candidates of two upcoming elections — the Democratic presidential nomination and the Cook County State’s
Attorney nomination. The event coordinators promoted voting for Sen. Bernie Sanders and Kim Foxx for their respective elections. One of the key reasons to vote for Sanders as identified by Weinberg sophomore and BLMNU member Sarayah Wright was his responsiveness to criticism. “Bernie is open to being accountable to what he’s saying,” Wright said. The presentation encouraged conversation between attendees about their views and opinions on the issues raised at the discussion. Weinberg senior Edward Duron said he agrees
with Worku about the importance of finding candidates who share their values and views. “I think the beauty in having a candidate who shares your values is not having to accept scraps — it means you don’t have to settle,” Duron told The Daily. “I’m still going back and forth whether there is liberation within the United States, but I think that it’s interesting that people, particularly with radical views, are looking to change the system from within.”
Kimberly Snider, Beverly Otey and Pontarelli — have been part of the program since its beginning. Bobkiewicz credits the program’s success in part to the personal connection the setup of the program allows for, compared with the impersonal nature of searching online for answers to questions. “When people have a question, they have someone to call,” Bobkiewicz said. “We may not have an answer, we may not be able to give them all the information they want, but they are going to be able to get more information from us than
they would without having 311.” Right now, the program is piloting a partnership with Open Communities, a fair housing agency based in Chicago’s northern suburbs. “If you’re in need of housing or some assistance with housing, you can call 311 and we fill out a service request and it’s generated and sent directly to Open Communities,” Pontarelli told The Daily. In the coming months, the center also hopes to incorporate information about social services for children and aging individuals, Pontarelli said.
As he anticipates the continued regular use of the 311 Center’s services, Bobkiewicz reminisced about the program’s launch, which came exactly at 3:11 p.m. on March 1, 2011. He said the program has grown to become an important part of the Evanston community. “311 really has become a backbone of what we do and how we serve the residents,” he said. “I think I can say as we sit here five years after it started, it’s been an unqualified success.”
happens.” A couple of weeks ago, Omar said, he thought about the fact that a tragedy hadn’t happened in a while. However, the events of last week brought him down, he said. Although he usually prays about work and academics, Omar said he is nowadays just thankful to be alive. Weinberg senior Laila Hayani, a member of Interfaith Advocates, said she was moved by the vigil and thought it helped put things into perspective. The speakers brought up many good things to consider, she said. “Magan’s speech talking about how he’s just praying to be alive was very moving and unsettling, and also Alaa’s speech about racism within the Muslim community sometimes, which I also kind of see, because I’m also Muslim,” Hayani said. “We should contemplate a lot about these specific events because of the way that the community is reacting or not reacting to (them).” Ahmad said she appreciates everyone who came out despite the cold weather. During the
vigil, she cited a report from the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, an organization of Africans and people of African descent working to defend human rights and promote self-determination, which states that a black individual was killed every 28 hours in 2012. “It wasn’t just about these three people who passed away,” Ahmad said. “This is a constant thing that happens, and so really coming together and asking deeper questions, like what are the takeaways from this? What does this mean?” She added that religion was not the motivation behind her attending the vigil. “It was about the human dignity of every soul, and being there for my Northwestern brothers and sisters who are hurting and needed a place of healing and voicing their concerns, as well as their reflection and feelings,” Ahmad said. peterkotecki2018@u.northwestern.edu
— Bobby Pillote
fathma@u.northwestern.edu
jeremymargolis2019@u.northwestern.edu
Kelly
From page 1 During a broadcasted change of command ceremony, Scott Kelly acknowledged his colleagues’ support and relinquished command of the ISS to fellow astronaut Tim Kopra. “It’s bittersweet,” said Scott Kelly, whose feet were strapped to the ground to keep him from floating. Throughout the space flight, researchers performed more than 400 experiments on Scott Kelly, Turek said. Seeing little things, such as Scott Kelly’s picture of a flower grown in space, made him realize the rewards of their hard work, Turek said. “I’m involved in something that’s bigger than what I do in life — bigger than my science,” he said. “I’m involved in something no human being has ever done before.” anikahenanger2018@u.northwestern.edu
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THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | SPORTS 7
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016
Men’s Golf
Northwestern underwhelms with 10th-place finish By TYLER VANDERMOLEN
the daily northwestern @tgvandermolen
For the second time in as many weeks, Northwestern found itself in an early hole after a lackluster first round. This time, however, the Wildcats were unable to claw their way back. NU closed out Winter Quarter with a 10thplace finish at the Southwestern Jones Invitational in Westlake Village, California, an event where the team placed third last year. The tournament’s 15-team field featured a number of top West Coast programs, but coach David Inglis made no excuses for his team’s performance. “Unfortunately we came out this week and we just weren’t ready to compete, and that was pretty clear in that terrible first round,” Inglis said. “It just seemed like when we hit a rough stretch we got down and started feeling sorry
Roundtable From page 8
of freshman forward Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah. Kunaiyi-Akpanah came in as a raw player and didn’t see the court often during non-conference play. But, as the Cats began to take on more athletic teams in the Big Ten, coach Joe McKeown started the freshman with more regularity, and she stuck. Kunaiyi-Akpanah finished second on the team in rebounding and showed a knack for grabbing offensive boards. As the season progressed, her offensive skills began to develop, and she recorded four double-doubles. With another offseason under her belt, Kunaiyi-Akpanah should be even more of a key player next year.
Receivers From page 8
Thorson threw for 1,522 yards, seven touchdowns and nine interceptions and completed passes to 15 different players in 2015. It’s less certain, however, who the redshirt-freshman will be throwing to moving forward. In 2015, Thorson relied on Vitale as a big target
for ourselves, and when that happens things can start to snowball.” An opening round team total of 16-over par left the Cats in 14th-place and looking up at the field after 18 holes at the North Ranch Country Club. Another comeback looked like it may have been in store after a solid second round total of 3-over pushed the team into 7th-place overnight, but a series of mistakes in the final round stopped the rally in its tracks, leading to a 7-over total for the day and a score of 26-over for the tournament. USC won the event at 26-under, followed by tournament host Pepperdine at 6-under and San Diego State at 1-under. The Cats struggled in a number of areas and Inglis said he wants to see more toughness from his team after the disappointing performance. “We are really going to have to work on developing that grit and that resilience over the next few weeks, especially with how tough
our schedule gets, because we just didn’t show that this week,” Inglis said. “Things go wrong all the time in this game but you have to be able to weather the storm and keep fighting for every shot.” NU was again led by senior Andrew Whalen, who continued a strong stretch of play with an even-par week and finished tied for 13th-place individually. Sophomore Dylan Wu finished in 31st at 5-over, followed by graduate transfer Harley Abrams at 10-over (tied for 42nd), senior Josh Jamieson at 11-over (tied for 46th), and freshman Pete Griffith at 15-over (tied for 64th). Sophomore Sam Triplett shot 15-over competing as an individual and did not compete with the team. While several of the team’s most consistent performers struggled this week, Whalen’s stellar play after taking a redshirt last season continues to be one bright spot for the Cats. “I just feel like that time where I could focus exclusively on practicing and getting better has
been really good for me,” Whalen said. “I think it was another year to mature and I’m glad that I’ve been able to see the results.” NU now heads into an extended break and will not take the course again until March 24 at The Goodwin, leaving it with plenty of time to reflect on the past week and address areas of concern. The Palo Alto, California tournament marks the beginning of a series of important events leading up to the Big Ten Championships at the end of April. Inglis said he hopes to use the next few weeks to ensure that his team is rested and regrouped heading into this critical stretch. “This break probably comes at a good time for us,” Inglis said. “It gives the guys a chance to get caught up with school and make any tweaks that they need to to get ready for the most important part of the season.”
Ragatz: It’s tough to expect a run from a team that won just four games in conference play, but it’s possible. I fully expect NU to open the tournament with a win over Wisconsin on Wednesday. The Cats took down the Badgers by 18 points in Madison the last time the teams met and NU should come out hungry and utilize its superior talent to advance to the second round. There, it’ll meet Big Ten Player of the Year Rachel Banham and No. 5 seed Minnesota. In
two high-scoring contests against the Golden Gophers this year, the Cats lost by 3 points on the road and fell in double overtime at home simply because Banham dropped 60 points. It will be close again, and I could see NU pulling off the upset. Next would come No. 4 Indiana, who beat the Cats by 7 earlier this year. Obviously, the odds of a run are low for a team that failed to win consecutive Big Ten games all season, but crazier things have happened in March. Paxton: I expect NU’s stay in Indianapolis to be a short one, as they’ll fall to the Badgers. It might seem an odd prediction as the Cats won at Wisconsin just a couple weeks ago and the Badgers have lost six straight, but I don’t have any confidence in NU right now. The Cats did not beat anyone twice this season,
and though they only played five teams on two occasions, I don’t see that changing against Wisconsin. If they do get past the Badgers, however, NU has somewhat of a favorable bracket. No. 5 seed Minnesota, a team the Cats played two very close games against, would come next, followed by a potential quarterfinal against No. 4 seed Indiana. NU wouldn’t run into a particularly scary team until top-seeded Maryland in the semifinals, but the Cats aren’t head-and-shoulders better than anyone in the Big Ten. Because of that, I see a quick exit, one final heartache in a season full of disappointment.
in the middle of the field. But with Vitale gone, Thorson said he still isn’t sure who his new go-to receiver will be, and added that he plans on figuring that out by fall. Now, going into spring practice as a more confident leader, Thorson said he is pleased with his new receivers’ progress and is expecting them to contribute immediately. “Some people might think it’s tough, but it’s
really not,” Thorson said. “I think we’ve talked so much in the offseason, watched film together and we kind of know on each play each different adjustment. We know what each other is thinking, so that helps a lot even though they didn’t play in the games.” NU is in the midst of putting its new receivers through positional training, and Fitzgerald said he expects the three to step up immensely next season.
While Vault and McShepard are already learning the ropes of their new position, Reese will first have to recover from his injury before he can transition his dancing from the sidelines to the end zone. “I’ve got to get back healthy first,” Reese said, “and then we’ll work on that (touchdown dance).”
NU is the No. 12 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, which begins this Wednesday when they take on No. 13 seed Wisconsin. How far will the Cats go? Can they make a run?
tylervandermolen2018@u.northwestern.edu
colepaxton2019@u.northwestern.edu williamragatz20192019@u.northwestern.edu
danielwaldman2019@u.northwestern.edu benjaminpope2019@u.northwestern.edu
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SPORTS
ON DECK MAR.
3
Men’s basketball NU at Penn State, 8 p.m. Thursday
ON THE RECORD
I’m still learning, but I think I have a bunch of natural skills — I can catch the ball (and) run routes. — Solomon Vault on moving to receiver
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
@DailyNU_Sports
A SEASON OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS Heading into Big Ten Tournament, NU a disappointment By COLE PAXTON and WILL RAGATZ the daily northwestern @ckpaxton @willragatz
With Northwestern beginning its run in the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday, our women’s basketball writers recap the 2015-2016 season and look ahead to the conference tourney. The Wildcats won 23 games last year and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997. This year, they finished at .500 (15-15, 4-14 Big Ten). What were the biggest reasons for this year’s disappointment?
Daily file photo by Keshia Johnson
Paxton: Several little things went wrong for NU, and they combined to spell disaster. Heavily reliant on their starters, the Cats seemed to wear down both at the end of games and towards the end of the season. Injuries to role players Lauren Douglas and Maya Jonas cut into the team’s depth. NU also struggled to rebound, and although it improved in that area as the season went on, allowing offensive rebounds really hurt the Cats. Halfcourt defense was never a strength for
this team, so not being able to finish off a defensive stop with a rebound really cost NU. Beyond that, the Cats often struggled shooting the ball, had some turnover problems and failed to execute in late-game situations. Too often, NU couldn’t get a stop when it really needed to. Ragatz: There were a number of reasons for the major step back NU took this season, but the biggest one was that the Cats were unable to replace the production of three key players from last year’s tournament team: Douglas and graduated seniors Alex Cohen and Karly Roser. The 6-foot-5-inch Cohen was the biggest loss, as the Cats had no players of her size to fill the void at the center position. Douglas, listed at 6-foot-2, would’ve tied for the tallest of NU’s regular rotation players, and her versatility was sorely missed. Roser gave last year’s team a reliable guard option to compliment thensophomore Ashley Deary, a role that was missing on the 2015-16 squad. No newcomers or returning players developed into the roles vacated by those three players, which put too much pressure on the starters and ultimately did the Cats in. Was this NU team better than its 4-14 Big Ten record? Ragatz: This is a tough question to answer. Yes, I think NU’s roster and coaching staff, as currently constructed, should have won 7 or 8 Big Ten games rather than
Football
New receivers adjust to learning position By DAN WALDMAN and BEN POPE the daily northwestern @dan_waldman @benpope111
During his redshirt season, then-defensive back Steven Reese became nationally famous for his macarena rendition on the sidelines. Now, the onus rests on Reese to invent a new routine — a touchdown dance. Reese, who is currently missing Northwestern’s spring practices due to a noncontact injury, is one of three players from last year’s team switching to receiver for the 2016 season. Sophomores Solomon Vault, a former running back, and Marcus McShepard, previously a cornerback, are also changing positions to add more depth and competition out wide. “They’re going to be important to our success offensively, no question,” coach Pat Fitzgerald said, adding that last season’s receiving production was so inconsistent the coaching staff was “always” talking about it. Vault already has some experience catching the football, having caught eight passes out of the backfield during the regular season before being shifted to wide receiver for the Outback Bowl, in which he recorded three receptions for 19 yards. He also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns against Duke and Penn State. Vault was recruited to NU as a slot receiver despite playing running back in high school, but after running back Auston Anderson underwent hip surgery during his freshman season, the team needed Vault to switch back to his former position. As a result, he is just now learning the details of the receiver position, but Vault said the mentorship of junior Austin Carr has helped the process go more smoothly. “He knows the ins and outs of the position — the alignments, the steps — so he’s been helping me,” Vault said of Carr. “I’m still learning, but I think I have a bunch of
natural skills — I can catch the ball well (and) run routes.” Although Reese will not get the same number of offseason reps as Vault and McShepard, he was able to practice at receiver prior to the team’s bowl game. Reese said the wide-open contest for playing time at the position will push everyone to improve. “It will be real competitive when we all get back and all get healthy,” Reese said. “Tons of competition — good competition, too — which a receiver really needs.” Along with Reese, McShepard switched sides of the ball due to depth in the secondary, and the sophomore’s attitude with the transition process has been “terrific” so far, Fitzgerald said. But the new receivers have big shoes to fill. The Cats graduate this year two of their top three receivers in Dan Vitale and Christian Jones, who combined for 589 yards last season. Last year wasn’t the first year NU had a spotty receiving corps, however — the team hasn’t had a receiver eclipse 1,000 yards since Jeremy Ebert did in 2011. Assistant coach Dennis Springer, who oversees the team’s wide receivers, started his tenure at NU during Ebert’s prolific season. Following Ebert’s graduation, Springer successfully replaced the standout with Jones. Now Springer will be faced with a similar challenge. “It’s happened every single year you play the game, somebody leaves and somebody has to step up and that’s why they’re here,” Springer said. “They came to play Division I football and they’re excited about their opportunities. … It will be interesting to see who steps out and who becomes that guy; hopefully we can have more than one.” Fitzgerald has made it clear quarterback Clayton Thorson will remain the undisputed starter moving forward after » See RECEIVERS, page 7
4. Going 1-9 in conference games decided by single digits, as this year’s team did, requires at least a few unlucky bounces, questionable calls by the referees or unstoppable performances by opposing players (see Banham, Rachel). On the other hand, I am a firm believer that good teams make their own luck. What caused defeats in so many of NU’s close games was more than unfortunate breaks; the Cats didn’t do enough to really deserve to win any of those games. They struggled defensively and on the glass down the stretch in tight contests, and made mental mistakes such as junior forward Nia Coffey not waiting to take the last shot in NU’s loss to Rutgers. Paxton: Yes and no. The Cats lost nine games by 9 points or fewer and they had a legitimate chance to win in each of those games. NU often played really well for 25 or 30 minutes, but allowed a couple of big runs or had a terrible quarter, like when Maryland raced to a 25-5 lead after the first a couple weeks ago. With that said, the Cats very rarely did what they needed to do to win. It’s easy to say that simple bad luck hurt NU significantly, especially considering last season’s 9-4 record in conference games decided by single digits, but this year’s Cats just didn’t deliver in crunch time. They blew too many leads and went cold at the wrong time too much. Although NU probably played better than a 4-14 team, there isn’t, in my mind, a single game in which the Cats were robbed of victory.
What are some positives that can be taken away from the tough season? Paxton: The Cats only looked truly overmatched on three occasions, so with an offseason of growth and fine-tuning, it’s quite possible NU can reverse its fortunes. Each of the big four — Coffey, Deary, junior guard Christen Inman and senior guard Maggie Lyon — improved statistically from last year, and with only Lyon graduating, the trio of rising seniors are in position to help the Cats improve their record. Beyond that, however, there are few silver linings from this season. The bench, though thinned by injuries, looked overmatched against nearly every conference opponent. NU failed to win consecutive Big Ten games all season. The Cats won just twice on their home floor in league play. Though a bounce-back next year is not out of the question, this season was unquestionably a disaster. Ragatz: There are almost always positives that can be taken from a season, even one as disappointing as NU’s 2015-16 campaign. There were fun moments, which included rising to No. 12 in the country in nonconference play, shocking No. 5 Ohio State at home, and beating in-state rival Illinois. Fans can take comfort in knowing that three of the big four will be back next season. But, the silver lining I want to focus on is the development » See ROUNDTABLE, page 7
Big innings highlight weekend By MAX GELMAN
daily senior staffer @maxgelman
During Northwestern’s series split with Pacific last weekend, a common theme seemed to pervade all four games — the big inning. In every game against Pacific (2-7), there was at least one inning where one of the teams scored 3 or more runs. Friday’s series opener saw a 3-run Wildcat (4-4) fifth; Saturday featured a 4-run Tiger third in the first game with the nightcap having a 4-run Pacific fourth; and on Sunday NU scored at least 3 in the second, third and seventh innings. “Every big inning there was something, whether it was a passed ball, a
hit by pitch, a walk,” coach Spencer Allen said. “When you look at the doubleheader, we were just average, and even a little bit below-average, in all three phases and that’s where those innings popped up.” Allen also said although there were some poor performances in Saturday’s doubleheader when allowing big innings from its opponent, he was happy with the way NU was able to have its own highscoring innings Friday and Sunday. One of the weekend’s biggest performances came from the bat of freshman infielder Willie Bourbon, who went 4-for-5 on Sunday with 4 runs scored and 4 RBIs. Bourbon, who came a home run short of the cycle, said as the team has played more games, it has started seeing the ball better at the plate, especially
Baseball
Source: NU Athletics
AGED TO PERFECTION Willie Bourbon stands in the box. The freshman infielder didn’t show his inexperience in Sunday’s game against Pacific, batting 4-for-5 and coming a home run short of a cycle.
last weekend. “Guys started shortening up their swings,” Bourbon said. “As far as the other team, that’s one of the things I think is something we’ve got to work on. When we score a few runs, we want to put up a zero on the other half of the inning.” Bourbon has started seven games for the Cats this season, in part due to the indefinite suspension of senior second baseman Antonio Freschet. Despite his relative inexperience at the collegiate level, Bourbon said the key to producing when starting over veteran players is a high level of confidence. “It’s just going out there and playing the game you’ve been playing for a long time,” Bourbon said. “You go out there, and yeah the game’s a little bit faster, but you can’t let that eat you up, and I think that’s one of the things I was able to do pretty quickly, just adjust and get back to playing the game of baseball.” Allen praised Bourbon’s performances against Pacific. The coach said Bourbon was one of the weekend’s biggest offensive catalysts in big situations and he has proven he can “handle all types of pitchers.” Sophomore catcher Jack Claeys is another Cat taking advantage of increased playing time at the start of the season. After being blocked on the depth chart in 2015 by nowgraduated Scott Heelan, Claeys has started six games and ranks third on the team with a .360 batting average. Claeys agreed with Bourbon, and said after high-scoring innings it is important for teams to come out strong the next half-inning. “The most important thing after there’s a big inning like that, on either side … is for the opposing team to put a zero up in the next half,” Claeys said. “For a pitcher to come out and get us right back in the dugout and back on offense, if we can do that, that’s how momentum starts to build.” maxgelman2018@u.northwestern.edu