The Daily Northwestern Friday, January 13, 2017
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Video may prompt EPD policy change City officials take action after arrest video is released By KRISTINA KARISCH
the daily northwestern @kristinakarisch
Evanston officials will present recommendations for changes to police procedures and conduct at a city meeting next month. The proposed changes come after the arrest of Lawrence Crosby, an NU graduate student, in October 2015. A video of Crosby’s arrest was released this week at the request of Ald. Brian Miller (9th). The video shows Crosby being pulled over and punched by police after he was suspected of stealing a car, which was later confirmed to be his own. He was arrested and charged with disobedience to police. The charges were dismissed at trial, and Crosby has since filed a lawsuit against the city. “This incident occurred a year and a half ago, and we’ve been working on changing procedures ever since,” Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl told The Daily. “Cities do not change things quickly, but we’ve done research into best practices and policing. Everyone is aware that policing is a very difficult thing to do, and we are continually trying to do it better.” The arrest, which was recorded on video by both police cameras and a dashboard camera in Crosby’s car, spurred the city to consider introducing improved de-escalation training and has become part of a broader dialogue in Human Services Committee meetings, Tisdahl said. Now, the changes are ready to be presented and implemented. Tisdahl said some of the new procedures will include limiting the number of officers who give commands to suspects and no
longer requiring that suspects be brought to the ground when they are being arrested. In the video, police pulled Crosby over, and he quickly exited his car unprompted with his hands in the air holding a cellphone. Police ordered Crosby to get down and forced him to the ground soon after. Officers then struck Crosby with knee strikes and punches to the upper thighs, eventually handcuffing and arresting him. An officer can be heard talking to another officer, saying he told Crosby, “I didn’t shoot you … you should feel lucky for that.” Crosby was recording the incident on his own dashcam. He can be heard informing the officers of this soon after he was taken to the ground in the video. One officer can be heard explaining to the other officer why they were arresting Crosby. “Let’s take him to the station, do whatever ordinance stuff we need to do with him … We’ve got him on camera. We gave him orders,” the officer said. According to court documents, Crosby is suing the city and four officers for malicious prosecution and malice, battery and use of force, failure to prevent battery and use of force, conspiracy and vicarious liability. Crosby’s lawyer, Timothy Touhy, told The Daily he was not in contact with the city about releasing the video. The arrest was a disruption in Crosby’s life and academic career, Touhy said. “The main thing that Lawrence (Crosby) wants is … some accountability, he wants some changes in police procedures for the protection of Northwestern students … people of color, students of color and citizens of Evanston,” he said. Nora Shelly contributed reporting. kristinakarisch2020@u.northwestern.edu
Linnea Nardicco/The Daily Northwestern
University Police officers Tommye Sutton and Kenneth Jones speak at a panel on the role of police in the Black Lives Matter movement. The event was part of Black Lives Matter, a Northwestern Dialogue.
University Police discuss BLM
Officers address relationship between Black Lives Matter, police duty
By EMILY CHIN
daily senior staffer @emchin24
Being a police officer is not antithetical to supporting Black Lives Matter, University Police officers said Thursday at a panel discussing how race relations affect their work. In a gathering of 15 attendees in the Guild Lounge, Tommye Sutton, deputy chief of police, and Kenneth Jones, commander of police services at Northwestern’s Chicago campus, spoke about navigating being black men and police officers. UP and the Office of Multicultural
Federal money will service Red, Purple Lines daily senior staffer @samkrevlin
A screenshot from the video of the arrest of Northwestern graduate student Lawrence Crosby in 2015. The video was released publicly after Ald. Brian Miller (9th) requested it at a City Council meeting this week.
Serving the University and Evanston since 1881
During Thursday’s event, Sutton and Jones discussed ways to combat prejudice within the police system. A key component in stopping violence on the streets is educating people, Sutton said. In his experience, many people lash out against the police out of frustration, he said. “When I think Black Lives Matter, I look to the point that we should look forward to the same rules as everyone else,” Jones said. “Treat us just as you would anyone else. I expect police to treat me just like everyone else. Or treat me like you would treat somebody white. It comes down to dignity and respect.”
Sutton said he thinks Black Lives Matter shouldn’t be seen as an anti-police movement, but simply as a movement toward more equality. He said his race is an identity he was born with, but being a police officer is a choice. Asserting that black lives matter does not mean that blue lives don’t, he said. UP has taken steps to combat racism, Sutton said. Every Thursday, UP goes through each police action from the past week, looking at gender, race and the officer involved. Sutton said this allows the department to track each officer’s moves and catch » See POLICE, page 6
$1.1 billion grant Bill requiring awarded to CTA lead testing passes By SAM KREVLIN
Source: City of Evanston
Student Affairs co-hosted the event. The event was part of Black Lives Matter, a Northwestern Dialogue, which is a student-led and administrator-backed series lasting two weeks on the Black Lives Matter movement and the state of black lives in the United States. Sutton approached MSA director Charles Kellom in the fall with the idea for the event. “We need to engage people to let them know we care about them, to educate them on the systems that are here in place to ensure they’re safe and answer any questions they may have,” Sutton told The Daily.
Commuters who ride the Evanston-servicing Red and Purple Lines will benefit from more than a billion dollars in federal grants to make the route more comfortable and accessible. The Chicago Transit Authority announced it will receive $1.1 billion from the federal government for the Red and Purple Line Modernization project, one of the largest capital projects in CTA history. The project aims to reduce overcrowding and frequent
delays for one of the busiest lines in Chicago by adding elevators, overhauling about a mile of nearby track and supporting structures. A “flyover” will also be created for the northbound Brown Line where it intersects Red and Purple tracks near the Belmont Station to decongest traffic out of the station. The project will begin in 2018. “This type of investment in transit is an investment in Chicago’s residents and neighborhoods, connecting them to jobs, education and more,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. “I want to commend everyone who worked throughout this process to make this project a reality.” As the Obama administration winds down, Emanuel, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and the » See CTA, page 6
By BILLY KOBIN
daily senior staffer @billy_kobin
Illinois lawmakers passed a bill Tuesday that would require all elementary schools and daycare centers to test water sources for lead. The bill would mandate lead testing in all public and private elementary schools and daycare centers. The Illinois Senate unanimously approved the bill Tuesday after several changes were made to it, including requiring school districts rather than water providers to pay for the tests. The bill is now at Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk, awaiting his likely signature. “This bill shows what is possible when we work together,” Rauner said in a statement. The bill is co-sponsored by
Sen. Daniel Biss (D-Evanston) and Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston). Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago), whose 7th District reaches into the southern part of Evanston, was the lead sponsor of the bill. “Lead exposure is a serious issue that can cause developmental delays and learning disabilities,” Steans said in a news release. “We need to proactively tackle the issue of lead exposure in schools and arm parents with information so that they are not blindsided as many were in Flint, Michigan.” The bill requires school districts to collect and test water samples for lead from drinking fountains and kitchen sinks in elementary school buildings built before 2000. Schools built before 1987 must complete the » See LEAD, page 6
INSIDE: Around Town 2 | On Campus 3 | Opinion 4 | Classifieds & Puzzles 6 | Sports 8
2 NEWS | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN
FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2017
AROUND TOWN Howard Street theater seeks funding By DAVID FISHMAN
daily senior staffer @davidpkfishman
Ald. Ann Rainey (8th) has yearned to build a theater in her ward for more than seven years — a project she sees as the “jewel and crown” of her efforts to redevelop Howard Street. But for years she has been unable to find the right candidate. Finally, after two failed deals, it looks like the city has settled on a tenant. “Attracting local theaters — and finding one that is a good fit — is not an easy job,” Rainey said. “While we’ve had some false starts … we learned from our mistakes and have become very educated.” In November, City Council passed a memorandum of understanding with theater group Theo Ubique, formally kicking off its third attempt to convert an existing building in the 700 block of Howard Street into a theater. The city also committed $1.4 million in TIF money to the project, contingent on the group’s ability to raise about $200,000 on its own.
A final approval from City Council on the project has yet to come. And that will be no small task. “We have not (before) had any need to raise a significant amount of money,” said Lorraine Dostal, Theo Ubique’s board secretary. “We do not have a large donor base; we have not raised a large amount of money. It’s going to be a challenge.” The theater operates under a “very tight” budget, Dostal said, of which the vast majority comes from ticket sales. Those patrons who do donate do so in small amounts, she said. Nevertheless, Dostal said it’s “feasible” to meet the goal, especially over the roughly two-year time table set by the city. She said the group has set aside some money for its expansion, but would not say how much. Fred Anzevino, the group’s artistic director and a co-founder, struck a more optimistic tone. He said the group has consistently sold out performances. The new Howard Street space will have about 35 additional seats, which Anzevino hopes will lead to more revenue. In addition, he said, the group will now earn income from food and drinks sold inside
Keshia Johnson/Daily Senior Staffer
The city has a new tenant, theater group Theo Ubique, for the proposed Howard Street Theater. It is the city’s third attempt to build the theater.
the new location. “The arts brought in a safety net to (the Glenwood Avenue) area,” he said, referring to the group’s current location in Rogers Park. “We believe strongly that bringing the arts and theater to the Howard Street area will … change the temperament and face.” Anzevino said he wasn’t concerned about the city’s two failed attempts to revitalize Howard Street with a theater since his venture was much more “conservative” and had the “critical reputation” to succeed. “We have a lot of friends, patrons and contributors from the Evanston area,” he said. After efforts to bring Strawdog Theater — a $5.5 million project — to Evanston fell through in June, city officials reached out to Theo Ubique. The cabaretstyle group, currently run out of a 60-person café in Rogers Park, operates on a $250,000 annual budget and performs shows like “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Rent.” If all goes smoothly, and the theater’s construction is approved by council, the group will move into its new home next summer. But not everyone backs the plan. Ald. Brian Miller (9th) — who questions the company’s financial stability and has voted against its expansion — pointed out that in its 20-year history, Theo Ubique has never raised more than $45,000 in one fundraising campaign. He also criticized his city colleagues for rushing the vetting process and footing “the whole bill.” “We’re gonna lose a ton of money,” he said. “I don’t have faith in the company to deliver on their promises and not hurt taxpayers.” Rainey, responding to Miller’s concerns, said the theater group’s reputation is “unsurpassed” and added that she expects it to rise to the occasion. She said the city learned from its past mistakes and devised a group of theater “titans” to advise in the process. “If I worried about every naysayer along the line there would be no Peckish Pig, there would be no Ward Eight,” she said, referring to two businesses on Howard Street that received assistance from the city in opening. “We’re full steam ahead, and everybody’s very excited.” davidpkfishman@u.northwestern.edu
POLICE BLOTTER Pizza delivery man threatened by local man A pizza delivery man was threatened by three men when he refused to take one of their credit cards without photo identification Wednesday, police said. Just before 9 p.m. on Jan. 11, three men approached the man to pick up what they said was their pizza on the 2100 block of Darrow Avenue. When asked to present ID to pay for the pizza, none of the men did, so the delivery man refused to give them the food and returned to his vehicle, Evanston police Cmdr. Joseph Dugan said. One of the men came to the window of the vehicle with a large rock in his hand and brought his arm back, threatening to throw it at the delivery man. The delivery man then gave him two pizzas and two bottles of soda. The man was later arrested and charged with robbery, Dugan said.
Residential parking sticker stolen off vehicle An Evanston man walked out of his residence on the morning of Jan. 8 in north Evanston to find that his residential parking sticker was no longer on the window of his 2015 Ford. The sticker appeared to have been removed intentionally and was worth $15, Dugan said. — Sophie Mann
Setting the record straight The Arts & Entertainment calendar published in Thursday’s paper was from the wrong week. The Daily regrets the error.
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THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 3
FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2017
ON CAMPUS
MLK events to host poet, astronaut
By KRISTINE LIAO
the daily northwestern @kristine_liao
As Martin Luther King, Jr. Day approaches, the MLK Commemoration Committee announced new plans for its annual two weeks of memorial programming, including plans for a more immersive Day of Service. The committee coordinates a series of events each year to commemorate the late civil rights activist. This year’s two-week long schedule of events will take place Jan. 13 through Jan. 28 on Northwestern’s Chicago and Evanston campuses. The planning committee created changes to the Day of Service and Learning, which will take place Jan. 21. This year, the event will include an unmoderated panel about racial justice-oriented social movements, followed by “Neighborhood Immersions,” a service and educational program in Evanston and
Chicago. Valerie Buchanan, assistant director of Leadership and Community Engagement, organized the Day of Service for the first time. Buchanan, who joined Northwestern last year, wanted to emphasize racial justice during the Day of Service this year, adding an educational element for participants. She said she was driven by the 50th anniversary of the Chicago Freedom Movement, King’s activism for open housing in Chicago and current social justice movements. “I was inspired to create an event where we could have an intergenerational conversation about where we are in Chicago and where we want to be,” Buchanan said. In addition to the Chicago Freedom Movement, the Black Lives Matter movement will also be discussed at the panel. Panelists include authors of “The Chicago Freedom Movement,” Medill Prof. Charles Whitaker and high school students involved in social justice movements from Evanston and Chicago. Additionally, the committee announced that Mae
Daily file photo by Leeks Lim
Kellogg Prof. Nicholas Pearce delivers the keynote speech during last year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Candlelight Vigil. This year’s keynote speaker will be Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to travel to space.
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Jemison, the first African-American woman to travel to space, will deliver the keynote address at PickStaiger Concert Hall on Jan. 23 in commemoration of King. She will also speak at the Chicago campus at Hughes Auditorium earlier that day. Besides being a trailblazing astronaut, Jemison is a doctor, science literacy advocate and author. She earned degrees in chemical engineering and African and Afro-American studies at Stanford University. Theresa Bratanch, who is a manager in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, said Jemison was on the top of the list for commencement speaker, and the planning committee was lucky to have been able to secure her. “Through her amazing … background, she can speak to students, faculty and staff all across the institution,” Bratanch said. “People will be really excited to hear her story and how she views MLK and his legacy.” Other programming throughout the two weeks includes a candlelight vigil in King’s memory, panels, an oratorical contest, a performance of the studentwritten and produced play “These Days” and a showing of the movie “Hidden Figures.” The vigil, the oldest event in the program, will feature poet, writer and teacher Clint Smith, who has conducted research on mass incarceration, education and inequality. Hosted by Alpha Phi Alpha — the fraternity King was a member of — the vigil will take place on MLK Day at 7 p.m. in Alice Millar Chapel. Weinberg senior Jourdan Dorrell, Associated Student Government vice president for accessibility and inclusion, is one of the co-chairs of the planning committee. She said she focused on the programming for Eva Jefferson Day, which honors ASG’s first black president, on Jan. 16. Eva Jefferson Day brings Evanston youth to campus to inform them about King’s legacy. “MLK Day is something that is really important, and as students, I think we sometimes overlook,” Dorrell said. “My only thing is to encourage everyone to come out to them as much as they can and to take advantage of the program we have.”
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OPINION
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Friday, January 13, 2017
From a student-athlete, know it’s OK to not be OK CALEIGH RYAN
OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR
We aren’t perfect. No one is. Everyone has tough times, dark thoughts and seriously considers what they are doing in life — especially at a place like Northwestern, where it seems like everyone is doing well. It can be so easy to think you’re alone. You are not. Though it can be difficult to remember, it is OK to not be OK. And Jordan Hankins’ memory should help remind us of the importance of talking about mental health. To get to a school like NU, you have to expect a lot out of yourself. Everyone here thinks they can do it all by themselves. The
environment of perfection is perpetuated not only by professors, but also by our peers — and this is where we need to take a look at ourselves. This type of pressure is neither healthy nor safe. As a varsity athlete on the volleyball team, I can’t tell you how often my team gets criticized for our performance. Words are hurled when we don’t perform in the toughest conference in the nation. There comes a point during the season when an athlete feels disheartened, beaten down and sometimes useless. I felt that way when our team lost 17 out of our last 18 games. It is so incredibly hard to separate your sense of self from your performance. This needs to change. NU’s culture surrounding achievements is unhealthy. The standard is set unreasonably high by straight-A students who also balance
being in a sorority, having a part-time job and maybe enjoying their social life. Forget sleep. The desire to overcommit is abundantly clear. We then compare our own accomplishments to those of our classmates, creating an endless cycle of perceived inadequacy and the feelings of hopelessness that accompany it. We need to remove the stigma around mental illness for athletes and all college students. Athletes are viewed as “tough,” “able to handle things” and “just needing to rub some dirt on it.” You can’t rub dirt on a mental illness. Asking for help is hard, but it can change your life. We need to create a more loving, open environment: an environment where people feel like they can talk about mental health and not live in fear that they are weak. I could throw around statistics about how
many college students suffer from mental illness, but I won’t. Because if you think long and hard you will realize you know at least one or two people who might be suffering. Have you reached out to them? Don’t be scared. Mental health is just as important, if not more important, than physical health. And if we don’t start addressing it properly, we will all suffer. Remove the stigma. It’s OK to not be OK. Rest in peace, Jordan. You will never be forgotten. Caleigh Ryan is a Medill senior. She can be contacted at caleighryan2017@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.
Student groups should be less exclusive, more diverse MATTHIAS WUEST
OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR
Coming to Northwestern can be overwhelming. By the end of two weeks in Evanston, it’s common for new students to have attended information sessions for multiple clubs, interviewed with a number of pre-professional groups and auditioned for (and been rejected from) a performance group. Why do students feel the need to be involved in so many activities? Part of the reason may be the novelty of it all. NU students have the freedom to pursue a variety of activities and interests, and it’s natural for some students to attempt to experience everything. Most students truly long for a group where they feel like they belong. By casting a wide net, new students think they can increase their odds of finding that group. In observing student groups at NU, I notice two key issues. The first has been widely discussed: the highly competitive
nature and overly rigorous application process characteristic of student groups here. The second issue receives less recognition: how group dynamics affect the student experience. Student group retention of freshmen over four years seems uncommon. Most students quit or are otherwise driven out of extracurricular groups at some point during their time at NU. In many ways, this is a good thing. Students naturally start out with more extracurriculars than they can maintain and pare their selection down as they discover where they belong. Ultimately, students do better if they are committed fully to one or two causes — a job, a sport, a music group — as opposed to having a toe in a half-dozen. Clubs at NU can be extremely insular and exclusionary, which is one of the reasons they have a hard time retaining students. If a student does not fit into the dominant group culture, they may be ignored and marginalized until they drop out. If members of student groups at NU were more open to people unlike themselves, new students would find a welcoming group more quickly and would not feel the need to overcommit to numerous
Kempis: Northwestern’s hyper-professional atmosphere is detrimental to students’ long-term goals
groups as underclassmen. Perhaps even more importantly, the existing members of these groups would be better exposed to people in different disciplines and with different worldviews. We should dismantle the notion that it’s solely the new member’s responsibility to assimilate to a prevalent group dynamic. Student groups have a responsibility and an incentive to welcome those who they otherwise might dismiss. My experience on the rowing team has shown me the benefits of this openness. We draw members from a range of backgrounds, areas of study and social groups, yet when we are together we are free to be ourselves without fear of ostracization. To fully embrace difference creates an environment in which new students are free to be themselves without the pressure to change who they are, resulting in a better experience for everyone and less attrition from clubs. And yet the rowing team too has much to work on in terms of fostering a welcoming environment: We have lost members who could have contributed much to our organization. But when I look around at our team
What commenters are saying
January 3, 2017
While I agree that someone early in their career should explore their passions, I am not sure that NU's culture of helping students find high paying jobs should be condemned.* Commenter: Eric DeFeo Posted on 1/4 *edited for brevity
Women’s basketball player Jordan Hankins’ death ruled a suicide, medical examiner says January 10, 2017
Very, very sad. When I was at NU back in the 70s, the only student suicides I recall occurred in Foster-Walker. Might be time for NU to reconsider that arrangement.* Commenter: Kevin Morison Posted on 1/10
*edited for brevity and style
dinners and see the engineer joking with the music major, and the frat star making a fool of himself with the sophomore who would drop out of school before going Greek, I have hope that maybe we’re doing something right. There will always be students joining and quitting student groups around campus — such is the nature of students pushing themselves to try new things only to realize that their passions lie elsewhere. The little we can control about this cycle is the extent to which students leave groups they might otherwise have benefitted from because they do not click with the dominant culture within the group. We must welcome those who are different because by fostering a culture of openness and diversity we can better engage with the full spectrum of what NU’s student body has to offer. Matthias Wuest is a Weinberg senior. He can be contacted at mwuest2017@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.
The Daily Northwestern Volume 137, Issue 56
Editor in Chief Julia Jacobs Managing Editors Tim Balk Peter Kotecki Marissa Page
Opinion Editor Nicole Kempis Jess Schwalb Assistant Opinion Editor Isabella Soto
Letter to the Editor: Panhellenic Association on gender inclusivity December 8, 2016
This is a brave statement and I applaud you for it. Please consider one more step towards inclusvivity which is based on income. Some of my students point out to me that even if they wanted to be in a sorority the financial burden is too much for them to bear. This contributes to the elitism that makes sororities a reach for, say, Pell eligible students. Again, congratualtions on this statement. Commenter: Jeff Rice Posted on 12/11
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR may be sent to 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, via fax at 847-491-9905, via e-mail to opinion@ dailynorthwestern.com or by dropping a letter in the box outside The Daily office. Letters have the following requirements: • Should be typed and double-spaced • Should include the author’s name, signature, school, class and phone number. • Should be fewer than 300 words They will be checked for authenticity and may be edited for length, clarity, style and grammar. Letters, columns and cartoons contain the opinion of the authors, not Students Publishing Co. Inc. Submissions signed by more than three people must include at least one and no more than three names designated to represent the group. Editorials reflect the majority opinion of The Daily’s student editorial board and not the opinions of either Northwestern University or Students Publishing Co. Inc.
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 5
FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2017
Student leaders speak on social activism, inaction By JAKE HOLLAND
the daily northwestern @jakeholland97
Although “slacktivism” itself is not harmful, activists need to take a more engaged role in social justice movements, panel participants said at a discussion Thursday. The event, co-hosted by Northwestern College Democrats and Multicultural Filmmakers Collective, focused on methods for transforming well-meaning intentions into tangible activism. The event was part of Black Lives Matter, a Northwestern Dialogue, which is a student-led and administrator-backed series on the state of black lives in the country and the Black Lives Matter movement spanning two weeks. About a dozen people attended Thursday’s event. Event organizers Sami Rose and Danielle Harris began the evening by defining the term slacktivism as passive support of a cause, and they mentioned challenges faced by people who want to be activists but can’t bring themselves to get involved. Harris, programming chair of Multicultural Filmmakers Collective, said activism can feel ableist at times because not everyone has the ability to physically go out and protest. “It’s hard to really say activism is one thing because there are all these stipulations and terms of conditions,” she said. Rose, co-president of College Democrats, said obligations such as jobs and school can also prevent people from taking that first step in getting involved. The Communication senior added that because activism
Process for presidential campaign delayed for at least one week
The pre-campaigning process for Associated Student Government presidential election has been delayed for at least a week after an election commission wasn’t appointed during Wednesday’s Senate meeting. Speaker of the Senate Nehaarika Mulukutla said she and parliamentarian Shelby Reitman decided to postpone the decision until next week’s
is an aggregate of individual actions, even the smallest steps can make a difference. Harris said a lack of knowledge on social issues can make people hesitant when deciding to get involved. Learning about issues on the internet, reading books on social issues and attending meetings related to social justice are all ways to get educated, the Communication senior said. “When you’re entering a space that isn’t a space you’re not accustomed to being in, listening and observing is key,” Harris said. Rose said an abundance of campus resources — the library, Associated Student Government and other student groups –– make it easier for Northwestern students to take a more involved role in activism. She added that engaging with national organizations such as Planned Parenthood, which already have preexisting frameworks for enacting change, allows people with no prior activist experience to contribute to a cause. Rose echoed Harris’ advice to self-educate and suggested that people learn the names of their state representatives and contact them if they feel an issue needs solving. “Badgering your representatives, that’s where a lot of change happens,” she said. “People don’t realize that a lot of the laws that affect your day-to-day life are happening in your local community.” Both Rose and Harris stressed the importance of working toward policy changes and legislation within one’s local community, whether that be in Evanston or elsewhere. Although posting hashtags like “#OscarsSoWhite” and using social media to organize for a social cause
can enact real change, people have a duty to do more, Rose said. Because many people interact on social media with those who think similarly to them, posting about social causes sometimes does little more than shouting into an echo chamber, she said. Medill junior Christian Welch, who attended the event, said though posting progressive Facebook statuses or expressing verbal support for a cause isn’t
inherently problematic, it can often stand in the way of real change. “Slacktivism itself isn’t bad; it’s just that people are mistaking it for activism,” Welch said. “I’m definitely inspired to get more educated on causes that I want to support.”
Senate. “We didn’t do it for a variety of reasons,” the Weinberg junior said. “One, we didn’t feel it was appropriate; two, there was going to be low attendance. There are relatively fewer people coming for the first two weeks of Winter Quarter.” ASG’s code mandates that pre-campaigning begin following the second Senate of Winter Quarter. However, because the election commission was not instated this week, candidates can’t disclose their intention to run. Despite the lack of an election commision for at least a week, Mulukutla said the campaign process won’t otherwise be disturbed.
According to ASG’s code, the pre-campaigning process lasts until Spring Quarter, when candidates are allowed to officially announce their candidacies and begin the formal campaigning process. During the pre-campaign process, candidates don’t have to formally announce their intentions to run and only have to say they’re “strongly considering running.” Candidates can’t formally start “nonverbal campaigning” — including launch parties, websites and social media accounts — until nine days before the election, which takes place in early April. ASG’s code lays out strict rules for how candidates are allowed to campaign.
Weinberg senior Lauren Thomas, an ASG senator who served as election commissioner last year, said potential presidential candidates didn’t contact her before the middle of Winter Quarter last year. It’s unlikely any candidates would have contacted the commissioner this week, she said. Thomas echoed Mulukutla in saying attendance is usually lower for the first two Senates of Winter Quarter, partly because many senators are taking part in fraternity and sorority recruitment. “The election commision should change the code, and I’ll recommend that,” she said.
Allie Goulding/The Daily Northwestern
Communication senior Danielle Harris discusses methods for transforming passive activism into social progress at an event Thursday. “From Slacktivism to Activism: Combatting Social Inaction” discussed how to use resources, gain knowledge and get involved in a meaningful manner.
jacobholland2020@u.northwestern.edu
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2017
CTA
From page 1 CTA worked on securing federal funds. The project will create an estimated 6,000 jobs in Chicago to replace aging infrastructure including tracks, structures and stations that are past their useful lifespan. “This historic funding agreement for the Red and Purple Lines is great news for CTA customers, because we can now move forward with one of the biggest modernization projects in CTA history and follow through with our promise to reduce crowding and increase station accessibility,” CTA president Dorval R. Carter, Jr. said in a statement. Kyle Whitehead, government relations director for Active Transportation Alliance, a nonprofit advocacy organization, said the modernization project is long overdue for not just North Siders, but the ripple effects of delays that affect the entire transit system throughout the Chicago area. “Anybody who lives or works in those neighborhoods has the experience of watching several packed trains go by before they can get on board or having to pack themselves into a train that is over capacity,” Whitehead said. “When you see those types of delays happen, they aren’t just affecting
Daily file photo by Sean Su
The Chicago Transit Authority rolled out plans for a $1.1 billion Red and Purple Line Modernization project. The project is intended to decongest traffic near the Belmont station.
POLICE
LEAD
trends that may point to discrimination. “We as a police department don’t police race,” Sutton said. “Everyone who comes in is equipped with civil rights and liberties that we respect and follow. It doesn’t matter if you’re green or yellow or white.”
tests by the end of this year, and schools built between then and 2000 have until the end of 2018 to complete the tests, according to the legislation. Elementary schools must also notify parents or legal guardians if any samples with lead exceed five parts per billion. Federal law caps the acceptable level of lead in water at 15 parts per billion. To help pay for testing and any needed repairs, schools can use existing state funds set aside for safety improvements or legal issues, according to the bill. In addition, the bill asks the state’s Department of Children and Family Services and the Department of Public Health to create rules before the end of this year for testing in elementary schools and daycare facilities. Water service companies would need to create an inventory system of lead service pipes that connect to homes. Water providers must also notify residents about construction on nearby water lines. Many states debated similar bills last year following the lead-tainted water crisis in Flint, Michigan. In addition, higher levels of lead were found last spring in several Chicago and suburban schools, according to a statement from Attorney General Lisa Madigan. “Testing drinking water in all Illinois schools and daycares is an inexpensive way to immediately identify and stop lead exposure in young children that would otherwise cost families, schools and government much more,” Madigan said in the statement. Evanston/Skokie School District 65 already conducted lead testing at its schools last spring, said Melissa Messinger, the district’s communications coordinator. The results revealed that water sources
From page 1
From page 1
Treat us just as you would anyone else. I expect police to treat me just like everyone else.
”
Kenneth Jones, Commander of police services
Weinberg fifth-year Edward Duron said he attended the event because he was intrigued by its purpose and wanted to challenge the assumption that police represent, serve and protect people of all races. Duron found the officers’ answers to his questions disappointing and said they used their blackness to support the police system. “It was difficult to sit through,” Duron said. “It was very much diversity as a facade.” emilychin2018@u.northwestern.edu
in all schools had lead levels of less than three parts per billion, she said. Messinger said that though the lack of state funding for the lead testing is not ideal, the district will still be able to follow the bill’s requirements. “We will absolutely comply with whatever the law is and whatever we need to do,” Messinger said. “We’ll find the money through one of our funds to be able to adhere to it.”
riders on the North Side, they are affecting riders throughout the whole system.” The project is also a major step to help meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, something the CTA has pledged to work on, Whitehead said. By adding elevators to stations throughout the Red and Purple Lines, the CTA will continue to work on meeting ADA requirements and accessibility for disabled riders. To secure federal funding, the city had to contribute a local match. In November, City Council unanimously approved a transit TIF to provide $622 million in local matching funds. The rest of the money will come from the CTA. Despite tax revenue used to fund the project, Whitehead said the improvements will end up benefiting the economy and bringing more money and commerce to Chicago. “Evidence is clear in terms of the economic benefit of public transit investment,” Whitehead said. “It helps employment issues through getting people to and from jobs. It helps communities surrounding the line who are better connected to the rest of the city, so visitors and tourists from outside the city can come and spend money.” samkrevlin2019@u.northwestern.edu Darrell King, Evanston’s water production bureau chief, said the city would offer any technical support and advice to schools if needed. He said Evanston has not experienced any issues with lead since 1992, when the water department added a protective layer of phosphate into the water treatment plant’s pipes, preventing lead from contaminating the water. williamkobin2018@u.northwestern.edu
Daily file photo by Daniel Tian
Washington Elementary School, 914 Ashland Ave., is one of 10 elementary schools in Evanston/Skokie School District 65. A new Illinois bill passed by the General Assembly would require all elementary schools and daycare centers to test water for lead.
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THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 7
FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2017
Panelists discuss state of Black Lives Matter By CATHERINE KIM
the daily northwestern @ck_525
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The National Panhellenic Council and Northwestern’s chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists organized a moderated discussion Wednesday night to discuss the state of the Black Lives Matter movement. The event featured a panel of seven professors from NU and Loyola University Chicago and was attended by about 50 students and faculty. The discussion was part of two weeks of studentorganized and administration-backed programming surrounding the movement. Northwestern African American Studies Prof. Debra Thompson described the Black Lives Matter movement as a test of American democracy, saying it challenges the sacrifices constantly expected of black people throughout the country’s history. “At what point does it become not only undemocratic, but unethical, to ask the people who are the most exploited, the most vulnerable and most subjugated in this society to be the ones who have to continuously sacrifice?” she asked. “At what point does our democracy demand too much of us?” The panelists also drew lines of comparison between the civil rights movement and Black Lives Matter. Loyola University history Prof. John Donoghue described the latter’s less hierarchical organization as a potential strength, but Medill Prof. Deborah Douglas said it is dangerous to divide the two movements. She said the movements are inherently connected because Black Lives Matter activists and those who participated in the civil rights movement have similar goals. “(Comparing the two) challenges the ability for the old guard with the new guard to come together and combine their strengths to say something really powerful and effective, which is something we’re really going to need to do if we’re going to try to control this narrative of Black Lives Matter,” she said.
The panelists also debated how not having one designated leader for Black Lives Matter can both help and hurt the cause. For Douglas, decentralized leadership is worrisome, as she said it leads to confusion and decentralized goals. However, Thompson said not having explicitly visible leadership is a strength of the movement and makes it less vulnerable to government intervention.
This movement is for us and by us. It’s to say that we acknowledge that there is a problem. Ashley Woods, SESP sophomore
“That’s something that is quite powerful: the ability to evade surveillance, the ability to evade the mechanisms of the state that are designed to discipline black bodies, black behaviors in order to conform to what’s the norm of society,” she said. Thompson discussed her faith in students who build up a large part of the movement, which is largely organized at the grassroots level. Students and future generations can fuel the future, she said. “While I question the university as an institution’s ability to be an agent of social transformation, I don’t question the students’ ability,” she said. “If there is hope, it is with you.” As a student currently taking a course on Black Lives Matter, SESP sophomore Ashley Woods said she appreciated the professors’ honesty. The event helped her realize the importance of student participation in such discussions, she said. “It’s just important for me to engage in these kind of activities,” she said. “This movement is for us and by us. It’s to say that we acknowledge that there is problem.” catherinekim2020@u.northwestern.edu
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SPORTS
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ON THE RECORD
I felt very fortunate to only be down 3 at half because I thought we had been outplayed by more than that. — Chris Collins, coach
@DailyNU_Sports
Friday, January 13, 2017
Brown’s start sets stage for comeback
BLOCK PARTY
NU sets program block record in victory Northwestern
By GARRETT JOCHNAU
daily senior staffer @garrettjochnau
Rutgers entered Thursday’s contest against Northwestern with just three conference wins since joining the Big Ten in 2014. And for much of the first half, it seemed as though the Wildcats would be their fourth victim. But freshman guard Isiah Brown kept the Cats alive during a rough start, and junior forward Vic Law paced the team through the close, as NU (14-4, 3-2 Big Ten) emerged with the 69-60 win. “This was a really good win for us, we had to earn it,” coach Chris Collins said. “They did a great job of taking us out of almost everything we wanted to do with their defense, with their athleticism and physicality, and we just had to keep playing.” The opening minutes set the first-half tone for the Cats. Rutgers (11-7, 0-5) didn’t exactly come out swinging offensively, but NU’s early play was markedly worse. It took nearly four minutes for the Cats to score, with an elbow jumper from Vic Law snapping a 7-0 run from the Scarlet Knights to open the game. But Law’s score did little to jump start a disjointed NU offense. A 9-for-34 first half shooting effort kept the Cats on Rutgers’ heels, though a strong early showing from Brown and an unimpressive shooting output from the Scarlet Knights (29 percent) kept NU within striking distance. Brown’s 11 points in the opening period nearly compensated for the
69
Rutgers
60
struggles of the Cats’ starters, who managed just 7 before the break. His most important bucket came with under a minute remaining, when NU pushed back after Rutgers opened the lead to 9. But the hosts missed their final six shots, and a pair of free throws from senior forward Nathan Taphorn brought the Cats within 3 at the intermission. “I felt very fortunate to only be down 3 at half because I thought we had been outplayed by more than that,” Collins said. “We really talked at halftime about stepping up with our toughness, stepping up with our physicality.” NU’s push continued into the second half. A balanced scoring effort in the first four minutes, capped by junior guard Bryant McIntosh’s first points of the game, pushed the Cats in front for the first time with 17:19 remaining in the contest. Sophomore center Dererk Pardon anchored the defense with eight of the team’s program record 15 blocks. His 11 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end, helped NU thrive in the second half ’s crucial minutes. Law awoke from a slumber to notch 19 of his 23 points in the final period, including 5 straight for the Cats to snap a scoring drought. “Vic Law was tremendous,” Collins said. “Every time we needed a play, I
Freshman heats up in opening half to keep Wildcats competitive By BEN POPE
daily senior staffer @benpope111
Daily file photo by Zack Laurence
Isiah Brown and Vic Law celebrate. The duo combined for 34 points in Northwestern’s win over Rutgers.
thought Vic was the one who stepped up and made it.” And when junior guard Scottie Lindsey, who finished with 14, connected on a layup to lift NU’s lead to double digits, Rutgers was effectively finished. Despite an uninspired start for the Cats, the hosts proved as bad as advertised down the stretch. When it counted,
momentum tipped in the visitors’ favor, and NU escaped with the 9-point win. “For us to have that in our DNA, that we can win a game like that shows a lot about our group,” Collins said. “Really proud of the guys.” garrettjochnau2019@u.northwestern. edu
Cats will go as far as Pardon takes them TIM BALK
DAILY COLUMNIST
Northwestern sophomore center Dererk Pardon took over the paint in Piscataway on Thursday night.
He rejected shot attempts from driving Rutgers guards, he leapt for offensive rebounds and, as has been his style since arriving in Evanston, he displayed touch around the rim. The Scarlet Knights are not a good team. The Wildcats shot bricks for a half against the Big Ten bottom-dweller and still emerged with a relatively easy
Daily file photo by Zack Laurence
Dererk Pardon boxes out a defender. The sophomore notched eight blocks in Thursday’s win.
win. But Pardon’s dominance, reflected in a 11-rebound, 8-point, eight-block stat stuffing, was exactly what NU needed to emerge with a victory. The sophomore’s block total was the second highest in a game in program history. It’s the type of production the Cats need from Pardon over the next two months as they chase a program-first NCAA Tournament bid. Pardon must be a rock down low. NU has racked up 14 wins already this season, and half of them have come with Pardon sidelined by a hand injury. The early season success has been made possible by strong play from their stalwart wings: junior Scottie Lindsey and sophomore forward Vic Law. The two have turned the Cats into an offensively dynamic squad capable of scoring in transition and burning opponents with hot shooting. Still, through all of NU’s early season success, there has also been the specter of the team’s limited size. This weakness has rarely been truly exploited by opponents; few non-conference foes were much bigger, and early Big Ten adversaries Penn State and Michigan State sported relatively small lineups as well (though the Cats still struggled against the latter). None of that changes the fact that the cream of the crop in the Big Ten
— Wisconsin, Purdue and Maryland — all have imposing frontcourts. NU has the potential to challenge the conference’s elite, partially because the Big Ten is significantly weaker than it has been in the past and partially because the Cats have displayed a shooting touch that makes them competitive against just about any team in the nation. (See: narrow losses against nowNo. 12 Butler and No. 20 Notre Dame.) But if NU is going to hang with the Big Ten’s brass, it needs the strong, agile Pardon to consistently play like the drive-stopping rebound vacuum he was against Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights, though bad, have real Big Ten-style size. They start three players 6-foot-6 or taller, including 7-foot center C.J. Gettys, and bring waves of bigs off the bench. The Rutgers game was always going to be a test for Pardon, if not for NU as a team. Consider it passed. Further tests await. The Cats face Iowa and its formidable front court this weekend. And a Feb. 1 meeting with No. 17 Purdue, the biggest (and probably best) team in the conference, isn’t far off. If Pardon keeps playing like he’s still in Piscataway, the Big Ten should watch out. timothybalk2018@u.northwestern.edu
Northwestern’s five starters combined to make just three field goals in a brutal first half against Rutgers. So it was left to a backup, freshman guard Isiah Brown, to keep the Wildcats alive until the starters regained their senses after the intermission and ensured NU’s 69-60 victory. Brown, a Seattle native, struggled to find a scoring rhythm despite aggressive shooting during the first months of his collegiate career, hitting just 30 percent from the field and committing one turnover every 11 minutes entering the Rutgers game. On Thursday in New Jersey, however, Brown’s ever-present confidence was matched by efficiency — at least for one half. In the first frame, he shot 4-for-7 from the field for 11 points, equaling his third-highest full-game point output of the season. Brown’s consistent offensive play contrasted strongly with the rest of the Cats’ lineup. Through the first 20 minutes, junior guard Bryant McIntosh missed all five of his shots, junior guard Scottie Lindsey made just 1-of-6 and sophomore forward Vic Law went 2-for-8 before heating up in the second frame. “I thought they brought the fight to us in the first half,” coach Chris Collins said. “They had us out on the floor; they took us out our rhythm offensively. … Defensively I thought they were mashing us.” Brown’s typical self returned after the break, and his 0-for-2 mark in the second half kept him at 11 points to the final whistle. But against a Scarlet Knights team that has won just one Big Ten game since the start of last season, the revivals of Law and Lindsey proved more than sufficient to earn the victory. Thursday’s game could nonetheless be a noteworthy stepping stone for the highly touted freshman. Brown demonstrated his pure basketball talent in high school, averaging 33.8 points per game his senior year and winning the Gatorade Player of the Year award in Washington. Once he adjusts to the pace and improved defending of the Big Ten game, that talent could turn heads on a national stage. benjaminpope2019@u.northwestern. edu