The Daily Northwestern – January 19, 2017 by The Daily Northwestern

The Daily Northwestern Thursday, January 19, 2017

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The Dolphin Show celebrates its 75th anniversary

Schakowsky to skip inauguration U.S. Rep. plans to attend Women’s March instead By DAVID FISHMAN

daily senior staffer @davidpkfishman

Linnea Narducci/The Daily Northwestern

Communication seniors Isaac Sims (left) and Erin Manning host the RTVF town hall meeting. RTVF students criticized the policies of the new grantgiving system and asked for more transparency and accountability from the department.

RTVF students discuss funding

Students voice concerns over new distribution system at town hall By STAVROS AGORAKIS

daily senior staffer @stavrosagorakis

Although the Department of Radio, Television and Film has said its new project funding system is an “improvement,” RTVF students voiced a slew of concerns at a departmental town hall meeting Wednesday. About 20 students attended the gathering, which was hosted

by the Undergraduate RTVF Student Association. Attendees discussed how the Media Arts Grants — which were established during the last academic year — have impacted student filmmaking on campus and proposed solutions to present to administrators. Communication senior Sophie Gordon said the new system creates a disconnect between advisers and grant recipients, as students are not able to receive

the resources they would have from student groups. Students are “here to learn,” and first-time writers and directors may find it difficult to produce projects without the appropriate attention from experienced filmmakers, Gordon said. “The MAG system offers less than zero support other than monetary,” she said. “You are given a very small of money, and you ask yourself, ‘OK, what do I do with this now?’ I’m supposed

to make a movie but I have no resources.” No administrators attended the event. Department chair and RTVF Prof. Dave Tolchinsky said in an email to The Daily that he believes the department is in “awesome shape” and that a lot of students were unhappy with the old system but are content with MAGs. The grant system has already » See RTVF, page 6

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) announced Wednesday that she will not attend Friday’s inauguration, adding her name to a growing list of Democrats boycotting the event out of dismay for President-elect Donald Trump’s rhetoric and policy proposals. Instead, Schakowsky said she would join the Women’s March on Washington on Saturday alongside more than 200 Evanston residents who also plan on traveling to Washington. “I have decided to join the growing group of my colleagues who will not attend the inauguration in protest of a president who used bigotry, fear and lies to win an election that was tainted by foreign interference and voter suppression — and who intends to betray the interests of the ordinary working people who put him in office,” Schakowsky said in a statement. Nina Kavin, an Evanston resident who helped organize buses to the march in Washington, said she was “proud and inspired” by Schakowsky’s decision to join. “I am thrilled that she will be part of the marching masses of people who are going to march

for human rights against bigotry and hate,” Kavin said. “She is listening and reflecting the priorities of her constituents. … It was probably a very, very hard decision.” Speaking to The Daily after an event Sunday, Schakowsky was still undecided about attending the inauguration. On one hand, she said, she wanted to stand in solidarity with Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia), a civil rights icon whom Trump accused of being “all talk” with “no action or results” and accused him of not adequately addressing crime in his district. Those comments came after Lewis said he did not believe Trump was a “legitimate president.” But Schakowsky also said she felt a need to “be in the room” and “feel the atmosphere around this inauguration.” She also wanted to be sure there was “actually a boycott movement” before opting out. “I want to be able to report back to my constituents, ‘What did it feel like to be at this inauguration?’” Schakowsky told The Daily on Sunday. “‘How did it compare to the inauguration of Barack Obama? And what did Donald Trump have to say?’” On Wednesday, however, Schakowsky erased all doubts and joined a growing list of dozens of Democrats boycotting the inauguration. In Illinois, that list includes Reps. Luis Gutierrez and Mike Quigley of Chicago and Rep. » See SCHAKOWSKY, page 6

Biss may run for Illinois governor

Report reveals income imbalance

the daily northwestern @kristinakarisch

About two thirds of Northwestern students come from families in the top income quintile, according to a report by The New York Times’ The Upshot published Wednesday. The report includes analysis of economic diversity at several colleges and universities across the United States and is based on data pulled from millions of anonymous tax filings and tuition records. It compares Northwestern with peer institutions in economic diversity and average income after graduation. The report analyzed more than 2,000 institutions. The median household income for students at NU is $171,200 — the 81st highest average income percentile of the institutions included in the study. Fourteen percent of students come from families who make $630,000 annually,

By KRISTINA KARISCH

State Sen. Daniel Biss (D-Evanston) told The Daily on Wednesday night that he was considering a gubernatorial bid next year, but had not yet reached a decision. There are currently a handful of declared candidates, including current Gov. Bruce Rauner and Ald. Ameya Pawar of Chicago. Biss mentioned the potential of a bid while attending a “Community Action” panel at SPACE — a concert venue in Evanston — to discuss plans for the next four years under a Trump administration. Also in attendance were U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Medill Prof. Peter Slevin and Colleen Connell, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Illinois.

“ Welcome to the resistance,” Schakowsky said during the meeting, eliciting cheers and thunderous applause from the crowd. “People are ready for the fight. I think what most people are wanting now is marching orders. ‘What do I do to participate?’” Schakowsky, who is boycotting Friday’s inauguration, said the most important thing now is to “show up.” “One opportunity to show up is on Saturday, the day after the inauguration,” she said. “They’re calling it the Women’s March. The turnout, the numbers will be used as a barometer to show how fierce and determined we are.” The Women’s March on Washington — a grassroots effort started by a national coordinating committee — is a response to rhetoric » See BISS, page 6

Serving the University and Evanston since 1881

By MATTHEW CHOI

daily senior staffer @matthewchoi2018

which is the minimum yearly income for the top 1 percent of earners. Only about 3.7 percent of students come from households earning $20,000 a year or less, placing them in the

bottom quintile. University spokesman Al Cubbage said the University is working to improve economic diversity on campus. In March 2016, NU removed loans for incoming students as

part of changes to its financial aid program. The percentage of students who are eligible for Pell Grants — a federal grant given to low-income » See INEQUALITY, page 6

Median Parents Income 180,000 171,200

160,000

144,200 140,000 134,500

132,600 123,400

120,000

116,200

115,800 109,00

100,000

1 Northwestern University

2 Wheaton (Ill.)

3 University of Chicago

4 Illinois Wesleyan

5 Augustana (Ill.)

6 Loyola Chicago

7 Illinois State

8 Illinois

Note: Data applies to students born in 1991 (approximately the class of 2013) in 2015 dollars.

Graph by Juliet Freudman

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

2 NEWS | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2017

NEWS Resolution banning styrofoam passes Senate passes legislation prohibiting styrofoam products at ASG events By JONAH DYLAN

the daily northwestern @thejonahdylan

Associated Student Government Senate passed a resolution Wednesday that prohibits polystyrene products from ASG events and asks the University to ban styrofoam products across campus. Senate added an amendment exempting student theater groups from the resolution, but voted against an amendment that would have removed a clause about Greek organizations from the resolution. Weinberg sophomore Lars Benson, who authored the resolution, spoke out against polystyrene products. “(Polystyrene) is a recognized carcinogen,” he said. “We don’t want students to be drinking from cups that could potentially give them cancer.” Although the resolution passed nearly unanimously, many senators expressed their concern about the lack of effect ASG resolutions have on the Northwestern community. Benson and other senators discussed the possibility of introducing legislation that would make it harder for student groups and ASG-funded events to use styrofoam at events. Weinberg

POLICE BLOTTER Evanston man shot, killed in St. Louis

A 29-year-old Evanston man was shot Saturday morning in St. Louis and died three days later, police said. Phabion Harshaw, who lives in the 1800 block of Hovland Ct., was killed while at a woman’s residence, a St. Louis Metropolitan Police spokesperson said. The woman had called Harshaw to her apartment after her boyfriend became abusive with her, the spokesperson said.

senior Lauren Thomas said ASG should always pass legislation when it has the opportunity to do so, even though it has limited jurisdiction. “As ASG, we don’t have binding power over what the administration does or over what the U.S. government does or anything like that,” Thomas said. “I do think it’s really important to put your money where your mouth is, and once you pass a resolution you have to be committed to doing what you said you were going to do.”

”

We don’t want students to be drinking from cups that could potentially give them cancer. Lars Benson, Weinberg sophomore

ASG President Christina Cilento said she was in favor of passing legislation on the issue but said passing just the resolution would change very little. The SESP senior said it’s important for ASG to back up resolutions with legislation that makes concrete changes.

“Because this resolution specifically talked about ASG’s funding structure, I think we need to back that up (with) something,” Cilento said. “It makes sense, and it’s logical that there would be legislation presented that gets more specific and more technical about changes to our funding structure.” For the second week in a row, senators clashed over whether Greek organizations should be explicitly mentioned in the resolution. Parliamentarian and Medill junior Shelby Reitman said she had worked to ban styrofoam in her sorority house and had reached out to a fraternity asking them to do the same. Thomas said there was confusion over what kind of jurisdiction ASG has. “Contrary to what people seem to think in the Senate room, we don’t have any control over what the Greek system does,” she said. “The only thing that was in there that we do have control over is the ASG funding system.” Senate also elected members to the election commission on Wednesday, an action that had been pushed back from last week’s meeting. It also heard a presentation about the new University Commons and voted in favor of a Wild Ideas funding proposal as well.

The woman reported to police that her boyfriend returned to the residence to retrieve his belongings while Harshaw was there. The woman told officers that Harshaw and her boyfriend were outside the residence when she heard a gunshot. The woman’s boyfriend fled the scene and is a suspect in the shooting. Harshaw was found with a gunshot wound and taken to a hospital in critical and unstable condition. He died on Tuesday. — Nora Shelly

MEDILL CAREER & INTERNSHIP FAIR

Thursday, Jan. 26 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Norris University Center Louis Room (second floor) Open to all Northwestern students and alumni Dress to impress and bring resumes Questions? Contact: Beverley Stewart at medillcareerservices@northwestern.edu, phone: 847-491-2049

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Setting the record straight An article published in last Thursday’s paper titled “ASG introduces styrofoam legislation” misstated Shelby Reitman’s year and school. Reitman is a Medill junior. The Daily regrets the error.

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What’s Inside Source: University archives

“Reflecting Memory” exhibition at Block Museum explores loss, trauma

The Dolphin Show began as an aquatic fundraiser for a men’s swim club, but in 1970 it had its first on-land performance in Cahn Auditorium. Several famous alumni were involved in the Dolphin Show, including Kate Shindle and David Schwimmer.

Page 4

Quartet brings interplanetary jazz to Tommy Nevin’s Pub twice monthly Page 5

Still Swimming

Students lead artistic community event honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

Dolphin Show celebrates its 75-year history

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By MADDIE BURAKOFF

the daily northwestern @madsburk

Born in a campus pool 75 years ago, the Northwestern Dolphin Show now features less water and more foliage — specifically, a huge, operable model of a carnivorous Venus flytrap for its latest production, “Little Shop of Horrors.” The Dolphin Show, a longstanding NU tradition that is the currently the largest studentproduced musical in the country, will stage its 75th production starting this weekend. The show began as a 1940 fundraiser for the Dolphin Club, a men’s swim team, and soon became an annual aquatic spectacular. Bob Nissen (Weinberg ’71, Kellogg ’75) swam as part of the “water cast” in two productions at Patten Pool before becoming cochair, spearheading the campaign to move Dolphin Show out of the pool and onto the solid ground of Cahn Auditorium. After selling exactly enough tickets to break even, Nissen’s production of “Mame” established a new tradition of dry Dolphins. “It was new, it was innovative, it was risky in some respects — but everyone came together,” Nissen said. “The excitement of being there opening night, Feb. 6, 1970, and watching the performance and seeing the audience reaction … was really the highlight.” Forty-seven years after that first Cahn production, current Dolphin director Maggie Monahan said she and her team wanted to bring new energy to the show by taking on something with intellectual depth as well as production value. They settled on “Little Shop,” an off-Broadway horror-comedy that centers around a struggling flower shop and a carnivorous flytrap, for the 75th anniversary “Diamond Dolphin” celebration. The Communication senior said “Little Shop” brings up themes that are relevant today,

even though the original movie was produced in the 1960s. “‘Little Shop’ confronts class, race and the perversion of the myth of American meritocracy, all while lampooning B-horror movies (and) musicals themselves,” Monahan said. “We’re trying to deconstruct and poke holes in a lot of these myths upon which our society is founded.” Monahan, artistic producer Bailey Sutton and business producer Janie Dickerson make up one of very few all-women leadership teams in Dolphin Show history. All three agreed that this feminine perspective shaped their vision for the show, especially in the portrayal of its female characters. Sutton, a Weinberg senior, said their production sought to bring more depth to the female lead Audrey and the three female narrators, who she said are often reduced to stereotypes. Though “Little Shop” has been reproduced many times onstage and onscreen — and is slated for another feature film adaptation, directed by Northwestern alumnus Greg Berlanti (Communication ’94) — Monahan said many interpretations are “meaningless or entirely insensitive.” “There’s great, great heart in it that oftentimes gets treated as camp,” she said. One of the Dolphin leaders’ goals for this rendition of “Little Shop,” Monahan said, is to bring out the play’s earnestness instead of just presenting it as satire. More tangible changes also included expanding the cast to nearly double its normal size and casting a woman as the traditionally male voice of the plant. The show’s timing has forced the cast and crew to confront a divisive political climate, Monahan said. She said there was a “cosmic poetry” to the date of the show’s first rehearsal, which was the day after the presidential election. The show’s first performance will be the night of Donald Trump’s inauguration. “I really think it’s important that we have an artistic space where people can contribute to the (post-election) discourse,” Dickerson said, “and also a space to grieve and laugh and feel their emotions.”

This inclusivity extends beyond the traditional theater community. Sutton said the Dolphin Show is structured so that anyone who wants to get involved will be given the opportunity to contribute. The show also held its first open call audition this year in addition to the normal Student Theatre Coalition casting. Sutton said 28 people came to the open call, two of who ultimately took on acting roles. As a non-theater major herself, Sutton said the process was especially meaningful. “I was a freshman that was rejected from every single group on campus,” Sutton said. “The fact that I was able to find a place in a community and eventually an organization where we accept everyone was really exciting for me.” Sutton said inclusion and willingness to adapt have helped Dolphin Show survive and grow through its 75 years. Dickerson added that the sheer scale of Dolphin Show continues to attract talent because it allows designers and other artists to “think outside the bounds of Shanley,” one of the smaller venues on campus. “Dolphin thrives and endures because Northwestern students are unparalleled in their ambition and scrappiness and readiness to try something big,” Monahan said. “This is an entirely unlikely feat, and we relish that.” madelineburakoff2020@u.northwestern.edu

Katie Pach/Daily Senior Staffer

This year’s 75th annual Dolphin Show, “Little Shop of Horrors,” features a giant carnivorous flytrap and a number of political themes. The Dolphin Show is currently the largest student-produced musical in the country. Design by Ali Bauersfeld

4 A&E | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2017

Opera vocalist leads Northwestern master class

Award-winning singer Matthew Polenzani returns to campus to teach 4 Northwestern students By MADELEINE FERNANDO

the daily northwestern @madeleinemelody

Opera vocalist Matthew Polenzani returned to Northwestern to teach his second vocal master class with four students on Wednesday. The master class was part of the Robert M. and Maya L. Tichio Vocal Master Class Series, a series of master classes by noted vocalists for Northwestern students, said Kurt Hansen, coordinator of the voice and opera program. The program is in its third year and is funded by an anonymous donor to the Bienen School Music Advisory Board who named the class series in honor of the Tichios, two of his friends and fellow board members. All voice students are required to watch the classes, which are open to the public and typically draw a crowd of around 300 people to the Mary B. Galvin Recital Hall, said Jerry Tietz, director of concert management. Polenzani majored in Music Education at Eastern Illinois University, originally intending to be a high school choral instructor. He said his vocal career launched after a former member of the show choir he was part of at the time heard him singing at a performance with the choir and encouraged him to consider singing professionally. Now an award-winning singer, Polenzani has appeared on stages across the United States and Europe including Lyric Opera Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Paris Opera and Carnegie Hall, among others. He was also awarded the 2004 Richard Tucker Award and Metropolitan Opera’s 2008 Beverly Sills Artist Award. Polenzani has been teaching master classes for the past six or seven years. He said it was an “easy decision” to come back to teach a second NU master class because he was impressed by the caliber of students that he worked last year. In addition to his career, Polenzani encouraged aspiring vocalists to lead a well-rounded life and attributed his singing success to maintaining his personal life. “You’ll be able to sing much more deeply about love and about loss … and all the themes that we

Source: Northwestern News

Opera vocalist Matthew Polenzani, right, teaches a vocal master class to a selected NU vocalist. This was Polenzani’s second time teaching at Northwestern, and said he chose to return because of the high caliber of students he worked with last year.

find in opera with a lot more knowledge and a lot more heart when you’re out there experiencing those things for yourself,” Polenzani said. Tietz said Polenzani is “one of the most highlysought tenors in the planet” and said his class last year was quite successful. “There was a uniform agreement among students, voice faculty and administration, too, that this is someone that we would like to have back,” Hansen said. “He has that fabulous balance of being able to get right to what he wants work on, being very direct in what he wants to work on (and) being very positive with the students.” The master class series typically holds three or four classes a year, bringing in professional vocalists from around the world and featuring

several Northwestern upperclassmen and graduate students who are selected for the class by NU’s voice faculty, Hansen said. Vocalist Frank Laucerica, a Bienen senior, said he attended Polenzani’s class and performance last year and was impressed by Polenzani’s teaching and performing abilities. Laucerica is one of four NU vocalists selected for the master class. The tenor said he was excited to perform for someone whom he “looks up to so much.” Each of the singers gets about 20 minutes to perform and work with the master teacher and a general open forum with the audience which typically follows, Hansen said. “As a master class teacher, I just thought he was very effective in what he had to say,” Laucerica

said. “He didn’t take on problems that he couldn’t fix within the (time) that the student had.” Polenzani is currently singing at Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of “The Magic Flute,” and Tietz said because he is still actively singing and performing, Polenzani can speak in “a very immediate sense” about the industry and his own life experiences. “The Bienen school really highly prioritizes this kind of experience,” Tietz said. “It’s inspiring because for all the work that our students are putting in now, it’s very much the same kind of work that even these superstars are continuing to put in every day.” madeleinefernando2020@u.northwestern.edu

Exhibition at Block Museum explores loss, trauma

Artist Kader Attia makes Northwestern debut after 2 years of research at Herskovits Library By GABBY GROSSMAN

the daily northwestern @gabbygrossman13

French-Algerian artist Kader Attia has traveled all around Africa studying culture, history and presenting exhibitions. Now, Attia will make his solo debut in the Midwest at the Block Museum of Art with “Reflecting Memory,” an exhibition opening Saturday. Art history graduate student Antawan Byrd said he reached out to Attia when Block administrators began looking for an artist to commission and create pieces based on research conducted at Northwestern. Lindsay Bosch, marketing and communications manager at Block, said Attia’s artwork is tied to the Northwestern art community because he worked closely with the University throughout the creative process. She said Attia spent the last two years doing research at Northwestern’s Herskovits Library, which holds the largest Africana collection in the world. “It’s a great pleasure to work with an artist from start to finish on their show,” Bosch said. “It is different from other things we have done because it is a commission created for and inspired by NU and for this particular space.” Attia’s exhibition includes three parts: collage, sculpture and a film essay, each focusing on different topics and themes. “He brings together neuroscience, history, philosophy, art history and asks questions about how we can make connections across cultures,” said Kathleen Berzock, Block’s associate director of curatorial affairs. The film includes interviews with Northwestern faculty members who are familiar with the topics Attia addresses — including theater Prof. Harvey Young and art history Prof. Huey Copeland — Berzock said. The way he weaves NU resources into his pieces is a great example of how well he works interdisciplinarily and synthesizes the information he finds, Berzock said. The exhibition explores the themes of trauma, loss and repair through various topics

that Attia found interesting in his time at the Herskovits Library, she said. These topics include water, architecture, amputations and the neuroscience of conditions like phantom limb and mirror neurons. These conditions have a direct connection with the trauma of loss, Berzock said. Attia is interested in loss and trauma in global history caused by genocide, slavery and racism, she added. Attia’s film touches on the Holocaust,

slavery and the Armenian genocide, Byrd said. Attia builds his pieces to convey the repair and healing after such losses, Byrd said. Some of his films depict people with amputated arms who appear to have both arms when a mirror is optimally placed to reflect their existing limbs. “He’s making collages, so he’s cutting out these disparate paper elements then suturing them together to make something whole,” Byrd said. “He cuts a desk in half; he cuts a typewriter

in half then repairs them with a mirror.” But Attia’s work does not just stop at individual loss and repair, Berzock said. “Overall, this narrative forces us to think about the repair and healing after different sorts of trauma over time and the similarities and differences in the responses that (global tragedies) generate,” Byrd said. ggrossman@u.northwestern.edu

Source: Kader Attia

In Kader Attia’s film essay “Reflecting Memory,” the artist repairs an amputee’s lost arm using a mirror to project a reflection of his other arm. Attia spent time researching the themes of loss and trauma in Northwestern’s Africana collection for his new exhibit at the Block Museum, where the film will be on view.

THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | A&E 5

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2017

Source: David Flippo

“Jazz from Planet Flippo” performs its unique repertoire, which is inspired by world music and rock arrangements. The quartet now plays twice a month at Tommy Nevin’s Pub in Evanston.

Quartet brings interplanetary jazz to Nevin’s Pub

Musician, composer Dave Flippo starts series featuring popular song covers, world music-inspired pieces

By MADDIE BURAKOFF

the daily northwestern @madsburk

Dave Flippo is from his own planet. But, he counters, so is everybody else. “That’s the weird thing about human existence. Every person walking around, they’re the center of their universe,” Flippo said. “When I write my music, I’m not writing it for other people; I’m writing it for myself and expressing my own world.” Flippo is a composer and musician whose quartet, “Jazz from Planet Flippo,” has started a series of performances at Tommy Nevin’s Pub in Evanston. They currently play twice a month at Nevin’s — their next show is Jan. 22 — and feature a variety of Flippo’s compositions, from world music-inspired pieces to “jazzified” covers of popular songs. Though Flippo started off writing classical and contemporary concert music, he said he was drawn

to the freedom and improvisation of jazz. After 11 years of pursuing higher education degrees and with a newly-earned doctorate under his belt, the Pittsburgh native decided to continue pursuing jazz music in Chicago. His group, “Jazz from Planet Flippo,” started out around 25 years ago under the name “Flippomusic Globaljazz.” Since then they have recorded five albums and performed at various venues in the Chicago area, with Flippo composing, playing keys and sometimes adding vocals. Donn DeSanto, the bassist for the group, called Flippo a “musical genius.” He said Flippo’s music has a unique and unconventional sound that is difficult to describe. “He hears things in ways that no one else does,” DeSanto said. Part of this distinctive style, Flippo said, comes from his extensive use of what he calls “dirty chords,” or dissonance. He likened his music to a Gauguin painting, with earthy tones that blend some darkness

into the brighter colors. When composing, Flippo said he likes to keep a specific idea or phrase in mind to guide the music. The group’s fourth album, “Tao Tunes,” was actually based on the “Tao Te Ching,” an ancient Chinese text. “The words and the way the words flow make melodies come out of them,” Flippo said. “Speech has ups and downs, so for things with text that’s how I (compose).” The group’s most recent album, “Life on Mars,” takes a different approach. It includes jazz arrangements of various rock songs, from the Beatles to David Bowie. This concept was inspired when Flippo was playing in a Wilmette restaurant and the owner asked if he knew any Jimi Hendrix. Though Flippo said he is not naturally a “rocker,” after playing around with a few rock tunes, Flippo decided to turn these arrangements into a full album. Flippo’s eclectic style has now found a home at

Nevin’s. Though the pub started out featuring mostly Irish music, manager Brian Davenport said these days they are “open-minded” when it comes to musical acts. “As long as they can get a few people in the door and create a good atmosphere, we book all kinds of shows,” Davenport said. The performances are being marketed as an event for all ages, and Flippo said he hopes the arrangements of familiar tunes draw in a younger crowd. He added that musicians need to keep refreshing the genre to make sure it doesn’t die out, citing jazz legend Miles Davis’ adoption of hip hop styles. DeSanto, however, said he is not worried about the future of jazz. Unlike rock, which he described as “like vanilla cake” that eventually becomes tiresome, he said he is confident that jazz will continue to evolve. “Jazz is something that is timeless,” DeSanto said. “It’s not the flavor of the month.” madelineburakoff2020@u.northwestern.eduu

Students lead artistic community event honoring MLK Evanston Township High School hosts student performances at ‘Diverse Communities United’ show By RACHEL HOLTZMAN

the daily northwestern @rdanielle1995

When Oakton Elementary School fifthgrader Izayah Carr stepped up to the microphone with a smile on his face, more than 1,000 people cheered as he introduced the opening act of Diverse Communities United, a community event held in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. Student performers chose the theme of “defiance with purpose” for the event, held last Monday at Evanston Township High School. The show consisted of hip hop dance, skits, poetry reading, speeches from community members and a shared message of hope for a better world. One third grader said in an original poem,

“I’ll die standing up for peace, but I hope to live for freedom.” Although students had been working with Youth & Opportunity United staff since September to prepare for the event, the presidential election prompted Y.O.U. to focus on helping students discuss King’s legacy and the upcoming inauguration in a way that made them feel supported, Y.O.U. executive director Seth Green said. “The greatest goal of the gathering was to give our young people the stage and hopefully in the process, to help heal,” Green said. “A big part of healing is being heard.” In addition to performing and emceeing, students this year were also involved in planning the event, Green said. Keisha Barnard, learning and development coordinator at Y.O.U., said putting the programming in the hands of high school students

allowed the program to honor King’s philosophy and give the students a voice at the same time. The ETHS students emceeing the event shared the stage with elementary and middle school students, Y.O.U. staff and ETHS faculty. During interludes between performances, staff and volunteers talked about the importance of community and youth support, thanking ETHS for its work in racial equity programming. ETHS sophomore Mina Jue said she joined the high school planning committee and found that as part of the team, she could have a bigger impact. “We came up with ‘defiance with purpose’ by discussing the events that have been happening recently with (the Black Lives Matter movement) and talking about how kids can become part of the solution,” Jue said.

Barnard said the emcees told the program staff they have gained confidence, not just from being on stage but from having the Diverse Communities United concert act as a platform to speak about what they believe is just and right. Emily Roth, Y.O.U. High School Out-ofSchool Time program director, said she believes the community likes to think it’s more progressive than it actually is. To her, it’s great to come together, but defiance with purpose still has to be practiced in Evanston, and it takes more effort, said Roth, who grew up in Evanston. “When a third grader stands up and says, ‘This matters,’ every high schooler says, ‘If that third grader can lead and do poetry, I can, too,’” Green said. “To have it all come together for us is a very special thing.” rachelholtzman2018@u.northwestern.edu

COMING UP A&E Friday

Saturday

Sunday

• Mee-Ow Enters The Twilight Zone!, Shanley

• An Evening of Beethoven, Harbison, Fauré,

Pavilion, 8 p.m., 11 p.m.

and Mozart, Pick-Staiger, 7:30 p.m.

• B-Fest 2017, Norris, 6 p.m.

• Kader Attia: Reflecting Memory, Block

• The Dolphin Show Presents: Little Shop of

Museum

Horrors, Cahn Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.

• “The Great Gatsby,” Josephine Louis Theater,

• The Dolphin Show Presents: Little Shop of

7:30 p.m.

Horrors, Cahn Auditorium, 2 p.m.

• The Dolphin Show Presents: Little Shop of

• Slamming the Patriarchy, Annenberg 15, 2

Horrors, Cahn Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.

p.m.

arts & entertainment

Editor

Assistant Editor

Kelley Czajka

Catherine Kim Maddie Burakoff

Staff

Designers

Madeleine Fernando

Juliet Freudman

Gabby Grossman

Ali Bauersfeld

Rachel Holtzman

6 NEWS | THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2017

INEQUALITY

BISS

students — has steadily increased over the past three years, with just under 17 percent of the class of 2020 being Pell-eligible, compared to 12.5 percent of the class of 2018. “The University certainly continues its efforts to diversify our undergraduate populations economically,” Cubbage said. “The initiatives we’ve taken — the no loan package, the increased financial aid — are making an impact.” The University has a goal to make 20 percent of students Pell-eligible by 2020. Associated Student Government President Christina Cilento said she met with University President Morton Schapiro and Patricia Telles-Irvin, vice president for student affairs, on Wednesday to discuss ways to improve economic diversity and support for low-income students on campus. ASG plans to submit a list of recommendations to Telles-Irvin to remove financial obstacles, including high textbook costs and student organization membership fees, Cilento said. The SESP senior said focusing career advising on the unique needs of low-income and first-generation students is important to helping them succeed beyond graduation and enter fields that may otherwise be restrictive due to graduate school and work costs. “It’s common knowledge on campus that Northwestern is a pretty wealthy institution, and a decent amount of our student body comes from high-income backgrounds,” Cilento said. “So providing greater academic advising and resources for … low-income students is definitely key.” Compared to peer institutions, Northwestern students demonstrate relatively higher socioeconomic mobility, with 55 percent of students from the bottom income quintile advancing to the top income quintile after graduation. Of the 64 institutions classified as “elite colleges” in the report, including Northwestern, the Ivy League schools and several other similarly ranked schools, Northwestern ranked 18th in that dimension. Steffany Bahamon, president of the Quest Scholars Network, said she was optimistic about the direction Northwestern is going. Although low-income and first-generation students can feel isolated at Northwestern, the McCormick senior said she can see the campus community working to improve economic diversity and support. “There’s a real push, not just from Quest and SES, but from everywhere on campus,” Bahamon said. “There’s a lot of support for the cause of low-income and first-generation students. And who knows? Maybe we’ll end up beating the statistics on the report one day.”

that “demonized” people of color, LGBTQ individuals, Muslim Americans and immigrant communities during the election cycle, according to the organization’s website. More than 200 Evanston residents plan on traveling to Washington to participate in the march. “I feel optimistic because I have never seen such an outpouring of grassroots support,” Schakowsky said. “People have been coming out of the woodwork to get involved. I believe we have a lot of victories to come.” Throughout the evening, panel members shared advice on how to stay involved and get in touch with their local representatives. “Remember, there are more of us than there are of them,” Connell said, referring to the majority of voters who did not choose President-elect Donald Trump. Connell encouraged the audience to mobilize and make themselves heard by joining advocacy groups. She also stressed not abandoning officials who come to compromises or settlements to pass legislation. But one politician received little sympathy from the panel. Biss criticized Gov. Bruce Rauner’s agenda and said state legislation may be “the last line of defense” when it comes to the new presidential administration’s overturn of existing policies. Last week, Congress passed a first step toward repealing the Affordable Care Act, a sweeping health care law that has provided coverage to millions of Americans. Though many politicians have voiced their support or

SCHAKOWSKY

RTVF

Dan Lipinski of Western Springs. “It’s not like I owe anything — as a member of Congress or an American citizen — to Donald Trump,” Schakowsky told The Daily on Sunday. Not all Illinois Democrats plan to boycott, however. Both U.S. Senators from Illinois, Democrats Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, are planning to attend the inauguration. Speaking to reporters at the Sunday event, Durbin called Trump’s comments about Lewis “outrageous” and said he did not look forward to the next four years. Nevertheless, Durbin said he never considered boycotting what will be his ninth inauguration out of respect for the office. “I spent the last eight years saying to those who were disrespecting this president, ‘You should at least respect the office of the president,’” he told reporters Sunday. “I’m going to do the same. Respect the office.”

matthewchoi2018@u.northwestern.edu

davidpkfishman@u.northwestern.edu

drawn criticism from students for stripping student groups of their independence to greenlight their own projects, with Communication alumni mobilizing to spark discussion around the issue. “One thing we can do better is get information out about what MAG is and isn’t, what’s changed and what hasn’t changed,” Tolchinsky said in the email. Currently, the MAG page on the School of Communication’s website says the adjustments to the funding system were made for the department to build a “more inclusive, transparent, and efficient” award process, through which projects are selected solely based on artistic merit. But students at the town hall meeting criticized the system’s lack of transparency and accountability. Communication senior Erin Manning said RTVF students are not told who awards the MAGs. She added that students do not know if the diversity of recipients is taken into consideration during the project selection process. Grant recipients also have the ability to change

From page 1

Maytham Alzayer/The Daily Northwestern

State Sen. Daniel Biss (D-Evanston) speaks at a town hall on Tuesday. Biss told The Daily he was considering a gubernatorial bid at a panel event Wednesday.

opposition to repealing the law, Rauner has remained largely silent. Biss said Rauner’s indifference stemmed from a major investment income tax that in 2015 cost the governor about $7.1 million. He asked the crowd to advocate for state laws and ordinances like those that designate

From page 1

Evanston and Chicago as sanctuary cities. “We know that we have an obligation,” Biss said. “As people who come to the table with tremendous privilege, (we need) to be first in line to engage in that defense.” kristinakarisch2020@u.northwestern.edu their projects entirely after their original pitches, a problem Manning said is caused because MAG applications do not require scripts to be attached. “Such a lack of follow up and accountability creates a problem in terms of representation,” said Manning, who co-chairs URSA and student filmmaking group Studio 22. “In a way, it’s easier to work the system within this system.” Tolchinsky did not reply to further requests for comment by the time of publication. URSA also collected written feedback from students at the meeting, asking them to share suggestions for improving the system. But some students felt that mobilization efforts eventually “fall on deaf ears,” Communication junior Malloy Moseley said. Although she does not believe the MAG system is an “inherently terrible” process, Manning said URSA will ask for better communication between the department and the students while transitioning into the new system. “Students are adapting to it because they have to,” Manning told The Daily. agorakis@u.northwestern.edu

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THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN | NEWS 7

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2017

Prison abolition group presents pen pal system By YVONNE KIM

the daily northwestern @yvonneekimm

Representatives from prison abolition organization Black and Pink spoke to students Wednesday evening in hopes of connecting them to incarcerated LGBTQ individuals through a pen pal system. The event was hosted by the Queer Pride Graduate Students Association, a social networking and advocacy group for LGBTQ graduate students at Northwestern. The association wanted to become more involved with queer organizations in Chicago and Evanston, said Eddie Gamboa, the group’s activism chair. He said the association was interested in working with Black and Pink because of its affiliation with prison abolition and the Black Lives Matter movement. “We had organized this event in hopes of giving an opportunity for the students here at Northwestern to not only get a glimpse of what the prison abolition movement looks like in the city of Chicago, but also to begin a discussion about the intersections of queerness (and) the prison abolition movement,” Gamboa said.

Katie Pach/Daily Senior Staffer

Eddie Willis, member of Black and Pink’s Chicago branch, speaks to students about LGBTQ prisoners and the organization’s penpal system. The event was hosted by the Queer Pride Graduate Students

Black and Pink is a national organization that includes more than 10,000 LGBTQ prisoners in its network. It is described as an “open family of LGBTQ prisoners and free world allies,” the latter referring to people not in prison. Two members of Black and Pink’s Chicago branch — Megan Selby and Eddie Willis, who first came into contact with the organization as an incarcerated penpal — were present at the event. Willis shared his personal history with the prison system and described his experiences with being a penpal on “both sides of the wall.” LGBTQ prisoners face a very specific set of challenges, often perceived and discriminated against as “other,” Willis said. “Not only are you one of the most vulnerable members of society and subjected to solitary confinement, hate and just a plethora of other inhumane conditions, but (prisoners) always find something wrong with the next man to feel better about yourself,” Willis said. “In prison, that’s often LGBTQ individuals.” Willis and Selby also discussed “Coming Out of Concrete Closets,” which was conducted by Black and Pink in 2014 and is the most comprehensive study ever conducted about LGBTQ people in prison, according to the group’s website. They also mentioned the urgency of addressing solitary confinement, a system that further isolates certain inmates from other cells and which they said disproportionately affects LGBTQ individuals. The act of sending a letter can profoundly impact someone else’s life, Willis said. “I probably read (my first letter), like, 50 times,” he said. “I didn’t want it to wrinkle up so I put a book on it. … It just meant so much to me, just to have somebody to write.” Students were provided the opportunity to read letters written by inmates and choose penpals. For Amy Aldrich, a graduate student in the School of Communication, the event was a means for her to become more involved with LGBTQ groups on campus. “Slacktivism is something that a lot of my friends participate in but still critique,” Aldrich said. “And like a lot of other people, I wanted to make that change.” yvonnekim2019@u.northwestern.edu

POPE

From page 8 Even less-popular NU sports are enjoying national success. The women’s lacrosse program is just barely removed from its dynasty of seven national championships in eight years. Coach Arvid Swan’s tennis team went 25-6 last season, the best record in program history. Women’s golf placed ninth in the NCAA Tournament last spring, and the fencing team finished its last season ranked No. 7 in the country. This comprehensive and unprecedented winning atmosphere has vastly increased interest in NU sports — football attendance, for example, has risen by over 10,000 per game since 2009 — and enticed donors

WRESTLING From page 8

Junior 184-pounder Mitch Sliga, who is the only starter left from the 2014-2015 season, said it will be weird seeing Micic on the other side of the mat. “This will be our first time seeing him since he transferred,” Sliga said. “It will definitely be a strange thing to see, but good luck to him, and we’re going to take Ipsarides over him.” Along with NU, the Wolverines boast one of the youngest lineups in the country, starting six freshman wrestlers. However, the freshman unit has excelled thus far and includes three of the team’s four ranked wrestlers. Senior 197-pound wrestler Jacob Berkowitz is the most veteran starter for the Cats, racking up five years of wrestling experience at NU. Berkowitz has seen Michigan develop its program with talented,

TENNIS

From page 8 effort,” Swan said of the victory over the SEC foe. “There’s a lot of things we can get better at, but to start the season where you’re beating such a quality team is a real positive.” Sophomore Ben Vandixhorn, who notched the winning point at the No. 6 singles position in NU’s defeat of the Commodores, said the win helps the team’s confidence as it heads into a competitive stretch. “It was good to get this first match, especially

to fund expensive projects like the Martin Stadium renovation, planned Welsh-Ryan Arena renovation and the football practice facility currently under construction. So go ahead, appreciate NU sports’ down-to-earth likeability and what it gives to student-athletes. But, in the meantime, appreciate the wins and losses, too. Because the first column is, year after year, getting just a bit longer. Ben Pope is a Medill sophomore. He can be contacted at benjaminpope2019@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. young prospects over the years and said he is seeing the same approach with his own program. “They have a really good program and a great coaching staff,” Berkowitz said. “They bring in good guys, not to say we’re not doing the same. I think that it’s going to be a really close match when it comes around, and I’m excited to see how our young guys handle that pressure.” But Storniolo highlighted differences between the two programs, pointing to a Michigan lineup that is far more experienced than it seems on paper. Between Olympic redshirts and transfers like Micic, the coach said the Wolverines’ lineup is far more seasoned than the roster suggests. “Some of those guys are actually a year older than their eligibility says they are because of Olympic redshirts,” Storniolo said. “And one of the young guys is doing pretty well — part of the reason is we did a decent job with him here at Northwestern.”

going into this weekend,”Vandixhorn said. “It’s good to get one under the belt.” Friday’s match against the Horned Frogs is the first of a seven-match homestand for the Cats, who will host power programs like Duke and Harvard in the coming weeks. But for now, with the season still young, Swan said NU’s most significant objective is to improve and compete in every match. “At this stage of the year, it’s about playing better,” Swan said. “It’s (about) playing a complete match, meaning that we’re competitive in every spot.” aidanmarkey2019@u.northwestern.edu

Picture yourself

AMONG THE GREATS

CLASS OF 1996 NU SYLLABUS YEARBOOK

PHOTOGRAPHERS WILL BE IN NORRIS FOR A LIMITED TIME. Several poses will be taken – in your own clothes and with cap and gown. Your choice will be available for purchase. All senior portraits must be taken by Life Touch Photography. $10 sitting fee required.

SIGN UP FOR YOUR SENIOR YEARBOOK PORTRAIT ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT! SCHEDULE YOUR PORTRAIT Photographers here through January 21, 2017 @ NORRIS Sign up at: www.OurYear.com NU Code: 87150 Walk-ins welcome (but appointments have priority). questions? email: syllabus@northwestern.edu or go to: www.NUsyllabus.com

SPORTS

ON DECK JAN.

Men’s Tennis No. 13 NU vs. No. 7 TCU, 6 p.m. Friday

ON THE RECORD

I am definitely playing with more energy and more confidence. ... I’m just trying to be like (Hankins). — Amber Jamison, guard

@DailyNU_Sports

Thursday, January 19, 2017

HANKINS’ MEMORY DRIVES JAMISON Amber Jamison shines for Wildcats

By MAX GELMAN

daily senior staffer @MaxGelman

For Amber Jamison, Tuesday’s win was more than just a game. The sophomore guard was a close friend of Jordan Hankins, who died last week. Jamison roomed with Hankins their freshman season and wore Hankins’ No. 5 jersey in Northwestern’s game against Indiana on Saturday, the team’s first game since the death of Hankins. “I am definitely playing with more energy and more confidence,” Jamison said. “I’m trying to do what I know she would do. Just trying to be like her.” Jamison has started back-to-back games — the first two starts of her career — since Hankins’ death, scoring a combined 35 points over the Wildcats’ last two wins. Her 22 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists against the Spartans were all career highs as well. Coach Joe McKeown did not provide an update on senior guard Christen Inman, who missed Tuesday’s game with an injury, so it remains to be seen how many more starts Jamison will get. But in the two games since Hankins’ death, Jamison and the rest of her team are keeping their teammate in their minds while on the court. “Just inspirational, the way they’ve responded to the challenges that have been put in front of them,” McKeown said. “Amber did a great job of showing a lot of poise. She played great defense. She played both ends of the floor. Obviously,

her numbers are staggering.” NU as a whole will need Jamison, and other role players, to continue stepping up if Inman misses extended time. However, Tuesday’s win was a good sign that the Cats’ depth may not be a problem in Inman’s absence, especially considering senior forward Nia Coffey’s rare off-night. Coffey scored just 7 points against Michigan State, the first time she’s been held under 10 points in nearly two years. With Coffey struggling and Inman out, Jamison and senior forward Lauren Douglas combined for 35 points. McKeown said having a versatile player like Douglas makes life difficult for other teams. “She’s probably one of the smartest players in the league, just makes great decisions,” McKeown said of Douglas. “When she can step out she gives you the ability to play inside out, which is really hard to guard, and that’s where she’s just a tough matchup.” Senior forward Allie Tuttle and junior guard Maya Jonas also contributed, each notching their season high in points with 6 and 4, respectively. But it appears that Jamison will be tasked as the primary backup to Inman for the time being. Despite her improved stats, McKeown said he hasn’t seen anything different of Jamison in practice. “She’s just seizing the moment and the opportunity. She’s taking advantage of it,” McKeown said. “She’s just always hard working, brings this great attitude every day. … We’re asking a lot from her.” Daily file photo by Allie Goulding

maxgelman2018@u.northwestern.edu

MEN’S TENNIS

WRESTLING

Cats prepare to face NU readies for packed weekend former NU wrestler By AIDAN MARKEY

By DAN WALDMAN

daily senior staffer @dan_waldman

In 2014, Northwestern’s recruiting class was the fifth best in the nation, featuring highly-touted prospects such as No. 3 overall recruit Bryce Brill, No. 12 prospect Johnny Sebastian and No. 19 wrestler Stevan Micic. But just three years after locking up one of the most promising recruiting classes in program history, only Sebastian remains on the roster. Brill became a graduate assistant after lingering injuries ended his career, and Micic transferred to Michigan after one year at NU. When the Wildcats (6-3, 1-2 Big Ten) host the Wolverines (4-3, 1-3) on Sunday, NU will face Micic for the first time since he left the program. “This sort of thing happens in wrestling,” NU coach Matt Storniolo said about the transfer. “It’s been a year and

Michigan vs. Northwestern Evanston, Illinois 2 p.m. Sunday

a half removed at this point. It won’t be awkward for me; I can’t speak for him, but for us it’s not going to be too bad.” Micic, who is the No. 4 wrestler in the 133-pound weight class and won Big Ten co-wrestler of the week honors last week, is one of four top-10 wrestlers scattered throughout No. 15 Michigan’s roster. Cats 133-pound redshirt-freshman Jason Ipsarides joined the program the year Micic left and didn’t have the opportunity to meet his predecessor, whom he’ll face Sunday as an underdog. But Ipsarides is coming off one of his best performances of the season, recording a vital pin in the team’s last dual against Michigan State. » See WRESTLING, page 7

the daily northwestern @AidanMarkey

Less than a week after a taxing match against Vanderbilt, Northwestern will face a ranked TCU team in a battle of top-15 programs. The No. 13 Wildcats (1-0) will look to build off their narrow 4-3 victory over the Commodores as they host the No. 7 Horned Frogs (0-0) on Friday. TCU, which finished third in 2016, defeated NU last season 4-3. “We played them last year, and it was a tight match,” senior Strong Kirchheimer

Daily file photo by Keshia Johnson

Evanston, Illinois 6 p.m. Friday

said. “We know they’re good, we know they have good players, so it’s kind of worrying more about ourselves than anything else.” No. 26 Kirchheimer is the Cats’ No. 1 singles player and one of three veterans leading NU as it looks to improve upon last year’s campaign. Though the matchup with the Horned Frogs headlines NU’s weekend, the team will also face Louisville (0-0) and IUPUI

(0-0) on Sunday in a doubleheader. Coach Arvid Swan said the Cats are preparing for tough matches from all three teams despite the Cardinals and the Jaguars not being ranked. “This week of practice is really important,” Swan said. “We know that we have three really good opponents. We respect all three teams.” NU swept both Louisville and IUPUI in last season’s meetings. As the Cats prepare for the trio of home weekend matches, the win against Vanderbilt could prove to be a catalyst for their early season success. “I’m happy with the competitive » See TENNIS, page 7

Success is redefining NU athletics BEN POPE

DAILY COLUMNIST

Mitch Sliga pins an opponent. The junior will look to lead his team against a Michigan lineup headlined by a former teammate.

No. 7 TCU vs. No. 13 Northwestern

In a column published on Jan. 12, Garrett Jochnau argued that, despite the Wildcats’ reputation as “perennial losers,” students should appreciate the charm and personality of Northwestern’s teams. It is true that NU has been remarkably unsuccessful throughout much of its athletic history. And it is true that, even in the present day, the Cats cannot remotely compare to the likes of Alabama football or Duke basketball. But beneath the program’s

frustrating relapses into mediocrity lies the often overlooked yet statistically undeniable truth that NU athletics have, on the whole, never been as good as they are right now. The men’s basketball program is at the pinnacle of its existence. In 15 of the last 16 seasons, the team has won at least 11 games — a feat they had accomplished just five times in the previous 31 seasons. That half-century-long rise most recently culminated in the first 20-win regular season in school’s history last year, and this winter’s incarnation stands a good chance to break that mark, if not qualify for its first-ever NCAA tournament. Football is enjoying its most sustained prosperity ever. Coach

Pat Fitzgerald has guided the team to a 50 wins over the last seven years — more wins than the program earned in the entire 23-year span of 1972 to 1994. The Cats have also tallied two bowl wins and two 10-win seasons since 2012, feats they had previously managed only once and twice, respectively. Women’s basketball (15-4, 4-2) has also emerged from a decade of ineptitude. Coach Joe McKeown has won more games than he’s lost with the Cats, which is a lot more than his predecessors could say: June Olkowski went 31-108 from 1999 to 2004, then Beth Combs went 24-95 from 2004 to 2008.

» See POPE, page 7